M/S Toronto - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Manager: Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg
Tonnage: 5018 gt, 2883 net, 6608 dwt.
Dimensions: 381.8' x 52.2' x 27.7'.
Machinery: 2 x 6 cyl. 4 SCSA oil engines totalling 4000 ihp by shipbuilders, driving twin screws.
Service Speed: 12.5 knots.
Passenger cap.: 10

Launched on Aug. 17-1927 by Chantier et Ateliers de St. Nazaire (Penhoët) S.A., Grand Quevilly, Rouen (Yard No. V 5). Completed Jan. 30-1928.

Captain: Karl Waarøe.
3rd Mate: Erling Nakkestad

Relatd item on this website:
Guestbook message from Eric Byron, who served as radio operator on Toronto from June-1944 till July-1945 (I have now made him aware that her voyage record is available).

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

(More will be added).

Toronto is said to have joined Convoy HX 153 from Halifax on Oct. 5-1941, but returned to port, later joining Convoy HX 154 on Oct. 10, together with the Norwegian Hilda Knudsen, Kaia Knudsen, Ranja, Tai Shan, Samuel Bakke, Emma Bakke, Polarsol, Skiensfjord, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso, Noreg and Svenør. Some of these ships, including Toronto, subsequently returned with the westbound Convoy ON 34, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 7-1941, dispersed Nov. 21, Toronto arriving New York Nov. 25, according to Page 2. She headed back to the U.K. on Dec. 21 with Convoy HX 166 from Halifax, and arrived Avonmouth, via Belfast Lough, on Jan. 7/8-1942.

According to the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page, Toronto was in station 52 of Convoy OS 28, which left Liverpool on May 12-1942 and arrived Freetown May 30. Toronto, however, was on a voyage from Milford to Capetown, where she arrived June 13, having sailed from Milford Haven on May 11. Several Norwegian ships took part. Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 2 above; convoy information for some of these can be obtained by following the instructions provided at the external link below.

On May 1-1943, she was attacked by aircraft in convoy near Benghazi, with a cargo of bombs and petrol, position 32 40N 19 50 E - see link to Convoy MW 27 at the end of this page. Two British ships were hit (troop transport D/S Erinpura, and the tanker British Trust), but Toronto escaped with just temporary engine trouble. The convoy shut down 5 planes that day. Her cargo was unloaded in Tripoli, then for her return voyage to Port Said on May 18 she took on board about 400 Italian prisoners. See also Page 3.

After 3 weeks in Port Said being equipped for invasion, she went to Alexandria, took on board a cargo of petrol, tanks and large trucks, as well as 150 British soldiers, and was Vice Commodore ship for a convoy which departed on June 29-1943, bound for Sicily. After having unloaded at Avola for 3 days, she left with 4 other ships for Syracuse, which had just been taken by the allied forces, then 3 days later she again left (for Tripoli) with 350 Italian prisoners on board, among them the General for the Napoli divison and his staff, then a few days later back to Alexandria and Port Said, this time as Commodore ship (possibly Convoy MES 37 - link below). She arrived Port Said on July 27, according to the archive document mentioned above.

Again she was fitted out for invasion, then took on a cargo in Port Said, with further loading of cargo in Beirut, where 300 Indian soldiers embarked. However, the next voyage was cancelled, whereupon the soldiers disembarked, and Toronto returned to Port Said to unload all the war materials. This turned out to be the last of her invasion duties, and she now proceeded to Haifa to take on a general cargo for the U.K. She's said to have made a voyage from Tripoli to Bizerta with Convoy MKS 26 at the end of Sept.-1943, later proceeding from Bizerta to Gibraltar with Convoy MKS 27 (scroll down to the second table on both pages), before continuing to the U.K. with the Gibraltar-U.K. portion of Convoy MKS 27, together with the Norwegian Brønnøy and Sneland I. Again, see Page 3 for voyage comparison. The same document also shows a big gap in her voyages, from Nov. 11-1943, when she arrived North Shields, to July 17-1944, when she left "for trials". An explanation can be found in the note below.

I found 2 pictures of Toronto at the section for Ordering Pictures of Ships on The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich website (external link). They have an extensive collection of ships' photographs and I found several of my father's ships here by running a search under the ship's name (my father served as radio operator on Toronto from Oct.-1951 till Dec.-1951). They're quite expensive and I only mention this because of the info provided in the text for each picture. The first one says: "Nov. 1943, lying alongside another vessel at Smith's Dock Co quay, North Shields. Negative dated 22 Nov. 1943. The Toronto arrived on the Tyne on 11 Nov. 1943 and, after suffering a fire, did not leave until at least the end of Jun. 1944". The text for the other picture says: "A/S D/S Fjeld, (Anton Meidell, manager), June 1952 in Cape Town harbour, still wearing the colours of Wilh. Wilhelmsen by whom she was owned until Oct. 1951".

Following the trials, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 246*, which originated in Liverpool on July 25-1944 and arrived New York Aug. 9; Toronto was bound for Baltimore, but arrival there is not given on Page 3. From the U.S., she later headed to Alexandria and Port Said.

Skipping now to Jan.-1945, when she made a voyage from Casablanca to the U.K. in Convoy MKS 76*. The following month, she's listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 284*, departing Southend on Febr. 10, arriving New York March 1. See also Page 4. From this document, we also learn that she went home to Norway in Aug.-1945, and again in Dec.-1945. Some of her early 1946 voyages are listed on Page 5.

Again, to find convoy information for some of the voyages made in between those already mentioned here, please follow the instructions provided at the external link below, then compare the results with the details found on the various archive documents.

* 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 several Norwegian ships. All the MKS convoys will also be added, but for now, see the section listing ships in MKS convoys.

POST WAR:

Sold to A/S D/S Fjeld, (Anton Meidell, manager), Bergen on Oct. 3-1951, and renamed Hordnes in 1952. (My father served as radio operator from Oct.-1951 till Dec.-1951). Sank off Swinoujscie on May 22-1956 after striking the wreck of S/S Orion while on a voyage from Murmansk to Stettin with a cargo of apatite. Refloated on Sept. 21-1956 and later towed to Kiel, arriving Febr. 6-1957. Condemned and sold to Eckhardt & Co. on March 19-1957 for scrapping. Arrived Hamburg on March 23, demolition commenced Sept. 30.