Convoy HG 2 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY HG 2 Departed Gibraltar on Oct. 5-1939, arrived England on the 13th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" agrees with 13 ships in this convoy.

Received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. Commodore's notes and A 1 form are not available to me and, therefore, station numbers and escorts are not known. For info, there was also a Convoy HG 2F (Fast), leaving Gibraltar on the same date with 2 ships, arriving Oct. 9.
Ship Nationality Destination
Thalia Greek Middlesbrough
Medjerda British (French?) Grangemouth
Marsa British Ardrossan
Warfield " London
Palacio " London
Etrib " Liverpool
James J. Maguire " London
Cyprian Prince " Manchester
Montcalm " Liverpool
Doryssa " Avonmouth
Bishopdale " Portsmouth
Palermo " London
Belgravian " Liverpool

Notes:
Commodore was in Montcalm (in ballast - the other ships were heavily laden). She "suffered a great reduction in speed when altering course more than 20 degrees. Being used to steaming at 14 knots her revolutions varied greatly at slow speed. As a result stationkeeping was very difficult and the Convoy formation was ragged".

Convoy speed: About 8.5 knots.
Average speed made good from Europa Point to rendezvous with local escort: 7.8 knots.

Thalia had difficulty keeping up, and the Commodore was often forced to reduce the speed of the convoy to enable her to catch up (though her peed had been given as 9 knots).

Medjerda was given permission at 24:00 on Oct. 8 to part company and heave to in 40 40N 14 00W. She rejoined (Convoy HG 2A) at 11:00 on Oct. 12, when 70 miles south of Scilly Isles.

Escorts:
HMS Alaunia, HMS Intrepid (these are the only 2 known to me).

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To the next HG convoy in my list HG 3

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