Convoy HX 114 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 114
Departed Halifax on March 11-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 30th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 40 ships in this convoy.
Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegrams and A 1 forms) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Further details have been added with the help of:
"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague
"Axis Submarine Successes of WW II", Jürgen Rohwer
"The World's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan.
† = dead, surv.=survived
The ships are listed in the order in which they appear in the various documents.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Bermuda Section - Sailed March 9 Joined Halifax section at 14:00 March ? - 41 48N 52 18?W
Adellen
British
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
B 41
Avonmouth
–
Bra-Kar
Norwegian
general - airplanes
–
Liverpool
Carelia
British
Tanker W
gas - kerosene
B 51
Manchester
–
Comanchee
"
Tanker B
lube oil
B 21
Manchester
From HX 113
See * in notes
Coulbeg
"
lumber - grain
–
London
Daphnella
"
Tanker W
benzine
B 81
Avonmouth
–
Haakon Hauan
Norwegian
Tanker B
–
Clyde
From HX 113
sailed in HX 116
Hidlefjord
"
Tanker W
gasoline
B 72
Avonmouth
From HX 113
Sunk by aircraft Apr. 1
29 † - 5 surv.
See text for Hidlefjord
Kaia Knudsen
"
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
B 82
Milford Haven for
Devonport
See * in notes
Damaged by aircraft Apr. 1
1 fatally injured
Ref. text for Kaia Knudsen
Inverlee
British
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
B 11
Scapa
–
Lincoln Ellsworth
Norwegian
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
B 12
Reykjavik / Londonderry
See * in notes
Otina
British
Tanker W
gasoline
B 31
Humber
From HX 113
Polar Chief
"
Tanker B
–
Jarrow
From HX 113
President de Vogue
Norwegian
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
B 42
Clyde
–
Prins Willem III
Dutch
bauxite
–
Newport
Sailed in HX 115
San Conrado
British
Tanker W
gasoline
B 71
Milford Haven f. o.
Sunk - see * in notes
0 † - ? surv.
Thalatta
Norwegian
wood - steel - sugar
B 52
London
–
Thorshavet
"
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
B 32
Clyde
See * in notes
Vanja
"
Adm. tanker B
–
Clyde
Velox
"
lumber - general - airplanes
B 61
Liverpool
See * in notes
Finnanger
"
Adm. tanker B
–
Clyde
Also cancelled from HX 115
Joined SC 27
Halifax Section
Torr Head
British
general
91
Belfast
See * in notes
West Wauna
American / MOWT 1940
steel - special - T.N.T.
–
Liverpool
(Renamed Empire Grebe 1941)
To SC 26 - did not sail
to HX 119 - did not sail
Listed in HX 120
Gand
Belgian
steel - scrap
–
Birkenhead
Sailed in HX 115
Cristales
British
general - meat
21
London
–
Tilapa
"
general - meat - 4 Hurricanes
51
Leith, then London
–
Skeldergate
"
grain
22
London
–
Corrales
"
general - meat
31
Liverpool
–
Malaya II
"
general - special
–
Avonmouth
Sailed in HX 115
Lunula
"
Tanker W
gasoline
32
London
–
Colonial
"
general - T.N.T. - bomber
73
Liverpool
Clavella
Dutch
Tanker B
fuel oil
72
Manchester
From HX 110
Empire Mermaid
British
steel - scrap iron
12
Hull
From HX 113
Bombed March 26 - sank March 28
22 †
See * in notes
Lapland
"
lumber - bauxite
62
Manchester
–
Chesapeake
"
Tanker W
81
Avonmouth
From HX 113
Elmdene
"
grain
33
London
From HX 113
Oakworth
"
wheat - lumber - metal
–
Immingham
Sailed in HX 115
Labette
American / MOWT 1941
steel - trucks - special
71
Liverpool
(Renamed Empire Ortolan)
Returned - see * in notes
Nestos
Greek
sulphur
83
Garston
From HX 113
Pentridge Hill
British
wheat
11
London
From HX 113
Barrdale
"
wheat
–
Avonmouth
Pandias
Greek
steel - scrap iron
92
Swansea
From HX 113
See * in notes
Heranger
Norwegian
general - lumber - 5 bombers
52
Belfast / Liverpool
–
Cardita
British
Tanker B
diesel oil
53
Manchester
–
Cerinthus
"
Tanker B
lube oil
61
Manchester
–
Emile Francqui
Belgian
general
13
Leith
–
Ittersum
Dutch
grain
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 115
Royal Emblem
British
steel
93
Grangemouth(?)
