M/S Soløy

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

Crew List

Related external link:
SL Convoys - The site also has a section on the OB convoys, and others. As will be seen, Soløy is listed in SL 46, SL 63 and OB 300.

Final Fate - 1941:

Soløy departed Bermuda on June 14-1941 with 7880 tons of wheat from La Plata, and was bound for Hull in Convoy HX 133 when she was torpedoed in the after part of Hold 4, port side on June 24 by U-203 (Mützelburg), 54 44N 39 31W*. Water was pouring into the tunnel, and due to the water pressure the 1st engineer, who was alone, was unable to close the tunnel door. She immediately started to sink, and was gone within 15 minutes. The port lifeboat was successfully launched, but while the starboard boat was being lowered Ordinary Seaman Larsen got his hand jammed so that the falls had to be cut in order to free him, and the boat was destroyed (many ended up in the water, and the ship's papers were lost). However, all 32 survived and were shortly thereafter rescued by the British S/S Traveller which landed them in Liverpool on July 3. "Nortraships flåte" states that Soløy was hit when the convoy was in the process of making a 40° course alteration, and that U-203 was seen by the Commodore ship to be crash diving a couple of cable lengths off to starboard.

* The above position is from the captain's report. Rowher gives position as 54 39N 39 43W.

According to "Nortraship's flåte", U-203 lost contact with Convoy HX 133 that day, but instead encountered westbound Convoy OB 336 and torpedoed 2 more ships there. However, the Admiralty knew that several more U-boats had been notified of the convoy and summoned escort vessels from 2 westbound convoys nearby for reinforcements. By June 25, 13 escorts were protecting HX 133 while 10 U-boats were approaching, but in spite of the strong escort the U-boats succeeded in torpedoing several more ships.

M/T Havprins was also in this convoy, as well as M/S Vigrid and M/T Kongsgaard (Havprins escaped unharmed, rescued 44 women and men from the Dutch Maasdam). Several other Norwegian ships also took part, as will be seen by clicking on the link to Convoy HX 133 above. U-556 (Wohlfarth) and U-651 (Lohmeyer) were sunk in this battle.

An inquiry into the sinking of Soløy was held in Liverpool on July 11-1941 with the captain, the 3rd mate, the 1st engineer, Ordinary Seaman Larsen (lookout) and Able Seaman Boland (helmsman) appearing. The 3rd mate stated that he had been knocked out of the port (starboard?) lifeboat and swam across to S/S Traveller.

Crew List - No casualties:

Captain Arne H. Sørensen	1st Mate Johan E. Nicolaisen	2nd Mate Karsten H. Nygren	3rd Mate Erling Ness Pedersen	Carpenter Ole O. Brokstad	Boatswain Jentoft M. Berg
Able Seaman Trygve Svendsen	Able Seaman Karl J. N. Hellberg	Able Seaman Knut Boland	Ordinary Seaman Kristen O. Røstad	Ordinary Seaman Ole Runne	Ordinary Seaman Eilif J. S. Jacobsen
Ordinary Seaman Alfred K. Larsen	Jr. Ordinary Seaman Asbjørn Høifødt	Jr. Ordinary Seaman Albert Yates (British)	1st Engineer Sverre E. Pettersen	2nd Engineer Trygve Tobiassen	Electrician Sverre A. Svendsen
Mechanic Frank Andersen	Mechanic Edward Griswold (Canadian)	Mechanic Bjarne J. Edsberg	Mechanic Ole K. Sæbø	Mechanic Søren O. Eriksen	Mechanic Erling Eriksen
Oiler Gunnar Jensen	Steward Konrad E. Bakkwold	Cook Ragnvald Kristoffersen	Galley Boy Edward Carnegie (British)	Mess Boy Sidney Eland (British)	+ 2 British soldiers +1 British signaller

Related external links:
U-203 | Rolf Mützelburg

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

A fishing vessel, M/B Soløy (SF 90 A) escaped from Værlandet on Aug. 2-1941 with 27 people on board, arriving Baltasund on Aug. 4. Sank alongside the quay at Lerwick the following night.

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