M/T Sandanger

To Sandanger on the "Ships starting with S" page.

Crew List


Source: Roger W. Jordan collection.
(Does anybody have a clearer picture?)

Some War Voyages – 1940-1942:

In Oct.-1940 Sandanger was 1 of 7 Norwegian ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 79. The others were Benwood, Egda, Thyra, Høyanger, Triton and Ravnefjell. This convoy departed Halifax on Oct. 8 and arrived Liverpool on Oct 23 with a loss of 12 ships, 1 was damaged, no Norwegian ships were lost.

At the beginning of Dec.-1940 she shows up, with destination Cape Town, in Convoy OB 255, leaving Liverpool on Dec. 7, however, she may not have sailed, because she's also listed in the next convoy, OB 256, which left Liverpool on Dec. 8. The second external website that I've linked to below has the names of the other ships in these convoys, several of which were Norwegian.

In Jan.-1941 she sailed in Convoy HX 102, destination Avonmouth, and in Febr. she was in station 63 of Convoy OB 290 (Samuel Bakke also took part) but escaped the attacks on this convoy unharmed. In March/Apr. that year she can be found among the ships sailing in Convoy HX 118, en route to Manchester with cargo of benzine in station 54 of the convoy. At the end of May she was again bound for Manchester with benzine, this time in Convoy HX 129.

Sandanger (station 103) was also in Convoy HX 147 in Aug./Sept-1941 along with the Norwegian Nueva Granada (station 104), Bello (station 114), Solør (station 54), Bralanta (in station 102), Slemmestad (station 95), Strinda (station 63), G. C. Brøvig (station 44), and probably O. A. Knudsen (name is misspelt, might also be Ida Knudsen, but I believe it was O.A. Knudsen). Later in Sept. she joined the westbound Convoy ON 20, which left Liverpool on Sept. 25-1941, bound for New York. Towards the end of the following month we find her in Convoy HX 156 from Halifax to the U.K. and was scheduled to return with the westbound Convoy ON 36 on Nov. 13, destination Curacao, but returned to port and later joined Convoy ON 38 towards the end of Nov. (will be added). She subsequently went back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 167, leaving Halifax on Dec. 27-1941. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Abraham Lincoln, O. A. Knudsen, Thorshavn, Suderøy, Meline, Noreg, O. A. Knudsen, Bralanta, and several unnamed Norwegian vessels.

In March-1942 she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 180, and subsequently made a voyage to Aruba; the second external website that I've linked to at the end of this text lists her in Convoy OS 25 in Apr.-1942, voyaging from Milford to Aruba in ballast in station 65 of the convoy, which left Liverpool on Apr. 12. The same website has her in station 42 of Convoy SL 111/SLF 111, which left Freetown on May 24-1942. Sandanger, cargo of gasolene, was in the fast section of the convoy (SLF) which detached on June 8 and arrived Liverpool on the 13th, while the slow section arrived on June 16. Other Norwegian ships taking part were Havkong, Petter II, Skandinavia and Solsten. Follow the link for more convoy information.

In Aug./Sept.-1942 she's listed as sailing in Convoy HX 205 from Halifax to the U.K. Rick Pitz, a visitor to my website, has informed me via this message in my Gustbook that in Oct. that year, Sandanger was in Convoy GAT 16, which left Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for Trinidad on Oct. 22 with 24 ships, among them several Norwegian (named in the Guestbook message). Sandanger's destination is given as Curacao. The following month, in Nov.-1942, she was scheduled for Convoy HX 215, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 216, which departed New York City on Nov. 19-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6. Sandanger was bound for Avonmouth with gasoline and had station 93 of the convoy. Already on Dec. 11 she returned to New York with Convoy ON 153, station 64.

More information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page. Note also that all the westbound North Atlantic convoys (ON and ONS), sailing in between the eastbound HX convoys mentioned on this page, will be added to my Convoys section. Sandanger appears in the following:
Convoy ON 63 - Febr.-1942 (destination Aruba)
Convoy ON 105 - June-1942 (destination Boston)
Convoy ON 133 - Sept.-1942 (destination New York)
Convoy ON 153 - Dec.-1942 (destination New York)

Final Fate - 1943:

Sandanger was scheduled for Convoy HX 235 in Apr.-1943, but did not sail. She also cancelled from the next convoy, HX 236, but eventually departed New York on May 1-1943 bound for Belfast Lough and Swansea in Convoy HX 237, which encountered heavy fog. When visibility improved off St. John's, Sandanger found herself alone on the ocean. That afternoon they met a Dutch tug escorted by an armed trawler, and Sandanger joined them, following directions from the trawler, as the tug was headed for the convoy. At dawn the trawler was gone, and Sandanger and the tug continued through that day and the following night, with a somewhat altered course. The next morning, May 8 the tug signalled that an attempt would be made to find the convoy as an "incomplete radio message" had been received. That same day Sandanger received the position the convoy would be in the following day and consequently headed to that position, but reaching the meeting place at noon on May 9, no convoy could be seen. In the morning of the 10th they met a ship belonging to the same convoy, and later that morning another 2 ships. At noon that day they were at the meeting place again, but still no convoy could be found, so the vessels proceeded at full speed.

