M/T Stiklestad
(Updated Dec. 28-2007)

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

Misc. War Voyages:

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).

In March/Apr.-1940 Stiklestad can be found in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 28, bound for Le Havre with aviation fuel. The Norwegian Annik, Europe, Boreas, Varanger and Mathilda were also in this convoy. In May that year she sailed in Convoy HX 42, again bound for Le Havre (joining from Bermuda). Solstad, Brandanger, Brant County and Petter also took part.

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). 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 (had also arrived with Convoy 50 BF). Follow this link to Victims of Widder for details on what took place.

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 this document saying "To be sent to Halifax to await orders", and she does not show up again until Convoy HX 83 at the end of Oct. that year, bound for Clyde with fuel oil. On Dec. 2 she shows up, with destination Cape Town, in Convoy OB 253 from Liverpool (dispersed 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.

At the end of Apr.-1941 she was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 122, cargo of crude oil for Swansea, having cancelled from HX 121 (there's a note attached to this ship in the Advance Sailing Telegram saying she had come from the Freetown Convoy SL 68). She now appears, with no voyage information, in Convoy OB 327, which left Liverpool on May 28-1941 and dispersed on June 1 - again, see external link at end of page. In July she shows up in station 95 of Convoy HX 140, 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). 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, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 20-1941. The external site that I've linked to below now has her in Convoy HX 155, leaving Halifax on Oct 16, arriving Liverpool on the 31st. This convoy is not available on my own site. In Nov. that year she was scheduled for station 65 of the westbound Convoy ON 36 with destination New York, but returned to port and later joined Convoy ON 38*, which departed Liverpool on Nov. 19 and dispersed on the 30th.

In Jan.-1942 she sailed in Convoy HX 169, returning the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 65* (departure Liverpool Febr. 8, dispersed Febr. 19), bound for Port Arthur. In March that year she can be found in Convoy HX 181, then went back to Port Arthur with Convoy ON 87* in the middle of Apr.-1942 (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). In Sept. she sailed in HX 207, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 137*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 9 and arrived New York, Stiklestad's destination, on Oct. 29. In Nov./Dec.-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). Stiklestad then returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 157 at the end of Dec., sailing in station 32; she was detached for Guantanamo en route (Jan. 12-1943).

She was scheduled for Convoy HX 226 in Febr.-1943, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 227, which is available at the external site below (left New York on Febr. 18 and arrived Liverpool on March 6). 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, returning to the U.K. in Apr. with the eastbound Convoy HX 233. She then headed back to the U.S. at the end of that month with the westbound Convoy ON 181, station 42, destination Baltimore, and in June she joined 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, with destination New York, in the westbound Convoy ON 199*, which left Liverpool on Aug. 26 and arrived New York on Sept. 9, and must have gone straight back to the U.K.* because already on Oct. 11 we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 206*.

* In fact, the external site already mentioned has her in Convoy HX 257, which left New York on Sept. 16-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 30th.

She's also listed as sailing in Convoy HX 307 in Sept.-1944, along with Buenos Aires, Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Idefjord, John Bakke, Kaia Knudsen and Thorsholm. Just a few days after arrival, she headed back across the ocean with Convoy ON 255* (left Liverpool on Sept. 22, arrived New York Oct. 9), and in Oct. she joined the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 314. The following month she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 264*, which left Liverpool on Nov. 3 and arrived New York on the 21st.

Going back to the external site below, we find her in Convoy HX 353, leaving New York on Apr. 29-1945, arriving Liverpool on May 15 (not available on my own site). The last westbound convoy she sailed in was ON 304*, wich left Southend on May 21-1945 and arrived New York on June 5.

*All the ON convoys mentioned on this page are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys.

Please follow the instructions at the external link below for information on some convoy voyages in between those noted above.

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 a year.

POST WAR:

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:
OB / OA / OG) convoys - OB 253 is included. There's also a section on the SL Convoys, including SL 68, but Stiklestad is not mentioned in this convoy in this particular section of the site. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Stiklestad" as keyword, several convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up. Here are OB 327, HX 155, HX 227, HX 257, and HX 353, all mentioned in my text above. In this section of the site, Stiklestad does appear in SL 68 - see my text for Apr. 1941 above.

1 who died - 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.