Built as an iron hulled passenger- cargo vessel under yard No 127 by Akers Mek. Verksted, Christiania (Oslo) for Vesteraalsens D/S, (managed by J.D.Hals), Stokmarknes, Norway.
Launched as VESTERAALEN.
Tonnage 613 gross, 465 net, dim. 50.53 x 8.26 x 3.99m.
Powered by one triple expansion steam engine 78nhp., speed 10.5 knots.
Accommodation for 40 passengers.
January 1891 delivered.
First used in the Bergen to Vesteraalen service until 1893.
When the Norway Government decided to make the more remote parts of the country more accessible, and after lengthy negotiations an agreement was reached by Vesteraalens D/S. and the government to open a weekly service between Trondheim and Hammerfest by the VESTERAALEN.
02 July 1893 she sailed for the first time in this service from Trondheim, calling at 11 ports before arriving on 05 July at Hammerfest.
19 December 1913 she grounded and sank at the Valdersund, later refloated and rebuilt by Akers Mek. Verksted, Oslo.
Tonnage then 682 gross, 389 net. Accommodation for 200 passengers.
She was kept in this service till 1932.
Summer 1914 again in service.
1932 replaced by the LOFOTEN, and the VESTERAALEN was used in a weekly summer tourist route from Trondheim to Narvik and the North Cape.
From 1934 used in an express service from Trondheim to Honningsvaag in the summer months, and during the winter a relief vessel on the Express Service.
While on a northbound voyage to Trondheim the German forces invaded Norway in May 1940, and the VESTERAALEN was laid up at Trondheim.
After the occupation of Norway by the German forces, the services along the coast were resumed.
After losing some ships to the war in September 1941 after Russian was invaded, the Express Service northern terminal was made in Tromsø, while the VESTERAALEN providing a connecting service from there to Hammerfest.
But already on 17 October 1941 under command Of Capt. Aksel O. Hernes with on board
65 persons under which the crew the VESTERAALEN was torpedoed by the Russian submarine SHCH-402 in a position off Nuvsvåg (70 20N 22 30E) early in the morning. She sank in less than a minute, with the loss of 38 passengers and 21 crew, only six survivors were rescued.
(Some sources give that HMS TIGRES torpedoed her but this is not correct.)
Source: Marine News 1979/433,434.
http://www.warsailors.com/homefleet/shipsv.html
Watercraft Philately 2008/18.
