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M/T Vav
To M/T Vav on the "Ships starting with V" page.
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Source: Karl Henrik Henriksen, who says the picture was taken in the fall of 1939.
His father paid off in Nov.-1939 (see his grandfather's story under M/S Vinni's Story). |
This picture is from Bjørn Milde's postcard collection
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Owner: Skibs-A/S Østheim Built by Eriksbergs Mekaniske Verkstads A/B, Gothenburg, Sweden in 1931. Captains: Captain A. Apall-Olsen, from Nov. 8-1939. He took a break in June-1943 and P. R. Paulsen took over until around Nov. 10, when Captain Apall-Olsen returned. But he stayed for only 1 voyage, then Captain Knut Bringedal stepped in for a few months, until Apall-Olsen came back in April-1944. But again he had to leave, and this time Olav Skaar temporarily took over until Apall-Olsen was able to return in July. The following men were awarded Krigsmedaljen in addition to Captain Apall-Olsen: Other Halfdan Ditlev-Simonsen ships:
PLEASE NOTE: Vav was mostly in service in the Atlantic all through the war; the first three years with petrol, later with diesel and fuel oil. She was in collisions a few times, and had various technical problems and mishaps which resulted in long stays in port for repairs. In fact, a total of 12 months were spent on repairs. Still, she delivered 19 cargoes of oil to Britain.
Vav was unloading in Alexandria, Egypt on Febr. 11-1940, then headed for Constanza, Romenia where she picked up petrol for the U.K. Due to the fact that several of her crew members did not want to go to England, she had to stop by Malta so that 13 men could be paid off and go home, before she continued to Liverpool in convoy. (In this time period she shows up in station 22 of Convoy HGF 22 from Gibraltar to the U.K., which arrived Liverpool on March 18). She departed again 6 days later, on March 24-1940, again in convoy. In fact, the external website that I've linked to below has her in Convoy OB 116, which left Liverpool on March 23. She arrived Port Arthur, Texas on Apr. 15, in other words, they must have been at sea on Apr. 9-1940 when the news of the German invasion of Norway was received, though there's no mention in the captain's report of their reactions to this terrible news. She picked up a cargo of oil and departed Port Arthur on Apr. 17 for Belfast (see Convoy HX 39 - she must have stayed in Halifax for quite a while, because this convoy did not leave until Apr. 30). Having unloaded in Belfast, degaussing and a 7.4" gun were installed before she left on June 11, joining Convoy OB 167. A cargo was loaded in Aruba and discharged in Dublin on Aug. 2 (she's listed in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 57, en route to Dublin with a cargo of gasoline), then via Liverpool for convoy she headed to Abadan for a cargo of petrol for the U.K., via Cape Town for instructions and Freetown for convoy for Methil (she's listed in Convoy SL 55 from Freetown in Nov.-1940, destination is given as Oban - see external link below). Upon departure Methil in convoy (FS 356) Vav was involved in a collision (with St. Merriel), but could continue to Grangemouth to unload, arrival Dec. 19, and the collision damages were repaired. Repairs were completed on Febr. 3-1941, and at the same time 4 Hotchkiss guns had been installed as well as concrete protection around the bridge. Around this time she shows up in Convoy OB 285, which left Liverpool on Febr. 11-1941, dispersed on the 17th. The captain says she was docked in New York, then returned to Aruba to pick up more cargo with arrival there on March 17. (She was scheduled for Convoy HX 117 back to the U.K. but instead joined HX 118). This cargo was discharged in Belfast on Apr. 20 where a new degaussing cable was also installed (the old one had been ruined). While in Belfast they endured a heavy bombardment of the city on May 5. She left Belfast on May 31 (Convoy OB 328) to pick up a cargo in New York and was back in Liverpool by July 12, having arrived with Convoy HX 135, then returned to New York for another cargo (Convoy OB 349, July 21-1941). In Aug.-1941 we find Vav in station 114 of Convoy HX 145 along with the Norwegian Annavore (station 122), Maridal (station 83), Høyanger (station 95, behind Empire Oil, 3 bombers on deck), Leikanger (station 64, lumber), Charles Racine, Kaia Knudsen (station 73), Slemdal, all listed on this website - ref. the alphabet index at the end of this page. This convoy departed Halifax on Aug. 16 and arrived Liverpool on the 31st. On that date, while off Belfast, she was run into and damaged by another vessel, so had to unload her cargo in Belfast then go in for temporary repairs (the degaussing cable had also been rendered useless in this collision) before continuing to New York for more permanent repairs. In fact, she's listed as sailing in the westbound Convoy ON 15, which left Liverpool on Sept. 11-1941; Vav joining from Belfast (this convoy also had 7 other Norwegian ships, as can be seen on my page about ON 15). According to the captain's report she had gone to Aruba for cargo after having been repaired in New York, the repairs having taken about a month. This cargo was unloaded in England around Dec. 10, which fits in with the fact that she can be found in station 45 of Convoy HX 161 which departed Halifax on Nov. 21-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6. (It looks like Vav had originally been scheduled for the previous convoy, HX 160). On the 12th she was damaged in the Humber when touching an underwater wreck so had to go into Tyne for repairs with arrival Dec. 27. External website related to above text:
