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M/T Thorsholm To Thorsholm on the "Ships starting with T" page. Manager: A/S Thor Dahl, Sandefjord Built by Deutsche Werft A/G, Hamburg in 1937.
In May-1941 Thorsholm was scheduled for the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 31, but instead joined the next convoy, SC 32. She subsequently joined Convoy OB 341, which left Liverpool on June 30, dispersed on July 6 (available at the external link provided at the end of this page). Her destination is given as Baltimore. In Sept. that year we find her in station 33 of Convoy HX 149 along with the Norwegian Daghild (station 63), Brasil (83), Aristophanes (43), Innerøy (35), Thorshov (64), Somerville (66?), Glittre (24), Lise (44), Harpefjell (86), Norvik (Panamanian flag, Norwegian managers and therefore included on this website, in station 84, behind Brasil) and Brant County (87), as well as an unnamed Norwegian tanker in station 73. She now joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 22*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 2, dispersed on the 15th - her destination was Curacao on that occasion. She went back to the U.K. the following month in Convoy HX 158, leaving Halifax on Nov. 3, arriving Liverpool on the 18th. According to the external site already mentioned, she now joined Convoy OS 14 in Dec.-1941 (station 25) together with the Norwegian Bur, Spinanger, Chr. Th. Boe, and L. A. Christensen. This convoy left Liverpool on Dec. 13 and arrived Freetown on Jan. 3-1942, but Thorsholm was on a voyage in ballast from Milford to Curacao. Estrella and Sveve were also scheduled, but did not sail. In Febr.-1942 Thorsholm appears in Convoy HX 174, together with the Norwegian James Hawson, Athos, Fernwood, Vanja, Høegh Giant, Beth and Anderson, as well as the Panamanian Norvinn - all listed on this website. This convoy departed Halifax on Febr. 7-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 21st. The following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 74*, which originated in Liverpool on March 9-1942, but Thorsholm joined from Iceland on the 14th. It arrived Halifax on March 25, but no destination is given for Thorsholm. In Aug. that same year she can be found in Convoy SC 98 from Halifax (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 97). At the beginning of Oct. she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 135* (departure Liverpool Oct. 2, arrival New York, Thorsholm's destination, on Oct. 21). Shortly after Christmas that year (Dec. 29-1942) she was scheduled for Convoy HX 221 from New York, but did not sail. She subsequently took part in Operation Torch, in fact, several of the Norwegian ships sailing in Convoy SC 98 took part in these operations - see also Athos. Please follow the instructions at the external link at the end of this page in order to fill in some of the gaps in my own voyage information for Thorsholm in this time period.
This is one of those occasions where it takes some time and detective work to make sense of all the bits and pieces of available information and get these pieces to fit together. Please bear with me while I explain. According to a Norwegian source (Nortraships flåte), Thorsholm was damaged by a mine on Febr. 22-1943, laid on Febr. 1 by U-118 just outside Gibraltar. A British destroyer was also damaged at the same time. Convoy MKS 8 is mentioned in the same breath, but whether the author claims that Thorsholm was in that convoy is hard to tell from the text. He states that 3 British ships went into the minefield and sank a week after it had been laid, in other words, around Febr. 7. Just out of curiosity I checked the first week of Febr.-1943 in J. Rohwer's book (see sources at the end of this page), and he has indeed listed the 3 British ships, mentioned in my Norwegian source as going into the minefield that week, namely Baltonia, Mary Slessor and Empire Mordred, all sank on Febr. 7 from mines laid by U-118 on Febr. 1. These ships are said to have been in Convoy MKS 7 at the time. (Heranger was also in this convoy, as was President de Vogue). Now, according to J. Rohwer, Thorsholm became a straggler of Convoy ON 166 (in which, among others, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso was sunk on Febr. 22), then struck a mine laid by U-118 (Czygan), agreeing with the date the mines were laid, and also agreeing with the date Thorsholm was damaged. He gives the location as 15. n. miles 14° Cape Espartel. He also mentions the British destroyer Wivern being damaged on these mines on the same date, as well as the Canadian corvette Weyburn (sank), and for the latter he does mention Convoy MKS 8 with a question mark behind it. All of this corresponds more or