An item reported that the Venezuelan oil export was to be reduced about 40% due to conveying shallow-draught tankers to Aruba and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. MR0423. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 76 dated 24 February 1942
In a letter dated 13 April 1942 No. 1329 to the O.K.M./1 Abteilung Skl. was the so-called ‘Etappen’-organisation of the navy described. In the attachment were the blockade runners decribed used for this purpose. Motor tanker Nordmeer. Loaded with 7,000 ton heating oil. Left Curacao in December 1940. Arrived at Vigo, Spain on 5 January 1941. Seized by the German navy, not allowed and released.
Source
Bundesarchive RM 7-223.
Exhibition Varen voor Vrijheid. Museum Katwijk
Laid down as Prins Maurit, renamed for launching. Launched by Maatschappij voor Scheeps- en Werktuigbouw Fijenoord N.V., Rotterdam, Netherlands with yard number 283 on 3 October 1918, delivered to manager Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot-Maatschappij N.V., owner N.V. Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst, both at Amsterdam, Netherlands on 21 October 1919. Torpedoed while underway with passengers in ballast from Curacao towards New Orleans, USA by German submarine in the Caribbean on 10 June 1942.
An item reported that the British 8.010 tons tanker ss San Calisto in ballast strike a German mine and sunk off the Tongue light vessel as part of a convoy underway from Hull, England to Curacao, Dutch West Indies. Of her crew of 43 mn were 2 killed, 5 missing and 9 wounded.(1)
Note
1. Wreck dispersed with explosives. Sunk on 2 December.
Sources
The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England CAB-66-4-1 Weekly Résumé (No. 14) of the naval, military and air situation from 12 noon 30 November to 12 noon 7 December 1939.
Lloyd’s Register 1939-1940.
Netherlands-flagged, IMO 9371581, MMSI 246309000 and call sign PBSA. Owner/manager Jumbo Shipping, Schiedam, Netherlands. Built by Damen Shipyard Gorinchem, Gorinchem, Netherlands in 2009. Curacao-flagged, homeport Willemstad in 2009 and in 2019.
Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 3-11-2025
Cyprus-flagged, homeport Limassol, IMO 9195755, MMSI 210090000 and call sign 5BPY5. Owner/manager Forsa Juru Agentura Uab, Klaipeda, Lithuania. Built by Damen Shipyard Bergum, Bergum, Netherlands in 2001. Curacao-flagged 2003-2004, Antigua&Barbuda-flagged 2004-2007 and John Friedrick K. Netherlands-flagged 2007-2020.
An item reported the arrival on Saturday the 17th April of the Dutch schooner Zr.Ms. De Vos lieutenant 1st class J. de Haan coming from Surinam.(1)
Note
1. Laid down at navy yard at Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1843, launched on 29 July 1844, stricken and broken up in 1852-1853, displacement 27,00 x 8,30 x 3,20 metres, a displacement of 198 tons and an armament of 3 guns.
Curacao-flagged, homeport Willemstad, IMO 8902967, MMSI 306008000, callsign PJVQ. Ex-Marble renamed April 2008. Built by Brodosplit-brodogradiliste D.o.o., Split, Croatia in 1992. Owner Triumph BV, manager Boskalis Offshore Heavy Marine Transport B.V., Papendrecht, Netherlands. Malta-flagged 2017-2018.Built in 1992 as a tanker for for Marble Shipping Co. Ltd., Nassau, Bahamas, managed by UCB Shipping, Stockholm, Sweden, sold to Drusberg Shipping Ltd., Nassau, Bahamas in 1992, managed by Wallem Shipmanagement Ltd., sold to Gritti Tankers Inc. Nassau, Bahamas 1996, managed by Wallem Shipmanagement Ltd., sold to Gimbal LCC, Nassau, Bahamas 1999, managed by Wallem Shipmanagement Ltd., sold to Quadrant marine Inc., Nassau, Bahamas 2004, managed by Frontline Management AS, at the Cosco Guangdong Shipyard started the building of a new midship section, arrived at this shipyard for conversion into a semi submersible heavy cargo ship on 18 April 2008, sold to Marble B.V., 2008, since 28 April homeport Willemstad, Curacao and Netherlands Antilles-flagged, managed by Anglo Eastern Shipmanagement Ltd. on behalf of Dockwise Ltd., renamed Triumph 5 May, delivered 16 December. Shipspotting report earlier owned and managed by Anglo Eastern Shipmanagement Hong Kong, China.
