Convoy HGF 23 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HGF 23
Departed Gibraltar at 17:00 BST on March 17-1940 arrived Liverpool on the 26th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 30 ships in this convoy, which agrees with the Commodore's notes.
Notes:
Commodore A. W. Taylor was in Glenshiel, Vice Commodore (name illegible) was in Rancher.
For info, Zamalek was requisitioned for use as rescue vessel that same month (March-1940).
Average speed of convoy: 7.79 knots.
The Commodore says
that station keeping was "on the whole, not good. The suspected presence of a submarine closes up the convoy like a concertina, whilst signals are not too effective".
"B" portion of convoy parted company at 18:00 March 23 in 48 28N 09 06W - names of ships in this portion are not given. However, there's a separate report signed by the Vice Commodore in Rancher saying, "parted company with main body of HGF 23 at 18:00 23/3/40". Some ships mentioned in this report are Ettrickbank, Kheti, British Faith, Lackenby, British Officer, Lech, Fernwood and Evoikos, but there were probably more (possibly 12 - escorted by HMS Winchelsea? Text difficult to decipher).
Mandasor, Nailsea Court (Captain W. Hewitt), and Saltwick were ordered to proceed to Portland at 07:00 March 25 in 49 50N 3 02W.
British Trust was ordered to proceed to Southampton at 10:00 March 25 in 50 01N 2 02W.
Escorts:
French destroyer Panthere, French Minerve, and destoyer HMS Bulldog.
Destroyers HMS Wakeful and HMS Whitehall were local escorts.
Air Escort: From 17:00 March 17 to 10:00 March 18, and from 10:50 March 23 to 18:40 March 25.
British aircraft and flying boat were overhead at various times on March 23, 24 and 25 (Vice Commodore's portion).
To the next HG convoy in my list HG 23