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M/S Tigre To Tigre on the "Ships starting with T" page. Manager: Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg Launched Dec. 17-1925 by Chantier et Ateliers de St. Nazaire (Penhoët) S.A., Grand Quevilly, Rouen (Yard No. F 5), completed on May 31-1926. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.
Judging from the information found on Page 1 of the archive documents, it looks like Tigre was on her way from Aden to Fremantle when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. That summer she's listed, together with Borgland, Elg, Jamaica and Samnanger, in Convoy SL 39, which left Freetown on July 9 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th; Tigre stopped at Belfast Lough on July 27, later proceeding to Greenock and Avonmouth. She's also included, along with Elg and Siremalm, in Convoy OB 213, originating in Liverpool on Sept. 13, dispersed Sept. 18. Her destination is not given, but going back to the archive document, we learn that she arrived Philadelphia on Sept. 28, having started out from Milford Haven on the 13th - see the external links provided within the Voyage Record for more on these convoys. Skipping now to March-1941, when she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 113, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of wool, steel and sugar, as well as refrigerated goods, joining with the Bermuda section of the convoy, having sailed from Bermuda on March 3. The following month, we find her, with destination Montreal, in Convoy OB 310, which left Liverpool on Apr. 13 and dispersed on the 18th, Tigre arriving her destination on Apr. 28, according to Page 1 - again, ref. external link in the table above for more convoy details, the Norwegian Charles Racine, John Bakke, Solfonn and Taborfjell are also included. On Sept. 22, I have her in station 44 of Convoy HX 151 from Halifax to the U.K., together with the Norwegian Sama (85), San Andres (105), Meline (43), Morgenen (93), Belinda, Dagrun (54), Sophocles (left the convoy and sailed independently), Thorshøvdi (53), Hardanger (94), Leiv Eiriksson (24), and Laurits Swenson. Page 2 shows her voyages in this period. Tigre later joined Convoy OS 11, voyage from Liverpool to Freetown-Capetown-Beira with general cargo in station 43 of the convoy, which departed Liverpool on Nov. 7 and arrived Freetown Nov. 28. Other Norwegian ships taking part were Dagrun, Danio, Fana and Elg. Tigre did not return to the U.K. again until March-1942, when she's listed in station 32 of Convoy SL 103 / SLG 103 (link in table above), cargo of chrome, sisal and mails. SL 103 departed Freetown on March 14 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 2, having joined up with SLG 103 (from Gibraltar) on March 26. The archive document mentioned above gives her arrival Liverpool as March 31. Harpefjell and Ørnefjell are also named in this convoy. It'll be noticed when going back to Page 2 of the archive documents, that there's a big gap in her voyages, from Apr. 30-1942, when she's said to have arrived Penarth, to Febr. 7-1943, when she left Penarth for Cardiff. The reason for this long stay is unknown. We later find her in station 23 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 168*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 21-1943 and dispersed March 12, Tigre arriving New York March 15. Brajara, Brimanger, Egda, Gallia, Heranger, Lynghaug, Maud (returned), Meline, Morgenen, Reinholt and Slemmestad are also listed. Tigre is also said to have been in an eastbound Atlantic convoy in which 3 ships were torpedoed and sunk on Apr. 12-1943. "Nortraships flåte" says she arrived her destination on Apr. 16 after a voyage of 16 days. This was probably Convoy HX 232*, in which she's listed, along with Belinda, California Express, Heranger, Ørnefjell, Skandinavia, Thorhild, Thorshøvdi and Tungsha. This convoy left New York on Apr. 1 and arrived Liverpool Apr. 16. The British Fresno City and Pacific Grove, and the Dutch Ulysses were sunk, all on Apr. 12. J. Rohwer also has the American straggler Edward B. Dudley as sunk (on the 11th). More details on these attacks are available at the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page. Tigre headed back across the Atlantic on Apr. 30 with Convoy ON 181, which arrived New York on May 18; Tigre, however, arrived Halifax on May 15 (it's possible her destination had originally been New York? She's said to have arrived Halifax leaking). The Commodore's narrative and the escorting HMS Keppel's report are also available for this convoy. Tigre proceeded to St. John, N.B. a few days later and A. Hague indicates she was to be dry docked - it'll be noticed, when going back to Page 2, that she spent quite a long time in New York later on, was that where she was dry docked? Tigre