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M/T Stiklestad To Stiklestad on the "Ships starting with S" page. Manager: A. F. Klaveness & Co. A/S, Oslo Built in Odense, Denmark 1938. Captain: Henrik Selmer Berntzen (Captain till the fall of 1941 was Trygve Eide, who subsequently took command of Seirstad). Stiklestad was on charter before the war to Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd., London (this was the UK arm of Standard Oil of New Jersey [Esso]), and after the invasion of Norway the vessel came under Allied control and under the operational and crewing management of Anglo-American. The tanker survived the war, during which it was engaged mainly in carrying oil cargoes across the North Atlantic from North America and the Caribbean (this info was posted to my Ship Forum by R. W. Jordan).
Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
In March-1940 Stiklestad can be found in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 28, bound for Le Havre with aviation fuel, where she arrived on Apr. 2. The Norwegian Annik, Europe, Boreas, Varanger and Mathilda were also in this convoy. From Havre, she proceeded to Bermuda on Apr. 6, arriving Apr. 19, later making a voyage to Beaumont, then back to Bermuda, and in May she's listed in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 42. Solstad, Brandanger, Brant County and Petter also took part in HX 42. Stiklestad arrived Pauillac on May 28, according to Page 1. According to "Nortraships flåte" she narrowly avoided being captured by the German raider Widder in the summer of 1940. On June 25, Von Ruckteschell had been notified by the German authorities that Stiklestad was near his position on her way from Casablanca to Fort de France (note that she's listed in Convoy 50 BF, which had arrived Casablanca from Brest on June 19-1940, external link - this voyage is not included on the archive document mentioned above). He proceeded to look for her, but fortunately for Stiklestad, Widder experienced engine trouble which took several hours to fix, and this may have saved the Norwegian ship. Not so fortunate for Krossfonn, however, also en route from Casablanca to Fort de France (also listed Convoy 50 BF). Follow this link to Victims of Widder for details on what took place. Stiklestad arrived Fort de France on July 1, leaving again for Curacao that same day, with arrival July 4. At the beginning of Aug.-1940, Stiklestad is listed in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 63. Note that she's not included in the convoy form, but in the Advance Sailing Telegram further down on the page. There's a note in the convoy document saying "To be sent to Halifax to await orders". She arrived Halifax on Aug. 6, and does not show up again until Convoy HX 83 from there on Oct. 24, bound for Clyde with fuel oil, arriving Nov. 7 (again, see Page 1). On Dec. 2 she's listed, with destination Cape Town, in Convoy OB 253 from Liverpool. She arrived Table Bay on Jan. 2-1941, the convoy having been dispersed on Dec. 6. The external site that I've linked to at the end of this page has the names of the other ships in this convoy. The Norwegian Varangberg is also listed. According to Arnold Hague, she later joined Convoy SL 68, which departed Freetown on March 13-1941 and lost several ships (see also my page about Strix). The convoy was dispersed on the 21st, some of the ships later joining Convoy HX 119 (1 joined HG 58). Stiklestad proceeded to Trinidad, where she arrived on March 29, then sailed to Halifax on Apr. 4, with arrival Apr. 13. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 121 on Apr. 16 (in fact, there's a note attached to this ship and several other ships in the Advance Sailing Telegram saying they had come from the Freetown Convoy SL 68), but instead joined Convoy HX 122 on Apr. 20, cargo of crude oil for Swansea, where she arrived May 9. Cruising order/Commodore's notes are also available for this convoy. She later appears in Convoy OB 327, which originated in Liverpool on May 28-1941 and dispersed on June 1 - again, see external link at end of page. No destination is given for Stiklestad, but going back to Page 1, we learn that she arrived New York on June 13, having started out from Milford Haven on May 27. In July we find her in station 95 of Convoy HX 140 from Halifax, bound for Swansea with fuel oil. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Madrono (112), Boreas (16), Velox (56), Velma (96), Alaska (106), Thorshov (83), Vardefjell (84), Evita (114), Olaf Bergh (124), Skiensfjord (97), Ferncastle (113), Thorshavet (43), Bonneville (82) and Helgøy (77). Others joined from Iceland; follow the link for more info. Beth and Petter were also initially in this convoy but left due to engine problems. Some of these ships, including Stiklestad, returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 9, originating in Liverpool on Aug. 20-1941 (Inger was sunk). Stiklestad sailed from Milford Haven on Aug. 19 and arrived New York on Sept. 4, the convoy having been dispersed on Aug. 25. According to Arnold Hague, she later returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 155, leaving Halifax on Oct 16, arriving Liverpool on the 31st. This convoy is not available among the HX convoys included on my own website, but I've linked directly to Hague's listing at the end of this page. (It looks like Stiklestad lost a crew member on this voyage; see the link to the Stavern Memorial at the end of this page, which says Electrician Sverre Karlsen died at sea on Oct. 19-1941 following an accident on board). She joined the westbound Convoy ON 36 the following month, but returned to port (Belfast Lough) and later joined Convoy ON 38*, which had originated in Liverpool on Nov. 19 and dispersed on the 30th, Stiklestad arriving New York on Dec. 8. See Page 2. She headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 169 from Halifax on Jan. 8-1942, returning the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 65* (originated in Liverpool Febr. 8, dispersed Febr. 19), bound for Port Arthur, where she arrived March 6. Later that month, she can be found in Convoy HX 181, then went back to Port Arthur with Convoy ON 87* in the middle of Apr.