M/T Skandinavia - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

In Nov./Dec.-1941 she was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 162 (departed Halifax on Nov. 27-1941, arrived Liverpool Dec. 11) together with the Norwegian Astrell, Brant County, Katy, Bello, Sama, Beth and Høegh Scout. Norvinn (Panamanian flag, Norw. managers and therefore listed on this site) was also scheduled to be in this convoy but did not sail. Skandinavia subsequently returned with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 50*, which departed Liverpool on Christmas Eve and dispersed on Jan. 3-1942. Her destination is given as New York, and she had station 63 of the convoy, in which the Norwegian Charles Racine, Fagerfjell, Fernwood, Fjordheim, Høegh Giant, Innerøy, Sama, Strinda, and Taborfjell also took part.

She subsequently headed back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 171 (departure Halifax Jan. 20-1942), again with several other Norwegian ships, then returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 67*, in which the Norwegian Eidanger and several other ships were sunk, and in which the following Norwegian ships took part: Belinda, Finnanger, Glittre, Hamlet, Idefjord, Nueva Andalucia, Sama, Strinda, and Thorhild. This convoy left Liverpool on Febr. 14 and arrived Halifax on March 1; Skandinavia, however, was bound for Aruba on that occasion. She returned to the U.K. later month with Convoy HX 181, and in Apr.-1942 she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 87* (departed Liverpool Apr. 16, dispersed Apr. 26), together with Atlantic, Albert L. Ellsworth, Bralanta, Glittre, Havprins, Herbrand, Katy, Norheim, Norsol, Polartank, Stiklestad, and Vav. Skandinavia's destination is given as Port Arthur, station 43.

She was scheduled for Convoy SL 110 from Freetown in May-1942, but instead joined the next convoy, SL 111/SLF 111, which left Freetown on May 24-1942. Skandinavia, 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, Sandanger and Solsten - ref. the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this page for more convoy information.

About a week later she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 105*, departing Liverpool on June 19-1942, arriving Halifax on the 30th; Skandinavia, in station 73, was bound for Boston. Other Norwegian ships were Marit II, Norsol, Polarsol, Sandanger, and Velma.

She now shows up in a Key West-Trinidad convoy, namely WAT 11 (from Key West Aug. 1-1942, to Trinidad Aug. 10), returning with Convoy TAW 14 (from Trinidad Aug. 16- to Key West Aug. 25) - see external links at the end of this page. Kaia Knudsen, Marathon, Tercero and Tropic Star are also listed in WAT 11, while Besholt, Brand, Fernglen, Kaia Knudsen and Trondanger are included in TAW 14.

Early in Sept.-1942 she was one of several Norwegian ships joining Convoy HX 206, cargo of gasolene for Belfast, station 93, returning across the Atlantic later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 133* (departure Liverpool Sept. 25-1942, arrival New York, her destination at the time, on Oct. 11), along with Anna Knudsen, Athos, Bello, Brimanger, Emma Bakke, Garonne, Grey County, Kosmos II, Minerva, Molda, Noreg, Nueva Granada, Petter II (returned), Polarsol, Polartank, Sandanger, Thorshavet, Thorshov, and the Panamanian Norbris (Norwegian managers). Just a few days after arrival New York, she joined Convoy NG 314, departing New York on Oct. 15-1942, arriving Guantanamo on the 22nd, and Rick Pitz, a visitor to my website, has informed me via this message in my Guestbook that she was in Convoy GAT 16, which left Guantanamo Bay for Trinidad that same day (Oct. 22) with 24 ships, among them several Norwegian (Thorshavet, Britamsea, Alar, Thorshov, Sandanger, Anna Knudsen). Skandinavia's destination is given as Puerto Cabello on that occasion (see also the external links to these convoys at the end of this page, where Norbris is also included in GAT 16, in additon to those mentioned in the Guestbook message, and all of them are also listed in NG 314). She subsequently returned with Convoy TAG 17, which arrived Guantanamo on Nov. 3, having left Trinidad on Oct. 29, then continued to New York with Convoy GN 17 - departure Guantanamo Nov. 3, arrival New York Nov. 10. All these convoys are available via the external links provided at the end of this page. Brønnøy, Dagrun, Sandanger, Thorshov and Vav are also listed in the latter 2 convoys.

The next day we find her in Convoy HX 215, which departed New York City on Nov. 11-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 25th. Her destination is given as Avonmouth, and she returned to New York again with the westbound Convoy ON 151*, departing Liverpool on Dec. 3-1942, arriving New York on the 23rd. Thorshov was again in company, as were Atlantic, Brasil, Brimanger, Gefion, Geisha, Kaia Knudsen, Molda, and Stigstad.