less with the info from my Norwegian source above, but here's the problem: As far as I've been able to learn, the ON convoys went from Liverpool to Halifax (or New York), so how could a straggler of one of these convoys end up just off Gibraltar? (This was also pointed out to me in an E-mail I received from a visitor to my site, but I did not have time to look further into it at that time, and thought no more about it until I started working on Thorsholm). Granted, during the period of the North African landings, some ships bound for the Freetown area were included in the ON convoys, then dispersed in mid-Atlantic, according to Arnold Hague, but Thorsholm was not in Convoy ON 166, as will also be seen on my page about this convoy. (See also this message from Ted Agar in my Guestbook). But which convoy was she in? The following paragraphs have been included in order to show what is often involved in trying to reach the right, or at least, possible conclusions, when the various sources give such conflicting information: First of all I happend upon some information with regard to the Norwegian M/T Vanja, stating that she departed Gibraltar on Febr. 22-1943 in a large convoy consisting of 45 ships, escorted by 6 American destroyers and a large American Naval tanker. Thorsholm is also mentioned as being in ballast and damaged (by a torpedo) in this convoy. It further states that 2 of the American destroyers were torpedoed about 10 n. miles off Cape Spartel. Though the detail on the torpedoes doesn't fit (and is probably incorrect info; nationality of the escorts is also an error), it seemed to me that Thorsholm (and Vanja) could have been in Convoy MKS 8. As will be seen by following the link, this convoy departed Bone on Febr. 17, arrived Liverpool on March 1, 1 Merchant ship damaged. Another possibility I saw was that Thorsholm and Vanja might have been in Convoy GUS 4, which departed Oran on Febr. 20-1943 (49 ships), arriving Hampton Roads on March 11. This suspicion was re-enforced when a visitor to my website told me that according to records in British archives Thorsholm was, in fact, bound for New York from Oran at the time, and arrived New York on March 12-1943. This in turn more or less fits in with what is found in a report on Vanja, saying she arrived New York on March 13. Jan-Olof, Sweden drew my attention to some book excerpts on the Internet, and though Thorsholm is not mentioned, they can help clear up at least some of the confusion. The excerpts can be found on this external page (Stone & Stone Second World War Books - scroll down on the page). From this we learn that 100 ships made up two convoys off Gibraltar on Febr. 22-1943, namely Convoy GUS 4, consisting of 51 ships for the U.S. and Convoy MKS 8, consisting of 49 ships for the U.K. We also learn that the British destroyer Wivern was among the escorts for GUS 4, while the Canadian Weyburn was designated to MKS 8, the Canadian escorts having arrived with the North African section of the convoy (the corvettes are named in the text - follow the link). Weyburn struck a mine just as she was about to take her position with MKS 8 after having refuelled at Cape Spartel. After the explosion Wivern immediately went to her assistance, but although some of Weyburn's crew had worked to remove all the primers from the depth charges on board, they had been unable to do so for 2 of them. These exploded after she sank, thereby killing some men in the water and also seriously damaging Wivern, which was still alongside and in the process of rescuing survivors. She was later taken in tow by Black Swan, another one of the escorts. So according to this, Wivern did not strike a mine, and it's also possible to ascertain that Thorsholm and Vanja must have been in Convoy GUS 4, since they were both bound for the U.S. (and as will be seen from the external link below, they are both indeed listed in this convoy. See also this thread on my Ship Forum). Related external link:
According to a personal story I've found in the Norwegian magazine "Krigsseileren" Thorsholm was in service between the U.K. and the U.S. in the early part of 1943. In Apr.