M/S TARONGA – APRIL 9 1940
The story
of the Radio Operator
The Captain
on M/S Taronga had decided to seak port of refuge in the City of Larvik- a
Norwegian seaside city. Norway was attacked by Germany. An official message was
forwarded all Norwegian ships ordering the ships not to go to Norwegian harbours.
On board M/S Taronga the Radio Operator Sven Johan Johansen was working. He must have received the news.
No Norwegian ships must go to Norwegian harbours. The Radio Operator left the
ship. The date of his disembarkation of the ship is still unknown. But on April
9, 1940 he is still working on the ship as a Radio Operator. We do not know the
reason why he left the ship and how come that he is noted signed on a new ship
in Suez, Egypt on May 5, 1940? What happened to the Captain and the rest of the
crew? No official information about the crew has been published –so far.
SUEZ- EGYPT
-1940
Radio
Operator Sven Johan Johansen- born January 28, 1907 in Oslo- signed on a new
ship May 5, 1940. The name of the ship is: D/T Captain A.F. Lucas. The ship is
recorded in Panama. The shipping company is: Balboa Transport Corporation,
Panama. The ship was built in New York in 1903. In 1948 the ship was
scrapped-broken up.
THE RECORD
OF THE WAR SAILING OF SVEN JOHAN JOHANSEN
What
happened to the Radio Operator who left Norway in 1940 to join the Norwegian
merchant fleet – Northraship – to fight for Norway?
He was a
sailor from 1940 to 1945. The list of the ships he embarked contents of 8 ships:
-M/S Taronga, D/T Captain A.F.Lukas, M/T Trondheim, M/S Prins Harald, D/S
Tanafjord,M/S Hai Lee, D/S Wyern and D/S Ek.
We do not
know the date of his arrival in Norway. The last ship where he had signed on
was D/S Ek. The date was August 31, 1945. On May 28, 1980 was awarded the
Norwegian “ Krigsmedalje” for his participation during the WWII.
So far the
official information about Sven Johan Johansen is that he left a ship in Norway
in 1940 and returned to Norway in 1945. If you take a look at the list of ships
where he had worked, let us focus on the story of one of the ships: M/S Prins
Harald.
M/S PRINS
HARALD
The ship
was transporting war materials for the battlefields in North Africa. The cargo
contented some ammunition. The convoy KMS3 was attacked on November 20, 1942 by
a German submarine U-263 about 240 miles west of Gibraltar. M/S Prins Harald
was hit by a torpedo in the starboard side. On board the ship was Captain
Westbye Foss-Sørensen [1]and
First Mate Jaampa Krog.[2]
They made an attempt to save the ship. Invain. The ship was blown up in a
tremendous explosion. The remaining officers and a British gunner, Jack G.
Jones were killed. The Radio Operator Sven Johan Johansen survived the German
attack. An inquiry about the event was held in London December 7, 1942. He had
to report to the inquiry about the sinking of the ship. He was searching for
the Captain asking him if the use of radio was necessary: Negative answer to
the question from the Captain. Then he entered the lifeboat.
The
official story about the Norwegian ship which refused to die has not been
written yet. Anyway we have got one name of interest to the story of the ship: The
story of the Radio Operator Sven Johan Johansen who was born in Oslo but his
address was officially Peder Grønsgt.2, the City of Sandefjord – a seaside city
of Norway.
The most
interesting part of his story is how he managed to sign on a ship in Suez,
Egypt on May 5, 1940? – and how many of the members of the crew went with him?
[1] No information about the Captain
in the book about Norwegian sailors killed during WWII: VÅRE FALNE 1939-1945. Sjøfolkenes
innsats
[2] First Mate Jaampa Krog was the
son of the famous Norwegian journalist and playwright Helge Krog. Jaampa Krog is
noted in the book: VÅRE FALNE 1939-1945.Sjøfolkenes innsats. Page 301.
