N. T. Nielsen Alonso
Whale Factory

To N. T. Nielsen Alonso on the "Ships starting with N" page.

Crew List


This picture was received from Axel Kuehn, who says the photographer is Alex Duncan.

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

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According to Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway a man named Paul Olsen died in an accident on board this vessel on May 6-1940 - ref. link at the end of this text.

At the end of July-1941 N. T. Nielsen Alonso is listed in the westbound Convoy ON 1, leaving Liverpool on July 26-1941 with several Norwegian ships, as will be seen by following the link.

In Oct.-1941 she was in Convoy HX 154 along with the Norwegian Hilda Knudsen (and another ? Knudsen) Ranja, Tai Shan, Samuel Bakke, Emma Bakke, Polarsol, Skiensfjord, Toronto, Noreg and an unnamed Norwegian tanker. Some of these ships, including N. T. Nielsen Alonso, joined the westbound Convoy ON 32 the following month. She's listed in station 32, and was bound for New York.

She was also in Convoy HX 168 in Jan.-1942, together with the Norwegian Fernmoor, Tai Shan and G. C. Brøvig. Brimanger was also scheduled for this convoy, but was cancelled. In Apr./May that year she was in Convoy HX 187, and in Aug.-1942 she sailed in Convoy HX 203 which departed Halifax on Aug. 16. In Nov.-1942 she can be found in Convoy HX 214, bound for Clyde in station 33 of the convoy. She must have unloaded her cargo and gone straight back across the ocean, because by Dec. 21 she was in New York, joining Convoy HX 220, which arrived Liverpool on Jan. 9-1943. N. T. Nielsen Alonso had teak on board in addition to her oil cargo, bound for Clyde in station 44.

More information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page.

Final Fate -1943:

In Febr.-1943 she was in the westbound Convoy ON 166, originally consisting of 48 (49?) ships, but in the stormy weather 9 ships had been unable to keep up. N. T. Nielsen-Alonso had departed Clyde in ballast (4000 tons water) on Febr. 11, and was on a voyage from Glasgow for New York. The convoy was spotted on Febr. 20 by U-604 and for the next 4 days, 18 U-boats were chasing it over a distance of 1100 n. miles. The Norwegian M/T Stigstad was torpedoed on the 21st, and at 02:15 the next morning, when 800 miles east of Cape Race, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso, in station 25 of the convoy, received a torpedo amidships in the engine/boiler room, port side, from U-92 (Oelrich). At the time of attack she was sailing on course 231° true at a speed of 10 knots in clear weather with moonlight, northwest wind force 3 and a heavy sea. 11 trained lookouts had been on watch for 2 hours; 6 aft and 5 on the bridge equipped with 2 pairs of binoculars, but the U-boat was not seen. The boiler room flooded at once, and the engine room also filled with water, disabling the machinery immediately and killing 3 men there. An SOS was sent but no reply was known to have been received.

The ship was abandoned within 10 minutes and the 50 survivors distributed in 4 boats (starboard boats, and the aft port boat, the remaining port lifeboats having been destroyed), then rowed away from the factory. About 20 minutes later, she was struck by another torpedo, this time from U-753 (Mannstein), but she remained afloat until she was sunk about 8 hours later by the escorting Polish destroyer Burza (48 00N 34 00W).

The survivors were picked up at about 05:30 by the American coast guard cutter Campbell and later (time given as "11:00, next day" in a Norwegian report) transferred to Burza which landed them at St. Johns, N. F. on Febr. 27. The maritime hearings were held there on March 2-1943, with the captain, the 3rd mate (officer on watch - had been on board for 3 months), the 1st engineer (on board for 7 1/2 years), and Able Seaman Sporsheim (helmsman) appearing.

The info given above is a summary of details from several different souces (some given at the bottom of this page). Burza's war diary gives a different time and sinking position - as is noted in this message on my Ship Forum. Jürgen Rowher's "Axis Submarine Successes of World War II" says N. T. Nielsen-Alonso was hit during the first and third attacks on the convoy by U-92's FAT torpedoes at 04:36, Febr. 22 (German time) and finally by a T-3 torpedo from U-753 at 07:29. He adds she was sunk by Burza at 12:00 hrs GCT in position 48N 31 24W - this position is also given by Lloyd's War Losses, Vol I. A summary of survivors' statements gives initial attack time as 04:15 GCT, approx. postion 48N 34W, sunk about 8 hrs later, as mentioned. Survivors picked up at approx. 07:30 GCT by Campbell. (J. Rohwer also claims the Norwegian M/T Thorsholm became a straggler of Convoy ON 166, and that she on Febr. 22 struck a mine laid by U-118 on Febr. 1, 15 n. miles 14° Cape Espartel, but this ship could NOT have been a straggler of Convoy ON 166, which was in a different area altogether. Follow link for further info).

