M/T Polarsol - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

In the book "Larviks Sjømannsforening 1849-1949" a several pages long report has been included, written by Chief Engineer Frode Bjerkholdt (the title translates to "Larvik's Seamen's Association 1849-1949" - it came out in 1948 and is listed in My sources / Books). The report is basically a summary of Polarsol's experiences during the war years, and gives an excellent glimpse into what life must have been like on a regular basis on these tankers. As mentioned on the "front" page of this website, my main purpose is to tell the story of the "soldiers of the sea", namely the seamen and not only cold facts about the ships, so I'm including a translated summary of this report here.

As will be seen, I've supplemented the information with details on various convoys, either included on my own site (bold text in links), or found at another, external site (regular text in links). Follow the links provided for more details, then compare the dates with the info found on the various archive documents.

1939 - 1942:

He starts off by saying that Polarsol went out on her maiden voyage on Dec. 19-1939, bound for Aruba to pick up a cargo of fuel. Note that at the external link provided further down on this page she's listed as sailing in Convoy OB 56, which left Liverpool on that date (except for a voyage to The Persian Gulf to pick up fuel for the U.K., she continued in this trade until Apr.-1941).

Towards the end of Jan.-1940 we find her bound for Avonmouth in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HXF 17. The external site mentioned earlier subsequently has her in Convoy OGF 18* in Febr.-1940, a combination of Convoys OB 88 from Liverpool and OA 88 from Southampton which joined up to form the OG convoy on Febr. 11-1940. Polarsol was on a voyage in ballast from Avonmouth to the Persian Gulf and joined with the OB convoy. At the beginning of Apr.-1940 she shows up, with destination Avonmouth, in a Gibraltar-U.K. convoy, namely HGF 25, departing Gibraltar on Apr. 2. According to Page 1, she arrived Avonmouth on Apr. 12, and later that month she sailed in OG 27, a combination of Convoy OB 133, originating in Liverpool on Apr. 20 (in which she's listed) and Convoy OA 133, the 2 convoys having joined up on Apr. 22 to form OG 27 (see below). Going back to the archive document, we learn that she arrived Trinidad on May 6, having started out from Milford Haven on Apr. 21. In May she's listed in the Bermuda portion of the eastbound North Atlantic Convoy HX 44, cargo of benzine for Falmouth, and in June we find her in Convoy OB 167, which originated in Liverpool on June 13-1940 and dispersed on the 17th. Polarsol's destination is given as Aruba, where she arrived June 28, having started out from Milford Haven on the 14th. She was scheduled for the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 56 in July-1940, but is crossed out on the form with a note saying "to proceed to Halifax to await orders", and does not show up again until HX 62 from Halifax at the end of that month; she arrived Avonmouth on Aug. 16.

* The OG convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section, with more details on each; in the meantime, the ships sailing them (and escorts) are named on the page listing ships in all OG convoys. OG 18 is included, and Polarsol's destination is given as Abadan. She's also listed, with destination Aruba, in Convoy OG 27 in Apr.-1940, as well as in Convoy OG 54 in Febr.-1941, again bound for Aruba (convoy originated in Liverpool on Febr. 25, arrived Gibraltar March 14). According to the archive document mentioned above, she arrived Aruba on March 16.

In Oct.-1940 we find her in Convoy OB 223, which left Liverpool on Oct. 3 and dispersed on the 8th. Her destination is given as Capetown/Abadan, station 41. Going back to Page 1, we see that Polarsol sailed from Milford Haven on Oct. 2, arrived Table Bay on Oct. 31, Abadan on Nov. 23. In Jan.-1941 she's listed in Convoy SL 61, which left Freetown on Jan. 1 and arrived Liverpool on the 24th. Follow the external links provided further down on this page for more information on the OB and SL convoys. As already mentioned above, she subsequently made another voyage to Aruba, having joined Convoy OG 54 in Febr.-1941, arriving Aruba on March 16.

On March 27, she can be found among the ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 117. After unloading in Liverpool orders came from the Admiralty that ships doing 12 knots or more were to proceed alone, and the chief engineer adds "this was during the blackest days; many ships had been lost and England needed the supplies quickly". He says they left Liverpool on Apr. 22 with a course just south of Iceland, destination New York. Early in the morning of Apr. 26, when they were about 150 miles south of Iceland, they were suddenly attacked by a large 4 engined bomber that flew low over the ship and blasted her with its machine gun from fore to aft, before dropping its bombs when it reached the after part*.

