Convoy GUS 45 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
Because of the very nature of the GUS (and UGS) convoys my pages for them will inevitably seem rather messy. But by adding all the information available to me on these convoys, I'm hoping these pages can at least serve as a basis for further research.
The documents available to me only cover events up to July 12; other ships may have joined from (or left at) other ports later on. Please scroll down to the bottom of this page for possible, additional ships.
Commodore B. K. Berry, R.D., R.N.R. was in Samyale, Vice Commodore was the captain of Pierre La Clede.
With regard to his ship, the Commodore says: "Ample accommodation. Compasses good and bridge well equipped. Master and Officers take a keen interest in convoy duties. Engine revolutions exceptionally well controlled".
Average speed: 8.5 knots.
The Commodore states that Empire Gat, Fort Carlton, Fort Lennox, Chateau Latour (Fr) and British Endurance "All left astern of convoy when in ? columns proceeding through Tunisian War Channel (10.7.44) and were not present when broad front was formed at daylight 11th July 1944". Later on he adds that Empire Gat, Chateau Latour, Fort Carlton and Fort Lennox "All kept in company in smooth water but were unable to maintain convoy speed in head wind and rough sea". This is written out from the text saying "Names of all vessels who returned to their Convoy Sailing Port or other port before completing the ocean passage and reasons for such return".
He feels that ALL American Liberty Ships should have their flag hoisting arrangements improved.
Commodore's narrative:
The convoy left Port Said at 14:00 July 4 and was formed into cruising order by 19:20(?). 8 ships from Alexandria joined at 12:00 July 5 and during the forenoon of July 6, the convoy was given an A/A firing practice and exercised at emergency turns. At 06:30B July 8 in position 34 00N 18 45E, a JU 88(?) flew from down the sun and passed ahead of convoy.
U.S. Commodore was in Pan-Rhode Island, U.S. Vice Commodore was in Alexander Graham Bell.
The following 16 ships sailed from Port Said on July 4:
Bound for the U.S.:
Horace Bushnell (Abadan for U.S.)
William Johnson - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, proceeded to Baltimore, voyage from Abadan.
Pierre La Clede - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, voyage from Port Said.
Sønnavind - Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Cochin.
Horatio Allen (Calcutta for U.S.)
George Chamberlain (Abadan for U.S.). - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, voyage from Khorram Shahr.
Ralph Izard - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, voyage from Abadan.
Samyale (Lourenco Marques-Gibraltar f. o.)
Gulf of Mexico (Abadan-Algiers)
James M. Gillis (Abadan-Tripoli/Malta-New York)
For Augusta:
Ocean Gallant (Augusta f. o. - left Augusta for Taranto July 10)
John Dockweiler (Calcutta-Augusta f. o. - listed in GUS 47)
Empire Pear* (Augusta/Naples)
Samoa (Augusta f. o. - left Augusta for Taranto July 10)
Ocean Traveller (Augusta f. o. - left Augusta for Taranto July 10)
* This ship is listed as Empire Pear throughout the document, but I can find no Empire ship by this name and believe it should be Empire Peak. (There was an Empire Pearl, but this ship became the Norwegian Norheim in 1942).
Trevanion - for Bizerta / Palermo (voyage from Calcutta).
Escorts from Port Said:
HMS Pheasant (S.O.), HMS Alisma, HMS Spiraea - Left at 16:00 on July 10 off Bizerta, when relieved by U.S. Escorts.
At 12:00 on July 5 the following 8 joined from Alexandria (31 14N 29 36E):
Bound for the U.S.:
Henry Durant - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, voyage from Alexandria.
William Harper - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, proceeded to Baltimore, voyage from Alexandria.
David G. Burnet (Bizerta-U.S.). Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944.
Fleet Tender 27 - Malta.
Bound for Augusta:
Ocean Vesper (Bari-Augusta f. o. - left Augusta for Taranto July 10)
Malancha (Sydney-Augusta f. o. - listed in Convoy GUS 47)
Sampan (Haifa-Augusta f. o. - left Augusta for Taranto July 10)
Ocean Messenger (Taranto-Augusta f. o. - left Augusta for Taranto July 10)
Escort from Alexandria:
HMS Saxifrage - left at 16:00 on July 10 off Bizerta, when U.S. Escorts joined.
The following 9 detached for Augusta at 06:35 July 9 (36 20N 15 35E):
Ocean Gallant, Samoa, Sampan, Ocean Traveller, Empire Peak? (see note above - bound for Naples), John Dockweiler, Ocean Messenger, Malancha. Ocean Vesper is not mentioned in this group, but I assume she too detached for Augusta, making the total 9.
(As already mentioned, Ocean Gallant, Samoa, Sampan, Ocean Traveller, Ocean Vesper and Ocean Messenger left Augusta again for Taranto on July 10, while Malanca left for Bari that same day. John Dockweiler and Empire Peak left for Naples on July 11).
Just for info, these ships also arrived Augusta that day (but are not listed as being in this convoy):
Berkel (from Catania), Meline (from Taranto, left Augusta same day), Fort Meductic (left Augusta same day), Empire Lionel (both from Bari - the latter left Augusta that same day, later joined GUS 47), Empire Moonrise (from Brindisi).
then at 08:00 that day, these 22 ships joined from Augusta (36 22N 15 15E):
Bound for the U.S.:
Pan-Rhode Island - U.S. Commodore. Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Bari.