2 days later, on May 12 Sandanger was hit on the port side by 3 torpedoes from U-221 (Trojer), 1 striking amidships, 1 in the pumproom and 1 in No. 6 tank, position 46N 21W. She was immediately engulfed in flames, as she had a cargo of 7000 tons paraffin and 7000 tons gasoline. Only the starboard aft motor lifeboat remained intact, and had to be lowered straight down into the burning sea. The engine had been stopped by the 2nd engineer, but Sandanger still had some speed so that the boat had drifted a few meters away from the side of the ship. One of the mechanics was seen hanging in the net, then jumped into the flaming water and tried to swim to the boat, but gave up before he reached it. The boatswain was also half way down the ship's side when he called to the others to keep rowing. He then re-entered the ship. The starboard raft was seen to be thrown down into the flames and several jumped overboard after it, never to be seen again.

The after part of Sandanger sank while the forepart stayed afloat like a giant bonfire. Those in the lifeboat were wet with benzin and the boat itself had also been sprayed, so they were in great danger from the flames and intense heat, until a phenomenon occurred which saved them. Because of the fast combustion, an area of low pressure was created, which caused a very strong wind to blow in along the water from the high pressure area outside of the flames, and this wind lifted and split the flames on the starboard side in two. The lifeboat was maneuvered into this area, and for about 40 minutes the men rowed for life underneath a "bridge" of flames just a few feet above their heads, gasoline and flames floating in their wake. The fire went out about 5 hours after Sandanger had been torpedoed, and those in the lifeboat rowed the whole time to keep away from them. According to a report presented at the maritime hearings the attack had occurred at 19:00*, and at 01:00 on May 13 they could finally set sail, heading in the direction Sandanger had originally been going. However, the wind changed and in the morning they had to go straight west, keeping this course for 2 days. In the morning of the 3rd day they managed to get the motor started and set an easterly course, but after 43 hours they ran out of petrol so the rest of the time they sailed.

* U-221 gave the attack position as grid position BE1934 (appr. 49 03N 20 55W) and the time of attack as 22:28 CET on May 12-1943.

On May 14 a four engined bomber aircraft had sighted the boat and dropped water and food. The following day 3 aircraft had circled them and 1, believed to be a Sunderland, dropped a first aid kit as well as a portable American Bendix radio. Although there was no radio operator in the boat, it was used frequently, and it was later learned that these signals had been heard, and were largely responsible for their rescue. The next day (May 16) a merchant ship was sighted but they were not seen. Finally on the 22nd they were picked up by the Canadian destroyer HCMS Kootenay (H-75) which landed the seamen in Londonderry on May 23. Out of a crew of 39, 20 had died, incl. the captain, the British Radio Operator Ronald Boardman (age 18), and all the deck officers, 19 survived.

The inquiry was held in Glasgow on June 3-1943 with the 1st and 2nd engineers, and Able Seamen Marthinsen and Ulriksen appearing.

M/S Brand was also a straggler from this convoy, and several other Norwegian ships took part, as will be seen by clicking on the convoy link above.

Crew List:

Survivors
Carpenter Ole Olaisen	Able Seaman Sigmund Eikeset	Able Seaman Martin Gyberg	Able Seaman Fredrik Martinsen	Able Seaman Ulrik Ulriksen	Able Seaman Martin Borgen
Able Seaman Hans Lund	1st Engineer Edvard Kristiansen	2nd Engineer Einar Andersen	3rd Engineer Arnold Kringlen	Mechanic Karl Gustavsen	Mechanic Harald Dahl
Stoker Lorang Christensen	Stoker Oscar Pedersen	Engine Boy Frederick Houghton (British)	Cook Leif Nøtland	Galley Boy Robert P. Daniels	Mess Boy Ronald Dare
Saloon Boy Albert Cook
Casualties
† Captain Sigurd Jamne	† 1st Mate Nils Nilsen	† 2nd Mate Oskar Dahle	† 3rd Mate Gustav Uhrbom	† Radio Operator Arne Holm	† Radio Operator Ronald Boardman * (British)
† Boatswain Hjalmar Ludvigsen	† Able Seaman Thorgny Thygesen	† Able Seaman Arve Pettersen	† Able Seaman/Gunner Karl Birger Karlsen	† Able Seaman/Gunner Aleksander Martinsen	† Able Seaman/Gunner Arne L. Kanestrøm
† Able Seaman/Gunner Kristian Lerpoll	† Able Seaman/Gunner Rolf Christensen	† Ordinary Seaman Theis Lundegaard	† Eng. Room Assistant Ernst Totland	† Mechanic Kai E. Sand	† Mechanic John Haalden
† Mechanic Wilhelm Olsen	† Steward Oddmund Pettersen

Related external links:
19 who died

U-221 | Hans Hartwig Trojer

River Class - Canadian Destroyers - On the WW II Canadian ships website.

Picture of Kootenay - On the Naval Museum of Manitoba website.

Back to Sandanger on the "Ships starting with S" page.

In June-1951 another Sandanger was delivered to Westfal-Larsen, built at Akers Mek. Verksted, Oslo, 5628 gt. Lost 450 miles south of Long Beach on May 18-1964 following a fire, voyage Vancouver-Le Havre. 3 crew and 7 passengers died. Wreck broken up in Taiwan.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume II, and misc. (ref. My sources).