* "Nortraships flåte" also mentions this attack, but says that Polarsol was in a convoy at the time, giving the date as Apr. 25-1941, between Iceland and Scotland. "Skip og Menn" says she was on a voyage from New York to England, but this can't be correct since she had sailed in HX 117 which arrived Liverpool on Apr. 15.
The French ship Celte was bombed in the same area a couple of days later, 14 of her crew were rescued by the Norwegian Nea, 10 by a British vessel.

Frode Bjerkholdt gives a very detailed description of the damages and the havoc that ensued; it's heartwrenching reading; "the door to the engine room blew straight through the engineer's sitting room and out through the other side". They didn't have enough armament on board to effectively defend themselves, so had to take to the boats. The German aircraft came back 3 times, again peppering the decks with its machine guns and dropping 8 bombs before finally leaving the "scene of its heroic deeds, heading east, probably towards Norway". Cries for help were heard from the sea, 2 men were fished out but 1 was dead, floating on his lifebelt. Other cries were heard but they weren't able to get to them and the cries eventually stopped.

Meanwhile, Polarsol was burning fiercly and they feared her ammunition would explode. After 6 hours in the lifeboat they went back on board, but stayed amidships as they could not get aft due to the fire. Later that evening a small convoy was spotted, the Dutch tug Zwarte Zee took her in tow, and 5 days later she arrived at a yard in Glasgow for repairs. The fire in the engine room and the after part of the ship had lasted for about 24 hours, but it took 3 days before they could get down to the engine room, which resembled a crater. When they did, they found the burnt, upper body of the pumpman. He must have been killed during the explosion and his upper body had fallen into the "crater", the lower body was not found. The ship's cat was also found dead and charred down there. The remains of the pumpman were buried at Port Balantyne. 4 men had died, others were badly injured. The following are commemorated at the Stavern Memorial (link further down on this page): Able Seaman Jacob Sofus Birkedal Carlsen, Oiler Hans Kristian K. Lydhus, Pump Man Gunnar L. Halleraker, and 3rd Engineer Sigfrid Trulsen.

After repairs were completed at the end of Aug. she resumed her service with aviation fuel between the U.S. and U.K., joining the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 11, bound for New York, station 73. According to Page 2, she arrived New York on Sept. 16, having sailed from Clyde on Aug. 31. She headed back to the U.K. again on Oct. 10 with Convoy HX 154 from Halifax, together with the Norwegian Hilda Knudsen, Kaia Knudsen, Ranja, Tai Shan, Samuel Bakke, Emma Bakke, Skiensfjord, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso, Toronto, Noreg and Svenør. Some of these ships, including Polarsol (destination Curacao), subsequently returned with the westbound Convoy ON 34, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 7-1941 with quite a few Norwegian ships, dispersed Nov. 21. Polarsol arrived Curacao on Nov. 24, and the following month we find her in Convoy HX 164, together with Gallia, Norsktank, Hilda Knudsen, Kaia Knudsen and Leiesten. This convoy departed Halifax for the U.K. on Dec. 8-1941.

In Jan.-1942 she's listed as bound for Galveston with the westbound Convoy ON 56* (originated in Liverpool Jan. 12, dispersed Jan. 16). Polarsol arrived Galveston on Febr. 2, having started out from Greenock on Jan. 13. She also shows up among the ships leaving Halifax in Convoy HX 178 on March 3-1942, as well as in the westbound convoy ON 81* at the end of that month (left Liverpool March 29, dispersed Apr. 9); her destination is given as Aruba on that occasion, and she arrived there on Apr. 17. She was then sent alone to Freetown (arrived May 9), and from there in convoy to the U.K. (took 28 days in slow convoy, according to the chief engineer). She's listed as sailing in station 63 of Convoy SL 110, which left Freetown on May 13-1942 and arrived Liverpool on June 4 - see also Page 3, as well as the external link below - Thorshøvdi and Velma are also listed.

