M/S Velox

To Velox on the "Ships starting with V" page.

Misc. War Voyages:

On charter to The Ministry of War Transport from 1940 and all through the war, then returned. (George Monk, England has told me that a Captain Mehlum received the British "HonOBE(Civ)", but I'm not sure for what - his source: Seedies List of awards to the British Merchant Navy which includes awards to Allied merchant seamen).

In Sept.-1940 she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 73, cargo of lumber for Liverpool and London, station 45, joining from Bermuda.

In March-1941 she's listed as sailing in Convoy HX 114 (Bermuda portion), bound for Liverpool with lumber, general and airplanes (Hidlefjord was sunk on this voyage). Velox appears to have been too slow for this convoy, because on March 24 she was sent to the slower Convoy SC 25, as was the Norwegian Inger Lise. In July that year Velox shows up in station 56 of Convoy HX 140 together with the Norwegian Madrono (112), Boreas (16), Thorshov (83), Velma (96), Alaska (106), Stiklestad (95), Vardefjell (84), Evita (114), Olaf Bergh (124), Skiensfjord (97), Ferncastle (113), Thorshavet (43), Bonneville (82) and Helgøy (77). Beth and Petter were also initially in this convoy but left due to engine problems. (More information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page). Velox returned across the Atlantic the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 10, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 27. Her destination is given as Cuba on that occasion, station 33.

Velox is listed as sailing in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 51 in Oct./Nov.-1941, bound for Liverpool with sugar. This convoy arrived Liverpool on Nov. 9. According to the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text, she joined Convoy OS 13, which left Liverpool on Nov. 30-1941, together with the Norwegian Finnanger (had also been in Convoy SC 51), Siljestad, and K. G. Meldahl. Velox was in station 72, on a voyage from Clyde to Freetown-Takoradi.

The same website has her in Convoy SL 102, going in the other direction, in the spring of 1942. This convoy left Freetown on March 4 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th. Velox was bound for Mersey, cargo of oil seed. In June that year we find her in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 87, cargo of cotton and steel for Newport. She's also listed in station 75 of Convoy OS 35 in July/Aug.-1942, voyaging from Milford to Aden and Alexandria with coal and general - again, see the external link already mentioned.

In Aug.-1943 she made a voyage from Alexandria to Gibraltar with Convoy MKS 21 (scroll down to the second table on that page).

Mike Holdoway, England (who runs the website about the OS convoys) has told me that Velox arrived Oban anchorage in convoy EN 33 on Jan.18-1944 (voyage Methil to Oban via Loch Ewe). She left Oban on Jan. 29 to join Convoy ONS 28 for New York (will be added to my Convoys section).

In May-1944 she was in Convoy HX 291 which included several other Norwegian vessels, among them Heranger, Høyanger (Vice Commodore's ship), O. B. Sørensen, Para, Villanger, Stirlingville, Minerva, Vav, and others. This convoy departed New York on May 10 and arrived Liverpool on the 27th; Velox was bound for Garston with a cargo of bauxite. That fall, in Sept.-1944, she can be found in Convoy HX 306, bound for Rochester with wood pulp. This convoy had originated in New York on Aug. 31, but Velox joined from Sydney, C.B., as did the Norwegian Hardanger and Olaf Berg. Other Norwegian ships had joined in New York, as will be seen by clicking on the convoy link.

At the very beginning of Jan.-1945 Velox joined the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 164, again bound for Rochester with wood pulp.

POST WAR:

Sold in Jan.-1947 to Rederi AB Atlanten (OY Suomen Etela-Amerikan Linja – Finska Syd-Amerikalinjen AB) Helsinki, Finland, renamed Angra. Owned from July-1951 by OY Suomen Etela-Amerikan Linja – Finska Syd-Amerikalinjen AB, Helsinki, Finland. Sold in Jan.-1956 to OY Hacklin Holdings Co. AB (Werner Hacklin), Pori, Finland, renamed Otto H. Transferred to Werner Hacklins Stiftelse, Pori, Finland in 1957. Broken up at Helsingin Romuliike, Finland in 1959.

Related external links:
SL convoys and OS/KMS Convoys. The site also has a section for the Russian convoys, as well as the OB (and OA) convoys, and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. As can be seen, Velox is listed in Convoy OS 13, SL 102 and OS 35.

2 who died on board - Captain Søren Marius Jensen is listed as having died in an accident at sea on Aug. 8-1942. 2nd Mate Gabriel Thuestad is also said to have died following an accident on board, on May 5-1943.

Back to Velox on the "Ships starting with V" page.

Other ships by this name:
Haugesund had a steamship by the name Velox in WW I, originally delivered to V. T. Engvall, Gefle in 1884 as Velox, 312 gt. Owned by Ångf.-A/B Östersjøen, Gefle from 1889. Purchased by Jens Gjerdsø, Haugesund in 1894, then owned by Gjerdsø & Bakkevik 1905. Sold in 1916 to Jacob Ringen, Haugesund. Some sources say she was sunk by UB-11 on Aug. 24-1916 (explosives) 11 n. miles northwest of Maas lightship when on a voyage Rotterdam-London with general cargo. However, this posting to my Ship Forum states that the culprit could not have been U-11, as that boat was only used as a training vessel and did not serve operationally. This posting gives UB 16, and voyage as Newport to Genoa. The crew was picked up by fishing vessels and taken to Hoek van Holland.
Another D/S Velox was the former Victoire of Rotterdam, then Strabo of Amsterdam, built 1918, 699 gt. Purchased by D/S A/S Velox (Erling Lothe), Haugesund in 1930, renamed Velox - sold in 1931 to Herman Jacobsens Rederi, Oslo. Capsized and sank on Febr. 4-1934 near Kya light, Folla on a voyage from Bodø with cargo of herring. At that time she had the name Fro for Aug. Kjerland, Bergen.
The American Cable Splice, 3913 gt, delivered in 1945 for the U.S. War Shipping Adm., later sailed as Velox for Erik Smedsvik, Haugesund from 1964 (having sailed as Bandeirante for Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo from 1947, Høegh Abeille for Leif Høegh & Co. from 1954). This ship later became German Narwa in 1966, then Panamanian Eleftherotria in 1968, broken up in 1970.
In July-1952 a D/S Aun was delivered to A/S Finn Johnsens Rederi, Bergen, 1901 gt. Sailed as Leknes from 1963 for the Jebsen Group in Bergen, then sold in Febr.-1965 to A/S Liv (Arne Østensjø d.y.), Haugesund, incl. 2 years time charter. Returned in Febr.-1967 and renamed Velox (Haugesund). Sold in Apr.-1970 to Cia. Maritima S.A. and became Weston of Panama (Ohlsonship Ltd., Hull). From 1976 as Nicolaos G of Cyprus, later Syrian Syria Star, then Nicolaus G again. Delivered for breaking up near Perama, Piræus in Nov.-1980. ("Våre gamle skip", Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn, and Leif Høegh & Co. fleetlist).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. (ref. My sources). Pre war history and post war info was received from T. Eriksen, Norway - his source: Article by Toralf Nilsen about C. H. Sørensen in "Skipet" 1.90.