D/S Taborfjell - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Owner: A/S Rudolf
Manager: Olsen & Ugelstad, Oslo
Tonnage: 1339 gt, 2600 tdwt
Signal Letters: LJUZ

Captain: Erling Nilsen. Also, I've received an E-mail from someone whose father-in-law, Captain Leif Petterson served on Taborfjell, adding that his mother wrote him that his name was in the Oslo paper as among the dead (he's still around, July-2008, over 95 years old); however, he had paid off by the time Taborfjell was sunk. He was also called Capt. Pete and Bauxite Pete.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

Some Convoy Voyages:

As will be seen when going to Page 1 above, Taborfjell arrived The Downs from Antwerp on Apr. 9-1940, the day of the German invasion of Norway. From The Downs, she joined Convoy OA 128, which originated in Southend on Apr. 12-1940 and joined up with OB 128 on the 14th, the combined convoy forming the Gibraltar bound Convoy OG 26F, arriving Gibraltar on Apr. 20. Taborfjell, however, was only bound for Falmouth, where she arrived Apr. 13/14. The following month, we find her in Convoy OA 142, originating in Southend on May 4, dispersed May 7. Her destination is not given, but from the archive document mentioned above, we learn that she sailed from Falmouth on May 5, heading to St. John's, N.F., but arrival date is not provided. From St. John's, she proceeded to Charlottetown and Montreal. (The OA and OB convoys are available via the external links provided below).

On June 25, she headed back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 53 from Halifax, general cargo for Manchester, subsequently joining Convoy OB 192, which originated in Liverpool on July 31 and dispersed on Aug. 4, Taborfjell arriving Montreal Aug. 13. She returned to the U.K. on Sept. 21 with Convoy HX 75, joining the convoy from Sydney, C.B. (according to Page 1), and the following month, she appears in Convoy OB 235, which originated in Liverpool Oct. 27-1940 and dispersed on the 31st, Taborfjell arriving Montreal on Nov. 9. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 95 from Halifax to the U.K. in Dec.-1940, but did not sail. She was also cancelled from HX 96, HX 97 and HX 99, but eventually got away with HX 101 on Jan. 6-1941, bound for Manchester and Glasgow with a general cargo.

In Apr.-1941 she's listed in Convoy OB 310, originating in Liverpool on Apr. 13, dispersed on the 18th; her destination is given as St. John's, N.F., where she arrived Apr. 25, proceeding to Montreal the next day, according to Page 2. In June, she sailed in Convoy HX 130, joining with the Sydney, C.B. portion, again with a general cargo for Manchester (cruising order/Commodore's notes are also available). Early in July that year, we find her in Convoy OB 343, which originated in Liverpool on July 6 and dispersed on July 21, Taborfjell arriving Sydney, C.B. that same day. Having made another voyage to Montreal, she went back to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 146*, again joining from Sydney, C.B., returning in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 21**, together with the Norwegian Bello, Brisk, Hallanger, Kolsdal, Lyra and Nueva Granada (the latter returned to port). This convoy originated in Liverpool on Sept. 28-1941 and dispersed Oct. 14, Taborfjell arriving Sydney, C.B. on Oct. 15. She headed back to the U.K. again in Convoy HX 161 from Halifax on Nov. 21, then on Christmas Eve she shows up, with destination Charleston, in the westbound Convoy ON 50**. The Norwegian Charles Racine, Fagerfjell, Fernwood, Fjordheim (returned), Høegh Giant, Innerøy, Sama, Skandinavia, and Strinda are also listed. Taborfjell arrived Charleston on Jan. 11-1942, the convoy having been dispersed Jan. 3. Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 3.

* As will be seen when following the link, Taborfjell is not yet included on my own page about HX 146 (Halifax ships only are named), but I've linked directly to A. Hague's listing for this convoy below.

** Both the ON convoys mentioned here 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 are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. For info, all the OG convoys will also be added to the site; see the page listing ships in all OG convoys (note, however, that Taborfjell did not sail in any of them).

Related external link:
Misc. Convoys - Based on Arnold Hague's database. By clicking on "Ship Search", using "Taborfjell" as keyword, a few convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up (local U.K. convoys). Here are OA 128, OA 142, OB 192, OB 235, OB 310, OB 343, HX 146, all mentioned in the above narrative. (Note that some of the listings are incomplete).

Final Fate - 1942:

Taborfjell departed New York on Apr. 29-1942 for Montreal with a cargo of 16 200 sacks of unrefined sugar from Matanzas, Cuba. Torpedoed by U-576 (Heinicke) on Apr. 30 about 95 n. miles east of Cape Cod. The detonation practically blew up the entire ship and she sank in a minute, 41 52N 67 43W. An attempt was made to launch the starboard lifeboat but the ship went down before they could do so. The radio operator, who had been asleep in his cabin, ran into the radio room in order to send an SOS but all the lights had gone out and the ship sank so quickly he had to get out on deck, then jumped overboard. He swam around for about 20 minutes until he came across a raft as well as the 2nd mate and together they managed to get onto it. With the help of a flashlight they spotted the 3rd engineer, and while they were helping him out of the water the U-boat came alongside but nothing was said or done. The 3rd engineer had been on watch in the engine room, but had come on deck just prior to the attack. The 2nd mate, who had been on duty on the bridge, had seen 3 other survivors in the water but they later disappeared.

The 3 survivors drifted around on the raft for 20 hours before they were rescued by the British submarine P 552 and landed at St. John's on May 7. 17 had died.

The inquiry was held in St. John's on May 8-1942 with all 3 survivors attending. They give the time of attack as 01:50.