M/T Strinda
Updated March 19-2009

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


This picture was received from John McCreadie, who has also posted this message to my Guestbook, naming other Norwegian seamen (the gravestones are at Cardonald Cemetery in Glasgow, Scotland).
Checking with "Våre falne", a series of 4 books listing Norwegian WW II fatalities, I find that Paul Otto Pedersen died at a hospital in Glasgow on the date given. He served on Strinda at the time.
Joakim Wilhelm Sulen died in an accident in Glasgow - see Egda.

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1945:

Please follow the links provided for further information on the convoys mentioned here; the Commodore's notes and/or reports are also available for most of them. Several Norwegian ships took part. More convoy information will be added for Strinda.

As will be seen when going to Page 1 above, Strinda was on her way from Curacao to Buenos Aires when Norway was invaded by the Germans on Apr. 9-1940.

With a cargo of fuel oil, she's listed among the ships in Convoy HX 49 to the U.K. in June that year, in which Eli Knudsen and Randsfjord were sunk. Strinda had joined with the Bermuda portion.

She was in convoy OB 191 when she was hit amidships by a torpedo from U-99 (Kretschmer) on Aug. 2-1940, 55 10N 17 16W, about 300 n. miles west of Northern Ireland. Not long afterwards, U-99 also hit and damaged 2 British tankers (Lucerna and Alexia), but all 3 managed to get to Milford Haven without assistance. (The British Jersey City had been sunk by the same U-boat on July 31). According to a visitor to my site, Admiralty records give some more details, saying she was torpedoed at 23:55 (BST) on Aug. 1 in No. 9 port wing tank and port bunker oil tank. The port lifeboat was lost in the explosion. The crew abandoned ship in the remaining boats and stood by the ship. At 04:00 on Aug. 2 the captain and a party reboarded her, and later the rest rejoined. The remainder of the boats were hoisted on board at 07:00 whereupon she continued and arrived at Tail of the Bank Gourock on Aug. 4. ("Nortraships flåte" by J. R Hegland gives the time of attack as 01:20 on Aug. 2). OB 191 had departed Liverpool on July 30, dispersed Aug. 2 (available at the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page). Judging from the info found on Page 1 of the archive documents, it looks like Strinda had joined from Clyde, and was bound for Abadan at the time.

The following year, on March 10-1941, after having been repaired in Cardiff, Strinda was attacked by aircraft while outside Milford Haven waiting to join Convoy OB 297 (this according to "Nortraships flåte"). The attack on the convoy lasted for 3 hours, but Strinda escaped unharmed on this occasion too. OB 297 left Liverpool on March 12-1941 and dispersed on the 17th, and according to the external website already mentioned, Strinda did sail in this convoy (destination is given as Capetown/Alexandria), but Arnold Hague instead has her in the next convoy, OB 298, which originated in Liverpool on March 16-1941 and dispersed on the 20th, Strinda arriving Curacao on Apr. 4. There's mention of a few ships being sunk or damaged by aircraft, and I'm wondering if it was this convoy that was attacked and not OB 297? Also, going back to the archive document mentioned above, we see that Strinda left Swansea on March 10, and was in Milford Haven the next day, then departed for River Clyde Anchorage, with arrival March 13, left River Clyde March 16, and arrived Curacao Apr. 4, as mentioned.

Several Norwegian ships were the victims of air attacks in British waters in this period (from Jan.-'41), D/T Thorøy, D/S Polyana, D/S Ask, D/S Eikhaug, M/S Teneriffa, D/S Libra, D/S Nurgis, D/S Knoll, D/S Svint just to mention a few. Many others struck mines in the same period.

