M/S Vestvard

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

Crew List


Picture received from Sverre Johansen (postcard collection).

Vestvard is among the ships listed in Convoy HX 69 in Aug./Sept.-1940 - follow the link for more convoy details. She was sunk on her return voyage, as follows:

Final Fate - 1940:

From a posting to my Ship Forum: "The vessel was 4319 gross tons, 2441 net tons, 7608 deadweight tons, 402 feet overall length, 53 feet breadth, and 23.5 feet depth. It was fitted with an MAN 6-cylinder diesel engine of 1950 bhp and had a service speed of 10.5 knots. Signal letters were LDDL.

At 1113 hours, central European time, on 27 September 1940, Vestvard was torpedoed by U-31 and sunk about 300 miles west of Ireland. One crew member was lost, but 28 crew (29 - see below) survived. She was on voyage from Manchester to Montreal in ballast. KL Prellberg was in command of this U-boat from July 1940 to 2 November 1940. His previous command was U-19, from April to July 1940. On 2 November 1940, while in the vicinity of convoy OB 237, U-31 was located by the destroyer HMS Antelope and was sunk in a depth charge attack. Of the U-31 crew, 2 were drowned, but Prellberg and 43 others survived and were made prisoners of war. Two of the crew died later in a failed attempt to escape". (Posted by Roger W Jordan).

Before she was torpedoed Vestvard had been in Convoy OB 218, which left Liverpool on Sept. 24-1940 and had been dispersed after U-137 had sunk the British Stratford and Manchester Brigade and damaged the Ashantian on Sept. 26. Vestvard was continuing on individual course to the convoy's determined meeting place, when she was hit by 2 torpedoes from U-31 (Prellberg) on the 27th. The first torpedo struck on the port side near Hatch 3, the 2nd (after the boats had been launched) in Hatch 4. The port lifeboat, which had drifted behind the ship was hit by something flying through the air during the second detonation and was destroyed, so the 7 occupants had to jump into the water but were able to get on a raft, and were later picked up by the starboard boat. Others who had not yet managed to get in the lifeboats had to jump overboard from the heavily listing ship (to port); an able seaman was pulled under as she sank after 10 minutes and he was never seen again.

The 30 survivors landed near Slane Head Light on Oct. 1, where 4 men were taken to a hospital at Galway. The crew stayed at a hotel in Clifton for a few nights before going to Dublin, then to Liverpool via Holy Head.

According to a personal story found in "Sjøfolk i krig" by Leif M. Bjørkelund, told by 2nd Engineer Alf Schrøder, the captain had his wife on board with him. Schrøder adds that the U-boat, which was a cream color, surfaced and circled them twice before disappearing again. He says they encountered a horrendous storm on the second night and didn't think they were going to survive in the giant waves in the overcrowded lifeboat, but fortunately the boat was new, a fact which in his opinion helped save their lives.

When they eventually reached the lighthouse on the south coast of Ireland it was late at night so they couldn't go in. The next morning 2 men showed up and guided them to shore. They were well fed by the lighthouse keeper before being picked up by a large rowboat and taken to the mainland where a horse and buggy awaited them. After having spent the night at a hotel they caught a train to Dublin, arriving that same evening. He says that in those days officers and crew could not spend time together, so the officers were given lodgings at one hotel, and the crew at another. The next morning they were dressed up from head to toe, again, the crew at one store and officers at another, then caught a ferry to Liverpool the following morning.

The maritime inquiry was held in Liverpool on Oct. 8-1940 with the captain, the 3rd mate (officer on watch), Ordinary Seaman Børresen (helmsman), Jr. Ordinary Seaman Gulliksen, the 1st engineer and Able Seaman Asbjørn Nilsen attending.

NOTE: Jürgen Rohwer does not connect this ship to Convoy OB 218, nor does he indicate this convoy was dispersed. Arnold Hague states that the British Empire Ocelot was also sunk in Convy OB 218, by U-32 on Sept. 28. Rohwer lists no convoy for this ship.

Crew List:

Survivors
Captain O. N. Bråstad	Captain's Wife Mrs. Bråstad	1st Mate L. Bjørvand	2nd Mate R. Karlsen	3rd Mate Lars Johannessen	Carpenter A. Bergsaunet
Boatswain A. Monsås	Able Seaman Gunnar Mjønes	Able Seaman Anders Nilsen	Able Seaman Asbjørn Nilsen	Ordinary Seaman A. Fagerlund	Ordinary Seaman Kaare Børresen
Ordinary Seaman Erik Berger	Jr. Ordinary Seaman Karl Gulliksen	Deck Boy E. Jensen	1st Engineer Erling Knutsen	2nd Engineer Alf Schrøder	3rd Engineer Hj. Blikeng
Electrician A. Simonsen	Mechanic Erik Rådlund	Mechanic K. Agerup	Mechanic H. Lambine	Oiler H. Olsen	Engine Boy Egil Nygård
Engine Boy Walter Eriksen	Engine Boy S. Llevelyian (Nationality?)	Steward K. Knutsen	Cook E. Edvardsen	Galley Boy H. Aase	Mess Boy S. Bradley (British)
Casualty:
† Able Seaman Gunnar Mjønes

Related external links:
The 1 who died - Ordinary Seaman Gunnar Arne Mjønes is commemorated. The Norwegian text says the ship was on a voyage from Liverpool to Montreal in ballast and was alone about 50 n. miles west of Ireland while waiting for a convoy.

U-31

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøfolk i krig" by Leif M. Bjørkelund, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II (Norwegian Maritime Museum), and misc. as named within above text - (ref. My sources).