M/T Vilja - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

A French visitor to my site has told me that Vilja was at Casablanca on Sept. 13-1939 when the French minelayer Pluton blew up. Undamaged, but entire crew grounded as a safety measure.

According to a posting to my Ship Forum Vilja was on a voyage from Constantza to Manchester on Apr. 3-1940 when she collided in the convoy with the British Blairatholl (voyage from Bona to Liverpool) in Liverpool Bay. (Both these ships are listed in Convoy HGF 24, which left Gibraltar on March 25-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 3). The British ship received damage to three frames and had stem pushed back, while Vilja had damage to port side, this was repaired at Liverpool (when reading that posting, I'm not entirely sure if it means the 2 vessels collided with each other, or whether each collided with another vessel?). She must have still been there when the news of the German invasion of Norway was received on Apr. 9, because she didn't depart England until Apr. 26 - to pick up cargo in Tripoli. On May 26 she came to Gibraltar, continuing to Brest with arrival June 15. For this voyage she's listed as being in Convoy HGF 32; the captain's name is given as E. Karlsen in this convoy document, cargo of crude oil, station 62, sailing right next to Torfinn Jarl. She departed again on June 22 (at the time of the French capitulation) then, like a lot of other Norwegian vessels in France at the time, she proceeded to the nearest British port, namely Swansea. (In one report there's a statement saying she was sent from there to Abadan, but I'm wondering if this might be a mix up with a later voyage?).

In Aug.-1940 she rescued 50 survivors from the British Boma, 3 died. According to J. Rohwer this ship had been torpedoed by U-56 on Aug. 5 while in Convoy OB 193.

Vilja can be found in Abadan in Dec.-1940, having arrived on Dec. 4 via Freetown and Table Bay, and on Dec. 15 she was in Aden, en route to the Suez Canal, with arrival Dec. 25. Possibly used as depot ship, either in Suez or Alexandria? (not much can be found about this period because most of the records were lost in the Haifa explosion later on).

On March 11-1941 she was en route from Alexandria to Haifa for cargo, then went back to Alexandria where the cargo was unloaded before returning to Haifa for another cargo, also for Alexandria. From there she was sent through the Suez Canal to Abadan, arriving June 15. Was back in Suez on July 6 and stayed for quite a while in Port Said and Alexandria.

Arrived Haifa on Dec. 12-1941, unloaded cargo until Dec. 20. She was still there on Christmas Eve (as were the Norwegian M/T Athene, and M/T Thordis) when the French tanker Phenix suddenly blew up while maneuvering out from the harbour. Her crew* could be seen crying for help on her after deck. Several motor boats came out in an effort to help, and Vilja's captain, who had been in his cabin when the explosion occurred, also tried to assist by launching one of the lifeboats, but when it had gotten half way over to Phenix, the oil that had spread across the water caught on fire and the boat was ordered to return. It wasn't long before Vilja was completely surrounded by flames. Most of the ships there managed to get clear of the burning and sinking Phenix, but Vilja was very badly damaged, as she was unable to get passed (Phenix was in front of her a little to the port side, and the wreck of Patria was on the other side of her - ref. text for Thermopylæ, under the heading "A new Year-1941"). Seeing no possibility of saving her, Captain Andersen gave the orders to abandon ship. As the starboard lifeboat left her side, Vilja's bridge was on fire and by the time they reached the pier she was burning from bow to stern. The port boat also made it to safety, and as the crew members ran for their lives along the pier, Vilja's ammunition exploded, causing even further damages, with debris "raining" all around them. Nobody was hurt, but all the ship's papers, diaries and logs were lost, as were of course, all personal belongings, but her cargo was found to be intact.

*The captain of Phenix appears to have been Norwegian. His name was Lauritz Andreas Teffre, who died at a hospital in Haifa. He's commemorated at the Stavern Memorial for Seamen (the ship's name is spelt wrong here), and can also be found commemorated at Tower Hill, Panel 81 (both these links are external). Captain Teffre had previously commanded the Norwegian M/T Orkanger when that ship was sunk in June-1940.

