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

M/T Hegra Updated July 21-2009

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

A post war picture is available at the T2 tankers website, showing her as Veni (external link).

Manager: Nortraship
Tonnage: 10 297 gt

Built by Sun Shipbuilding Company, Chester, Pa, delivered in March-1944. 1 of 10 ships taken over by Nortraship in 1944 to help replace some of the fleet's losses. Taken over in Chester on March 31-1944. My page "Ship Statistics & Misc." has a list of all 10 under "gains" 1944.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4

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

Voyage Record
From Apr.-1944 to June-1945:

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

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.

For information on voyages made in between those noted below, 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.

As mentioned, Hegra was taken over by Nortraship in Chester on March 31-1944. Shortly thereafter, she made a voyage to Curacao, arriving Apr. 12 - see Page 1 of the archive documents.

Later that month, she shows up in the fast New York-U.K. Convoy CU 22, together with the Norwegian Mosdale and Washington Express. Hegra's destination is given as Avonmouth, and she arrived there on May 6, returning to the U.S. with Convoy UC 22*, which left Liverpool on May 10 and arrived New York on the 20th; Hegra joined from Belfast Lough. At the end of that month, we find her in Convoy CU 26 as the only Norwegian ship. She was again bound for Avonmouth, where she arrived June 13. Just 3 days days later, she's listed, together with California Express and Mosdale, in the westbound Convoy UC 26*, originating in Liverpool on June 15, arriving New York on the 27th; Hegra sailed from Belfast Lough on June 16 and arrived Delaware Capes on the 27th, according to the archive document mentioned above, while Arnold Hague says she arrived Philadelphia on June 28, having detached from the convoy 2 days before.

At the beginning of July, she joined Convoy (T)CU 30, again with California Express. Hegra's destination is given as Mersey and Bromborough on that occasion. She subsequently returned to the U.S. with Convoy UC 30*, which left Liverpool on July 16 and arrived New York on the 27th; the Norwegian Elisabeth Bakke and Washington Express are also included. On Aug. 3, she joined Convoy CU 34 (again with Washington Express), arriving her destination Avonmouth on Aug. 15, heading back in the other direction a couple of days later with Convoy UC 34*, together with Reinholt and Tai Shan - departure Liverpool Aug. 17, arrival New York Aug. 28; Hegra's destination is given as Philadelphia, where she arrived Aug. 29 - again, see Page 1.

She headed back to the U.K. again in Convoy CU 38 from New York on Sept. 4, destination Stanlow, with arrival there, via Liverpool, on Sept. 16, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy UC 38A*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 19 and arrived New York on the 30th. On Oct. 6, she joined Convoy CU 42, and arrived Swansea Oct. 17, returning with Convoy UC 42A*, which sailed from Liverpool on Oct. 21 and arrived New York on Nov. 1; Hegra joined from Milford Haven. According to A. Hague, she had become a straggler from this convoy on Oct. 24. About a week after arrival New York, we find her in Convoy CU 46, together with Martin Bakke, returning across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy UC 46A*, which left Liverpool on Nov. 22 and arrived New York on Dec. 3; Hegra arrived Philadelphia that day. She headed back to the U.K. on Dec. 9 in Convoy CU 50, and arrived Coryton just before Christmas, subsequently joining Convoy UC 50B*, which started out in Liverpool on Dec. 28 and arrived New York on Jan. 8-1945 - Hegra had sailed from Southend on the 28th - her voyages in this period are shown on Page 2.

Already on Jan. 10-1945, we find her in Convoy CU 54 from New York, together with the Norwegian Kirkenes. Hegra's destination is given as Thameshaven, but her arrival there is not given on the archive document. Both ships returned with Convoy UC 54A* later that month (departure Liverpool Jan. 28, arrival New York Febr. 9). With Washington Express and the new Finnmark, Hegra now joined Convoy CU 58 on Febr. 11, destination Cherbourg, where she arrived Febr. 23. Hegra and Finnmark subsequently headed back to the U.S. again with Convoy UC 58A*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 26 and arrived New York on March 9; Hegra arrived Delaware Capes that day, having started out from St. Helen's Roads Febr. 26. Both ships are also listed in Convoy CU 62 from New York on March 15, as are Karsten Wang, Margrethe Bakke and Martin Bakke. Hegra arrived Avonmouth on March 28, and with Finnmark and Karsten Wang, she joined Convoy UC 62A* a few days later, arriving New York on Apr. 11. All 3 of them show up in Convoy CU 66 from New York on Apr. 16 (Hegra arrived Thameshaven on Apr. 28), all 3 returning with Convoy UC 66A*, which left Liverpool on May 2 and arrived New York on the 13th; in other words, VE Day was celebrated at sea. The last convoy Hegra sailed in was CU 70, which departed New York on May 15-1945 and arrived Liverpool on the 25th; Finnmark was again in company.

The rest of her 1945 voyages are shown on Page 2 and Page 3. The latter document also lists some early 1946 voyages, while others can be found on Page 4.

* All the UC convoys mentioned here will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named on the page listing ships in all UC convoys.

According to the first external website that I've linked to below, she was renamed Nidar in 1946 for A/S Krogstads Shipping Agencies, Ltd., Oslo, Veni in 1948 for Smedvigs Tankrederi A/S (Peder Smedvig), Oslo(?), Pacific Leader in 1959 for Pacifico Union Marina Corp., Panama (from 1962, Pacific Union Marine Corp., Monrovia), and Oceanic Amity in 1968, having been converted to bulk carrier in 1962. Broken up at Kaohsiung in 1978 by Yung Horng Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., arrived Dec. 5-1977, work began Jan. 3-1978.

Related external links:
T2 tankers - This page about Hegra has a picture of Veni.
The T2 Tanker page - Has the history of each tanker. Hegra can be found by entering her name on the search page.
Alphabetical list of T2 tankers

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

Norway later had another Hegra, built in Oslo for Bachke & Co., Trondheim in 1951, 2063 gt. Sold in 1966 to Piræus and renamed Proodos, then sold to Cyprus in 1970, San Gus. On fire on Jan. 15-1971 following a boiler explosion, towed to Mobile, condemned. Later sold to Mexican breakers.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, E-mails from Roger W. Jordan - and misc. other as named within the above text.