M/T Petter - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1945:

Please follow the links provided for more details on these convoys; several Norwegian ships took part. More convoy information will be added.

Petter was mostly in service U.S.A.-U.K. with aviation fuel. She very nearly missed being rammed by a British vessel (also carrying aviation fuel) in thick fog, about 2 days out of Ireland when on a voyage to Swansea, having lost her convoy at the time. No date is given, nor name of the British vessel.

As will be seen when going to Page 1 above, Petter arrived Baton Rouge on the day of the German invasion of Norway, Apr. 9-1940. The following month, we find her in the Bermuda portion of the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 42, together with Stiklestad, Solstad, Brandanger and Brant County. Petter was bound for Le Havre with crude oil. In Oct.-1940 she shows up, with destination Cape Town, in Convoy OB 226, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 9-1940 and dispersed Oct. 12, Petter arriving Table Bay on Nov. 9, having started out from Milford Haven on Oct. 8. More info on the latter convoy (as well as the other OB convoys mentioned on this page) is available at the first external link provided below.

A. Hague has also included her in Convoy SL 66, which left Freetown on Febr. 18-1941 and arrived Liverpool March 14. The following month, she's listed as bound for Aruba in Convoy OB 307, which left Liverpool on Apr. 7 and dispersed on the 13th, Petter arriving Aruba on Apr. 30 (see Page 1), heading back to the U.K. on May 16 in Convoy HX 127 from Halifax, in which quite a few Norwegian ships took part. Petter was bound for Clyde with diesel oil. In June she appears in Convoy OB 334, originating in Liverpool on June 11; Petter's destination is again given as Aruba, where she arrived on July 5, having sailed from Clyde on June 12. On July 22, she joined Convoy HX 140 from Halifax, in order to return to the U.K., but had to leave the convoy due to engine problems (see Notes on my page about this convoy, she's not included on the A 1 form), putting into Sydney, C.B. on July 27, and from there, she subsequently joined Convoy HX 143 a couple of weeks later. This convoy had originated in Halifax on Aug. 5, but as already mentioned, Petter joined with the Sydney portion. The Norwegian Thorshavn, Belinda, Mosli, Andrea Brøvig, Ravnefjell, Katy, Carmelfjell, Primero, Benwood and Salamis also took part in HX 143. Towards the end of the following month, she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 20, but returned to port and later joined Convoy ON 24*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 8 and dispersed on the 15th, Petter arriving New York on Oct. 27, according to Page 2.

In Jan.-1942 we find her in station 75 of the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 169.

"Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig" indicates that Petter had a death on board on March 8-1942 when on a voyage Falmouth-Aruba. In fact, the external site below has her listed as bound for Aruba in Convoy OS 21 in this period (convoy left Liverpool March 4, arrived Freetown March 24). According to this message in my Guestbook, there had been a U-boat attack near Aruba and the captain was keen to keep the ship underway at full speed but the ship's cook suddenly jumped off the back of the ship. The captain then - against his better judgement - decided they would stop and try to pick him up. A boat was lowered to row out to get the man, but unfortunately, before they could reach him he was taken by sharks. It took the crew almost 48 hours to restart the engines. In addition to Captain Stian A. Mørland, these were on board at the time: 1st Mate Aage Staubo Jelmert, Able Seaman/Gunner Adelsten Pleyn, 2nd Engineer Oliver Seim, Assistant Frank Olav Akselsen and Gunner Joseph Gilham (from Lancashire, England). Going back to Page 2 of the archive documents, we learn that Petter arrived Aruba on March 30, having started out from Belfast Lough on March 5. From Aruba she sailed to Table Bay on Apr. 4, with arrival on May 9, and it looks like an inquiry was held there on May 15. I cannot find any casualties from Petter commemorated at the Stavern Memorial.

In the fall of 1942 Petter is listed in Convoy SL 119, which left Freetown on Aug. 14-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 4. She was sailing in station 73 with a cargo of diesel oil, and was bound for Belfast (the Norwegian Maloja is also listed; again, see the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page for more information).