Strinda headed back to the U.K. on Apr. 20-1941 in Convoy HX 122 from Halifax, bound for Clyde with fuel oil. The link goes to the Advance Sailing Telegram; see also the Cruising order/Commodore's notes. In May, we find her in Convoy OB 327, departing Liverpool on May 28, dispersed June 1 (ref. link below), Strinda arriving Trinidad on June 14. At the end of that month, she shows up in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 136, bound for Clyde with Admiralty fuel, arriving Clyde July 18 (Bowling July 20). She subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 2, originating in Liverpool on July 27. Strinda arrived Curacao on Aug. 17, the convoy having been dispersed Aug. 8 - according to Page 2, she had sailed from Loch Ewe on July 30. She headed back to the U.K. again on Aug. 29 in Convoy HX 147 from Halifax, along with the Norwegian Nueva Granada (station 104), Bello (114), Solør (54), Sandanger (103, which means she was the 3rd ship in the 10th column, right behind Bralanta and in front of Nueva Granada), Slemmestad (95), Bralanta (102), G. C. Brøvig (44), and O. A. Knudsen (112).

She now made a voyage from Clyde to Curacao; she's listed in station 63 of Convoy OS 7, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 23-1941 (again, see external link below). Strinda arrived her destination on Oct. 12. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Hallanger and Lynghaug. Jenny was also scheduled, but did not sail. On Nov. 3-1941, we find Strinda in station 44 of Convoy HX 158 from Halifax, returning with the westbound convoy ON 50*, which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 24. She joined from Clyde and was bound for New York, where she arrived on Jan. 8-1942, the convoy having been dispersed on Jan. 3.

She's mentioned among the ships leaving Halifax to form Convoy HX 171 on Jan. 20-1942. However, she must have left port that day for other reasons than to join that convoy, because she also appears in HX 172 on Jan. 26. The following month, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 67*, in which the Norwegian Eidanger and Sama and several others were sunk. Strinda's destination is given as Key West; according to Page 2 of the archive documents, she arrived Bermuda on March 3. (ON 67 had originated in Liverpool on Febr. 14-1942 and arrived Halifax March 1; Strinda had again joined from Clyde). Her subsequent voyages are listed on the archive document already mentioned, as well as on Page 3; convoy information for some of these can be obtained by following the instructions provided at the external link at the end of this page. As will be seen, she did not go back to the U.K. again until Dec. 13, when we find her in Convoy HX 219 from New York, cargo of fuel oil for Liverpool, station 74.

On Jan. 4-1943, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 159, station 101. She was bound for Guantanamo on that occasion, arriving there on Jan. 24. The Commodore's narrative is also available for this convoy, and Strinda is mentioned under Jan. 18. From Guantanamo, she now made another voyage to Curacao and back to New York, and according to Arnold Hague, she went back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 227, departing New York on Febr. 18-1943, arriving Liverpool March 6. This convoy is not yet available among the HX convoys included on my own site, but I've linked directly to A. Hague's listing for it at the end of this page. The Norwegian corvettes Acanthus and Eglantine are named among the escorts, and several Norwegian ships took part. A week later, Strinda joined the westbound Convoy ON 173*, departing Liverpool on March 13, arriving Halifax on the 29th; Strinda, however, was bound for New York, where she arrived March 31. From there, she again headed to Guantanamo and Curacao, then back to New York, and on May 1-1943, she's listed in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 237, from which Sandanger and Brand were sunk; Strinda's destination is given as Bowling, where she arrived, via Clyde, on May 17. The following month, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 188*, which left Liverpool on June 10 and arrived New York on the 26th (according to Page 3, Strinda had sailed from Clyde on June 9, from Londonderry June 11).

She was scheduled to return to the U.K. on June 30 with Convoy HX 246, but did not sail, and was also cancelled from the next convoy on July 7, HX 247. Please see the archive document mentioned above for info on the voyages she made in this time period; again, convoy details for some of them can be obtained via the external website below. As can be seen, she did not go to the U.K. at all in this period, but instead headed to St. Michaels and Bizerta, returning to New York again in Sept./Oct.-1943. According to Arnold Hague, she subsequently joined Convoy HX 262, which left New York on Oct. 18-1943, but returned to port the next day, following a collision with HMCS Chicoutimi, one of the escorts of the convoy, and later joined Convoy HX 268 on Nov. 26, arriving Liverpool on Dec. 11 - both these convoys are available via links below. She served as escort oiler, and also carried 60 depth charges. At the end of that year, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 218*, departing Liverpool on Dec. 31-1943, arriving New York Jan. 18-1944. Eglantine had again been among the escorts, as had Rose.