Netherlands-flagged, IMO 8814665, MMSI 246857000 and call sign PDVB. Laid down by Hellesoy Verft, Løfallstrand, Norway on 01 July 1988, launched on 24 November 1989 and completed on 17 March 1990.As Atlantsfarid Faeroe Islands-flagged, homeport Midvagur, call sign XPXN. Curacao-flagged between 2018-2020, Iceland-flagged 2007 and Norway-flagged 2007=2009 and since Faroe Islands-flagged.
Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 1 June 2025
Curacao-flagged, homeport Willmestad, IMO 8617938, MMSI 306129000 and call sign PJCU. Built by Brodosplit brodogradiliste D.o.o., Split, Yugoslavia in 1990. Owner Target B.V., manager Boskalis Offshore Heavy Marine Transport B.V., both of Papendrecht, Netherlands.
Scheveningen, Netherlands 12 April 2025
Netherlands-flagged, IMO 8814665, MMSI 246857000, NLD199072038 and call sign PVDB. In September 2020 reflagged at that moment Curacao-flagged with pennant CUR-135? As Atlantsfarid, Faroe Islands-flagged, homeport Midvagur, call sign XPXN, manager/owner Northwest Pelagic, Midvagur, Faeroe Islands. Built by Hellesoy Verft, Lofallstrand, Norway in 1990. Ex-Sveinn Benediktson renamed January 2000, Gudmundur Olafur renamed March 2007, Birtingur renamed July 2009, Magnarson renamed November 2009, Atlansfarid renamed 2016, Nordhavid renamed 2020.
In his letter dated Lisbon dated 26 October 1942 No. 1930 to the Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine wrote the German Marineattaché Portugal that he was informed that the Portuguese navy commissioned the tanker San Bras built in the Arsenal of Alfeite. She was crewed by Portuguese naval personnel: 1 commanding officer, 4 officers, 12 petty officers and 24 sailors. Her first voyage would be the harbours of Curacao and Aruba. Dimensions 102,50 (between perpendiculars) x 15,50 (maximum) x 6,68 (depth below deck) x 5,50 (loaded) meteres and laoded displacement 7,000 tons. Diesel propulsion without compressor, 2,700ihp/2,500 bhp, maximum speed 12 knots and range 12 knots/12,000 nautical miles.
Source
Bundesarchiv. German Marineattaché Portugal. RM 11-18
An item referred to OPNAV reporting that around noon 19 December an aircraft sighted an unknown submarine 100 miles southeast of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 11 dated 21 December 1941.
An item referred to M/A Caracas reporting that Venezuelan army and navy officers were deep concerned about the vulnerability of Aruba and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. The J.I.C. commented that this was caused by the great volume of ship movements in Venezuelan waters passing via Aruba and Curacao. Aruba was a real target due her large oil refineries and lacking guarded sea and air approaches. A passing submarine could set all on fire with just an incendiary shells or torpeding the principal power plant standing on deep water.(1)
Note
1. On 16 February 1942 was Aruba attacked by a German submarine U-165 and several ships like the Oranjestad torpedoed and sunk and at Curacao the tanker Rafaela by the U-67
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 9 dated 19 December 1941.
