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

D/S Inger Elisabeth Updated Nov. 3-2011

Manager: Jacob Kjøde A/S, Bergen
Tonnage: 2166 gt, 1298 net, 3950 tdwt.
Signal Letters: LCGL

Built at Framnes Mek. Verksted A/S, Sandefjord in 1920. Previous name Cissy until 1939.
According to this external page, she was delivered as Cissy to A/S Cissy (Torp & Wiese), Bergen in Sept.-1920. From July-1927, A/S Cissy (Chr. B. Torp), Bergen, same name. From 1929, owner was A/S Sjøfart (Sverre Sturlung), Bergen, no name change. From 1936, A/S Sjøfart (Lauritz Pettersen), Bergen, and from July- 1938, A/S Sjøfart (Jacob Kjøde A/S), Bergen. Renamed Inger Elisabeth for A/S Inger (Jacob Kjøde A/S), Bergen in 1939.

Related item on this website:
Guestbook message - From a relative of one of Inger Elisabeth's crew members.

WW II Voyages – 1939-1942:

Transcribed from a document received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew
(dates are European style, showing day/month).

Compare with these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

For further convoy information, please go to Arnold Hague's Voyage Record

For information on voyages made prior to and in between those mentioned here, please see her Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details; the Commodore's notes and/or reports are also available for some of them, and several Norwegian ships took part. More convoy information is available inArnold Hague's Voyage Record.

From Page 1 of the archive documents, we learn that Inger Elisabeth was in Antilla when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. She had arrived there from New Orleans the day before, proceeding to Baltimore on Apr. 12. It'll also be noticed that she later spent a long time in Philadelphia, where she had arrived on May 20. Departure is given as Sept. 21, when she sailed to Newcastle, N.B. According to her Voyage Record, this long stay was due to crew trouble.

From Newcastle, N.B. she continued to Sydney, C.B. on Oct. 2 and is now listed among the ships in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 7 which lost so many ships that month, including the Norwegian Snefjeld - follow the links for details. See also HMS Leith's report. Inger Elisabeth was bound for Methil and West Hartlepool with a cargo of pit props, and arrived West Hartlepool on Nov. 4. The following month, she shows up in Convoy OB 256, which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 8, dispersed Dec. 12 and also included Akabahra, Henrik Ibsen, Ledaal, Mathilda, Rolf Jarl, Sandanger and Selbo - ref. link provided within the table above. Her destination is given as St. John, N.B., where she arrived, via Halifax, on Jan. 1-1941, having started out from Oban on Dec. 9.

Going back to Page 1, we see that she later spent quite a long time in Halifax, where she had arrived from St. John on Jan. 15-1941. She was scheduled for the slow Convoy SC 21 on Jan. 31, but instead joined Convoy SC 23 on Febr. 18, cargo of lumber for London and Grimsby. She arrived Grimsby, via Loch Ewe and Methil, on March 20. We later find her, along with Fidelio and South Africa, in Convoy OB 309, originating in Liverpool on Apr. 12, dispersed Apr. 19, Inger Elisabeth arriving Halifax Apr. 28 (she had started out from Oban on the 13th). With dry pulp for Manchester, she was scheduled to return in Convoy SC 31 from Halifax on May 9, but instead joined the next convoy on May 19, SC 32. Her destination is now given as Mersey; she arrived Liverpool on June 8, and later that month, she's listed in Convoy OB 337, departing Liverpool on June 20, dispersed June 28, Inger Elisabeth arriving Quebec on July 12 (remaining there for a month). Buccinum, Facto, Ila, Sirehei and Torborg are also named in this convoy, again, see the link above.

She headed back to the U.K. again on Aug. 30 in Convoy SC 42 from Sydney, C.B., in which Stargard was sunk (among several others - follow the links for more info). Inger Elisabeth had a cargo of steel, lumber and pulp, station 62, and arrived Loch Ewe on Sept. 18. As will be seen, SC 42 also had several other Norwegian ships. For info, the book "Attack & Sink - The Battle of the Atlantic Summer 1941" by Bernard Edwards (1998 - ISBN: 1-883283-34-5) deals specifically with this convoy (it has its share of errors, but is very well written).

In Oct.-1941, she listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 27*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 16 and dispersed Nov. 2, Inger Elisabeth arriving Montreal on Nov. 6 (she had sailed from Loch Ewe on Oct. 18). Her voyages in this period are shown on Page 2. She was scheduled for Convoy SC 55 from Sydney, C.B. on Nov. 16, but instead joined the next convoy on Nov. 22, SC 56, cargo of flour for London.

