M/S Randsfjord

To Randsfjord - Page 2
(interview with the steward)

To Randsfjord on the "Ships starting with R" page.

Crew List


Source: Roger W. Jordan collection (sent to me for inclusion on this site).

Final Fate -1940:

Randsfjord was scheduled for Convoy HX 47 on June 1-1940 (in which the Norwegian Italia was sunk) but did not sail. She departed Halifax on June 9-1940 in Convoy HX 49, on a voyage from New York to Liverpool with 6740 tons general cargo, incl. 77 tons ammunition and 6 aircraft ("Nortraships flåte" says 33 aircraft). According to the 1st mate's report presented at the subsequent inquiry in London on Sept. 25 the convoy was escorted by a British aux. cruiser until the afternoon of June 20, at which time it returned, and in the morning of the 21st, 2 British destroyers and an aircraft arrived. That same evening the British San Fernando was torpedoed in the middle of the convoy, and the commodore ordered the convoy dispersed. The 1st mate says that the commodore ship (the British Eurybates) and Randsfjord soon ended up ahead of all the other ships, and the captain gave orders for Randsfjord to reduce her speed so that she could stay behind the commodore vessel and follow the same maneuvers. However, when the commodore became aware of this he signalled orders for them to proceed at full speed. Around midnight they had to steer clear of a burning tanker, and not long afterwards, at 24:11, June 22, when approx. 70 miles south of Fastnet(?) Randsfjord was hit by a torpedo on the port side (U-30 - Lemp), forward of amidships, probably in No. 3 hold, causing her to start sinking by the bow, and within about 3 minutes she was gone.

The port lifeboat was destroyed, the starboard boat was launched with great difficulty due to the ship's speed; her engine had not been stopped, though even if it had been, it may not have made much difference, because her propeller was out of the water almost immediately. Some had to jump overboard, the 2nd mate (officer on watch) and the 1st engineer were believed to have been crushed between the lifeboat and the side of the ship when they lost their grip while trying to lower themselves down to the boat. The captain, who had been in his cabin when the attack took place was last seen on his way to the bridge, not wearing a lifevest at the time (according to a report of an interview with the steward, the lifeboat fished the captain's body out of the water - see page 2). The 1st mate attempted to jump overboard but was taken by the rush of water as the ship sank and was lifted up underneath one of the aircraft in such a way that he was trapped there until the lashings broke. There had been 3 aircraft in crates on deck, another 3, from which the wings had been removed were uncrated.

The lifeboat picked up those who were in the water, then remained on the scene until it was almost daylight in order to search for the 3 missing men, but found nothing but debris. Lemp came up to ask the usual questions, handed them a bottle of Brandy and some water, then disappeared (the survivors thought the sub was Italian*). They set sail for land, but were picked up on June 24 by the British Port Hobart (from Convoy OA 172) and landed in Glasgow on the 26th, where the 1st mate, the 3rd mate and Jr. Ordinary Seaman Halvorsen were admitted to hospital.

* Mike Holdoway (who runs the website about SL and OB/OA convoys etc. - see this external link - has sent me the following from Port Hobart, with the time given as 11:53, June 23-1940 (not sure which time zone is used here):
"Position 50 29N 5 56W. Sighted ships life boat under sail. Investigated and took on board 29 survivors of Norwegian M.V. Randsfjord who was torpedoed at 01:00 on 22/6/40 by Italian submarine, 70 miles S.S.E. from Queenstown". See also page 2 for a report of an interview with the steward.

The Norwegian Eli Knudsen from the same convoy was torpedoed by U-32 that same day. According to Rohwer's listing she was hit 19 hours before Randsfjord was torpedoed (giving position 70 n. miles south/southeast of Queenstown for Randsfjord), while "Nortraships flåte" lists her as being hit about 2 1/2 hours AFTER Randsfjord. "The Allied Convoy System" by Arnold Hague gives the date for San Fernando's sinking as June 22, while Rohwer agrees with my Norwegian source, June 21. Neither Rohwer nor Hague give any indication that the convoy had been dispersed. "Nortraships flåte" says the order to disperse was given when the convoy was about 100 n. miles southwest of Cape Clear, after San Fernando had been torpedoed at 19:00 on June 21 (Rohwer gives German time 20:07).

(Charles Hocking says the culprit was an Italian sub).

Related external links:
More on the casualties

Operations information for U-30

U-30 | Fritz Julius Lemp

Back to Randsfjord on the "Ships starting with R" page.

Den norske Amerikalinje previously had another ship by the name Randsfjord (ex Kongsfos), from 1921 till 1934, 3222gt, sold to Finland 1934 and renamed Gertrud, later Wilja. Torpedoed and sunk 1940. The following website has some technical information on this first Randsfjord and other NAL ships: Norway Heritage Project.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: NAL fleet list, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume II, and misc. others as named within above text - (ref. My sources).