An item reported that the enemy submarine activities in the Caribbean stopped except for one. A submarine was seen south-west of Curacao shelling a school of fish. The J.I.C. commented that this was probably an Italian submarine. The sighting of a submarine near Aruba (Summary No. 177) was probably an error.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 118 dated 7 April 1942
An item reported that the strike of the Chinese crews on the fleet of lake tankers operating out of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela was solved by granting all their demands. The expectation was the crude oil transport to the Curacao refinery immediately would be resumed. The harbour on Curacao was closed with submarine nets which could be reopened.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 116 dated 5 April 1942.
An item reported that before daylight on 19 April an enemy submarine fired 5 shots at oil tanks of Bullen Bay, Curacao although without succes. The shore batteries returned one round.
Source
Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 131 dated 20 April 1942
Liberia-flagged, homeport Monrovia, IMO 9045168, MMSI 306139000 and call sign A8OE3. Other sources Panama-flagged, MMSI 352002311 and call sign 3E3523 or Curacao-flagged, MMSI 306139000. Ex-Amber Rose renamed November 1996 and Lake Phoenix renamed March 2023. Launched by Shin Kochi Jyuko, Kochi, Japan on 3 July 1992 and completed on 1 December 1992. Owner/manager Triton Schiffahrt, Leer, Germany?
According to the list and supplements 1-2 on 13 September 1945 BDZ No. 673 sent by the office of armament the Royal Netherlands Navy located at 41 East 42nd Street, New York 17, USA. There were no complete records available, so there were several sources used to compile the list. Sometimes the kind of guns gave indirect information regarding the origin such as 4”/BL and 12 pounder guns were British mostly supplied in the United Kingdom, Canada or Curacao. The 4.7” guns were old Japanese guns placed on some vessels in the begin of the war at Singapore and some 4” guns in the same period at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies. The trade in which the ship was used gave also an indication were the guns were supplied, for example involved in the Pacific trade means supplied at the West Coast.
Armed with 2-2cm guns supplied at Curacao in October 1943
Armed with 1-7,62cm/3” 50 Mk.3 gun
Launched with yard number 410 by Machinefabriek en Scheepswerf van P. Smit Jr N.V., Rotterdam, Netherlands on 30 April 1930, delivered on 15 September 1929 to the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot-Maatschappij N.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands and in November 1958 towed to Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands to be broken up.
Gross tonnage 3,989 tons, net tonnage 2,312 tons, deadweight 3,905 tons, grain capacity 153,380 cubic feet, bale capacity 140,1901 cubic feet and as dimensions 95.78 (between perpendiculars)-99.97 (over all) x 14.39 x 8.36 (depth) metres.
Source
Archieven van hoofd handelsbescherming en diverse handelsbeschermingsofficieren 1941-1946 inv.no. 53 (Nationaal Archief, The Hague, Netherlands.
Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 2 August 2023
Curacao-flagged, homeport Willemstad, IMO 8617938, MMSI 306129000 and call sign PJCU. Laid down by Brodogradiliste Split, Split, Croatia with yard number 361 on 14 January 1989, launched on 29 July 1989, delivered in February 1990 as the tanker Jahre Target, owner Park Venture Co., Sandefjord, Norway, renamed Nord-Jahe Target on 1 April 1993, renamed Cryde Target on 14 December 2000, owner Ydrias Maritime Corporation, Liberia-flagged, homeport Monrovia, renamed Genmar Centaur on 17 March 2003, owner GMR Centaur LLC, Greece, Greece-flagged, renamed Front Target in 2004, owner Front Target Inc., Marshall Islands-flagged, homeport Majuro, renamed Target in 2007, owner Target B.V., manager Anglo Eastern UK Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, Netherlands Antilles-flagged, homeport Willemstad, call sign PJLL, since 22 December 2017 Malta-flagged, homeport Valletta, call sign 9HA4710, since 18 October 2018 Curacao-flagged, homeport Willemstad. Rebuilt into heavy lift cargo vessel in February 2007. Part of fleet of Boskalis subsidiary Dockwise.