–
Sommerstad
Norwegian
Tanker B
–
River Mersey
Sailed in HX 117
Daleby
British
grain
–
Manchester
Nellie
Greek
grain
–
Avonmouth
Also cancelled from HX 115
Sailed in HX 116
Zagloba
Polish
general
63
Manchester
–
Alderpool
British
grain
–
Hull
Joined SC 26 - sunk
Arabian Prince
"
general
–
Belfast / Cardiff
Sailed in HX 115
Harmatris
"
grain
23
Leith
–
Harbledown
"
grain
–
London
Joined SC 26 - sunk
New Texas
"
general
94
Liverpool
–
Roxby
"
grain
42
Manchester
See * in notes
Malakand
"
general - explosives
41
Manchester
–
Inger Lise
Norwegian
lumber
24
Hull
From HX 113
See * in notes
The A 1 form also has some vessels that are not included in the Advance Sailing Telegram, namely:
Anna Knudsen (crossed out from station 42) and Editor (crossed out from station 43) - did not sail. Editor is listed in Convoy SC 26, Anna Knudsen in HX 116.
Also, "Convoy Rescue Ships" by Arnold Hagues says that the Rescue Vessel Toward was with the convoy from March 25 until March 30.
Notes:
Commodore, Vice Admiral F. A. Sommerville was in Tilapa, Vice Commodore was the captain of Collares.
41 ships in convoy (27 from Halifax, 14 from Bermuda, escorted by HMS Worcestershire) - 31 were still present at rendezvous with local escort, March 25.
* San Conrado was bombed and machine gunned Apr. 1 (German aircraft of KG 27) 325° 13 miles from the Smalls. Abandoned on fire - taken in tow, reboarded, bombed again, abandoned. Still on fire 170° 12 miles from Tuskar Rock Apr. 2, sunk.
*
March 11 - Labette returned to Halifax with engine troubles. Listed as sailing in HX 117.
March 19 - 3 ships missing after 2 days of fog and gales March 22 - 3 ships missing after 2 more days of fog. The 6 ships were: Torr Head Reported ahead of convoy Thorshavet Reported proceeding. Sighted S/M Empire Mermaid Sunk 200' ahead Roxby reported to be with SC 25 Comanchee reported to be with SC 25 Kaia Knudsen Rejoined convoy March 24 - Velox and Inger Lise sent to SC 25
March 25 - Lincoln Ellsworth detached to Iceland - sunk Apr. 6 - ref. text for Lincoln Ellsworth.
March 29 - Pandias - steering defects
March 29 - 20:00 Loch Ewe portion with Commodore parted company
Commodore says:
"Maximum speed of convoy was 8 knots instead of 9. Coal and consequently smoke is getting worse." He brags about Lapland's "behaviour" (Captain J. T. Gilroy), saying "quite exceptional and the smallest ship present", and views Tilapa (Captain J. Pengelly?) as an excellent Commodore's ship. Visual and W/T signalling: "Generally above the average."
Commodore's narrative of voyage, and suggestions for improvement of the convoy system:
"Continual heavy easterly gales alternating with fog made it the worst convoy I have yet had but no enemy action. The slow convoy SC 25 should have been 20 miles on my beam, but suddenly appeared right ahead during a fog, sights put HX 114 exactly on HX 114 course. Rodney sighted Gneisenau on the ?th (date illegible, possibly 16th).
Obviously smaller and more balanced convoys would add to their efficiency, but this is a matter of the number of escorts. Abolish all 'so called' confidential books in merchant ships, all are bound to be compromised - especially issue several copies of 'mersigs'(?) to each ship, not confidential (then the ships officers, as well as the enemy, may have a chance of reading it. Enlarge the 'Secret Position' method for routing and destination ports. Each N.C.O. to issue a special letter series, changing with each convoy and with groups of independently routed ships."
Ocean Escort: HMS Chitral, from Halifax to 57?N 25W at 20:45 March 24.
HMS Rodney, March 15 42 55N 49W in vicinty of Halifax (from SC 25?).
HMS Royal Sovereign, March 16 at 18:00 to A.M. March 17
Other Escort: HMS Wanderer, HMS Periwinkle, HMS Arab, HMS Weston (2 days), HMS Vanity, HMS Primrose, HMS? Ayrshire, HMS Montgomery, Colombia, Masturian, HMS Lady Madeleine?
Air Escort: From Halifax to dark March 11 (day of departure). From March 28 and onwards.
Commodore Sommerville has also written the following with regard to signalmen (Convoy OB 281 and HX 114):
"The N.C.S.O. at Liverpool informed me that this would be the last convoy I should have with my usual staff, as by an Admiralty order, all pensioner Yeomen and Telegraphists were being withdrawn from Convoy Staffs, and in future, Staffs would be detailed from a Convoy Signal rating pool as required.
One of the few remaining privileges of Flag Officers is that of keeping one's Staff, and up to now, this has been the case with the volunteer Commodores of Convoy.
Only a Commodore of long service can realize what this means. Of the original Commodore "pools", only a comparative few of us remain, and these have taken from fifteen to twenty convoys each. This means fifteen to twenty ships in each of which the only familiar faces are our Staffs.
As a few senior pensioners only will be released by this scheme, it is put forward that some consideration should be given to the Commodores, especially in view of the many discomforts they go through in the course of their duties.
In addition, it appears wrong to alter a scheme planned before this war on the experience of the last, which has stood the test of eighteen months of war."
More details on all the Norwegian ships mentioned on this page can be found in the alphabetical ship lists of this website - ref. index below.
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 115