In Jan.-1943 she sailed in Convoy HX 224, bound for Stanlow, station 102, returning the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 166, in which the Norwegian Stigstad, Ingria, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso and Glittre were sunk. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Molda, Tai Shan, Tropic Star and Brasil. The external site that I've linked to at the end of this page now has Skandinavia in Convoy HX 232, which left New York on Apr. 1-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 16th. This convoy is not available among the HX convoys included on my own site, but I've linked directly to it below; as will be seen, the Norwegian Belinda, California Express, Heranger, Ørnefjell, Thorhild, Thorshøvdi, Tigre, and Tungsha are also included. About a week later she joined the westbound Convoy ON 180* (departure Liverpool Apr. 24-1943, arrival New York, her destination at the time, May 14), together with Belinda, California Express, Norsktank, Norsol, Reinholt, Skjelbred, Thorhild, and Velma. She was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 240, which left New York City on May 19 and arrived Liverpool on June 4. Skandinavia's destination is given as Dingle, station 93, and she headed back across the ocean again with the westbound Convoy ON 188*, which left Liverpool on June 10 and arrived New York on the 26th. Abraham Lincoln, Bajamar, Bañaderos, Belinda, Duala, Evita, G. C. Brøvig, Gylfe, Kaia Knudsen, Kaldfonn, Montevideo, Mosdale, Strinda, Thorhild, Vav, and Velma also took part. Already on June 30 she was ready to head back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 246, bound for Swansea with a cargo of gasoline and kerosene, station 104, then at the end of July we find her listed as bound for New York in station 83 of the westbound Convoy ON 194*, with Anna Odland, Belinda, Brimanger, Dagrun, Fernmoor, G. C. Brøvig, Germa, Heimvard, Kaia Knudsen, Lista, Morgenen, Noreg, and Norheim, while the Norwegian corvettes Acanthus, Potentilla and Rose are named among the escorts. This convoy left Liverpool on July 24 and arrived New York on Aug. 7.

According to the external website already mentioned, she subsequently made a voyage to Algiers with Convoy UGS 15, which left Hampton Roads on Aug. 16-1943 (Anna Knudsen, Frontenac, Noreg, and Torfinn Jarl are also listed, but they were not all present from the U.S.), then returned to the U.S. from Algiers with Convoy GUS 15, which had originated in Alexandria on Sept. 9-1943 and arrived Hampton Roads on Oct. 4. (Other Norwegian ships mentioned in this convoy are Brisk, Glarona, Marita, Pronto, South America, and Thorshov, but they were not all bound for the U.S., as will be seen when following the link provided at the end of this page). The same site has also included her, with Britamsea, in Convoy NG 391, leaving New York on Oct. 9-1943, arriving Guantanamo on the 15th and, again with Britamsea, in Convoy GAT 93, with departure Guantanamo on Oct. 15, arrival Trinidad on the 20th; her destination is given as Curacao.

Follow the links provided in the above text to the convoys that are available on my own site for more details; most of them also have the Commodore's notes and/or report.

Skandinavia later made independent voyages to places like Cristobal, Brisbane, Curacao, Langemak Bay, Puerto la Cruz, Philadelphia, and other ports.

On May 5-1945 she helped rescue (6 of the?) survivors from the American Black Point, sunk by U-853 southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island (the last American merchant ship to be sunk by a U-boat in WW II). 1 gunner and 11 crew out of 41 (46?) died. U-853 was sunk the following day with the loss of all hands (55). See details on both these incidents under "Hyperwar" below.

The 3rd engineer on Skandinavia at that time was Kristian Willumsen, who had previously served on Mosli, Thermopylæ, Trafalgar, General Fleischer, and Rio Verde (later setttled in the U.S.).

VE day was celebrated while in New York, where they had arrived from Boston on May 6-1945.

* All the ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys.

More details on all the other Norwegian ships named above can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Sold in 1960 for breaking up in Norway.

Related external links:
SL Convoys - As can be seen, Skandinavia is mentioned in SL 110 and SL 111. The site also has several other convoy series, and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Skandinavia" as keyword, a few convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up. Here are WAT 11, TAW 14, NG 314, GAT 16, TAG 17, GN 17, HX 232, UGS 15, GUS 15, NG 391, and GAT 93, all mentioned in the above narrative.

Hyperwar - The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, by Robert J. Cressman (scroll down to the relevant date with regard to the rescue of Black Point survivors).

More on the loss of Black Point - Uboat.net's account on the sinking. This site says that Skandinavia picked up 2 of the survivors.