M/S TARONGA

M/S  TARONGA: THE NORWEGIAN SHIP WHO DID NOT WANT TO DIE

A personal quarrel took place between a lady and sailor about the ship, M/S Taronga. The issue was the decision made in 1940 about what to do with the ship. The Norwegian government had forwarded a message to all Norwegian ships not to go to Norwegian harbours due to the political situation in Norway in April  1940. Germany had invaded Norway.

The lady who brought up the problem many years after the event in 1940, was very irritated. Both she and the sailor had been on board the ship in 1940. She is accusing him for his negative attitute not to make a mutiny to avoid a takeover  of the ship by the Germans. The sea captain had decided not to go to a foreign harbour but to seak port of refuge in the city of Larvik.

Mutiny on a Norwegian ship in 1940 would have been a sensation. The newspapers would print the story worldwide to inform that not all in Norway had lost the fighting spirit. Above all:  The mutiny might be an inspiration to the Norwegian people  telling all to reject the official statement made by the Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling to sail to  Norwegain harbours

The captain had made his decision to ask for port of refuge in the seaside city Larvik.No mutiny took place . The lady had no say in 1940. She was a passenger only.  But she never forgot the ship, the event, the final decision made.

FACTS ABOUT THE SHIP

M/S Taronga was launched on January 20, 1934 by Odense Staalskibsvaerft, Odense, Denmark. Service speed 16.25 knots. The owner of the ship was the Norwegian company ,Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg, Norway. The ship was sailing along the coast of Norway after a tour in South Africa.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SHIP DURING WWII?

The ship was seized by the Germans on August 15, 1940 and transferred to the Kriegsmarine in February 1942. The new name of the ship was: ” Sperrbrecher 15 ”.

 Sperrbrecher  means  ” minefield breaker”. The task of the ship was to serve as a type of minesweeper by sailing ahead of other vessels through minefields  intending to detonate any mines in the path.

The ship was heavily damaged by air attack and towed to Hamburg, Germany. She was also used as a target ship in 1943. In May 1945 the ship was recovered but was completely burnt out from the air attack. M/S Taronga was repaired and she reenterd service in August 1948.

In October 1961 the ship was sold to the Sangyo Shinko K.K for scrapping.

The sailor who did not want to take part  in a mutiny in 1940 had entered the ship on May 13, 1939 and he left the ship on August 1, 1940 accompanied by a furious  and rebellious lady.

The sailor reentered the doomed ship on October 23, 1957 and he left the  ship on November 5, 1958.

The First Mate of the ship in 1940 was my father. The rebellious lady was my mother. The quarrel between them  dating  the event of  1940 went on for many years.

Question. Who was the captain on M/S Taronga in 1940? In 1954 a list of Sea Captains was published:

Norges Skipsførere. Annen Utgave. 1935 – 1953. Paul T. Dreyers Forlag- Stavanger. 487 pages.

I have read the story of all the captains listed. I seached for information about M/S Taronga. No name of the wanted man. Names of some of the sailors who had sailed the ship: Able seaman, Ole Martin Kjørholt( 1936 -1937), Mate Rolf Birger Hagelund, Mate Alv Mangor Jørgensen, Mate Oddmund Arnljot Berge, Mate Rolf Endresen and Mate Hans Pedersen.

But who was the Captain who let the Germans takeover the ship in 1940?

NEW INFORMATION 2023

New information about the Captain of Taronga that was found in " Halden Mønstringkontor " in March 30, 2023. The name of the Captain was Harald Mariunius Andresen. He was born in the City of Halden on March 18, 1892. Captain of Taronga from May 28, 1935 to August 16, 1940. The ship was taken by the Germans on August 15,1940. The crew including the Captain and the First Mate left the ship.