The chief engineer's report states that she now headed back to The Persian Gulf, around South Africa, and the same way back - however, she's listed as bound for Boston in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 105*, originating in Liverpool on June 19-1942; according to Page 3 above she arrived New York on July 3. Note that she's subsequently listed as bound for Aruba in the Key West to Trinidad Convoy WAT 9, which left Key West on July 25-1942. Going back to the archive document, we learn that she arrived Aruba on Aug. 2. She headed back to Key West on Aug. 5 in Convoy TAW 11A, with arrival Aug. 13 - both are external links. On Sept. 6-1942 she's listed among the ships in Convoy HX 206 from Halifax, having been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 205. Towards the end of that month we find her, with destination New York, in the westbound Convoy ON 133*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 25 and arrived New York on Oct. 11.

The chief eningeer mentions a voyage that took place in the fall of 1942 (no date is given) when she was in a convoy in the Caribbean, headed for Curacao. Due to attacks the convoy had to turn around, but they eventually reached their destination and cargo was loaded, only to get attacked again before they had even gotten properly out of the harbour. An American cruiser was torpedoed, with the attacks lasting all night. All the way to New York U-boats were around and depth charges were constantly dropped. Polarsol is listed in Convoy NG 317 from New York to Guantanamo on Oct. 27-1942, arriving Guantanamo Nov. 3. She proceeded from Guantanamo that same day in Convoy GAT 19, and arrived Curacao on Nov. 7, subsequently starting her return voyage from Curacao on Nov. 12, joining Convoy TAG 20 to Guantanamo, continuing from there to New York on Nov. 16 with Convoy GN 20, arriving New York on Nov. 23 - all these are external links. I'm not sure if any of these convoys were attacked, but perhaps this is the voyage referred to by the chief engineer?

She was scheduled for Convoy HX 217 from New York at the end of Nov.-1942 (cargo of gasoline, destination Belfast), but instead joined the next convoy on Dec. 5, HX 218. Destination is now given as Swansea, where she arrived (via Belfast Lough) on Dec. 22. She was scheduled to return to the U.S. with the westbound Convoy ON 157 a few days later, but joined ON 159, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 4-1943 - see also the Commodore's narrative, where Polarsol is mentioned under Jan. 18; she arrived Houston on Jan. 26, according to Page 3.

* 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 them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys.

For information on some of Polarsol's convoy voyages made in between those mentioned on this page, please follow the instructions provided at the external link below, and compare the results with the details found on the various archive documents.

External links related to the above text:
OB (& OA) Convoys and SL Convoys - OB 56, OB 88, OB 223, SL 61 and SL 110 are included. Note also that by going to this section of the same site (based on Arnold Hague's database) and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Polarsol" as keyword, several convoys will come up.

See also this chronological list of
OA and OB convoys - starting with 1939.

Stavern Memorial commemorations - In addition to the 4 already named in my text above, who died in the Apr.-1941 attack, Motorman Anker Larsen is commemorated. The Norwegian text for Polarsol says that he died at sea on May 7-1942.

1943 - 1945 Voyages:

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Polarsol had arrived Houston from the U.K. on Jan. 26-1943. While there, she took on board 14 000 tons aviation fuel and 1400 tons bunkers, then proceeded through the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, around Cape Horn, eastward in the Antarctic, then north (this according to the chief engineers narrative). She sailed alone, and had been instructed to report when certain locations were passed. After having reported her last position, they were told that U-boats had sunk 4 ships nearby during the night, and were directed to go to Durban (see also Page 3 and Page 4). The burning wreck of one of these ships was spotted soon afterwards, but Polarsol made it safely to Durban. From there 2 days in convoy to the south point of Madagaskar (possibly Convoy DN 27? external link), then northwards on her own until she had passed the east coast of Madagaskar, where a small troop convoy was spotted ahead of them. The escorting cruiser got suspicious and started firing, but upon being notified they were friend and not foe, they were allowed to join this convoy the rest of the way to Aden. She then proceeded alone through the Red Sea, Suez Canal into the Mediterranean and on to Alexandria where her cargo was unloaded. She had travelled 20 000 miles on this voyage. Through the rest of 1943 she continued voyaging the Mediterranean - Persian Gulf, interrupted by a couple of trips to India and one to South Africa.

