FLK KOSMOS II

1931 Built as whaling factory KOSMOS II by Workman Clark, Belfast, N-Irland for Kosmos II A/S, Sandefjord. Kosmos-companies new building with 9 catchers (?) was delivered, but went directly to lay-up status in Mefjorden in Sandefjord. All whale oil storages was still full.
1932 Shifted to port of Sandefjord and the shipyard at Framnæs 12/07. In drydock in the priode of 14/07 to 19/07. Shifted from ship yard to safe place in the port 11/08. Leaving Sandefjord 20/08.
KOSMOS II left Sandefjord for her first trip to the Southern Seas in the season of 1932/33. A joint venture between the A/S Pelagos (Svend Foyn Bruun), Hvalfangerselskapet Antarctic A/S (Anton von der Lippe), Tønsberg and Kosmos (Anders Jahre), known as the Jahre-Group. Kokeriene PELAGOS and ANTARCTIC is laid up this season to use the total quota on the most modern and efficient factory in the catch of season 1932/33.
Whaling manager was Mr. Lars Andersen.
The catchers to follow was KOS I, KOS X, KOS XI, KOS XII, KOS XIII, KOS XIV, KOS XV og KOS XVI,
1933 The KOSMOS II was noted as best the expedition that season. The result ended up at 222.244 barrels of whale oil. Returned to her home port of Sandefjord.
Shifted to Framnæs mek. Værksted 05/07 for her yearly maintenance. In drydock in the periode of 17/07 to 27/07. Shifted from the yard 25/08.
Left Sandefjord 26/08 for the whaling ground in the Southern Seas. The factory ANTARCTIC is still in the bouy, but PELAGOS participated with 8 catchers this season.
Whaling manager for KOSMOS II the season 1933/34 was Mr Lars Andersen. Catcher for the season was KOS X, KOS XI, KOS XII, KOS XIII, KOS XIV, KOS XV and KOS XVI.
1934 The season result for 1933/34 end up as 128.856 barrels of whale oil as a total. Of this 130 barrels of sperm oil.
Arrived Framnæs mek. Værksted for yearly maitenance 15/09. In drydock from 21/09 to 23/09.
The Norwegian government had decided in a resolution that Norwegian expeditions should limit their catch to four months. Season start was set to 01/12-1934.
Left the yard and port of Sandefjord 29/09. Whaling manager for the 1934/35 season was Mr Lars Andersen. Catcher this season was KOS I, KOS X, KOS XI, KOS XII, KOS XIII, KOS XIV, KOS XV og KOS XVI. A total number of 8.
1935 The season 1934/35 was the importance of the whale claw developed by Mr Anton Gjelstad, as was proven on the KOSMOS in the season 1932/33, proved to its fullest! At the beginning of the season the clow on board the KOSMOS II. One of the catchers had to be taken out of the catch a whole week to go to the factory vessel PELAGOS lying 850 nautical miles away, to borrow a spare claw like this factory ship had.
The result of the season 1934/35 was 142.086 barrels of whale oil and 6.174 barrels of sperm oil.
Departure for the whaling ground with Mr Lars Andersen as manager for the 1935/36 season. Whaling catchers was KOS X, KOS XI, KOS XII, KOS XIII, KOS XIV, KOS XV and KOS XVI, and the newbuilt H. J. BULL. The H. J. BULL was special designed to be used as a combination of whale catcher and whale searcher with extra long operating radius.
1936 The result of 1935/36 season 120.006 barrels of whale oil and 924 barrels of sperm oil. Arrived Sandefjord 18/03.
In the month of March it was clear that Mr. Lars Christensen had plans to use two of his factories for whaling at Australian waters during summer season (FRANGO og OLE WEGGER). At the same time Anders Jahre and his Jahre-Group announced their plan to use ANGLO NORSE at the same waters. In addition Jahre treatned to also use the factory KOSMOS II and 10 catchers at the same field, if Mr. Christensen did not reduce his plans to only use of FRANGO. The result was that KOSMOS II was kept back from this fields this summer, and only the smal factory ships was used this summer.
Shifted to the yard for maintenance 04/04. In drydock from 20/05 to 08/06. Shifted from yard 22/06. Returned to yard 14/09 and to drydock the same day. Left the drydock and yard 18/09.
Anders Jahre send an application to the Norwegian Government 17/09 for approval to hired out KOSMOS and KOSMOS II to Germany. The rent should have 4 years duration with a rental sum which was 50% higher than what the conditions for renting of C. A. LARSEN and SKYTTEREN. This is because of more modern materials.
Anders Jahre announces 03/11 that the conditions were not accepted and the case was dropped.
Left for the season 1936/37 with the catcher H. J. BULL, KOS X, KOS XI, KOS XII, KOS XIV, KOS XV og KOS XVI.
The whaling season commenced 08/12-1936. Mr. Lars Andersen was the whaling manager also this season.
