 Krossfonn in 1935 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Namesake |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Builder | Odense Staalskibsværft,Odense |
| Launched | 16 May 1935 |
| Completed | August 1935 |
| Out of service | 1944–49 |
| Refit | 1947–49,1955 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scuttled 1944, raised 1947, scrapped 1964 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 480.5 ft (146.5 m) |
| Beam | 65.0 ft (19.8 m) |
| Draught | 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m) |
| Depth | 35.6 ft (10.9 m) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Installed power | 728NHP, 4,700bhp |
| Propulsion |
|
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
Spichern was amotortanker that was built inDenmark forNorwegian owners and launched in 1935 asKrossfonn. In 1940 theGerman navy captured her, renamed herSpichern and converted her into anoiler. In 1944 she was damaged in an air raid and thenscuttled.
Spichern was raised in 1947, rebuilt, renamedRingfjell and returned to Norwegian merchant service in 1949. She was converted into abulk carrier in 1955, renamedRingsaker in 1961 and scrapped in 1964.
Odense Staalskibsværft inOdense in Denmark builtKrossfonn for Skibs-A/S Dalfonn of Norway. She was launched on 16 May 1935[citation needed] and completed that August.[1]
Krossfonn's registered length was 480.5 ft (146.5 m), herbeam was 65.0 ft (19.8 m) and her depth was 35.6 ft (10.9 m). Hertonnages were 9,323 GRT, 5,550 NRT[1] and 14,225 DWT.[2]
Krossfonn had twoscrews.Burmeister & Wain built her engines, which were a pair of seven-cylinder, four-stroke, single acting diesels. Together the two engines were rated at 728NHP[1] or 4,700bhp.[2]
When the Second World War began in September 1939,Krossfonn was undercharter to import oil toFrance. But Norway wasneutral until April 1940, andKrossfon sailed unescorted until that May.[2]
Two days before the war beganKrosfonn leftBahrain forLa Libertad, Ecuador. She crossed theAtlantic viaDakar forbunkers andTenerife. She spent the next six months bringing cargos of oil from Ecuador andPeru to France.[2]
On 23 March 1940Krossfonn sailed fromPort-de-Bouc in France to bedry docked inGalveston,Texas. However, on 8 April Germany began itsinvasion of Norway, soKrossfonn made for the nearest British port. This wasKingston, Jamaica, where she arrived on 14 April. Ten days later she proceeded to Galveston, where she was dry docked from 29 April.[2]
On 10 May Germany began itsinvasion of France. On 13 MayKrossfonn left dry dock and went toHouston to loadcrude oil. She sailed for France viaBermuda, where she joined Convoy BHX 45, which at sea on 29 May joined eastboundConvoy HX 45.Krossfonn's destination was changed fromDonges toBrest, where she arrived on 8 June.[2]
On 13 JuneKrossfonn left Brest in ballast to sail viaFort-de-France inMartinique toCristóbal inPanama for orders. On 19 June she called atCasablanca. On 22 JuneFrance capitulated, and on 25 June theGerman auxiliary cruiser Widder capturedKrossfonn in the Atlantic.[2]
On 7 July 1940Krossfonn reachedLorient inGerman-occupied France.[2] She was renamedSpichern and converted into a naval oiler.
On 26 May 1941 duringOperation Rheinübung she bunkered theGerman cruiser Prinz Eugen at sea with 2,660 tons ofheavy fuel oil.[3]
Between 4 and 10 February theheavy cruiserAdmiral Hipper patrolled off theAzores and was refueled several times bySpichern.[4]
On 9 August 1944 an Allied air raid badly damagedSpichern in theBattle for Brest. On 31 August German forces defending Brest sank her as ablockship.[2]
In 1947Spichern's wreck was raised in two parts and towed toKiel, whereHowaldtswerke AG rebuilt her. In May 1949 she returned to Norwegian merchant service asRingfjell, owned by Ringals Rederi A/S and managed by Olav Ringdal ofOslo. In 1955 a shipyard inRouen,France converted her into abulk carrier.[2]
In 1961 Sameiet Ringsaker boughtRingfjell, renamed herRingsaker and placed her under the management of Elisabeth Bruun & Co ofTønsberg. In February 1964 aWest Germanshipbreaker bought her for scrap.[2]
