Collection H.Larsson-Fedde
Built by: Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Newcastle. Completed: 1930
Owner: A/S Havtank
Tonnage: 6128 grt, 9945 dwt
Length: 420.8 feet
Beam: 58.5 feet
Draught: 31.2 feet
Machinery: 6 cylinder diesel engine by Wallsend Slipway, Newcastle
Speed: 12 knots
In Admiralty Service( Royal Fleet Auxiliary) from 1940
Background Data: Dozens of Norwegian ships in Allied or neutral waters on 09 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..
Career Data:
30 May 1930 launched by Swan, Hunter & Wigham, Richardson, Low Walker as Yard Nr 1431 named JOHN P PEDERSEN for A/S Havtank ( Helmer Staubo & Co, Managers) Oslo
September 1930 completed
3 September 1935 on pasage from Harwich Roads to Curacao suffered engine break down and anchored off Harwich
10 March 1936 off Swanscombe in collision with British ship Maurice Rose. Anchored with damage to her bow off Gravesend
11 March 1936 at 0635 in heavy fog while proceeding at slow speed in collision with British ship Jamaica Progress near East Red Sand Buoy. Both vessels suffered serious damage to the bows. Forepeak full of water, starboard anchor useless. Port hawsepipe carried away.
12 March 1936 passed Flamborough Head with damage to her bows. Later the same day entered the River Tyne and passed upstream to Swan Hunters Dock, Wallsend
22 October 1936 in the Admiralty Court, London before Mr Justice Bucknill and one Trinity Master proceedings between the owners of the John P Pedersen and the owners of the Maurice Rose commenced
1940 requisitioned by the Admiralty, name unchanged
19 April 1940 sailed Corpus Christie independently to Kingston arriving 24 April 1940
29 April 1940 sailed Kingston independently to Gibraltar arriving 16 May 1940
13 June 1940 sailed Gibraltar in convoy HG 34F to the Solent arriving 23 June 1940
21 July 1940 sailed Milford Haven and joined Liverpool convoy OB187 until it dispersed on 25 July 1940 at 53.43N 23.30W and then sailed independently to Trinidad arriving 7 August 1940 where she had gun platforms, degaussing cable and bridge protection fitted.
19 September 1940 sailed Trinidad to Curacao arriving 22 September 1940 where a gun was fitted
30 September 1940 arrived at Halifax
12 October 1940 sailed Halifax in escorted convoy HX80 to the River Clyde arriving 26 October 1940 with a cargo of FFO
5 November 1940 sailed the River Clyde in convoy WN32 to Scapa Flow arriving 7 November 1940
15 November 1940 sailed Scapa Flow joining convoy EN25/1 from Methil to Oban and then indepdendently to Trinidad arriving 7 December 1940
20 December 1940 sailed Trinidad independently to Gibraltar arriving 3 January 1941
25 March 1941 arrived New York
20 April 1941 sailed New York
28 April 1941arrived Curacao to load cargo and sailed later that same day with 9100 tons of Army oil fuel for the Clyde via Halifax .
7 May 1941 arrived Halifax
10 May 1941 sailed Halifax in Convoy HX 126 .
20 May 1941 convoy ordered to disperse.
20 May 1941 torpedoed by U-94 ( Korvettan Kapitan Herbert Kuppisch) some 160 miles south of Greenland and the survivors abandoned ship in the 2 lifeboats.. The submarine then surfaced and fired 2 more torpedoes and the tanker sank 20 minutes after the initial attack in position 57.00 N 41.00 W with the loss of 1 of her crew.
23 May 1941 16 men were picked up from one of the boats by the Convoy Rescue Ship HONTESTROOM and were taken to Reykjavik, but 21 others in the 2nd boat were never seen again. Of the full crew of 20 Norwegian, 4 Swedish, 2 Latvian, 2 Dutch and 8 British seamen, 22 perished.