M/T Havprins - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 (original) (raw)

M/T Havprins Updated Oct. 8-2011

To Havprins on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Received from Finn Thorsen, whose father in law served on board all through the war (pictured below).

Model of Havprins, built by Jan Johannessen, Mandal, Norway (based on original drawings), a 96th birthday gift to Jacob Odd Haugland from his son in law, Finn Thorsen. On the right, J. O. Haugland is pictured on his birthday with his precious Havprins, Aug.-2008. Sadly, he passed away on Nov. 7-2008.

Manager: P. Meyer, Oslo
Tonnage: 8066 gt, 4754 net, 12 585 tdwt.

Built at Kockums mek. Verkstads A/B, Malmö, Sweden (183), delivered in Sept.-1935 as Havprins to A/S Havprins (P. Meyer), Oslo. 461.5' x 59.8' x 27.4', 6 cyl. 2 TDV MAN DM (builders), 1162 nhp.

Related item on this website:
Guestbook message (in Norwegian) from the son in law of Jacob Odd Haugland, who is interested in getting in touch with ship mates, or family of ship mates.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
(unfortunately, Page 2 has some information missing in the margin)
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5

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

Voyage Record
From June-1941 to Dec.-1945:

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

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.

Errors may exist, and several voyages are missing.

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

When war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940, Havprins was on her way from Venice to Trinidad - see Page 1 of the archive documents. Her 1941 voyages also start on this document and continue on Page 2.

In June-1941, she was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 133 and rescued 44 women and men from the Dutch Maasdam which had been sunk by U-564 (Suhren) on June 27. M/T Kongsgaard (torpedoed, but not sunk), M/S Vigrid and M/S Soløy(both were sunk) were also in this convoy, as were several other Norwegian ships (follow the links for more information - see also the external links at the bottom of this page). Havprins arrived Avonmouth on July 4.

Excerpt of a letter written by a Red Cross nurse, Miss Lillian Evans of Arlington, Mass. to her mother, Mrs. Herbert T. Evans (published in "Christian Science Monitor", Boston on Aug. 8-1941 - included in "Tusen norske skip" by Lise Lindbæk):

"Aboard a Norwegian tanker. I am safe and well, but have only the clothes on my back plus a sailor's pants and middy. All my things except your watch, Dick's medal, my class ring, and valuable papers and money are in Davy Jones' locker. Please don't worry, the Red Cross will take care of us. I am so glad I don't need all of life's luxuries. We were on a Dutch ship to England. On June 27 at 1:15 in the morning the ship was torpedoed. Everyone was saved. Out of the 17 nurses 9 of us are aboard a Norwegian tanker. We are now off the coast of the Hebrides, and in 2 days we'll be in Barry Docks in South Wales. The Dutch ship was going to Liverpool, but this one is going to Wales. I have made some great new friends; the Dutch are the nicest people imaginable, and the Norwegians are perfect sailors and hosts for so many shipwrecked. I never wept a tear or felt any regrets, because I know everything will turn out right. All I could think about when I was in the lifeboat was you and in my mind was "Lead, Kindly Light" which I say every night when we have our blackout. There were 49 ships in the convoy, and now there are 42 left. Our lifeboat capsized and I swam around for hours until the Norwegians came in their boat and gathered us up. When they came they looked to me like Norse gods from the saga. They had black rubber suits on with yellow hoods (this is the Vaco suit, described in the paragraph covering Lifeboat Contents & Survival on my "Ship Statistics & Misc." page). We still sleep fully dressed with our life jackets for pillows. This ship is quite new but not meant for passengers. The captain gave up his suite for us: bedroom, saloon, guestroom and bathroom, and we 9 nurses are doing fine. We have a radio and record player with the best records. The last two days no ships have been lost, and we are in too shallow water for submarines, so we have been washing and ironing the men's shirts as well as our own clothes. It's fortunate, isn't it that we didn't buy expensive shoes and clothes? You can't believe how cold we have been. I wear sweaters and that heavy coat and furlined gloves all the time".

Robert Cressman says with regard to Maasdam "among the survivors are marines under Major Walter L. Jordan, USMC, the advance detail for the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in London". (M/S Vigrid, also had some nurses on board at the time of her sinking, see text under that ship for more details).