-1943 she's listed in Convoy HX 233, along with several other Norwegian ships, then headed back to the U.S. with the westbound Convoy ON 181 at the end of that month. That summer she was sent to Bizerta. In fact, she's listed as bound for Algiers in Convoy KMS 16* in the middle of June, and as voyaging from Algiers to Bizerta in Convoy KMS 17 at the end of that month - scroll down to the second table on the latter page. In addition to her cargo of oil she had 60 depth charges on deck. She then functioned as supply ship for the invasion of Sicily (July-1943), replenishing the war ships at sea, and subsequently continued in Mediterranean service for a while. On one of her voyages back to the U.S. for new supplies she's said to have been torpedoed just outside Gibraltar but was able to continue at reduced speed, and there was no loss of life. I've never seen this episode mentioned for this time period before, and I'm inclinded to think that there's a mix up of dates here; perhaps the author of this article (in "Krigsseileren") is, in fact, referring to the mining episode of Febr. that year? Afterall, it was written 50 years later, so a memory confusion could very easily have occured. He says she went to New York for repairs after that, which fits in with my information further up on this page. Again, for some information on Thorsholm's voyages in between those mentioned here (between June and Dec.-1943), please follow the instructions at the external link provided at the end of this page. In Dec.-1943 she's said to have made a voyage from Algiers to Augusta in Convoy KMS 34* and at the end of that month she's listed in the Augusta portion of Convoy MKS 35, voyage from Augusta to Bizerta. In Jan./Febr.-1944 we find her in Convoy HX 277 from New York, bound for Mersey and Stanlow, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 225*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 22 and arrived New York on March 8 (no destination is given for Thorsholm). She returned to the U.K. later that month in Convoy HX 283, and the following month she headed back across the Atlantic with the large, westbound Convoy ON 231* together with 14 other Norwegian ships, namely Østhav, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Spinanger, Vav, Solstad, Idefjord, President de Vogue, Heranger, Bernhard, Kong Haakon VII, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger (all listed on this site). This convoy departed Liverpool on Apr. 7 and arrived New York on the 24th. Thorsholm was scheduled to go back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 289 a few days later, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 290 (left New York May 5, arrived Liverpool on the 19th), then again went back in the other direction with the westbound Convoy ON 238* (departure Liverpool May 26, arrival New York June 9). She subsequently joined Convoy HX 296 from New York (departed June 19), bound for Heysham and Mersey, returning in July with Convoy ON 244* (left Liverpool July 10, arrived New York on the 23rd). In Sept.-1944 she's listed as bound for Barry Roads in Convoy HX 307 (having cancelled from HX 306) along with 7 other Norwegian ships, namely Buenos Aires, Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Idefjord, John Bakke, Kaia Knudsen, and Stiklestad, all listed on this website. Towards the end of Oct. we find her in Convoy ON 256*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 28 and arrived New York on Oct. 12, and later that month she joined Convoy HX 314 from New York, bound for Clyde. Wasting no time, she then joined the westbound Convoy ON 264* (departure Southend Nov. 3, arrival New York Nov. 21) and 1944 was rounded off by sailing to the U.K. in Convoy HX 326, again in the company of several other Norwegian ships. She returned to the U.S. early in Jan.-1945 with the westbound Convoy ON 277, station 43. This convoy arrived New York on Jan. 23-1945, and already on the 28th we find her in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 335. In the middle of Febr. she again headed in the other direction with Convoy ON 285* (from Southend on Febr. 16, to New York March 5), and the external site below subsequently has her in Convoy HX 347, leaving New York on March 29-1945, arriving Liverpool on Apr. 14. This convoy is not available on my own site. The last westbound North Atlantic convoy she sailed in was ON 298*, which left Southend on Apr. 21 and arrived New York on May 7 - in other words, she must have been in the U.S. when the news came that the war in Europe was finally over.
Sold on Nov. 26-1952 to Monrovia Shipping Co., renamed Angy. Related external links: Back to Thorsholm on the "Ships starting with T" page. Other ships by this name: Thor Dahl had previously had another tanker by this name, built 1930, sold 1936 (Teddy). The company also had two Thorsholm's later, one built 1954 (pictured on this external page), sold to Piræus 1969 (Efthycosta I), and the other built 1973 (pictured here) The text on this page was compiled with the help of:
"Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, the Norwegian magazine "Krigsseileren", "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, "Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer and misc. other for cross checking info.
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