Having made a voyage to Algiers and back to New York (again, see Page 3 of the archive docs, as well as Page 4), she joined Convoy HX 285 from New York on March 28-1944, returning with the westbound Convoy ON 234*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 26 and arrived New York May 12. She headed back to the U.K. in HX 292 on May 19, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 240*, originating in Liverpool on June 10, arriving New York on the 28th. In July she sailed in HX 298 from New York to the U.K., then went back across the ocean later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 246* (from Liverpool July 25, to New York Aug. 9). Strinda arrived Baltimore on Aug. 10. On Sept. 28, she started her return voyage in Convoy HX 311, which arrived Liverpool on Oct. 14 - Strinda's destination was Clyde, where she arrived on the 12th. From Clyde, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 260* a few days later, as so often before serving as escort oiler and also carrying 60 depth charges (convoy departed Southend on Oct. 15 and arrived Halifax Oct. 30 - Rose is again named among the escorts). Strinda proceeded to New York, arriving there on Nov. 2, and already on Nov. 4 she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 318 from New York, returning later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 268* (from Southend Nov. 23, to New York Dec. 10; Strinda again joined from Clyde). On Dec. 14-1944, she shows up in HX 326, and arrived Southampton Dec. 29.

Early in Jan-1945, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 276* (from Southend Jan. 2-1945, to New York Jan. 18). Strinda arrived Baltimore on Jan. 20, having sailed from Falmouth on Jan. 4. She was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 334 on Jan. 23, but instead joined HX 336 on Febr. 2. She subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 286*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 21 and arrived New York March 9; Strinda straggled from this convoy on March 3, and arrived New York independently on the 9th. A. Hague now has her returning to the U.K. with Convoy HX 346, which departed New York on March 24 and arrived Liverpool Apr. 7 (ref. link below). Strinda arrived Avonmouth Apr. 8, proceeding to Milford Haven the next day, and on Apr. 13, she left Milford Haven in order to join the westbound Convoy ON 296*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 12 and arrived New York on the 30th; Strinda, however, stopped at Halifax on Apr. 28, according to Page 5. VE Day was celebrated at sea, while in Convoy HX 354, which started out in New York on May 3 and arrived Liverpool May 18, but Strinda joined this convoy from Halifax, having sailed from there on May 6 (link below). When she again headed back to the U.S. at the end of that month, no convoy was required.

As will be seen when going to back to Page 5 of the archive documents, she went home to Norway in Oct.-1945 (but didn't get to stay very long). The page also shows some early 1946 voyages, as does Page 6.

To obtain convoy information for voyages made in between those already noted in this narrative, please follow the instructions provided at the external link below, then compare the results with the details found on the various archive documents.

* All the ON convoys 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, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys; as will be seen, they all had many Norwegian ships, and Strinda often served as escort oiler for these convoys.

More details on the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page 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:

Owned from 1951 by A/S Aurlandsfaldene (A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi), Bergen, then from 1952 by A/S Aurland, same managers. Sold in 1955 to San Juan Carriers Ltd., Monrovia, renamed San Juan Trader, converted to bulk carrier - 6451 gt, 3252 net, 15 221 tdwt. Arrived Split on Oct. 28-1962 for breaking up at Brodospas.

Related external links:
OS/KMS Convoys - There's also a section on OB convoys. As can be seen, Strinda is listed in Convoy OS 7, and also in OB 297 (as mentioned, A. Hague has instead included her in OB 298). Note also that by going to this section of the site (based on Arnold Hague's database) and clicking on "Ship Search" on the left hand side, using "Strinda" as keyword, several convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up. Here are OB 191, OB 298, OB 327, HX 227, HX 262, HX 268, HX 346 and HX 354, all mentioned in the above narrative.

U-99 | Otto Kretschmer

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. (ref. My sources).