MS Belpamela
| Company type | Cargo ship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Founded | February 1928 |
| Founder | Christen Smith (operational management) |
| Defunct | April 11, 1947 |
| Fate | Sank after cargo shifted during a storm |
| Headquarters | Oslo , Norway |
| Products | Heavy-lift cargo transport |
The MS Belpamela was a Norwegian heavy-lift cargo vessel operated by the shipping company Belships. On 11 April 1947, while en route from New York City to Cherbourg, the ship sank near Newfoundland after a storm caused its cargo of 17 steam locomotives to shift.
Description
The Belpamela was designed as a motor cargo ship specialized in heavy lifting, featuring a superstructure occupying approximately two-thirds of the forward section and an engine room positioned aft. It contained two spacious holds with exceptionally large hatch openings. With a carrying capacity near 4,500 tons, the vessel was optimized for transporting exceptionally heavy or oversized items on its deck. Its loading equipment included six 5-ton loading beams, one 30-ton heavy-lift boom, and a 100-ton heavy-lift boom. To facilitate handling and securing bulky and weighty cargo, the ship was outfitted with hatch rails and multiple steam and electric winches on deck. The cargo compartments could be combined by removing a bulkhead to accommodate long cargo units.
Pre-war
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Constructed by Armstrong Whitworth at their High Walker yard in February 1928 as yard number 1028, the Belpamela was the first of two sister ships ordered (the second being the MS Belmoira). Ownership initially rested with Rederiet Belmoira A/S based in Oslo, while operational management was handled by Christen Smith of Oslo. The vessel was engaged globally in transporting heavy lift cargoes such as locomotives and railway vehicles, but also carried lightships, lighters, smaller boats, aircraft, and various industrial equipment including oil platforms. Due to the unique nature of its shipments, its activities were occasionally covered by newspapers, magazines, and newsreels. In October 1935, ownership transferred to Skips A/S Belships Company Limited in Oslo without any change to Christen Smith’s management role. Among notable shipments were locomotives of the China Railways KF series built by Vulcan Foundry transported from Birkenhead to Shanghai—including the preserved KF7—as well as a streamlined Coronation Scot train moved from Southampton to Baltimore in early 1939 for display at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
World War II
In March 1940, the Belpamela received orders to sail alongside the Swedish steamer SS Lagaholm from Baltimore to Malmö. Both vessels were escorted by the Royal Navy trawlers HMT Northern Sky and HMT Northern Princess en route to Kirkwall for contraband inspection. On the morning of March 2, the German submarine U 32 launched three torpedoes at the Belpamela, all of which exploded prematurely without causing damage. Later that day at 7:15 a.m., U 32 intercepted the Lagaholm, forcing its crew to abandon ship before sinking it with gunfire. The survivors were rescued by the Belpamela and transported to Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay. By July 12, 1940, control of the Belpamela had passed to German hands.
On April 2, 1945, fighter-bombers based in Scotland, specifically De Havilland Mosquito aircraft, targeted vessels undergoing repairs at the Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted shipyard in Sandefjord. The attack resulted in the sinking of MV Concordia and SS William Blumer, while ships such as the Belpamela, Hektor, Shios Espana, and Kattegat sustained damage. Following this assault, the Belpamela was towed to Oslo for restoration; however, repair work was hindered until war’s end due to sabotage efforts by Odd Isøy, an operative within the Norwegian resistance.
Post-war
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After World War II concluded, the vessel underwent repairs and resumed its global heavy-lift operations. Among its significant cargo was a substantial shipment for SNCF, which had placed an order for 1,340 Mikado-type 141 R locomotives from manufacturers in both the United States and Canada to replenish wartime losses. In April 1947, during a voyage from New York to Cherbourg, the Belpamela carried seventeen of these locomotives—specifically numbers 141.R.1220 through 141.R.1235 and number 141.R.1241—produced by Montreal Locomotive Works. While crossing the Atlantic near Newfoundland, the ship encountered severe storms that caused the locomotives to shift. This led to the vessel sinking at coordinates 37°44′N, 53°3′W, resulting in nine crew fatalities.