Again, please go to this website and click on "Ship Search", using "Polarsol" as keyword for more information on some of her convoy voyages in this period, and compare these to Page 4 of the archive documents - for instance, the site has her in the Aden-Bandar Abbas Convoy AP 30 on May 13-1943; she was bound for Abadan, where she arrived May 21. She's also listed in some Bombay to Bandar Abbas convoys and Bandar Abbas to Aden convoys in the course of 1943. Additionally, we find her in the Aden-Khor Kwai Convoy AP 34 in June-1943, and she's listed in the Port Said to Hampton Roads Convoy GUS 26 in Dec.-1943/Jan.-1944; her voyage information is given as "Port Said to Bizerta", in other words, she did not travel all the way to the U.S. with this convoy; going back to Page 4 of the archive docs, we see that she arrived Bizerta on Jan. 3-1944 - all these are external links.

F. Bjerkholdt goes on to describe an air attack in Apr.-1944. He says they had loaded fuel in Abadan around Christmas time of 1943, and had unloaded at Algiers before heading to the U.S. for maintenance work and the addition of an extra deck for aircraft, as well as better armament (see Convoy GUS 28, where she's listed as bound from Bone to the U.S.A. in Jan./Febr.-1944 - external link. According to Page 5, she had left Bone on Jan. 23 and arrived New York on Febr. 15). 14 500 tons aviation fuel was then loaded, as well as 80 trucks on the new deck. The convoy she joined consisted of about 100 ships, 90% American, for the Mediterranean. He claims the attack took place in the evening of Apr. 4*, not long after they had passed Algiers; an estimated 50 bombers were in the air above them, as well as torpedo aircraft. The latter came in very low, just 1 meter above the water, 1 coming directly for Polarsol, the other for the ship next to them, which was a Liberty Ship. Polarsol's new anti aircraft gun now came in useful, in that they were able to shoot the attacking aircraft to pieces, but the Liberty Ship took a direct hit straight into its cargo of ammunition, followed by a deafening explosion which caused the Norwegian ship to be thrown over to the side, with the helmsman covered in broken glass, bleeding heavily. Polarsol received many damages, as did her cargo of trucks. Nothing was to be seen of the Liberty Ship afterwards, and nothing was heard from the about 580 people on board. All the while the bombs kept coming, several exploding much too close to Polarsol for comfort. He thinks 7 ships were sunk as well as 3 destroyers, 3 Liberty Ships sprang a leak and had to be beached, while 4 German and 2 British aircraft were shot down.

* She appears in Convoy UGS 38 in this time period (external link), her destination is given as Bizerta - this convoy left Hampton Roads on Apr. 3-1944 (and had Port Said as its final destination), but she could not have been off Algiers already the day after departure. However, a couple of other facts do fit with the chief engineer's description - the American Liberty Ship Paul Hamilton, carrying 500 troops was sunk in this convoy, and there were no survivors. The British Royal Star was also sunk, while the British Samite was damaged, as was the American Stephen F. Austin (also a Liberty Ship carrying troops). As will be seen when following the link, this convoy had many Liberty Ships carrying troops, but no more are listed as sunk.

Polarsol was then ordered to Bizerta, arriving there the next afternoon to unload her aviation fuel and military vehicles. This little snippet of information might help pinpoint the correct date for the above attack, because according to Page 5, she arrived Bizerta on Apr. 22, in other words, had the attack taken place on the 21st? Just before departure for the U.S. they were told to go to Algiers* to take the fuel cargo from an American ship that was not allowed further into the Mediterranean, and then proceed with that cargo to Taranto, Italy. This time they went through the most dangerous stretch at another time of the day, plus the convoy was covered by a smoke screen, and they did not experience attacks. On passing the straits of Messina a U-boat was sunk by an aircraft and the survivors picked up by one of the escorts.

* She's listed as bound from Bizerta to Algiers in Convoy GUS 39 in May-1944 - external link. Going back to Page 5, we learn that she left Bizerta on May 11 and arrived Algiers on the 13th, leaving again on May 17 for Augusta, where she arrived May 21. For this voyage she had joined Convoy KMS 50 - see my section listing ships in all KMS convoys. She departed Augusta again that same day for Taranto, with arrival May 22, heading back to Augusta from there on May 28, with arrival Augusta on May 30. These were probably(?) the voyages she made with Convoy AH 44 and Convoy HA 45 - both external links.

