D/S Taborfjell

To Taborfjell on the "Ships starting with T" page.

Crew List

Some Convoy Voyages:

In Apr.-1940, she's listed in Convoy OA 128F. This convoy left Southend on Apr. 12, 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 the Downs. The external site that I've linked to below, which also has her in Convoy OA 142 at the beginning of May that year, has more on these convoys. In June-July-1940, she's listed, with general cargo for Manchester, in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 53. She subsequently joined Convoy OB 192, which left Liverpool on July 31 and dispersed on Aug. 4. Taborfjell was bound for Montreal with a general cargo on that occasion. She returned to the U.K. in Sept. with Convoy HX 75, then joined Convoy OB 235 the following month (left Liverpool Oct. 27-1940, dispersed on the 31st). She was scheduled for HX 95 in Dec.-1940, but did not sail. It looks as though she may have had some sort of a problem in this period, because she was also cancelled from Convoy HX 96, HX 97 and HX 99, but eventually got away with HX 101 in Jan.-1941, bound for Manchester and Glasgow with a general cargo.

In Apr.-1941 she's listed in Convoy OB 310, departing Liverpool on Apr. 13, dispersed on the 18th; her destination is given as St. John's, N.F. In June she sailed in Convoy HX 130, joining with the Sydney, C.B. portion, again with a general cargo for Manchester. Early in July that year we find her, with destination Sydney, C.B., in Convoy OB 343, which left Liverpool on July 6, dispersed on July 21. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 146*, and in Sept./Oct.-1941 she's listed as bound for Sydney, C.B. 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). Taborfjell must have gone back to the U.K. not long afterwards; in fact, she's mentioned in my Notes for Convoy HX 161* which left Halifax on Nov. 21-1941, 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.

* As will be seen by following the link, Taborfjell is not included on my own page about HX 146 as my information appears to be incomplete, but the external site that I've linked to below has her in this convoy (as well as in HX 161 and all the OB convoys mentioned above).

** 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, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. For info, all the OG convoys will also be added to the site; see the section listing ships in all OG convoys (note, however, that Taborfjell did not sail in any of them).

Related external link:
Misc. Convoys - Here's the main page for the OB convoys, and here are the OA convoys. As will be seen, Taborfjell is listed in all the OA and OB convoys mentioned above. Click on "Ship Search" then enter "Taborfjell" as keyword; this will bring up all the other convoys she sailed in. As mentioned, the site also has her in HX 146 and HX 161, among others.

Final Fate - 1942:

Taborfjell departed New York on Apr. 28-1942 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. Johns 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.

Crew List:
The radio operator had been on board for 10 months.
The 2nd Mate for 11 months.
The 3rd engineer for 15 months.

Survivors
2nd Mate Erling Arnesen	Radio Operator Olaf Alfsen	3rd Engineer Ole Karlsen Svartangen
Casualties
† Captain Erling Nilsen	† 1st Mate Halfdan Johansen	† 3rd Mate Hjalmar Syversen	† Able Seaman Olaf Jentoft Norum	† Able Seaman Gunnar Godtfredsen	† Able Seaman Thomas Adolf Jensen
† Able Seaman Alf Bjarne Nilsen	† Able Seaman William A. Hood (British)	† Ordinary Seaman Thomas J. Berrigan * (Canadian)	† 1st Engineer Ole Edvard Olsen	† 2nd Engineer Svein Bjerke	† Donkeyman Olaf Pedersen
† Stoker Martin Sigurd Mikalsen	† Stoker Tandrup Andreassen	† ? Birger L. Knudsen	† Steward Sigvard Johannessen	† Galley Boy George Michael Parsons * (British)

Related external links:
Those who died - At first glance it looks like 29 are commemorated at this memorial for seamen in Stavern, Norway, but all except 2 are named twice.

Operations information for U-576

U-576

Back to Taborfjell on the "Ships starting with T" page.

Olsen & Ugelstad had another ship by this name, built in Fredrikstad in 1936, 1288 gt. Sold to Holland in 1937 (N.v. Mij. Zeetransport, Rotterdam) and renamed Prins Frederik Hendrik. According to the website Oranje Lijn she was bombed by German aircraft on March 8-1941 on a voyage from Cardiff to Bathurst. On fire, abandoned by crew in the St. Georges Channel. 6 Dutch and 2 English seamen died, while the Norwegian Polartank rescued the the rest and took them to Swansea. According to Roger W. Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleet 1939" there were 16 survivors.

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).