Alexander Graham Bell - U.S. Vice Commodore. Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, voyage from Naples.
Thamesfield - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, proceeded to Baltimore, voyage from Taranto.
John Armstrong - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, voyage from Naples.
British Tradition - Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Naples.
Solør (guessing this was Solør, the name is given as Solar in the convoy doucment). Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, proceeded to Baltimore, voyage from Taranto.
British Character - Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Civitavecchia.
Malvina - Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Naples.
British Endurance - (May have been bound for Bizerta only? Listed as joining Convoy GUS 47 from Bizerta on July 31)
Bound for Oran:
George B. McClelland
Joshua Seney
Benjamin Goodhue - with 180 POW's
Francis L. Lee
Chateau Latour
Robert Treat Paine
Dwight W. Morrow (Oran f. o.)
Andrew Hamilton (Oran f. o.)
Sherwood Anderson (Oran f. o.)
Fort Carlton and Fort Lennox - both for Algiers
Fort George and Athelchief - both for Casablanca (their final destination appears to have been the U.S. - see next convoy).
and another 12 joined at 14:00 that same day (36 31N 14 20E), also from Augusta:
Bound for the U.S.:
British Patience - Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Taranto.
Paul H. Harwood - Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Bari.
Pierre L'Enfant - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, voyage from Bari.
Empire Grenadier - Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Bari.
Bound for Oran:
Will R. Wood - voyage from Brindisi (name is given as Willir Wood in the convoy document)
Ezra Cornell - voyage from Bari.
Elias Boudinot - voyage from Brindisi.
Theodoric Bland - voyage from Bari.
George P. McKay - voyage from Bari
Bernard N. Baker - voyage from Brindisi
Joseph H. Hollister - voyage from Brindisi
Egbert Benson
In addition to the ships listed above, the following also left Augusta on July 9 (but are not listed in the convoy document): Fort Dease Lake (for Casablanca/U.S.), Egret, Chloris, Kwai Sang (all for Bizerta/Bone).
These are said to have left Augusta on July 10: Kola (for Bari), Corcrest, Lublin (both for Taranto), Empire Copperfield, Stephen A. Douglas, Fort Dauphin, Berkel (all for Brindisi), Clausina, Empire Candida, Joseph Alston (all for Bari), Gudrun (for Barletta, Norwegian one?).
Also, Fort Bourbon left Augusta for Naples on July 11.
1 ship joined from Malta at 14:00 on July 9 (36 30N 14 22E):
Empire Gat - for Oran (later straggled in Tunisian War Channel at 12:00 on July 10)
while 2 detached at the same time:
Fleet Tender 15 (not mentioned anywhere else as being in convoy - should this be Fleet Tender 27?) and James M. Gillis (for Tripoli).
These 6 ships joined from Bizerta at 16:00 on July 10 (37 21N 09 55E):
Bound for the U.S.:
Van Lear Black - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, proceeded to Baltimore, voyage from Palermo.
Darien (name is given as Daren in the convoy document). Arrived New York on July 29-1944, voyage from Bizerta.
Atenas - Arrived Cape Henry on July 29-1944, proceeded to New York, voyage from Palermo.
Cossatot - note that this ship is also listed in Convoy UGS 45 from Hampton Roads, said to have parted company with that convoy at Bizerta. There was a USS Cossatot (AO 77), not sure if that was the vessel in question(?).
Fort Kootenay and Orpheus - both for Algiers
and at the same time, Trevanion left the convoy. Departed Bizerta the following day for Palermo.
Escorts from Bizerta:
USS Taney (S.O.), Barton, Campbell, Chase, Laning, Burrows (and other unknown), continued with convoy for the U.S. off Algiers at 07:00 July 12.
Some of these vessels had previously escorted Convoy UGS 45.
1 ship joined from Bone at 04:15 July 11 (37 20N 07 49E):
Empire Damsel - for Algiers.
At 07:00 on July 12 the following 5 ships detached at Algiers (36 53N 03 05E):
Fort Carlton, Fort Lennox (stragglers), Fort Kootenay, Gulf of Mexico and Empire Damsel.
66 ships had joined, 17 had left - 49 now remained.
Empire Garrick left Algiers on July 12-1944 for Hampton Roads, but not sure whether she was in this convoy(?).
Other ships arriving Cape Henry on July 29-1944, and may have been in this convoy:
Newton D. Baker and Harvey C. Miller (both from Oran), and Alexander Lillington (from Casablanca).
Neretina arrived New York from Casablanca that same day, as did Haakon Hauan, while Trondheim arrived from Naples (see also GUS 44).
Related external links:
Chronological list of GU convoys (with the returning UG convoys).
Liberty Ships - Alphabetical list.
List of Liberty Ships by Hull No. - Includes info on the men for whom the ships were named (from Wikipedia).
Empire Ships - Also has a listing of the "Sam"-ships, ex Liberty Ships that came under the British flag (and other Liberty ships).