1937 Whaling season ended 07/03. The result of season 1936/37 was 119.000 barrels as a total. Whereas 1.900 barrels was sperm oil. KOSMOS II left for Sandefjord via South Georgia on her way ta take some of the cargo from FRATERNITAS. Arrived Sandefjord via Dakar.
In the summertime, she had two trips as oil tanker between Iraq and Le Havre with crude oil.
Shifted to ship yard 07/08 for maintenance. In drydock from 14/08 to 23/08. Left the yard and port 14/09.
Departed Sandefjord heading for the whaling ground 06/10. Called Curacao to store up bunker oil for the season. Arrival Curacao 23/10. From Curacao to Walvis Bay where she arrived 13/11. The catchers had been laid up for maintenance and repair in Walvis Bay during the summer. Catcher for season 1937/39 was KOS VIII, KOS X, KOS XII, KOS XV, KOS XVII, KOS XIX, KOS XX, KOS XXI, KOS XXII and KOS XXIII. A total of 10 catchers. A new whaling manager was employd, Mr. Milliam Kihl. Proceed to the whaling ground 19/11.
One catcher had a propeller damage and had to be towed to South Georgia.
1938 The result of season 1937/38 was 148.320 barrels.
Arrived the ship yard in Sandefjord 04/08. Drydocking from 01/09 to 16/09. Left the port of Sandefjord 05/10.
Again the factory leave Sandefjord to participate in the whaling in the Southern Seas. Whaling manager for the season 1938/39 is Mr Milliam Kihl. The number of catchers this year is reduced to 8. The catcher is KOS VIII, KOS IX, KOS X, KOS XII, KOS XIII, KOS XIV, KOS XXI and KOS XXIII.
1939 The result of season 1938/39 show a decline compared with the previous seasons. Only 66.294 barrels of whale oil were achieve.
Shifting to the ship yard Framnæs mek. Værksted for maintenance 07/08. In drydock from 11/09 to 18/09. Shifted from the yard 28/09. Left Sandefjord 03/10.
Left for the Southern Seas at the autumn. Manager for the season of 1939/40 was Mr. Lars Andersen. Number of catchers is 9. The catcher is KOS VIII, KOS IX, KOS X, KOS XII, KOS XIII, KOS XXI, KOS XXIII, SKUDD 5 and GOS 2.
Additionally the KOS XVI and KOS XIX participated until 29/12.
1940 The result of 1939/40 season was 123.325 barrels of whale oil.
From the whaling ground KOSMOS II proceed to Walvis Bay before the course was set for her home port, Sandefjord. Left Walvis Bay heading for Sandefjord 21/03. Called St. Vincente at the Cape Verde Islands 04/04. At this Point she gets an order to proceed to Portland, USA. The next day she proceed to the island of Teneriffe at the Canary Islands, where she arrived 09/04. Stayed there until 17/04 whereafter she went on to Gibraltar. Arrived Gibraltar 21/04. Continued to her voyage to Portland in Convoy HG28F 26/04. Arrived Portland 05/05. Left Portland for Curacao 26/05, now included in the Nortraship-fleet. Did two trips across the Atlantic Ocean before she was ordered to trade oil between New York and Curacao/Aruba.
Sailed 02/06 from Plymouth and reached Curacao 20/06.
Left Curacao on 21/07 heading for Hampton Roads (Virginia, Norfolk(?)) with arrival 26/07. Left Hampton Roads 27/07 for New York. Leaving New York 06/12 and arrived Aruba 14/12. Left Aruba for New York and back to Aruba again.
1941 Arrived Aruba 03/01 and continue her voyages between US east coast and Curacao/Aruba throughout the year.
1942 Still trading the same area as last year. At the month change January/February German U-123 was on her way home to his base in France after having fired all of her torpedoes against ships on the coast of America. U-123 had an engine failure one of her engines. In the surface position, she was spotted from the KOSMOS II. The former 1. Officer was the master of the ship at the moment, as the Captain Milliam Kihl worked at the office of the Nortraship in New York. The submarine did not pick enough speed to escape on one engine. The KOSMOS II tried to hit the submarine with her bow, but the submarine managed to manoeuver away, and after an hour was the engine repaired so that the submarine got away.
Arrival Hampton Roads on 07/04. Left Hampton Roads 10/04 for Curacao and back to New York where she gets the order for a visit to Glasgow via Halifax. Arrived Clyde 10/07 with return to New York with arrival 25/07.
Despith the agreement with the British not to use the factories crossing the North Atlantic Ocean, again she was sent across the Atlantic to UK. Returned to New York 11/10. On 18/10 she leave for her last trip to UK, leaving from New York.
On her third voyage to UK she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-606 west of Irland 28/10, in Convoy HX212. Captain Milliam Kihl and 33 of his crew was killed.