The next day Vilja, or what was left of her, was tied up to the wreck of Patria, but on Jan. 2-1942 a storm caused even more damages when she drifted into the pier. After temporary repairs in Haifa she was taken to Port Said to unload her cargo at the end of Febr.-1942, where she underwent further (extremely primitive) repairs before continuing to Suez 3 months later - she had to be towed through the canal by 2 powerful tugs, because her steering mechanism had been heavily damaged in the fire and was still not quite in order. She then proceeded to Aden where some cargo was loaded in her center tanks, from there to Durban (at 7 knots) where some of this cargo was transferred to various ships that needed bunkers, the rest to oil tanks on shore. Further repairs were made there, again very primitive. Naval authorities also demanded that foundations for guns should be installed, one on each side of the bridge (which had been "built" in Haifa with the help of wreckage for materials due to the lack of lumber in Egypt, later replaced in Port Said by a bridge taken from a British vessel that had struck a mine), one on each side forward of the poop and one on each side of the funnel. However, when all this had been done, no guns could be obtained, so she continued to Port of Spain with no armament, and general conditions on board were dreadful.

From Port of Spain she was sent in Convoy TAG 5 to New Orleans in order to undergo more permanent repairs of all the damages, but in the middle of the night of Sept. 13-1942 (she had departed early the previous morning, Sept. 12) she was torpedoed by U-558 (Krech)*, 12 15N 62(63?) 52W. Other ships in the convoy had already been torpedoed, so all on board Vilja had been called out and were prepared for attack. On watch on the bridge at the time was 1st Mate Ivar (Lars?) Andreassen. Others on board were Radio Operator Nicolaysen, Able Seaman Ludvig Gusfre (at the helm), 1st Engineer Peder Samuelsen, 3rd Engineer Dag Berg (on watch in the engine room), and Oiler Steen. 4 gunners were on duty by the gun. The torpedo had struck on her port bow in the deeptank, causing a powerful explosion. Debris was flung high in the air, most of which was misc. damaged materials from the midships building that had been removed in Port Said and placed in one of her holds. There were no casualties. Fearing another attack the captain ordered the crew to the boats, which stayed at a safe distance from the ship, and when nothing further happened, they went back on board about 4 hours later (daylight) and, following an inspection, decided to take her back to Port of Spain, though damages were extensive. Several of her cargo holds as well as the pump room were half full of water and the sea could be seen through the bottom of No. 5 tank. Additionally, the entire ship had a large bulge all the way around, as if she had been squashed together.

*Rohwer states Vilja was sunk that day, but this is incorrect.

En route back to Trinidad an aircraft appeared, and they were able to signal to the pilot that they had been torpedoed. That afternoon an escort arrived which stayed with her all the way back to port. Earlier that morning they had spotted what looked like a sail in the horizon. Not sure whether it was a trap concocted by a U-boat, they discussed what to do and decided to ease a little closer to inspect. It turned out to be a lifeboat from one of the other ships that had been torpedoed in the convoy, namely the British Empire Lugard, sunk by U 558 on Sept. 13. (The Dutch Suriname had also been sunk by the same U-boat). Vilja landed the 45 (6?) survivors in Port of Spain on Sept. 15 (another source says Vilja rescued 47 from Empire Lugard).

After repairing there for 3 months she again headed out to sea on Dec. 28-1942 in a convoy of 6 small ships for New Orleans via Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, at 5 knots. More ships were meant to join at the latter port, but 3 days after arrival the 6 vessels were ordered to continue. Technical problems still proved to be an issue for Vilja, especially with regard to the steering, and just before arrival New Orleans it failed altogether. A radio they had previously received while in Port Said after the fire was also of no use by that time, meaning she was unable to get in touch with shore authorities, so they had to wait for the next vessel to pass by so that they could signal for help. A tug was summoned which towed her to New Orelans on Jan. 16. Most of her crew paid off, but as of July 28-1943 ('44?)*, the captain, the 1st mate and the 1st and 3rd engineers were still on board. She remained there for the rest of the war as damages were found to be beyond economical repair. Condemned on Oct. 26-1943, eventually broken up.

* An inquiry into the torpedo incident was held by Norwegian authorities in New Orleans with the above 4 men attending; date is given as July 28-1944, but I'm wondering if this is a printing error and should be 1943(?). (Full statements had also been given to the British Navy in Port of Spain on arrival there following the incident, therefore, the captain did not realize it was also necessary to give statements to the Norwegian Consul - hence the late date).

POST WAR:

Vilja's machinery was sold to a Norwegian ship owner after the war and placed in the Haugesund ship Norseman, another rescued war victim. Norseman sailed for Odd Godager for a while, but was later sold abroad (not the Norseman in my N-list).

Related external links:
U-558 | Günther Krech

Operations information for U-558 - As this page shows, this U-boat sank several Norwegian ships.

Halfdan Ditlev Simonsen today