T/T Karsten Wang - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 (original) (raw)

T/T Karsten Wang Updated Nov. 26-2011

Manager: Nortraship
Tonnage: 10 297 gt

Built by Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Chester, Pa (395), delivered in June-1944 (a T-2 tanker). She was 1 of 10 new ships transferred from the United States War Shipping Administration to the Norwegian flag in 1944, taken over on May 31. See my page "Ship Statistics & Misc." under "gains" 1944 for a list of all 10.

My Norwegian Warsailor Stories section has the story of T. Gjertsen, who served as gunner on this ship from the end of Nov.-1944 until the summer of 1946. He has also given me the names of other gunners who served on Karsten Wang at various times in 1944-1945, as follows:
Johan N. Sunde, Sigurd M. Riise, Paal? Olavsen, Erling Andersen, Helge J. Aronsen, Astor B. Sommerfeldt, Alf K. Tjelta, Håkon Thorkildsen, Kåre Lyster, Trygve Sognnæs, Finn H. M. Numme, Ole D. Hauge, Willy Andersen, Samuel Østgård, Asbjørn I. Svendsen, Ole Hammerø, Trygve Merkesdal, Karl A. Badski, Lars Andersen, Magnus Naug, Alf L. Ødegård, Finn Smith, Ivar R. Dehli, Olaf Falkeid, Johan Olsen, Einar Marthinussen, Johan Johannesen, Karsten A. Johansen, Knut A. Klemmetsen, Hans Bech, Ivar Flaten, Arvid S. Andreassen, Viktor H. Hagstrøm, Jakob D. Gjøseter, and Trygve A. Sunde. (Note that some of them also show up in the text for other Norwegian ships on this website).

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

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

Voyage Record
From June-1944 to July-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 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.

As already mentioned, Karsten Wang was taken over by Nortraship on May 31-1944. Having made a voyage to Curacao and back to New York, she joined the fast New York-U.K. Convoy CU 29 on June 24, together with the Norwegian Martin Bakke. Karsten Wang arrived Stanlow on July 6 (see Page 1), subsequently heading back to the U.S. a couple of days later with Convoy UC 29*, which left Liverpool on July 9 and arrived New York on the 19th; her destination is given as Philadelphia. Later that month we find her, as the only Norwegian ship, in Convoy CU 33 for the U.K., returning to the U.S. with Convoy UC 33* - departure Liverpool Aug. 9, arrival New York Aug. 20. A week later she joined Convoy CU 37, again as the only Norwegian ship, then returned with Convoy UC 37*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 12 and arrived New York on the 23rd. On the 29th she joined Convoy CU 41, this time with Elisabeth Bakke, and the following month we find her in the westbound Convoy UC 41A*, leaving Liverpool on Oct. 14, arriving New York on the 25th. Together with California Express, she now joined Convoy CU 45 on Oct. 30. Karsten Wang's destination is given as Cherbourg on that occasion, and she headed back to the U.S. again in Convoy UC 45A*, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 14 and arrived New York on the 26th. On Dec. 1 she was the only Norwegian ship joining Convoy CU 49 for the U.K., rounding off that year by sailing back to the U.S. with Convoy UC 49B* (departure Liverpool Dec. 20, arrival New York Dec. 31).

She was also the lone Norwegian ship in Convoy CU 53 at the beginning of Jan.-1945, heading back across the Atlantic with Convoy UC 53A* later that month (departure Liverpool Jan. 19, arrival New York Febr. 2). She subsequently joined Convoy CU 57, again as the only Norwegian ship. Her destination is given as Thameshaven, and she arrived there on Febr. 17, according to Page 2. A few days later we find her in the westbound Convoy UC 57A*, which arrived New York on March 5. With Nordahl Grieg, she now joined Convoy CU 61, but returned to port and instead joined the next convoy a week later (with Finnmark, Hegra, Margrethe Bakke and Martin Bakke), again bound for Cherbourg, going back to the U.S. at the end of March with Convoy UC 62A*, which originated in Liverpool on March 31 and arrived New York on Apr. 11. (Note also that she's listed in Convoy VWC 111 from France on March 30 - external link; perhaps she joined UC 62A at sea from this convoy?)

The next eastbound North Atlantic convoy she shows up in, again with Finnmark and Hegra, is CU 66, which left New York on Apr. 16 and arrived Liverpool on the 28th, and the last westbound convoy she's mentioned in is UC 66A* (departure Liverpool on May 2, arrival New York May 13). She travelled back across the Atlantic with Convoy CU 72, which left New York on May 25 and arrived Liverpool on June 3. Hammerfest and Kirkenes are also listed.

According to T. Gjertsen's story, she subsequently made voyages to The Persian Gulf, Guam, Calcutta, Bombay, Sydney, Trincomalee, Port Said, Colombo and other ports, before heading back to the U.S. in June-1946 - see also Page 2 and Page 3.

* 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, some of which were Norwegian, are named on the page listing ships in all UC convoys.

Sold to Mosvold, Farsund, in 1950 and renamed Mosborg. Sold and renamed Formostar in 1954. Converted to a floating power plant in USA in Dec.-1960, and later the main machinery and some deck gear were removed and a complete concrete-making plant fitted on board. She then became a non-propelled barge and was used for the placement of underwater tunnel sections. Sold to breakers in Sept.-1963 and arrived Hamburg in Febr.-1964 to be broken up. (This info received from R. W. Jordan - see also this external page).

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.