M/T Petter - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1945:

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.

Petter was in the Bermuda portion of the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 42 in May-1940, bound for Le Havre with crude oil, together with Stiklestad, Solstad, Brandanger and Brant County. In Oct. that year she shows up in Convoy OB 226, which left Liverpool on Oct. 9-1940. Her destination on that occasion was Cape Town, station 33. More info on the latter convoy is available at the first external link provided below.

At the beginning of Apr.-1941 she's listed as bound for Aruba in Convoy OB 307, which left Liverpool on Apr. 7 and dispersed on the 13th, returning to the U.K. the following month in Convoy HX 127, in which quite a few Norwegian ships took part. Petter was bound for Clyde with diesel oil. In June she shows up in Convoy OB 334, leaving Liverpool on June 11; Petter's destination is again given as Aruba. Towards the end of July-1941 she was in Convoy HX 140, but had to leave the convoy due to engine problems, then joined Convoy HX 143 a couple of weeks later (Aug. 5), together with the Norwegian Thorshavn, Belinda, Mosli, Andrea Brøvig, Ravnefjell, Katy, Carmelfjell, Primero, Benwood and Salamis. This convoy arrived Liverpool on Aug. 20. Petter joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 20 towards the end of the following month, but returned to port and later joined Convoy ON 24*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 8 and dispersed on the 15th. She was bound for New York on this occasion.

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 (left Liverpool March 4, arrived Freetown March 24). No further details are available other than the fact that it looks like an inquiry was held in Cape Town on May 15-1942 (I cannot find any casualties from Petter commemorated at the Stavern Memorial). Others on board at the time were Captain Stian A. Mørland, 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).

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; the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page has 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. she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 198*, again bound for New York (departure Liverpool Aug. 21, arrival New York Sept. 4).

It now looks like she headed to another part of the world*, because at the end of Dec. that same year (1943) she appears in the Augusta portion of Convoy MKS 35, voyage from Alexandria to Bizerta. She also shows up in the Alexandria portion of Convoy MKS 37 in Jan.-1944, voyage Augusta-Oran.

* By following the instructions provided at the first external link below, some of the gaps in my voyage information for Petter in the period from Sept.-1943 to Dec.-1943 (as well as other gaps) will be filled. For instance, as will be seen, 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. She also appears in Convoy GUS 20 in Oct./Nov.-1943, voyage Augusta to Malta only, then in Nov.-1943 she shows up in the Aden to Bandar Abbas Convoy AP 53, and made several voyages in that part of the world in this time period. Again, follow the instructions to find the convoys she was in (but be sure to pay attention to whether the information pertains to Petter or Petter II).

She subsequently went back to U.S.-U.K. service again in the spring of 1944; in fact, according to the external site already mentioned, she had returned to the U.S. from Oran with Convoy GUS 28 in Jan./Febr.-1944. Towards the end of March-1944 she's listed in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 284, and in Apr. she shows up in the westbound Convoy ON 234*, which departed Liverpool on Apr. 26 and arrived New York on May 12 - no destination is given for Petter on that occasion. Later that month she joined Convoy HX 292, returning across the ocean in June with Convoy ON 240*, which departed Liverpool on June 10 and arrived New York on the 28th, but Petter's destination is not given. 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), and in Aug. she appears in Convoy HX 303 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 in Sept. that year she's listed, again with no voyage information, in the westbound Convoy ON 252*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 7 and arrived New York on the 22nd.

* 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, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys.

The external site below also lists 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 available on my own site.

External links related to the text on this page:
OB convoys - OB 226 is included. Note also that by going to this section of the same site 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 OB 307, OB 334, UGS 18, GUS 20, AP 53, GUS 28, and SC 173, all mentioned in my text above.