had arrived New York from St. John, N.B. on June 1. With a general cargo for Liverpool, she was scheduled for Convoy HX 245 to the U.K. on June 23, but instead joined the next convoy on June 30, HX 246. Her destination is now given as Cardiff, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on July 15. Acanthus, Rose, Potentilla are named among the escorts. A month later, Tigre was in a southbound convoy which was attacked by aircraft west of Cape St. Vincent on Aug. 15-1943. This must have been Convoy OS 53/KMS 23 - again see the external link in the table above. Facto, Norjerv and Selvik are also listed. Tigre was on a voyage from Belfast to Alexandria with general cargo in station 81 of this convoy, which had originated in Liverpool on Aug. 8 and split up on the 17th, the Gibraltar bound ships (KMS convoy) arriving there on Aug. 18, while the OS portion continued to Freetown, with arrival Aug. 27. Tigre continued from off Gibraltar, still in KMS 23*, and arrived Port Said on Aug. 30. Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 3 (as can be seen, arrival Alexandria is not mentioned) - convoy information for a couple of these can be found in the Voyage Record. Gunners in 1943 were: At the end of 1943, Tigre was back in New York, and is listed, with general cargo, in station 123 of Convoy HX 271*, which left New York on Dec. 15 and arrived Liverpool Dec. 29 and also included Garonne and Leiv Eiriksson. She later returned to New York with Convoy ON 223*, which originated in Liverpool on Febr. 7-1944 and arrived New York on the 24th - Tigre had started out from Milford Haven on Febr. 6 and had again been in the company of other Norwegian ships, namely Duala, Fagerfjell, Fridtjof Nansen, Norheim and Idefjord. From the U.S. she subsequently headed to Cristobal and Australia. Before arrival Australia, she lost a crew member, Electrician Alf Lefdal - see the external link at the end of this page. In Aug.-1944, she's listed in Convoy MKS 60*, departing Port Said on Aug. 27, arriving Gibraltar Sept. 7. Her final destination was the U.K., and off Gibraltar, MKS 60 joined up with the Freetown Convoy SL 169 on Sept. 10, proceeding to the U.K. as the combined Convoy SL 169/MKS 60, which arrived Liverpool on Sept. 17. Cetus and Norbryn are also named. Tigre's cargo is given as copra, graphite and tea, and she had started out from Colombo - again, see Page 3. She later headed in the other direction again in Convoy OS 93/KMS 67, voyage Liverpool-Montevideo/Buenos Aires with general cargo, station 74. This convoy had departed Liverpool on Oct. 24 and split up Nov. 1, the Gibraltar bound ships (KMS convoy*) arriving there the next day - ref. links in Voyage Record. Tigre arrived Montevideo on Nov. 19, Buenos Aires Nov. 24, having been detached from the convoy on Oct. 27, according to A. Hague. From Buenos Aires, she went to Casablanca the following month. In Jan.-1945, she's said to have made a voyage from Casablanca to Liverpool with Convoy MKS 76*, which left Gibraltar on Jan. 10; Tigre had left Casablanca that same day and arrived Liverpool Jan. 21 - Ragnhild and Toronto are also listed. The following month, she joined Convoy OS 112/KMS 86, departing Liverpool on Febr. 22, dispersed Febr. 24 (Gibraltar bound ships in KMS convoy* arriving there the next day). Tigre was on a voyage from Liverpool to Alexandria with stores and general in station 42, as the only Norwegian ship in the convoy, and arrived her destination on March 7 (Belnor was also scheduled, but did not sail - again, follow the links provided within the table above for more on these convoys). Tigre returned to the U.K. again with Convoy MKS 93*, departing Gibraltar on Apr. 5, arriving Liverpool Apr. 14 (Narvik is also listed, but this must be an error - see my text for Narvik). The rest of her voyages, to Apr.-1946, are shown on Page 4. As can be seen, she went home to Norway in Nov.-1945.
Sold for demolition on Aug. 21-1959 to United Mineral Trading Company, Monrovia, Liberia. Handed over to Japanese shipbreakers at Osaka on Aug. 22, and demolition commenced on the 27th. Related external links: Stavern Memorial commemoration - The memorial for seamen in Stavern, Norway says that Electrician Alf Lefdal became ill and died on July 24-1942. This date is incorrect - he died Apr. 5-1944 in the Pacific when Tigre was on a voyage Balboa-Sydney, and was buried at sea the next day (see also Page 3). One of his relatives has more information from Tigre's log (in Norwegian) on this external page, as well as several pictures from the ceremony. Back to Tigre on the "Ships starting with T" page. This was the company's 2nd of 3 ships by the name Tigre. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list, and misc. as named within above narrative - (ref. My sources).
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