Polarsol's next voyage took her from Augusta on May 30 and back to the U.S. (June 19) where the damages from the aircraft attack were repaired (see Convoy GUS 41 - external link), before returning to the Mediterranean with another cargo of aviation fuel, aircraft etc. According to the chief engineer, her first destination was Marseilles, where the battles for the south of France were in full force (see * below). She then headed to Ancona, Italy where fuel was unloaded, but not before she had again been the object of aircraft attack before arrival. Also, the breakwater near Polarsol was hit by a torpedo from a motor torpedo boat while she was there.

* Polarsol is listed in Convoy HX 299 from New York on July 11-1944. I can't quite get this to fit with the above narrative, unless this voyage was in connection with her destination Marseilles? (not mentioned until Jan.-1945 on Page 5). The following month, she appears in the westbound U.K.-U.S. Convoy ON 248(F)*, which originated in Liverpool Aug. 6 and arrived New York Aug. 20; Polarsol joined from Loch Ewe (ships in this convoy are named on this page). She subsequently shows up, with destination Augusta, in Convoy UGS 53 from Hampton Roads on Sept. 2. Her arrival Augusta is given as Sept. 24, and she left again for Brindisi that same day, with arrival Sept. 26, having sailed in Convoy AH 69. "Nortraships flåte" states that Polarsol arrived Bari from the U.S. on Sept. 28-1944 and continued to Ancona the next day, where she arrived on Sept. 30. She experienced two air raids, one in the evening of Sept. 30 while anchored 1.5 n. miles from town, the other in the evening of Oct. 2, after she had gone into Ancona, but no damage was done. According to the archive document mentioned above she departed Ancona again for Brindisi on Oct. 8; her arrival Brindisi is not given, but she left again for Augusta on Oct. 11, arriving Augusta on the 13th, having made this voyage in Convoy HA 72 (also external link). From Augusta, she subsequently returned to the U.S.

Background to the above narrative: By this time the Allied forces had regained the French Mediterranean coast. The Germans evacuated Crete (the last German troops left Athens on Oct. 12), but they were still holding Italy, and at the end of that year they continued to hold the northern Adriatic sea and part of the Italian east coast, from where the German Air Force could still cause problems for the otherwise peaceful passage in the Mediterranean.

From then on Polarsol continued the U.S.-Med. voyages, with a voyage U.S.-U.K. in between. As mentioned above, she headed to the U.S. from Augusta, having joined Convoy GUS 55; she arrived New York Nov. 6, having left Augusta on Oct. 16. She departed New York again on Dec. 10 and arrived Casablanca Dec. 26, having sailed in Convoy UGS 63. From there, she headed to Algiers, Marseilles, Port de Bouc, back to Marseilles and Algiers then on to Oran, and on Jan. 22-1945 we find her in Convoy GUS 67 from Oran to the U.S., and arrived New York on Febr. 11 (all external links). She now made a voyage to the U.K.; she's listed as bound for Avonmouth with Convoy HX 339 from New York on Febr. 18, arriving Avonmouth on March 4, returning the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 289*, which left Southend on March 7 and arrived New York on the 25th (the ships in this convoy are named on this page). No destination is given for Polarsol on this occasion, but according to Page 6, she arrived Baltimore on March 27, having left Avonmouth on the 7th. She subsequently shows up in Convoy UGS 83 (external link), which left Hampton Roads on March 29-1945, Polarsol arriving Augusta on Apr. 18. See also Convoy AH 32, leaving Bari on Apr. 24, arriving Ancona the next day. She also appears in Convoy HA 33, which left Ancona on Apr. 28-1945 and arrived Bari the next day, but Polarsol is said to have arrived Oran on May 3. On May 7, she's listed in the Oran-Hampton Roads Convoy GUS 88 (also external page). Again, no destination is given for Polarsol but according to the archive document already mentioned, she arrived New York on May 23. This does not quite fit with the chief engineer's account, which says that when the war ended (presumably meaning the war in Europe) she was on her way to the U.S. from England.

Subsequent voyages are listed on Page 6 (unfortunately, the last voyage on that page has been cut off, but she went to Norway in Dec.-1945). See also Page 7.

400 000 tons of fuel had been transported by Polarsol during the war, and she had sailed 275 000 miles.

Melsom & Melsom, Larvik later had another Polarsol, delivered in Nov.-1960, 21 592 gt. Renamed Sunny Lady for Olaf Pedersens Rederi A/S, Oslo in 1972. Sold to Greece in 1977 and renamed Nostos. Broken up in 1984.