SSNorlom

History
Name	Editor(1919–41) Empire Dunlin(1941–42) Norlom(1942–43)
Namesake	dunlin NorwayandLom
Owner	United States Shipping Board (1919–37) United States Maritime Commission (1937–41) Ministry of War Transport (1941–42) Norwegian Government (1942–43)
Operator	United States Shipping Board (1919–37) United States Maritime Commission (1937–41) J Billmeir & Co Ltd (1941–42) Nortraship (1942–43)
Port of registry	Seattle, United States (1919–41) London, United Kingdom (1941–42) Oslo, Norway (1942–43)
Builder	Skinner & Eddy
Yard number	60
Launched	16 August 1919
Completed	September 1919
Out of service	2 December 1943
Identification	United StatesOfficial Number218887 (1919–41) United KingdomOfficial Number168161 (1941–42) Code Letters LSTG (1919–34) Code Letters KOBG (1934–41) Code Letters GNLL (1941-42)
Fate	Bombed and sunk 1943, scrapped 1946
General characteristics
Class and type	Design 1105 cargo ship
Tonnage	6,326GRT 3,972NRT 9,698DWT
Length	402 ft 6 in (122.68 m)
Beam	54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)
Depth	32 ft 1 in (9.78 m)
Installed power	359 nhp
Propulsion	Triple expansion steam engine
Speed	10.5 kn (19.4 km/h)
Crew	32, plus 6 DEMS gunners (Norlom)
Armament	One 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun, ten machine guns (Norlom)

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Location whereNorlomwas bombed and sunk in Italy.

Norlomwas a 6,326GRTDesign 1105cargo shipthat was built in 1919 asEditorbySkinner & Eddy Corporation,Seattle, Washington,United States for theUnited States Shipping Board(USSB), which became theUnited States Maritime Commission(USMC) in 1937. In 1941, she was transferred to the BritishMinistry of War Transport(MoWT) and renamedEmpire Dunlin.She was transferred to Norway in 1942 and renamedNorlom.She served until2 December 1943when she was bombed and sunk atBari,Italy.

Description

The ship was built in 1919 bySkinner & Eddy Corporation,Seattle, Washington.She was yard number 60.

The ship was 402 feet 6 inches (122.68 m) long, with a beam of 54 feet 8 inches (16.66 m). She had a depth of 21 feet 1 inch (6.43 m). She was assessed at 6,326GRT,3,972NRT.HerDWTwas 9,698.

The ship was propelled by a 510nhptriple expansion steam engine,which had cylinders of24+1⁄2inches (62 cm),41+1⁄2inches (105 cm) and 72 inches (180 cm) diameter by 48 inches (120 cm) stroke. The engine was built byHooven, Owens, Rentschler and Company,Hamilton, Ohio.It drove a single screw propeller and could propel the ship at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h).

History

Pre-war

Editorwas launched in 1919,and completed in September of that year.She was built for the USSB.The United StatesOfficial Number218887 andCode LettersLSTG were allocated. Her port of registry wasSeattle.From 1921 to 1924, she served on theRotterdam,Netherlands –New Yorkroute.With the change of Code Letters in 1934,Editorwas allocated KOBG.Editorwas transferred to the USMC in 1937.

World War II

SS Editor

Editordeparted fromHouston, Texason 24 January 1941 forHalifax,Nova Scotia,Canada, arriving on 5 February.She loaded a cargo of scrap iron, "special cargo", steel and vehicles.She was due to sail with Convoy HX 114, which departed on 11 March for the British port ofLiverpool,Lancashirebut she did not sail.InsteadEditordeparted on 20 March as a member ofConvoy SC 26,which arrived at Liverpool on 8 April.Her destination wasManchester,Lancashire.