Repairs took a long time; at the same time more protection was built around the radio station. She's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 65 in Febr.-1942, subsequently picked up a cargo in Galveston and was back in Avonmouth unloading at the beginning of Apr.-1942, having arrived with Convoy HX 181, which left Halifax on March 21-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 2. She now returned to the U.S. with Convoy ON 87 (which left Liverpool on Apr. 16) and loaded a cargo in Baytown, Texas. She's listed in Convoy HX 193 which left Halifax on June 7-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 19th. The cargo was discharged in Liverpool where she remained for close to a month while undergoing minor repairs, then departed on July 16 (westbound Convoy ON 113) for Baltimore and another cargo, again for Liverpool (Convoy HX 204). On Sept. 11 she departed the latter port (westbound Convoy ON 129) for Carapite, Venezuela, via New York for convoy to Port of Spain - then on to Venezuela. Departed Carapite with cargo of diesel oil on Oct. 28 and via the same convoy ports as well as Halifax (where she was delayed due to repairs) she returned to the U.K. She's listed as sailing in the Halifax portion of Convoy HX 220 in Dec.-1942, having previously been cancelled from HX 215 in Nov. After having unloaded the diesel oil at Clyde she departed for Curacao on Jan. 12-1943, having started out from the U.K. with Convoy ON 161, detached Jan. 28, with arrival Febr. 8, again to pick up diesel oil for the U.K., with the return voyage via the same convoy ports as last time. According to the captain this turned out to be the worst voyage they had in the entire war. The convoy lost several ships and just before arrival U.K. Vav was run into by another vessel and both were damaged but managed to get to port for their own power. This happened while in Convoy HX 228 (in which Brant County was sunk), and according to the Commodore's notes for this convoy, 3 ships were involved, namely the American Samuel F. B. Morse (station 115), the British British Statesman (station 95) and Vav (in station 94). Here's a brief collision report. (Note that Vav is listed as cancelled from the earlier, slow Convoy SC 121, which had departed New York on Febr. 23-1943, and in which Bonneville and several others were sunk. HX 228 left a few days later, on Febr. 28). Vav's cargo was unloaded in Liverpool before she again went in for repairs, this time in Manchester. While there, on June 1, Captain Apall-Olsen was replaced by P. R. Paulsen, and on June 10 Vav departed for Philadelphia with the westbound Convoy ON 188 to pick up another cargo which was discharged in Ellesmere Port and Manchester. (She had been scheduled for Convoy HX 246 from New York on June 30 but instead joined the next convoy, HX 247). By the middle of Aug.-1943 she was back in Baltimore (having arrived with westbound Convoy ON 195) at which time she had a brief stay in dock, then at the end of that month she headed for Philadelphia to pick up another cargo for Manchester (Convoy HX 255; Vav is listed in the Halifax section Sept. 4), returning to New York later that month with Convoy ON 203 to pick up another cargo, which was unloaded in Ellesmere Port around Nov. 10. For this eastbound voyage she's listed in the slow Convoy SC 145, which left Halifax on Oct. 24-1943 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 7 (according to the external site that I've linked to below she had originally started out in the earlier Convoy HX 261, but returned to port). Captain Appall-Olsen now resumed command. She subsequently proceeded to Greenock and Manchester where she was fitted out to replenish the escorts at sea, arrived Clyde Nov. 12, departed on the 20th in Convoy ON 212 for New York, where Captain Knut Bringedal briefly took over the command, whereupon Vav loaded a cargo in Philadelphia for the U.K. (She's listed among the ships leaving Halifax with Convoy SC 151 on Jan. 14-1944, with arrival Liverpool Jan. 31).
Related external link:
On March 5-1944 she was again in Philadelphia (had arrived with the westbound Convoy ONS 29) to pick up a cargo which was unloaded in Manchester (listed in the slow Convoy SC 155 which left Halifax on March 14-1944 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th) before she headed back to the U.S. with Convoy ON 231, along with 14 other Norwegian ships, namely Bernhard, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Spinanger, Østhav, Solstad, Idefjord, President de Vogue, Heranger, Kong Haakon VII, Thorsholm, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger, all listed on this website. This convoy departed Liverpool on Apr. 7, arriving New York on the 24th. Vav's destination was Boston where she was docked, but she later went to New York and Captain Apall-Olsen came back on board again on Apr. 27. A cargo loaded in New York was discharged in Glasgow; she had arrived with the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 291, which also included Norwegian Heranger, Høyanger (Vice Commodore ship), O. B. Sørensen, Para, Villanger, Stirlingville, Minerva, Velox and others. This convoy had departed New York on May 10 and arrived Liverpool on the 27th. Again Captain Apall-Olsen had to leave and Captain Olav Skaar took over meanwhile. Vav then returned to New York (with Convoy ON 239, June 3-1944) where a minor damage had to be repaired - something had gone wrong with her steering mechanism on this voyage and she had touched another ship in the convoy. Another cargo was loaded there and on July 3 she returned to the U.K. where Apall-Olsen came back on board. The latter voyage had been made with Convoy HX 298, which left New York on July 3 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th (she had been scheduled for the previous convoy, HX 297, but did not sail). She subsequently departed Loch Ewe as Commodore Vessel (Convoy ON 248, Aug. 10-1944), then loaded a cargo in Puerto la Cruz which was discharged in Philadelphia and she then made some voyages on the U.S. coast. Just before Christmas-1944 she discharged a cargo in Mobile, Al. before heading to a yard for misc. repairs etc. She was not ready to leave again until July-1945. In Sept.-Oct. that year, while in Baltimore, the various guns and other war related equipment that had been installed in the course of the war years were removed.
Related external link: Back to M/T Vav on the "Ships starting with V" page. Norway had lost a steamship by the name Vav to WW I, built 1916, 1255 gt - torpedoed and sunk off the Lizard by the German UB-80 on Dec. 4-1917, while on a voyage from Glasgow for Havre with a cargo of steel. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "19 Oslo-skips historie under verdenskrigen, fra April 1940 til krigens slutt i 1945" (The story of 19 Oslo ships during WW II), Harald Nicolaisen - 1945, and "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague - (ref. My sources).
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