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M/T Solør To Solør on the "Ships starting with S" page. Manager: S. Ugelstad, Oslo Built by Eriksbergs Mek. Verkstads A/B, Gothenburg 1938. Captain: Fridtjof Olsen. Related items on this website:
Solør was in station 54 of the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 147 in Aug./Sept-1941 along with the Norwegian Nueva Granada (station 104), Bello (114), Bralanta (102), Sandanger (103), Slemmestad (95), Strinda (63), G. C. Brøvig (44), and probably O. A. Knudsen (name is misspelt, might also be Ida Knudsen, in station 112). Solør was scheduled to return to the U.S. with the the westbound Convoy ON 19 on Sept. 21, but did not join, and instead sailed in the next convoy, ON 20. She was bound for New York, and had station 82. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 222 from New York in Jan.-1943, but did not sail; there's also a notation saying "not for U.K." next to her name. This may have something to do with the fact that she took part in the Torch operations(?), which commenced in Nov.-1942, though I'm not sure exactly when she started these voyages to Africa - Athos has a list of other Norwegian ships taking part. In May-1943 Solør was scheduled for Convoy HX 240 from New York to the U.K. (departure May 19-1943), but did not sail. Instead she joined the next convoy, HX 241 on May 29. She was bound for Avonmouth and had station 92 of the convoy. That fall, in Sept.-1943, we find her in station 83 of Convoy HX 256, again bound for Avonmouth. In Aug. that same year she shows up, with destination Bizerta, in Convoy KMS 21, which she appears to have joined from Gibraltar at the end of July - see the second table on my page for Convoy KMS 21. According to the first personal story that I've linked to above Solør left Philadelphia on Nov. 19, 1943, with a cargo of gasoline, bound for Algiers, docking in Algiers on Dec. 15. After unloading, they returned to America and landed in New York on Jan. 19-1944. There's a ship that looks like it might be Solør in Convoy GUS 45. This convoy left Port Said on July 4-1944 and arrived Hampton Roads on the 29th, but several ships parted company on the way, while others joined. In fact, the ship that looks like Solør joined the convoy from Augusta on July 9, bound for Baltimore. At the end of Aug.-1944 she joined Convoy HX 306 from New York to the U.K., then in Oct.-1944 she's listed in Convoy HX 314. The following month she was scheduled for Convoy HX 323, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 324; her destination is given as Dingle. 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.
Torpedoed in the port side engine room (stern) on Jan. 27-1945 by U-825 (Stölker) while inward bound from New York for St. Georges Channel in Convoy HX 332, with a cargo of 11 000 tons oil for Clyde, as well as gliders, position 52 35N 05 18W. All the after structure was damaged, the poop dropping 4 to 5 ft. The vessel was abandoned at 13:25, about an hour after the torpedo had hit. 4 died, 40 survived and were picked up by the rescue vessel Zamalek. The crew (except for 7 who had been injured) was placed back on board Solør the next day. The 7 injured men were taken to Swansea by Zamalek and admitted to Swansea Hospital. Solør was taken in tow and beached at Oxwich Bay late at night on the 29th. Half of her cargo and 17 gliders had been unloaded before she broke in two and was given up as a total loss. The foreward 2/3 of the ship was later refloated and broken up at Briton Ferry, while the stern portion was left at Oxwich, then salved for scrap in July 1952. The inquiry was held in Cardiff on Febr. 6-1945 witht he captain, the 2nd mate, the 2nd engineer, Able Seaman Ulleland (helmsman) and Ordinary Seaman Bird (lookout) appearing. The American Ruben Dario was also torpedoed by U-825 that day, but could continue. U-1051 was apparently also in the area, ready for attack, but was never able to deliver a report as it was sunk by an escort that same day, according to "Nortraships flåte". This sinking date corresponds with a footnote in Jürgen Rohwer's book - however, U-boat net has the 26th in the Irish Sea, saying it was U-1172 that was sunk in St. Georges Channel on the 27th - see external link at the end of this text. Rohwer has Solør listed as a steamer, but that's incorrect. Crew List:
Back to Solør on the "Ships starting with S" page. This company had previously had another ship named Solør - see my text under D/S Agnes for further details. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The World's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II, Norwegian Maritime Museum, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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