The AHRENSBURG story

        The Ahrensburg (2988 grt/1714 nrt) was originally built as the Norwegian refrigerator ship Prinsdale, launched on 23 March 1939 by Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, yard number 647 for A/S Ringdal (Moltzau & Christensen), Oslo. In April the ship was acquired by the German Harald Schuldt, Hamburg and delivered on 6 June 1939 under her new name Ahrensburg. On 10 July the company was redesignated to Fruchtreederei Harald Schuldt & Co., Hamburg. The ship was driven by a 10-cyl. Burmeister & Wain diesel engine with 3400 H.P., service speed 15 kn.   On 31 Aug 1939, coming from Santos, she arrived at Hamburg, and on 25 Sept Ahrensburg was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine for the use as a target ship for U-boat training flotillas. In April 1940 the Ahrensburg took part in Operation Weserübung, the occupation of Denmark and Norway, transporting troops and war stores to Oslo and Larvik. On 23 April 1940 the vessel was attacked by the British submarine HMS Tetrarch about 70 nautical miles south of The Naze with 2 torpedoes, whilst being escorted by 7 torpedo boats and minesweepers resp. The torpedoes missed however and HMS Tetrarch was attacked with depth charges, without result.
  Later in 1940 Ahrensburg was attached to the 27th, 25th, 24th and 23rd U-Boat flotillas in the Baltic Sea and Norway. The photograph was presumably taken after that date, since the ship is already equipped with strong searchlights on the foremast and aft of the funnel. First at Wesermünde, then transferred to Gdynia on 9 May 1940, then to Memel in 1943. Transferred to Norway on 21 May 1944, to Danzig on 1 Oct. that same year.
  On 15 Jan 1945 Ahrensburg sustained heavy damages in a grounding off Kristiansand and she was towed into port, where the ship laid still under repair when the war ended on May 9th.
  On 25 Sept 1945 at Marviken delivered to Norway for Den Norske Stat Sjöfarts Direktoratet (Kornelius Olsen, Stavanger) as Asnes and again used as refrigerator ship. In 1946 sold to A/S Thor Dahl, Sandefjord, renamed Thornes. Ship was generally overhauled at Oskarshamn since 25 Jan 1946.
  In Febr 1947 bought by A/S Titchfield (Alf Torgersen), Oslo, renamed Mona Lisa. In 1956 sold to Italy to Soc. Siciliana Servicio Marittima, Palermo and renamed Somalia. In 1965 she was bought by the Great Pacific Nav. Co. Ltd., Keelung under its new name Cheng Chang. Once again, in 1966, changed name to Cheng Thai, when sold to Chung Lien Navigation Co. SA, Panama.
In Nov 1968 the vessel was sold to Taiwan for breaking up after nearly 30 years of service under various owners and with different purposes. Scrapping was finished in Febr 1969.

 

Kilde : Kornelius Olsen face book side.