Convoy BHX 109 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY BHX 109 (Bermuda section). Main portion, HX 109 from Halifax, will be added - please go to A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all HX convoys. See also HX escorts.
Notes:
It's possible to determine the names of 4 ships sailing in the Halifax section, for the simple reason that they were sunk. They were the British Holmelea, sunk by U-47 on Febr. 28, Cadillac, sunk by U-552 on March 1, and Pacific, sunk by U-95 on March 2, as well as the Norwegian Augvald, sunk by U-147 on March 2 - ref. external links below. The loss of Augvald is discussed on my page about this ship.
BHX 109 left Bermuda at 10:00 on Febr. 11-1941 (Prins Maurits was to sail from St. Georges Harbour at 10:00), and had formed up by 12:30 that day. All the ships were still with the convoy on Febr. 14, but the weather was bad with strong winds and low visibility and the next morning Prins Maurits was no longer in sight (since 04:00 that morning). At 05:45 that morning (Febr. 15) a signal was received from HX 109 that it was 10 hours late, so speed was reduced to 5 knots.
At daybreak on Febr. 16 only 8 ships were in sight, but that afternoon Prins Maurits rejoined the convoy.
The 9 ships from the Bermuda section were handed over to HMS Ausonia at 16:00 on Febr. 17. The following ships were missing:
Duke of Sparta, Coimbra, Corbis, Vivi and Hjelmaren, reason not known.
Escort, Bermuda portion: HMCS Prince David (also acting as Commodore, Commander W. B. Armit, R.C.N.R.).
Escort for combined convoy: HMS Ausonia.
For info, the Rescue Vessel Copeland sailed with Convoy HX 109. She was on her 2nd voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Febr. 20-1941 with Convoy OB 289, until dispersed on Febr. 24, then returned to Clyde with Convoy HX 109 Febr. 26-March 4. (Her first voyage had been with Convoy OB 280 and SC 20).
Bermuda section only (BHX 110) is available for HX 110