Bill Forster
28th September 2008, 18:59
My father left EAGLE OIL in December 1929 three months after the Wall Street crash (sounds familiar?) and the only job he could get was as an engineer on a 250 ton Antarctic whaler.
From photographs in the family album I have identified the whale catcher as SKUDD (one of five, SKUDD 1 - 5) and the factory ship as SKYTTEREN (ex SUEVIC). They were owned by Hvalfangerisk Skytteren A/S (managed by Hvistendahl, Sörle & Co.), a company set up by a group of Tonsberg harpoon gunners, hence her name Skytteren, ‘The Gunner’. Skudd, is Norwegian for ‘gunshot’.
Can anybody provide more information about the Tonsberg gunners, their company and their ships?
And can anybody tell me whether it was normal for factory ships to operate within the Antarctic ice pack, see attached photograph of Skytteren with “Our first view of the factory ship 20 miles inside the ice pack” written on the reverse.
Lloyds Casualty Reports have the following entry for SKYTERREN in 1930:
"Oslo Feb 20: Oil refinery Skytteren, owing to boiler damage, has had to suspend operations and she left for Table Bay yesterday for repairs. It is not know whether she will return to the whaling ground after repairing or come home. – “Norges Handels og Sjofartstidande”.
Cape Town, Mar. 3: Norwegian steamer Skytteren arrived with plain and stay boiler tubes of all boilers badly defective. Surveyors recommend temporary repairs, vessel to proceed home for permanent repairs.
Frederilsstad April 7: Norwegian oil refinery Skytteren arrived here with leaky tanks. Maritime declaration will be held tomorrow. Understand bulk cargo and hull insured London. Am communicating with leading Norwegian Underwriters Tonsbergsjoe."
Could SKYTTEREN have been trapped within the ice pack by engine failure?
Or would it have been normal for it to operate within the ice pack?
Bill Forster
From photographs in the family album I have identified the whale catcher as SKUDD (one of five, SKUDD 1 - 5) and the factory ship as SKYTTEREN (ex SUEVIC). They were owned by Hvalfangerisk Skytteren A/S (managed by Hvistendahl, Sörle & Co.), a company set up by a group of Tonsberg harpoon gunners, hence her name Skytteren, ‘The Gunner’. Skudd, is Norwegian for ‘gunshot’.
Can anybody provide more information about the Tonsberg gunners, their company and their ships?
And can anybody tell me whether it was normal for factory ships to operate within the Antarctic ice pack, see attached photograph of Skytteren with “Our first view of the factory ship 20 miles inside the ice pack” written on the reverse.
Lloyds Casualty Reports have the following entry for SKYTERREN in 1930:
"Oslo Feb 20: Oil refinery Skytteren, owing to boiler damage, has had to suspend operations and she left for Table Bay yesterday for repairs. It is not know whether she will return to the whaling ground after repairing or come home. – “Norges Handels og Sjofartstidande”.
Cape Town, Mar. 3: Norwegian steamer Skytteren arrived with plain and stay boiler tubes of all boilers badly defective. Surveyors recommend temporary repairs, vessel to proceed home for permanent repairs.
Frederilsstad April 7: Norwegian oil refinery Skytteren arrived here with leaky tanks. Maritime declaration will be held tomorrow. Understand bulk cargo and hull insured London. Am communicating with leading Norwegian Underwriters Tonsbergsjoe."
Could SKYTTEREN have been trapped within the ice pack by engine failure?
Or would it have been normal for it to operate within the ice pack?
Bill Forster