D/S Ringhorn - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Owner: D/S A/S Ringhorn
Manager: Albert Schjelderup, Bergen
Tonnage: 1298 gt, 735 net, 2160 tdwt
Signal Letters: LERQ

Built by Huiskens & van Dijk, Dordrecht, Netherlands (119), delivered in March-1920 as Hans Gude to D/S A/S Fane (Vilhelm Torkildsen), Bergen. 237.9' x 37.2' x 16.0', Triple exp. (Huiskens & van Dijk), 160 nhp. Sold to D/S A/S Ringhorn (Albert Schjelderup), Bergen in 1927 and renamed Ringhorn.

Captain: Torger N. Humlevik, at the beginning of the war. Here's a Guestbook message (in Norwegian) from his son. Captain Humlevik later took command of Gudrun.
At the time of Ringhorn's loss, captain was Trygve Terkelsen.

Misc. War Details:

Rescued 54 people from the Danish ship Canada off the coast of England in 1939.

Ringhorn is listed in Convoy HN 14 from Norway to the U.K. in Febr.-1940, but returned to port and subsequently joined the next convoy, HN 15. In the middle of March she's listed in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 20, and at the end of that month we find her in Convoy HN 23B, in ballast for Blyth. However, it looks like she did not sail, or returned, because she shows up again in Convoy HN 25 in Apr.

In Aug.-1940 she's listed as bound for Liverpool, N.S. in Convoy OB 193, which left Liverpool (U.K.) on Aug. 4 and dispersed on the 7th. See the external links at the end of this page; several Norwegian ships took part.

In the middle of Oct.-1940 she joined the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 8, cargo of lumber for Sharpness.

More information on her voyages will be added.

Ringhorn, bound for St. John, N.B. with coal, had been in convoy OB 248, which had left Liverpool on Nov. 23-1940 (dispersed on the 26th), and was attacked by U-95 (Schreiber) on Nov. 28, position 55 29N 18 01W. She was damaged but continued at full speed. She had sent out a distress call and the British destroyer Wanderer was detached from another convoy to go and look for her, without finding her. Later that day another call was received with the information that the U-boat was still on the surface, but was falling behind, then nothing was heard from Ringhorn until she arrived Belfast Lough On Dec. 1.

"Nortraships flåte" by J. R. Hegland states that Ringhorn was struck by a torpedo in the above attack. However, Rohwer says she was shelled only (he says Ringhorn was built in 1919, and does not mention a convoy in connection with this incident, possibly because the convoy had been dispersed by then). A visitor to my site has told me that Admiralty records state that the U-boat was sighted at 07:00 very close to the port bow. Ringhorn altered course, and the U-boat passed under the stern at the same time and was then lost in the darkness, but at about 09:45 it was sighted again. This time it opened fire and five minutes later the crew took to the lifeboats. The U-boat fired a machine gun to frighten the boats away, and then began shelling the ship again before disappearing. Ringhorn was reboarded at 16:00 and the journey was continued as all the damage was above the main deck. These records agree with the date of arrival Belfast Lough given above. The times used here are BST. "Nortraships flåte" gives the time 08:42 for the first radio message from Ringhorn about being attacked, and 11:37 for the second call, but does not mention anything about the men going in the lifeboats.

Extract of the captain's log for Ringhorn on her voyage from Port Talbot to St. John, N.B. in November-1940 - dated Belfast Jan. 10-1941
(received from Tore A. Humlevik, the son of Captain Torger N. Humlevik; see his Guestbook message (link further up on this page).

"Wednesday November the 20th left Port Talbot to join convoy. Tuesday November the 26th lost the convoy on account of bad weather. The same day port lifeboat was damaged by heavy sea and had to be put into the gripes.

Tuesday November the 28th about 5 am a submarine was observed close on the port bow on the surface (about 350 miles west of Ireland). Different courses were kept with utmost speed trying to escape the submarine, but at 7:45 am the submarine were observed again astern on the port quarter, about 1 mile off. Wireless S.S.S. message was sent and at the same time the submarine started firing. The engine was stopped and orders given to take to the boats. When the motorboat was lowered A.B. P. Brandal was trown between the motorboat and the ships side into the water. He injured his left arm which was quite useless. He was later picked up by the crew in the motorboat. All the time strong SW. gale was blowing with heavy sea. The submarine also fired on the lifeboats but without hitting. Several hits on the ship was observed.

After being in the lifeboats for 8 hours and the submarine could not be sighted and S/S Ringhorn kept floating, the ship was boarded with starboard lifeboat. After returning the ship was surveyed and sounded. Damage was seen over the waterline. Port side of the bridge and the steering gear were shot away. Likewise the ship was hit in the bulwark on the fore deck close to deck and the steam pipe and no. 2 hatch damaged.

The weather increased. Trying to take starboard lifeboat on board, the boat was smashed against the ships side.

At 6 pm the crew in the motorboat were taken on board. Several attempts were made to save the motorboat, but as it was rough sea and the crew were much exhausted the motorboat had to be left behind.

After dark steam was taken up and course could be set back for England. The steering engine was used with signals from top of the chartroom to the steering engine in the engineroom. Saturday November the 30th the steering gear were temporarily repaired so the ship could be steered from the lower bridge.

Sunday December the 1st the ship arrived Belfast Road. Doctor was called at once. Examining A. B. P. Brandal the doctor found that the left arm was broken and ordered P. Brandal to the hospital at once for treatment.

On arrival Belfast the naval authorities were informed at once."

Final Fate - 1941:

On Jan. 30-1941 Ringhorn, with a cargo of 1300 tons of coal for St. John, N.B., departed Gourock in Convoy OB 280*, which left Liverpool on Jan. 31 and dispersed on Febr. 3 (see link provided at the end of page). She lost the convoy in bad weather on Febr. 2, and was alone in the morning of the 4th when she in position 55 46N 22 36W was hit in the starboard side near No. 2 hatch by a torpedo from U-52 (Salman), causing her to list to port. The starboard lifeboat was destroyed in the explosion. The port boat, which had reached the water because of the heavy list, turned over when the ship capsized, and the funnel fell across the boat with 10-12 men in it. 4 were able to get onto a raft, and sat for an hour listening to the heart wrenching cries for help from the captain and others all around them, unable to do anything, as they had nothing with which to maneuver the raft, nor could they find any matches to light the lamp they had found. Besides, they were all injured and/or exhausted from their previous stay in the cold water. At dawn they spotted 1 man sitting on a capsized lifeboat, and tried desperately to reach him, but in vain.

No clothes had been found on the raft and for 6 hours the 4 on the raft and Donkeyman Soltvedt on the capsized lifeboat battled the freezing weather in their wet clothes until they were found by the British destroyer HMS Harvester (H 19), where they got warm bathes and beds. 121 rescued survivors from a British ship (HMS Crispin?), torpedoed the night before, were already on board Harvester, so the British corvette HMS Camellia (K 31) was called upon to take the 5 survivors from Ringhorn to Greenock, arriving Febr. 9.

The captain had last been seen near the radio station, giving orders to the radio operator to send an SOS.

An inquiry was held in Glasgow on May 20-1941 (should this be Febr. 20?) with Ordinary Seaman Flaten appearing. He had been thrown overboard when the ship heeled over and must have been hit in the head by something, because he was semi conscious and unable to help himself, but thanks to the cook's assistance he was brought to safety on the raft.