From the newspapers:
KOSMOS II is lost
         Whaling factory KOSMOS II with it's 25 400 tons one of the largest ships in the merchant navy on her way over the Atlantic to Scottland when at midnight the 28.of October was hit by a torpedo at midship.
         KOSMOS II carrying 150 people onboard, 50 greek passengers and 20 norwegian first officers on their way to education as weapon officers at the training center at Dumbarton.
         After the hit KOSMOS II soon went aflame. A panic took the greek passengers, as they tried to lower the lifeboats by them selves. By help from the spare officers the ships officers get the situation under control. Lifeboats was lowered to sea level. 50 persons, thereof 14 officers, stayed onboard to try to extinguish the fire, and ended successfully. Those in the lifeboat was picked up by the SS BARRWHIN.
         But the submarine did'nt give up as they stroke on new again. At. 05.30 hrs a new torpedo hit the KOSMOS II in the engine room, and this time the ship gave up. It started immediatly to sink, and the remaining people onboard did help themselves as best they could. Another torpedo found it's target, KOSMOS II broke in two and went down. 33 people lost their life.
         It was 60 persons from KOSMOS II onboard the SS BARRWHIN. Either was those in a safe situation. At night time the 29th.of October the SS BARRWHIN was hit by a torpedo and started sinking immediately. Amongst those 24 lost their life in this incident, twelve of them was survivers from KOSMOS II

Fra A-magasinet august 1931:

Det er som det skal være. Norge nr 1 på havet i forhold til landets størrelse og folkemengde! Vårt vakre flagg vaier på alle hav og i alle havner verden over, og norske sjøfolk bærer tradisjonen videre fra seilskibenes storhetstid!

Den norske handelsflåte er kalt landets ryggrad. og med rette. Vår prektige moderne tonnasje er det beste og verdifulleste aktivum vi eier.

For nogen uker siden fikk hvalflåten en ny tilvekst, et kjempekokeri, der som verdens største lastebåt fikk en utførllg og beundrende omtale i den maritime presse. «Kosmos II» av Sandefjord.

Med denne nybygning, søsterskibet til den tidligere «Kosmos I», også en kjemperusk av et kokeri, står fangstflåten idag så godt som på høiden hvad materiell og utrustning angår, tipp topp moderne og produksjonsdyktlg for ethvert behov, ferdig til påny å ta fangsten i Sydishavet op igjen ved næste sesongs begynnelse.

Det er en stolt flåte Norge eier i disse kokerikolosser med deres «stab» av hvalbåter og de har som bekjent bragt verdier for hundreder av millioner til landet. Og deres redere og skibene tusentalllge officerer og mannskaper har ikke bare gjort en enorm og beundringsverdig innsats for norsk næringsliv, men selve fangsten, den eventyrlige virksomhet langt der syd på hvalfeltene under strabasene og de barske værforhold, har kastet glans over norsk foretaksomhet

De veldige kokerlsklb som hvalfangstselskapene i de senere år har anskaffet og som den pelagiske fangst har nødvendiggjort er «noe for sig sjøl» hvad lastesklb angår. Deres uhyre størrelse og enorme kapasitet setter fantasien i sving og lager en viss nimbus omkring denne gren av maritim business.

Det må jo også være dimensjoner på noget som skal ta ombord til flensning på dekket havets giganter hvalene, og skaffe skibsrum til 50 - 70 – 100 - 130.000 fat hvaloljer som bestene «produserer», og som må lagres ombord inntil lasten kan avleveres til kjøpernes tankanlegg i Europa.