Havprins subsequently returned to Halifax with Convoy OB 345, which originated in Liverpool on July 11-1941, arrived Halifax on the 26th, and also included the Norwegian Belita, Bello, Geisha, James Hawson, Marit, Salamis, Selvik, Solsten, Tanafjord, Vigsnes and Ørnefjell (several of which had previously arrived U.K. with Havprins in HX 133). Havprins headed back to the U.K. again on Aug. 10 with Convoy HX 144 (station 82), together with the Norwegian Suderøy, Polartank , Orwell , Hallanger , Eidanger , Grena , Evanger , Norse King , Vinland and Sommerstad. A. Hague has also included Ranja in this convoy. Together with Salamis and Katy, she now joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 13 the following month (her destination is given as Mexico). This convoy dispersed on Sept. 11 and Havprins arrived Galveston independently on the 26th (there's no mention of arrival Mexico on Page 2).

In Nov.-1941 she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 161, together with Solfonn, Stigstad, Havkong, Vav, Nueva Andalucia, and others. That year was rounded off by sailing to Houston, having joined the westbound Convoy ON 48*, which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 19 and dispersed Dec. 31, Havprins arriving Houston independently on Jan. 11-1942. She had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Athos, Buenos Aires, Chr. Th. Boe, Grena, Havkong, Heranger, Høegh Scout, Kollskegg, Nueva Andalucia, Solfonn, Solstad (returned) and Sveve.

In Febr.-1942 we find her in Convoy HX 173. According to Arnold Hague, Evita was involved in a collision with the Russian Dvinoles in this convoy, while Roger W. Jordan's "The world's Merchant Fleets 1939" says the Russian vessel sank following a collision with Havprins, and the latter is correct; J. O. Haugland, pictured further up on this page, remembers this incident, saying they had lost power to their steering, causing her to swing to starboard and hit the Russian vessel in the side, which got a large hole near hatch Nov. 4. But he adds that the collision would not have happened, had the Russian ship not backed up instead of going forward as ordered. According to him Havprins did not receive any damages; she arrived Liverpool on Febr. 16, later continuing to Stanlow, Manchester, Runcorn and Eastham (see Page 2), before joining the westbound Convoy ON 87*, departing Liverpool on Apr. 16, dispersed Apr. 26, Havprins arriving Curacao independently on May 5. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Albert L. Ellsworth, Atlantic, Bralanta, Glittre, Herbrand, Katy, Norheim, Norsol, Polartank, Skandinavia, Stiklestad and Vav.

On May 14-1942 Havprins rescued 18 survivors from the American tanker Esso Houston, which had been sunk by U-162 on May 12. The next morning the survivors were transferred to the Latvian freighter Everagra and landed at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands in the evening of May 18 (Havprins was en route to Freetown at the time of rescue). 1 Armed Guard of the Esso Houston (John O. Peterson) later died of wounds suffered in the U-boat attack, not sure whether he had been among the 18 rescued from lifeboat No. 4 by Havprins. Late in the evening of May 16 lifeboat No. 1 with 23 people landed at Byeras Bay, Kingstown (St. Vincent) where they were taken care of by the natives. On May 23 they obtained passage to New Orleans on Robert E. Lee. 38 merchant seamen and 3 U. S. Navy Armed Guards had survived the attack. Again, see the external links at the end of this page for more details. (The book "Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II" has several pages about Esso Houston, her voyages, cargoes etc., including a detailed account of her sinking, the time in the lifeboats and several pictures of them. It's quite easy to find for sale on the Internet - try bookfinder.com).

The rest of Havprins' 1942 voyages, 1943 voyages and some 1944 voyages are shown on Page 3 - see also Page 4. Convoy information for some of these can be found in the Voyage Record above.

She made a voyage from Augusta to Gibraltar in Oct.-1944, having joined Convoy MKS 63*, which had originated in Port Said on Sept. 26 and arrived Gibraltar Oct. 8, Havprins having joined from Augusta, as already mentioned. Nordnes and President de Vogue also took part. Havprins subsequently joined a convoy from Gibraltar to New York (GUS 54 - see link in Voyage Record), then joined the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 328 in order to sail to Clyde, where she arrived on Jan. 9-1945, the convoy having departed New York on Christmas Eve. Commodore was in Brimanger.

