M/T O. B. Sørensen - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

M/T O. B. Sørensen
Updated Sept. 3-2010

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for further details; the Commodore's notes are also available for most of them and several Norwegian ships took part.

As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, O. B. Sørensen was en route from Shanghai to Miri when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. If you read Norwegian, see also Gunnar Bakke's story in my Warsailor Stories section.

She was in service between Haifa and Alexandria through the winter of 1941/42, making several trips back and forth, carrying petroleum. Gunnar Bakke says they were in Alexandria when Sagona blew up in Dec.-1941, and this agrees with the details found on Page 2, which says she had arrived Alexandria on Dec. 17.

From Dec.-1942 she was in service in the North Atlantic. With a cargo of benzine, Arnold Hague has included her, together with Askot (from Halifax to St. John's only), Hallanger, Henrik Ibsen, Kirsten B (for St. John's), Lisbeth, Norvarg, Rio Verde, Ruth I and Titanian, in the eastbound North Atlantic Convoy SC 113*, which left New York on Dec. 12 and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 2-1943. According to Page 3, O. B. Sørensen stopped at Belfast Lough on Dec. 31, proceeding to Avonmouth the next day, Jan. 1. Later that month she's listed as bound for New York in station 63 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 161, originating in Liverpool on Jan. 12. She arrived New York on Jan. 31 and now appears to have remained there for several weeks; departure is given as March 18 and according to A. Hague, she joined Convoy HX 230*. This convoy arrived Liverpool on Apr. 2, O. B. Sørensen, cargo of paraffin and vap. oil, stopped at Clyde that day (via Belfast Lough). She had again been in the company of other Norwegian ships, namely Høyanger, Kong Haakon VII, Molda, Skjelbred and Tai Shan. With Scebeli (sunk, follow link for more details) and the Panamaninan Norvinn (Norwegian managers), she subsequently headed back across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 178*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 12 and arrived New York, her destination on that occasion, on May 2 (she had joined from Clyde). Just a few days later we find her in Convoy HX 238 from New York, bound for Stanlow with gas oil in station 43, arriving Stanlow on May 22.

With Annik (joined from Newfoundland), Athos, Braga, Bralanta, Elisabeth Bakke, Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Helgøy, Kronprinsen, Lista, Morgenen, Norbryn, Norefjord, President de Vogue, Toledo, Vanja and the Panamanian Norvinn, she's now listed in the westbound Convoy ON 187*, departing Liverpool on June 1, arriving New York on the 15th, returning to the U.K. a week later in Convoy HX 245, bound for Avonmouth with a cargo of aviation fuel, station 105 - see also Page 4. She subsequently appears, along with Bralanta, Chr. Th. Boe, Fagerfjell, Fernwood, Geisha, Harpefjell, Herbrand, Hiram, Idefjord, Maud, Meline, Norlom, Para, Samuel Bakke, Sandviken, Santos, Skaraas, Skjelbred, Stiklestad, Thorhild, Thorshov and Tungsha, as well as the Panamanian Norlys (Norwegian managers), in the westbound Convoy ON 193*, which originated in Liverpool on July 16 and arrived New York on the 31st. Some of these ships, including O. B. Sørensen, left New York again on Aug. 7 in Convoy HX 251, for which Laurits Swenson served as the Commodore Vessel; Acanthus, Potentilla and Rose were among the escorts for a while (see HX convoy escorts). O. B. Sørensen had station 135, cargo of gas oil for Avonmouth, where she arrived Aug. 24, according to the archive document. About a week later she headed back across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 200*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 2 an arrived New York on Sept. 18. Biscaya, Bralanta, Buenos Aires, Emma Bakke, Fagerfjell, Haakon Hauan, Herbrand, Ivaran, Laurits Swenson, Norden, Norheim and Reinholt are also listed, as is the Panamanian Norbris (Norwegian managers).

From the U.S., she now made a voyage to Gibraltar, having joined Convoy UGS 19, which left Hampton Roads on Sept. 25-1943. O. B. Sørensen arrived Gibraltar on Oct. 12, then returned to the U.S. on Oct. 19 in Convoy GUS 18, and arrived New York Nov. 6. Both convoys had several Norwegian ships, ref. external links provided within the Voyage Record above.

As will be seen when going back to Page 4, she stayed in New York for a long time. Departure is given as May 10-1944, when she joined Convoy HX 291 to the U.K. (Vice Commodore in Høyanger). Her destination is given as Clyde, where she arrived on May 26, having served as Escort Oiler and also carried 60 depth charges, according to A. Hague (perhaps this is the explanation for her long stay in New York - it's possible she had been fitted out for such service there?). Early the following month she's listed, with Evanger, Henrik Ibsen, Idefjord, John Bakke, Mui Hock, Thalatta, Torborg, Vav and Vinga, in the westbound Convoy ON 239*, which originated in Liverpool on June 3 and arrived New York on the 22nd (she again served as Escort Oiler), and just 2 days later we find her in Convoy HX 297 from New York (Commodore in Brimanger), again bound for Clyde, where she arrived July 10 (Escort Oiler, 65 depth charges). With Bralanta, Chr. Th. Boe, Emma Bakke (Commodore Vessel), Fjordaas, Gudvor, Mathilda, Montevideo, Petter II and Tanafjord, she subsequently joined Convoy ON 245*, originating in Liverpool on July 18, arriving New York on Aug. 2, and this was her last Trans-Atlantic convoy voyage.

She now made voyages to Guantanamo, Curacao, Sydney, Brisbane etc. - again, see Page 4. Her 1945 voyages are shown on Page 5, which also lists a few 1946 voyages.

* The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. Note also that the entire SC series and the HX series will eventually be updated and completed, including the already existing convoys (some have already been updated); but for now, see ships in all SC convoys and ships in all HX convoys.

More details on the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page can be found with the help of the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Sold in 1951 and renamed Vikinga. Laid up at Naples from Jan. 10-1962. Sold in Oct.-1962 by Fratelli D'Amico, Italy, to breakers at Spezia, where she arrived on April 9-1963.