SS Empire Dunlin

Editorwas then transferred to the MoWT and renamedEmpire Dunlin.She was allocated the United KingdomOfficial Number168161 and the Code Letters GNLL. Her port of registry was changed to London and she was placed under the management of J Billmeir & Co Ltd.She departed from Liverpool on 25 May as a member of Convoy OG 63, which arrived atGibraltaron 7 June. She detached from the convoy,and sailed toPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,arriving on 13 June. She departed that day and sailed to theHampton Roads,Virginia,arriving on 14 June and remaining at anchor there until 2 August.Empire Dunlinsailed on that day, but returned to the Hampton Roads on 7 August. She again remained at anchor until 23 September, when she departed forSydney,Cape Breton,Canada, arriving on 28 September.Laden with a cargo of scrap steel, she departed the next day as a member of Convoy SC 47, which arrived at Liverpool on 20 October.Empire Dunlinleft the convoy atOban,Argyllshire,on the west coast of Scotland on 17 October. She departed two days later with Convoy WN 195,which arrived atMethil,Fife(on the Scottish east coast) on 22 October.She left the convoy atKirkwall,Orkney Islandson 21 October, departing the next day to join Convoy WN 196,which had left Oban on 20 October and arrived at Methil on 23 October.She then joined Convoy FS 629, which departed the next day and arrived atSouthend,Essexon 26 October.She left the convoy atHull,Yorkshireon 26 October,for repairs to collision and weather damage.

Empire Dunlinjoined Convoy FN 556, which had departed from Southend on 18 November and arrived at Methil on 20 November.She then joined Convoy EN 9, which departed that day and arrived at Oban on 23 November.She left the convoy atLoch Eweon 22 November and then sailed to New York, arriving on 17 December.

Empire Dunlindeparted from New York on 4 January 1942 and sailed to Sydney, arriving on 8 January.She then joined Convoy SC 64, which departed the next day and arrived at Liverpool on 23 January. She was carrying general cargo bound for London.She left the convoy at Loch Ewe and sailed to Southend via convoys WN 235, WN 236, FS 712 and FN 631, arriving on 31 January.

Empire Dunlindeparted from Southend on 14 February as a member of Convoy FN 631, which arrived at Methil on 16 February. She then joined Convoy EN 49,which departed on 20 February and arrived at Oban on 23 February. She was in ballast,and left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 22 February.Empire Dunlinthen sailed to Philadelphia, arriving on 18 March. She departed on 24 April and sailed to New York, arriving the next day.On 26 April 1942,Empire Dunlinwas on a voyage from New York to the United Kingdom with a cargo of steel when she ran aground on Valiant Rock, offNew London, Connecticut,United States. The ship developed a leak and was abandoned. She was refloated on 11 May and towed to New York for repairs,arriving on 13 May.

Empire Dunlindeparted from New York on 25 August,sailing toCape Cod Bay,Massachusetts,where she joined Convoy BX 35,which departed fromBostonon 26 August and arrived at Halifax two days later.Carrying general cargo and steel, she joined Convoy SC 98, which departed from Halifax on 29 August and arrived at Liverpool on 13 September.She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 12 September and joined Convoy WN 336, which arrived at Methil on 15 September.She then joined Convoy FS 909, which departed the next day and arrived at Southend on 18 September.She left the convoy at Hull on 18 September.

SS Norlom

On 1 October,Empire Dunlinwas transferred to the Norwegian Government and renamedNorlom.She was placed under the management ofNortraship.Her port of registry was changed toOslo,even though Norway wasoccupied by the Germans.She departed fromSpurn Headon 27 October to join Convoy FN 850,which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 29 October.She then joined Convoy EN 156, which departed that day and arrived at Loch Ewe on 1 November.She sailed on to Oban, arriving that day and departing eight days later to join Convoy ON 144,which had departed from Liverpool on 7 November and arrived at New York on 27 November. Her destination was Halifax,where she arrived on 25 November.Laden with general cargo,Norlomdeparted from Halifax on 15 December as a member of Convoy HX 219 destined for Liverpoolbut left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 28 December and sailed to theTynevia Methil, arriving on 1 January 1943.

