D/S Granfoss - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 (original) (raw)

D/S Granfoss Updated Sept. 20-2011

To Granfoss on the "Ships starting with G" page.

Picture of this ship when named Granfos - from Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
(When people send me pictures of ships, I can't always be sure these are of the WW II ships, or of earlier/later ships by the same name.
Can anyone confirm this is the correct ship?)
Here's another picture, also from Bjørn Milde.

Received from Freddy Christiansen (painting by Olaf Gulbrandsen 1917).

Manager: Thor Thoresen A/S, Oslo
Tonnage: 1462 gt

Built in Oslo in 1913. Previous names: Granfos until 1937. This external page has more history.

R. W. Jordan says she was managed by Anthony & Bainbridge Ltd., Newcastle during the war.

Related item on this website:
Guestbook message - From the grandson of Ingvald Christiansen, who served as Engineer on Granfoss, as well as on Vestfoss.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12

Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.

Voyage Record
From Jan.-1940 to May-1945:

(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.

Please be aware that errors do exist, and this, in turn, could mean that she may not have sailed in all the external convoys mentioned in this record (although she's listed in all of them). Also, many voyages are missing.

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details on them; several Norwegian ships took part.

A. Hague has included Granfoss in Convoy HN 8 from Norway to the U.K. in Jan.-1940. In March she's listed in the orignial Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy HN 19, bound for Manchester with general cargo. According to Page 1 of the archive documents, the intention was so sail to Oslo, Norway from Partington on Apr. 3 (Norway was invaded on Apr. 9), but she was ordered to Bordeax, where she eventually arrived, via various other ports, on May 16, proceeding to Verdon and Dakar a few days later, arriving Dakar on June 3. For this voyage, she's listed in Convoy 59 X, together with Brasil and Spes - ref. external link provided within the Voyage Record above.

It'll also be noticed, when going back to Page 1, that she made a voyage from Liverpool to Port Alfred at the end of July that same year, arriving her destination on Aug. 14. I have no convoy information for this voyage, perhaps she had sailed independently? A week later, she proceeded to Sydney, C.B., and from there, she joined the slow Convoy SC 3 on Sept. 2, from which the Norwegian Lotos was sunk. Granfoss, cargo of pulp wood, arrived Belfast on Sept. 17. According to "Nortraships flåte", she rescued 20 men from the torpedoed HMS Dundee (L 84) on Sept. 15, and a little later she picked up 27 from Empire Volunteer. Another 6 men from Dundee were picked up by the Norwegian D/S Vigsnes. However, it appears the author may have gotten the rescuers of survivors from Empire Volunteer mixed up with Granli - this account for Granli has more information on this incident; see also my page about Convoy SC 3. ("Nortraships flåte" indicates that the Norwegian D/S Hird may also initially have been in this convoy, but had a small fire on board on Sept. 10 and fell out of the convoy while repairing. Hird is, in fact, listed in Convoy HX 70).

In Nov.-1940, she's listed, together with Berto, Eastern Star, Erica, Evviva, Iron Baron, Regin, Stargard and Trolla, in Convoy OB 240 (link in table above), which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 8 and dispersed on the 13th, Granfoss arriving St. John's, N.F. on Nov. 30. She had started out from Oban on Nov. 9. She now appears to have spent almost 2 months at St. John's; Page 1 gives departure as Jan. 22-1941. She arrived Port aux Basques on Jan. 25, later proceeding to Halifax in order to join a convoy back to the U.K. With a cargo of chemical pulp, she had been scheduled to return in the slow Convoy SC 21 from Halifax on Jan. 31-1941 (she was still at Port aux Basques at that time), but instead joined the next convoy on Febr. 8, SC 22. Her destination is given as Methil (for degaussing) and Ridham Dock; she arrived Loch Ewe on Febr. 25, Ridham Dock on March 9 (via Methil Roads and Leith - again, see the archive document).

The following month, she's listed, along with Leiv Eiriksson, Mosli and Skiensfjord, in Convoy OB 305, originating in Liverpool on Apr. 2, dispersed on the 6th (link in table above). Her destination is given as Halifax, station 92, and she arrived that destination on Apr. 16, having started out from Oban Apr. 3. Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 2; as will be seen, she spent quite a long time in New York, where she had arrived from Halifax on Apr. 21. Departure New York is given as July 4. With a cargo of pulp, she later joined Convoy SC 38* from Sydney, C.B. on July 22, arriving Liverpool Aug. 8. She had again been in the company of other Norwegian ships, namely Bruse Jarl, Facto, Ila, Ingrid, Selbo and Senta (several ships, including Senta, had struck ice and had been forced to return). From Liverpool, Granfoss proceeded to Manchester, with arrival there Aug. 10, and later that month, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 10, which originated in Liverpool on Aug. 27 and dispersed Sept. 11. Granfoss' destination is given as Montreal on that occasion, station 82. She arrived Montreal on Sept. 16, having started out from Clyde on Aug. 28.

