Official Number: N/R
Builder: Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij
Pennant No:
Launched: 27 January 1928
Into Service: 1940
Out of service: 30 March 1943
Fate: 30 March 1943 torpedoed and sunk
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty during WW2 to augment the ships of the RFA
Dozens of Norwegian ships in Allied or neutral waters on 9 April 1940 when Germany invaded Norway were requisitioned by the Royal Norwegian Government-in-Exile and the Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission (abbreviated to Nortraship following a suggestion from the British Post Office) was set up in London at the end of that month. Other offices and sub-offices were subsequently opened in various other parts of the world. These ships were made available for Convoy work and a number of Norwegian tankers were requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as freighting tankers, although some served as Fleet Oilers and they remained crewed by Norwegians
Career Data:
27 January 1928 launched by Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij as Yard Nr: 188 named Hallanger for Westfal-Larsen & Co A/S, Bergen
April 1928 completed
27 June 1929 arrived at Saltend Jetty, Hull from Balik Pagan
29 June 1929 sailed from Saltend Jetty, Hull for Falmouth
22 September 1931 arrived at Los Angeles from Hong Kong
6 July 1933 sailed from Colombo, Ceylon for Batum
17 May 1934 arrived at Suez from Calcutta, India
23 July 1936 arrived at Avonmouth from Abadan
1 September 1939 arrived at Fayal
19 October 1939 sailed Fayal independently to Houston arriving 3 November 1939
6 November 1939 sailed Houston independently to Quebec arriving 19 November 1939
27 November 1939 sailed Quebec independently to Curaçao
12 December 1939 sailed Curaçao independently to Buenos Aires arriving 2 January 1940
6 January 1940 sailed Buenos Aires to Lobitos
3 February 1940 sailed Lobitos independently to Los Angeles arriving 17 February 1940
30 April 1940 sailed Los Angeles independently to Balboa arriving 13 May 1940
14 May 1940 transitted the Panama Canal and sailed Christobal independently to Bermuda arriving 22 May 1940
23 May 1940 sailed Bermuda in escorted convoy BHX45 which on 29 May 1940 joined escorted convoy HX45 to Swansea arriving 7 June 1940
16 June 1940 sailed Swansea independently to Milford Haven arriving the same day
18 June 1940 sailed Milford Haven in escorted convoy OB169 until dispersal on 22 June 1940 at 46N 20 40W then sailing independently to Kingston arriving on 6 July 1940
24 July 1940 sailed Kingston independently to Curacao arriving 27 July 1940
29 July 1940 sailed Curacao independently to Bermuda arriving 5 August 1940
6 August 1940 sailed Bermuda independently to Halifax arriving 10 August 1940
1940 requisitioned for Admiralty service – name unchanged
18 September 1941 sailed Southend in unescorted convoy EC75 to the River Clyde arriving 24 September 1941
23 March 1942 sailed Liverpool in escorted convoy ON79 to Halifax arriving 7 April 1942
9 May 1942 sailed Methil in escorted convoy EN82 to Oban arriving 11 May 1942
29 August 1942 sailed Gibraltar in escorted convoy HG88 to Liverpool arriving 9 September 1942. Was in ballast returning to the UK for engine defects to be repaired
25 March 1943 sailed Oran
26 March 1943 arrived Algiers to discharge cargo plus ten crated aircraft as deck cargo and while there endured a major air raid
30 March 1943 sailed Algiers in escorted convoy ET16 for New York but was hit by three torpedoes in quick succession fired by German submarine U-596 (Gunter Jahn) and the crew abandoned ship without any casualties just before the third torpedo struck. Sank in position 36.55N 01.39E
31 March 1943 the survivors encountered the minesweeper HMS ALBACORE and were landed at Dupleix later that day
HMS ABACORE
5 April 1943 the majority of the crew were repatriated to the UK
24 April 1943 the remaining crew members sailed for the UK aboard the troopship Franconia
Troopship Franconia