In Jan.-1942, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 57* (Eglantine is named among the escorts - see also Astrell and Ingrid), but returned to Loch Ewe, later joining Convoy ON 60*, which had originated in Liverpool on Jan. 26 and arrived Halifax Febr. 15. From there, she proceeded to St. John, N.B. 3 days later, with arrival Febr. 19. On March 6, she can be found among the ships in Convoy SC 73 from Halifax, and after having discharged her cargo of flour, she returned with Convoy ON 82*, originating in Liverpool Apr. 2, arriving Halifax Apr. 18 (she joined from Clyde). From Halifax, she continued to St. John, N.B. that same day, then back to Halifax in order to join Convoy SC 83 on May 7 (having been cancelled from SC 82). Eglantine is again named among the escorts, as are Acanthus, Potentilla and Rose. Inger Elisabeth had a cargo of flour for Leith, where she arrived on May 26/27 (Page 2). She's subsequently listed in the westbound Convoy ON 102*, which originated in Liverpool on June 9 and arrived Halifax on the 25th (Inger Elisabeth had again joined from Loch Ewe; Page 3 gives her arrival Halifax as June 24). In the middle of July, we find her in Convoy SC 92 from Sydney, C.B., cargo of flour for Bristol, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on Aug. 2. Later that month, she appears in station 73 of the westbound Convoy ON 122, in which Trolla was sunk. The Commodore's report is also available for this convoy, for which Acanthus, Potentilla and Eglantine, as well as Montbretia served as escorts for a while. Inger Elisabeth arrived Halifax on Sept. 1, having started out from Milford Haven on Aug. 14. A week later, she proceeded to Sydney, C.B., with arrival Sept. 10.

More information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here is available via the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Inger Elizabeth departed Sydney, C.B. again for Port Alfred on Sept. 12-1942 with a cargo of 3400 tons of coal, sailing in Convoy SQ 36 (ref. external link in the Voyage Record). On Sept. 15, when 4-5 n. miles off land near Cap de Rosier, Gulf of St. Lawrence, she was torpedoed by U-517 (Härtwig), struck in the starboard side amidships, in the after part of No. 2 hatch and the boiler room. At the time of attack she was on a course 340° true, sailing at a speed of 7 knots, in daylight with clear and calm weather, 2 lookouts on the bridge, other ships were in sight. A second torpedo was later seen to pass astern, frequently breaking water and eventually striking the cliffs south of Cap de Rosier. Inger Elisabeth developed a heavy list and sank within 5 minutes in 48 49N 64 06W. No distress signals had been sent.

The starboard lifeboat was partly destroyed in the explosion but the port boat and dinghy(?) were successfully launched and those who had jumped overboard were picked up by the boats. Able Seaman Brune, who had been on lookout duty on the bridge, had jumped overboard though he could not swim, and was never seen again. 3rd Engineer Henrik Knag and the Irish Trimmer Edward Mangan were killed in the engine room.

The attacker was not seen, but while the survivors were in the lifeboats, a periscope was observed breaking the surface for about 10 minutes, passing from port to starboard astern of the convoy.

The 23 survivors rowed towards shore until motorboats came out and towed them into Cap de Rosier. They were later taken to Gaspe.

The hearings were held in Montreal on Sept. 24-1942 with the captain, the 2nd mate (who had been on board since July-1939), the 1st engineer, the boatswain and the donkeyman appearing.

Other ships torpedoed in this convoy were: The Dutch Saturnus (sunk around the same time as Inger Elizabeth by U-517), the British Essex Lance was damaged by U-165 the following morning, and shortly afterwards the Greek Joannis was sunk by U-165, which also damaged the American Pan York. See the external link provided at the end of this page for more on these ships.

Crew List:

1st Mate Syvertsen had previously served on Cetus.
According to this external page, Boatswain Thorvik had previously served on Gudvor and Slemmestad and had also survived the sinking of Heina. Following the loss of Inger Elisabeth, he joined Laurits Swenson, later Kirsten B. Here's a Guestbook message from a relative.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume I, a memorandum based on summary of statements by survivors, dated Oct. 6-1942, signed U.S.N.R. Ensign. E.D. Henderson, received from Tony Cooper, England - and misc. (ref. My sources).