Blandt Sandefjords, Tønsbergs og Larviks mange imponerende kokerier. disse Sydishavets «Greyhound», tar «Kosmos»ene «kaka» hvad størrelse og andre egenskaper angår. De er en severdighet for alle, og man må ha sett dem for å danne sig et billede av hvorledes slike lastdragere fortoner sig for øiet. Men billedene vil ihvertfall til en viss grad gi leserne et inntrykk av dimensjonene.

«Kosmos II». som nylig kom til Sandefjord for å gå i opplag høsten og vinteren over etter å være levert fra verftet i Irland, er på 34,000 reg. tonn og er utstyrt med alle teknikkens moderne Innretninger på området Skibet er bygget på det berømte skibsverft Workman Clark limited Belfast, hvor tidligere «Kosmos I» og andre store norske hvalkokerier er gått av stabelen. Dets lengde er 580 fot. bredden 77 fot og dypgående 53 fot. Lugarene og øvrige mannskaprum. som er praktisk og pent utstyrt, gir plass til en besetning som ialt vil telle 350 mann. En hel liten norsk fjordbys innbyggerantall!

Ved stabelavløpningen og på skibets prøvetur vakte det selvsagt almlndellg beundring. Ikke bare på grunn av størrelsen, men også for det udmerkede arbeide verftet hadde nedlagt.

«Sydishavets dronning».

Med sine uhyre dimensjoner, sin kapasitet og sin ombordværende «befolkning» vil «Kosmos II» på de antarktiske hvalfelter sikkert få ærestittelen «Sydishavets dronning», et navn som til fulle er berettiget på et slikt monstrum ar et kokeri som kan laste ca. 130.000 fat hvalolje og foruten frakte store kvanta andre produkter av hvalen. Hertil kommer skibets store last av ferskt vann. fødemidler og depoter av annen art for skibets besetning og hvalbåtenes rekvisita

«Kosmos»-enes disponent er overrettssakfører Anders Jahre, Sandefjord, der sammen med den kjente konsul Lars Christensen og nogen andre hører blandt de store navn i moderne norsk hvalindustri.

Å bygge to slike kjempe båter tyder på optimisme og fremferd for fremtidens hvalfangst, til landets gavn. Alle vil ønske og håpe at de driftige menn som står i spissen for denne industri. når den forhåndenværende depresjon på oljemarkedet er forbi, vil gå frem påny og stadfeste det norske ry i Sydishavet Med slikt materiell og med slikt mannskap ombord vil Norge dominere på hvalfeltene og trosse all konkurranse.

VI er stolte av flåten og dens besetninger; de har slått et ærefullt slag for norsk bedrift og når skibene drar sydover igjen. vil de sikkert fortsette de gamle gode tradisjoner og vinne nye laurbær på Antarktis uendelige «slagmarker».

I 1932 vil «Sydishavets dronning» og dens hoff av drabanter antagelig igjen være A finne på feltene, og da innvarsles en ny epoke l hvalfangstens historie.          Mayfair
Fra avisutklipp oktober 1942:

KOSMOS II går tapt

     Hvalkokeriet KOSMOS II med sine 25 400 tonn et av handelsflåtens største skip befant seg på vei over Atlanteren til Skottland da det litt over midnatt den 28. oktober ble rammet av en torpedo midtskips.
         KOSMOS II hadde 150 mennesker ombord, bl.a. 50 greske passasjerer og 20 norske førstestyrmenn som skulle utdanne seg til væpningsoffiserer ved skyteskolen i Dumbarton.
         Etter fulltrefferen sto KOSMOS II snart i lys lue. Det brøt ut panikk blant de greske passasjerene, som forsøkte å låre livbåtene på egen hand. Godt hjulpet av styrmennene fikk skipets offiserer situasjonen under kontroll. Livbåtene kom på vannet. 50 mann, av dem 14 av styrmennene, ble igjen ombord for å prøve å slukke brannen, og lyktes i dette. Folkene i livbåtene ble plukket opp av SS BARRWHIN.
         Men ubåtene slo til på ny. Kl. 5.30 traff en torpedo KOSMOS II i maskinrommet, og denne gangen var skipet fortapt. Det begynte straks å synke, og folkene måtte berge seg som best de kunne. Nok en torpedo fant sitt mål, Kosmos brakk i to og gikk ned. 33 mennesker mistet livet.
         Det var 60 personer fra KOSMOS II som var blitt tatt ombord i SS BARRWHIN. Heller ikke for disse var prøvelsene over. Om kvelden 29. oktober ble SS BARRWHIN torpedert og sank raskt. Blant de 24 som omkom ved dette forliset, var tolv av de overlevende fra KOSMOS II