The external website about the coast guard cutter Campbell that I've linked to at the end of this text, states that when it was discovered that the whale factory's confidential documents had not been destroyed prior to abandoning ship, Campbell returned to the wreck of N. T. Nielsen Alonso and "opened up with her deck guns, igniting the tanker's bridge in the area where Alonso's commanding officer reported the documents to be" - the site has quite a bit of information on the events taking place in Convoy ON 166.

Other Norwegian ships sunk were M/S Ingria and M/T Glittre. My page about Convoy ON 166, as well as the external links at the end of this text has more information. Other Norwegian ships sailing in this convoy were Molda, Skandinavia, Tai Shan, Tropic Star and Brasil.

Crew List:
Some of the survivors had been on board Lancing when that factory was sunk the year before. I've compared this crew list with Lancing's crew list and in addition to Captain Bjerkholt, I find that Boatswain Rasmus Eikeseth, Stoker Åge Johannessen, a Swedish Gustav Olsson (listed as able seaman) were on that ship when sunk. There's also an Erling Johannessen - listed as electrician on Lancing; same man?

Survivors
Captain Johan Henry Bjerkholt	1st Mate Olav Mørch	2nd Mate Sverre Bjønnes	3rd Mate Jens Martin Andersen	Radio Operator Leif B. Amundsen	Carpenter Leif Kongstein
Boatswain Rasmus Eikesæth	Able Seaman Arne Jensen	Able Seaman Karl Hansen	Able Seaman Alfred Vold	Able Seaman Harald Mathisen	Able Seaman Erling Johannessen
Able Seaman Walter Eriksen	Able Seaman Thor Albert Stokstad	Able Seaman Ole Andreas Sporsheim	Able Seaman John Rollefsen	Able Seaman Einar O. H. Hardersen	Able Seaman Alf Paulsen
Able Seaman Jarl Dahl Jensen	Able Seaman Henry Thorsen	Able Seaman Trygve Kristiansen	Able Seaman/Gunner Svein Kristiansen	Able Seaman/Gunner Emil Sørseth	Able Seaman/Gunner Adolf Johansen
Able Seaman/Gunner Kristoffer Furevik	Able Seaman/Gunner Ragnar Hjørnevåg	Able Seaman/Gunner Vidar Johansen	1st Engineer Einar Hansen	2nd Engineer Olaf Johannessen	3rd? Engineer Hans Chr. Nystad
Donkeyman Martin Fløysland	Pump Man Arne Henry Eriksen	Stoker Karl Arthur Johansen	Stoker Knut Roberg	Stoker Thorvald Knudsen	Stoker Åge J. Johannessen
Stoker Ludvig Larsen	Stoker Ellef Halgrimsen	Stoker Hilbert Jensen	Stoker Ole Andersen Laupet	Stoker Guttorm Dyrø	Stoker Hartvig Martinsen
Steward Jens Ruberg	Cook Arne Sæves	Cook Karsten H. Pettersen	Mess Boy Rolf Hornemann	Mess Boy John L. Byrne (Canadian)	Mess Boy Josef S. H. Johansen
Mess Boy Gustav Olsson (Swedish)	Mess Boy Edward Hill (British)
Casualties:
† 3rd Engineer William Fjelberg	† Stoker Thorbjørn Larsen	† Stoker Erling Jensen	All died in the engine room

Related external links:
More on the casualties - The last name on this list at the website of the Seamen's Memorial in Stavern, Norway is Paul Olsen who is said to have died in an accident on board on May 6-1940.

ON 166, 21 - 26 Feb 1943
U-92 | U-753

The history of USS Campbell - The rescue of N. T. Nielsen Alonso's survivors is described.

Hyperwar - Linked directly to Robert Cressman's book entries for 1943 - scroll down to Febr. 20, 21, 22 and 23 for details on the attack on ON 166.

Antarctic Whaling - The Nielsen Alonso Story - Pre war voyages, with lots of pictures.

Back to N. T. Nielsen Alonso on the "Ships starting with N" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II (Norwegian Maritime Museum), summary of survivors' statements (from British archives), received from Tony Cooper, England, and misc. (ref. My sources).