Norlomleft the Tyne on 29 January to join Convoy FN 930,which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived back at Methil on 30 January.joining Convoy EN 191, which departed that day and arrived at Loch Ewe on 1 February.Norlomsailed the next day,bound forIceland,where on 8 February she joined Convoy ON 165 from Liverpool and arrived at New York on 1 March.On 17 February, a fault developed with her rudder when she was at51°50′N40°12′W.Norlomwas bound for New York, but put in atSt. John'sNewfoundland,arriving on 23 February.She departed from St. John's on 25 April as a member of Convoy JH 50, which arrived at Halifax two days later.Norlomthen joined convoy XB 49,which departed on 2 May and arrived at Boston two days later.She left the convoy at theCape Cod Canaland sailed to New York, arriving on 5 May and departing the next day forBaltimore, Maryland,where she arrived on 7 May. She departed from Baltimore on 19 May and sailed to Boston via New York.Norlomwas a member of Convoy BX 54, which departed on 26 May and arrived at Halifax on 28 May.Laden with steel and general cargo, she departed from Halifax on 5 June as a member of Convoy SC 133, which arrived at Liverpool on 19 June.She left the convoy at Loch Ewe and joined Convoy WN 433,which sailed that day and arrived at Methil on 21 June.She then joined Convoy FS 1148, which departed that day and arrived at Southend on 23 June.She left the convoy atMiddlesbrough,Yorkshire, arriving on 22 June.

Norlomdeparted from Middlesbrough on 9 July to join Convoy FN 1068,which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 10 July.She then joined Convoy EN 254, which departed on 11 July and arrived at Loch Ewe two days later.She sailed on to Oban, arriving on 14 July and sailing the next day to join Convoy ONS 13,which had departed from Liverpool on 14 July and arrived at Halifax on 29 July.She then joined Convoy ON 193, which had departed from Liverpool on 16 July and arrived at New York on 31 July.Norlomdeparted from New York on 5 August as a member of Convoy NG 378, which arrived atGuantanamo Bay,Cuba on 12 August. She departed that day with Convoy GAT 80,which arrived atTrinidadon 18 August.She left the convoy atLa Romana,Dominican Republic on 14 August, departing eight days later forSan Pedro de Macorís,where she arrived on 23 August.

Laden with a cargo of sugar,Norlomdeparted from San Pedro de Macorís on 25 August and sailed to Guantanamo Bay. She then joined Convoy GK 754, which sailed on 28 August and arrived atKey West, Floridaon 31 August. She departed the next day with Convoy KN 262, which arrived at New York on 7 September, departing two days later for Boston, from where she departed on 11 September as a member of Convoy BX 73, which arrived at Halifax on 13 September.Norlomwas a member of Convoy SC 142, which departed from Halifax on 15 September and arrived at Liverpool on 29 September,althoughNorlomdid not arrive until 30 September.

Carrying a cargo ofcoalandlorries,Norlomdeparted from Liverpool on 27 October as a member of Convoy OS57 km, which split at sea on 9 November. Convoy OS 57 arrived atFreetown,Sierra Leone on 27 October. She was in the part of the convoy which formed Convoy KMS 31 and arrived at Gibraltar on 10 November.Norlomwas armed with a 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun and ten machine guns.Passing Gibraltar,she then joined Convoy KMS 31, which arrived atPort Said,Egypton 21 November. Her destination wasAugusta,Italy,where she arrived on 16 November.Norlomdeparted the next day with Convoy AH 9, which was bound for Bari. She left the convoy atTarantoon 18 November. She departed on 24 November for Bari, arriving the next day.

Loss

Main article:Air raid on Bari

On 2 December,Norlomwas in port at Bari when a large force consisting 105Junkers Ju 88aircraft of theLuftwaffebombed the port.TheLiberty shipJohn L. Motley,laden with a cargo of ammunition, was hit and exploded. Another Liberty ship, theJohn Harveywas carrying a cargo of USmustard gasbombs, some of which released their contents.A bulk fuel line was severed, and blazing fuel set fire to a number of ships, includingNorlom,which sank.In total, twenty-eight ships were sunk,and six were damaged in the raid.OfNorlom'screw of 32 and sixDEMSgunners, three crew and a gunner were killed in the raid. Her first officer died on 14 December from injuries received in the attack. A sixth crewmember died after the war from the effects of the mustard gas.Norlomwas assessed as "possibly salvable".Those lost on boardNorlomare commemorated at theMinnehallen,Stavern,Norway. The ship was refloated in November 1946 and scrapped at Bari in 1947.