On Oct. 5-1941, she shows up in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy SC 48 from Sydney, C.B., in which several Norwegian ships were sunk, namely Erviken, Ila, Rym and Barfonn - follow the links for much more info. Cruising order/Commodore's notes and a couple of reports are also available for this convoy (strangely, Granfoss is not mentioned in the cruising order). She was bound for Ridham Dock with steel and pulp wood. Going back to Page 2, we see that she arrived Loch Ewe on Oct. 21, Methil Roads on the 23rd, and Ridham Dock on Oct. 26. The rest of her 1941 voyages, and some early 1942 voyages, are also listed on this document - see also Page 3.

In May-1942, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 96*. Berto, Bollsta, Carmelfjell, Fagersten, Ingerfem, Norelg, Norfalk and Rolf Jarl are also named in this convoy, which originated in Liverpool on May 19 and arrived Halifax June 7; Granfoss, however, started out from Loch Ewe May 19 and arrived Sheet Harbour June 5. She later proceeded to Halifax and Sydney, C.B., and from there, she joined the slow Convoy SC 90 on July 3, cargo of pulp for Grimsby, where she arrived July 20, according to Page 4. She headed back in the other direction again in Sept.-1942, having joined Convoy ON 134*. Askeladden (joined from Halifax), Bonneville (Commodore Vessel), Glarona, Grado, Hallfried, Hjalmar Wessel, Loke, Mathilda (the latter 2 from Halifax), Maud, Sir James Clark Ross and Veni, as well as the Panamanian Nortun (Norwegian managers) are also listed. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Sept. 26 and arrived New York Oct. 17, but Granfoss was bound for Halifax and arrived there on Oct. 14, having sailed from Loch Ewe on Sept. 26. A few days later, she made a voyage to St. John, N.B., then returned to Halifax, and with a cargo of flour, A. Hague now has her in the Halifax portion of Convoy SC 107* on Oct. 27 (originated in New York Oct. 24 and lost many ships). Going back to Page 4, we see that she put back to Halifax that same day, departing again on Nov. 4, arriving Belfast Lough Nov. 18. This voyage had been made in Convoy SC 108*, which had started out in New York on Nov. 1. Both these convoys also had other Norwegian ships, namely Carrier, Geisha (Vice Commodore), Pollux (to Argentia only) and Vest in SC 107, and Bonneville, Brand (returned), Snar, Torfinn Jarl and Vanja in SC 108.

The rest of her 1942 voyages are shown on Page 4. Her 1943 voyages also start on this document and continue on Page 5, Page 6 and Page 7, which also has some 1944 voyages. Granfoss took part as supply ship for the Normandie invasion in June-1944, arriving Omaha Beach on June 12, departing July 2, according to "Nortraships flåte". A. Hague has suggested some convoys for this period, but again, please note that some errors may exist.

See also Page 8 and Page 9, the latter listing some 1945 movements as well, while Page 10 has more. From Page 11, we learn that she went home to Norway in Aug.-1945, and according to Page 12, she went home again in Dec.-1945, and again in the spring of 1946.

* The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more details on each; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named at ships in all ON convoys (with escorts). The SC series will also be updated and completed, but for now, please see ships in all SC convoys.

More information on all the Norwegian ships mentioned on this page is available via the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Arrived Manchester on Sept. 30-1945 for return to Norwegian owners - again, see Page 12. According to this external page, she was owned in 1948 by Skibs A/S Thor Thoresens Linje (T. Thoresen & Co), Oslo, no name change. From 1955, Irene Cia. Maritime Ltda. (N. J. Nomikos), Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, renamed Irene. From 1960, Irene Cia. Maritime S.A (N. J. Nomikos), Beirut, Lebanon, same name. Lost on Nov. 29-1961 at Damma Damma Reef, entrance to Port Sudan, when on a voyage from Mocha to Port Sudan in ballast. Sold to local breakers.

Related external links:
Omaha Beachhead

Back to Granfoss on the "Ships starting with G" page.

Norway (Thor Thoresen Jr., Kristiania) had a Granfos (spelt with the one s, made of steel) in 1908-1911, originally built as Ariel II in 1906, 1760 gt, L. B. Rafen, Holmestrand. Stranded at Hysgeir Rocks in 1911, voyage Fredrikstad-Manchester with lumber.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. as mentioned within text - (ref. My sources).