In March-1943 we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 175*, which left Liverpool on March 24 and arrived New York, Petter's destination, on Apr. 16. She headed back to the U.K. a couple of days later with Convoy HX 235, and in May she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 184* (departure Liverpool May 15, arrival New York May 31). In June she sailed in Convoy HX 244, bound for Swansea, station 76, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 192*, which left Liverpool on July 9 and arrived New York, her destination, on the 22nd. Petter went back to the U.K. again at the end of that month with Convoy HX 250, and towards the end of Aug.-1943 she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 198*, again bound for New York (departure Liverpool Aug. 21, arrival New York Sept. 4). See also Page 3.

She now headed to another part of the world, as will be seen on the archive document mentioned above. Compare some of these voyages to the convoy information resulting from following the instructions provided at the first external link below. For instance, Petter is listed in Convoy UGS 18, which left Hampton Roads on Sept. 15-1943 and arrived Port Said on Oct. 13 - Petter, however, was bound for Malta, where she arrived on Oct. 9 (note that I've received a Guestbook message from someone telling me that he has studied Convoy UGS 18 extensively using U.S., French and German records, and that U.S. convoy lists do not show Petter as part of this convoy). She also appears in Convoy GUS 20, voyage Augusta to Malta only; going back to the archive document, we learn that she left Augusta on Nov. 2 and arrived Malta the same day. Later that month, she shows up in the Aden to Bandar Abbas Convoy AP 53, departing Aden on Nov. 19; Petter stopped at Abadan on the 28th, proceeding to Bandar Abbas 2 days later. At the end of Dec.-1943, I have her in the Augusta portion of Convoy MKS 35, voyage from Alexandria to Bizerta. She had left Alexandria on Dec. 22 and arrived Bizerta on the 28th. She also shows up in the Alexandria portion of Convoy MKS 37 in Jan.-1944, voyage Augusta-Oran. From Oran, she subsequently headed back to the U.S. on Jan. 25, having joined Convoy GUS 28. All the unlinked convoys mentioned here are available via the external website below.

It looks like the intention was to return to the Mediterranean again - there's an entry on Page 3, stating that she left Hampton Roads on March 14-1944 "For Med", but put back to New York the next day. This fits with the fact that she's said to have returned to port from Convoy UGS 36 - see external link below. Instead, she now went back to U.S.-U.K. service again. On March 21-1944 she's listed in Convoy HX 284 from New York, returning with the westbound Convoy ON 234*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 26 and arrived New York on May 12. On May 19 we find her in Convoy HX 292, and in June she's listed in Convoy ON 240*, which left Liverpool on June 10 and arrived New York on the 28th. In July she sailed in Convoy HX 298 from New York, joining the westbound Convoy ON 246* later that month (departure Liverpool July 25, arrival New York Aug. 9). Just 2 days after arrival New York, she started on her return voyage in Convoy HX 303, together with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Tanafjord, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Geisha, Thorhild, Romulus, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Fjordaas and Norse Lady, all listed on this website. Early the following month, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 252*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 7 and arrived New York on the 22nd. See also Page 4.

Arnold Hague has also included Petter in Convoy SC 173, which left Halifax on Apr. 18-1945 and arrived Liverpool on May 4. However, she's said to have returned to port, following a collision with Empire Mackay. This ship is not listed in the convoy, but Empire Chamois is, and is also said to have been involved in a collision, so I'm wondering if that's the ship Petter collided with(?). SC 173 is not yet available on my own website (will be added), but I've linked directly to Hague's listing at the end of this page. Judging from the information found on the archive document mentioned above, she remained in Halifax for quite some time.

Further 1945 voyages, and some 1946 voyages, are listed on Page 5.

* All the ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys.

For more details on all the other Norwegian ships named on this page, please see the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

External links related to the text on this page:
OB convoys - OB 226 is included. The site also has SL/MKS convoys and OS/KMS Convoys. As can be seen, Petter is mentioned in Convoy OS 21 and SL 119. Note also that by going to this section of the same site (based on Arnold Hague's database) and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Petter" as keyword, several convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up. However, please be aware that quite a bit of the information pertains to Petter II. Here are SL 66, OB 307, OB 334, UGS 18, GUS 20, AP 53, GUS 28, UGS 36 and SC 173, all mentioned in my text above.