-1942, arriving her destination on May 9 (convoy left Liverpool Apr. 16, dispersed Apr. 26). In June she's listed in Convoy HX 194 from Halifax, returning with Convoy ON 109*, which left Liverpool on July 3 and arrived Halifax on the 18th; her destination was New York, where she arrived July 17. In Sept.-1942 she sailed in HX 207, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 137*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 9 and arrived New York, Stiklestad's destination, on Oct. 29. At the end of Nov.-1942, she's listed in Convoy HX 217 from New York, cargo of gasoline, destination Belfast. This convoy was attacked and 2 ships were lost (more info is available by following the link - the Commodore's narrative is also available). Stiklestad returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 157 at the end of the following month, sailing in station 32; she was detached for Guantanamo en route (Jan. 12-1943). See also Page 3. (The Norwegian Skiensfjord acted as Commodore Vessel for this convoy). She was scheduled for Convoy HX 226 from New York on Febr. 8-1943, but instead joined the next convoy on Febr. 18, HX 227, which is available at the external site below. She's subsequently listed as bound for New York in the westbound Convoy ON 173*, with departure Liverpool on March 13, arrival Halifax on the 29th; Stiklestad arrived her destination on March 31, heading back to the U.K. on Apr. 6 with Convoy HX 233. At the end of that month we find her in station 42 of the westbound Convoy ON 181, destination Baltimore, where she arrived May 18. See also the Commodore's narrative and Keppel's report. On June 23 she joined the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 245, bound for Stanlow, station 113. In the middle of July she shows up, with destination New York, in the westbound Convoy ON 193* (left Liverpool July 16, arrived New York July 31), departing New York again on Aug. 7 with Convoy HX 251, destination Stanlow, station 55. Towards the end of that month she's listed, again with destination New York, in the westbound Convoy ON 199*, which left Liverpool on Aug. 26 and arrived New York on Sept. 9. A week later, A. Hague has her Convoy HX 257, which left New York on Sept. 16-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 30th (ref. external link below). On Oct. 10, she left Milford Haven in order to join the westbound Convoy ON 206*, and arrived New York on Oct. 26. See also Page 4. Stiklestad had carried 50 000 tons aviation fuel to the U.K. by 1944, at which time Captain Berntzen was appointed "Honorary Citizen of Baltimore" by the mayor. She later supplied British units in the Mediterranean for about a year. In Sept.-1944, she's listed as sailing in Convoy HX 307, along with Buenos Aires, Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Idefjord, John Bakke, Kaia Knudsen and Thorsholm. According to Page 5, she arrived Swansea on Sept. 19, and just a few days later, she headed back across the ocean with Convoy ON 255* (originated in Liverpool on Sept. 22, arrived New York Oct. 9), returning with the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 314 on Oct. 15. Her destination is given as Clyde, where she arrived Oct. 29. The following month, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 264*, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 3 and arrived New York on the 21st. Arnold Hague has also included her in Convoy HX 353, leaving New York on Apr. 29-1945, arriving Liverpool on May 15 (not available on my own site - see link to Hague's listing below). The last westbound convoy she sailed in was ON 304*, wich left Southend on May 21-1945 and arrived New York on June 5. Her subsequent voyages, up to and including Apr.-1946, are listed on Page 6. For information on some of Stiklestad's other convoy voyages, made in between those already noted above, please follow the instructions provided at the external link below, then compare the results with the details found on the various archive documents.
Sold in 1955 to C. T. Gogstad & Co, Oslo, and renamed Lido. Sold to Norsk Skipsopphugnings Co. A/S, Grimstad, and delivered in Sept.-1964 for breaking up. Related external links: OA & OB convoys - Listed in chronological order. Stavern Memorial commemoration - Electrician Sverre Karlsen is listed as having died at sea on Oct. 19-1941 following an accident on board. Back to Stiklestad on the "Ships starting with S" page. The company had previously had another Stiklestad (steamship), built Sunderland 1885, 1801 gt, ex Forrest Abbey, Purchased in 1898 and renamed Stiklestad, remeasured in 1899, 1777 gt. Lost on a voyage Glasgow-Sydney, having departed Nov. 23-1908, 20 crew died.
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