At the end of Jan.-1945, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 281*, which arrived New York on Febr. 12. Brasil, Cypria, Tai Shan and Thorhild are also listed, as is the Panamanian Norlys, which is included under the N's of this website because she had Norwegian managers. About a week later we find Havprins in Convoy HX 339 back to Clyde, and on March 8 she left Clyde again to go to Baltimore, where she arrived March 27, having sailed in Convoy ON 289*, together with Brasil, Dalfonn, Høyanger, John Bakke, Molda and Polarsol, and again the Panamanian Norlys, as well as Norvinn. According to A. Hague, Havprins headed back across the Atlantic the following month in Convoy HX 352*, departing New York on Apr. 23. Anna Knudsen, Havkong, Høegh Hood, Ivaran, Pan Scandia and Troubadour are also included. Havprins embarked on her last convoy voyage on May 12, when she started her return voyage to New York, joining Convoy ON 302*, which originated in Liverpool on May 12 (Havprins joined from Belfast Lough) and also had Havkong, Norbryn and Pan Scandia in its ranks. As can be seen in the Voyage Record above, Havprins often served as Escort Oiler, also carrying extra depth charges for the escorts.

The rest of her voyages can be found on Page 4 and Page 5 (to Apr.-1946).

* The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. Escorts are named on this page. The MKS convoys will also be added, but for now, see the section listing ships in all MKS convoys. Additionally, the entire HX series will be updated and completed - see ships in all HX convoys.

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

Sold in 1956 to Leonards Rederier, Landskrona, Sweden, and renamed Havsborg. Arrived Tokyo on Jan. 12-1961 to be broken up. (This external page has some more Post War details).

Related external links:
The attack on Maasdam

Merchant Navy Sparks - The story of someone who was on board Maasdam at the time of loss - also mentions the rescue by Havprins.

Hyperwar - (The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II by Robert J. Cressman). The sinking of Maasdam is mentioned in the entry for June 27-1941. See also the entry for July 5, which mentions the rescue of the survivors from Vigrid, and says that the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, John Winant reported on July 11-1941 that out of the 27 American Red Cross nurses who had been en route to England, 9 had arrived safely, 10 had been rescued, 4 of whom were in serious condition, and 8 were missing. The total number of rescued nurses found in my Norwegian sources doesn't quite add up with what is listed by Cressman. As far as I can tell, he does not mention the 2 rescued by Keppel, nor the 9 rescued by Havprins.

The 1st Chapter of Joining the War at Sea also mentions the rescue of the American nurses.

The attack on Esso Houston

See also:
This page - Rescue of the survivors from Esso Houston in 1942 is mentioned under May 14.

Stavern Memorial commemorations - Engineer Sigurd Edvard Juelsen is listed as having died due to an accident on board on Apr. 18-1945 (according to Page 4, Havprins was in Baltimore on that date), and Stoker Karl Myking died due to illness on Apr. 24-1945 (Havprins was on her way from New York to Belfast Lough, Convoy HX 352). There's also a Canadian Able Seaman William Mosher, listed as having died on Havprins on Dec. 21-1943 (found in the Canadian Merchant Navy War Dead Database), not sure what happened to him (her 1943 voyages are shown on Page 3).

Back to Havprins on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Other ships by this name: Another Havprins was delivered to A/S Havprins (P. Meyer), Oslo in May-1958, built in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands, 12 589 gt. Sold in 1968 and renamed Stolt Eagle for Stolt Nielsen Rederi A/S, Haugesund. Sold again in 1973 to Piræus and renamed Stolt Dimitris, renamed Queen of Skye in 1975. Sold to new owners in Piræus in 1977 and renamed Syros Trader, arrived Texas for breaking up on May 5-1978. A more recent Havprins was delivered to A/S Havtor (P. Meyer), Oslo in Febr.-1975, built in Sweden, 66 591 gt. Renamed Rajah Laut in 1985. Sold in 1986, renamed Banak for Torvald Klaveness & Co. A/S, Oslo. Sold to owners in Cyprus in 1987, renamed Ocean Carrier. From 1991 she had the name Adalya (Turkish owners). Broken up in 1996. A/S Havtor managed a Havprins in the late 1980's, originally launched as Dovertown for owners in Glasgow in June-1973, delivered as Swedish Malmros Multina in May 1974, renamed Mandrill in 1979. Sailed as Stena Oceanica from 1980, and had various owners in the period up to 1988 when she was renamed Havprins. Broken up in 2004.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Tusen norske skip", Lise Lindbæk, and misc. others as mentioned in above text - ref. My sources.