Convoy HX 172 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy HX 172 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Jan. 26-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 7 (Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 53 ships).

Initially transcribed from a list received from Ted Agar (His source: A diary).

Cargoes have been extracted from a document received from D. Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database - see his listing for HX 172 at Ships in all HX convoys.

The British Clan Colquhoun is also included in the list of ships going out, but she had no pendant up. According to A. Hague, she sailed in station 21, refrig. and general, 298 mails.
Additionally, I've been told (by Mike Holdoway) that Port Hunter also took part - this according to her own movement card. A. Hague has her in station 81, refrig. and general.

The stations given here are based on pendants the ships were flying upon departure Halifax - they may have moved to other stations as the voyage progressed.

Underlined ships returned to port, except those that are linked (which will automatically be underlined) - Heina, however, did return.

Br=British, Pan=Panamanian, Am=American, Can=Canadian, Ice=Icelandic, Du=Dutch, Norw=Norwegian, Yug=Yugoslavian.
expl.=explosives.

11
Barrister
dates
(Br)
See note at ext. link

31
City of Marseilles
general - 18 mails
128 passengers
(Br)

41
Hektoria
fuel oil
(Br)

51
Trojan Star
refrig. - general
205 mails - 1 passenger
(Br)

61
Manchester Merchant
general - expl
(Br)

71
Manchester Citizen
general
(Br)

91
Port Dunedin
refrig. - general
50 mails - 10 passengers
(Br)

101
Rangitiki
refrig. - general
105 mail - 278 passengers
(Br)

111
Kafiristan
grain
CAM ship
(Br)

12
Maaskerk
sugar
(Du)

22
Dromus
petrol
(Br)

42
Heina*
general
(Norw)

52
Clausina
lub. oil
(Br)

62*
Strategist
general - expl
(Br)

unnamed Br.
freighter

72
Delane
general
(Br)

82
San Gaspar
fuel oil
(Br)

92
San Demetrio
petrol
(Br)

102
Athelempress
fuel oil
(Br)

112
Pacific Grove
general - 2084 mails
2 passengers
(Br)

13
City of Lyons
general
2 passengers
(Br)

23
British Chivalry
FFO
(Br)

33
Athelprince
molasses
(Br)

43
Kollskegg
fuel oil
(Norw)

53
British Power
av. gas
(Br)

63
City of Glasgow
refrig. - general
2251 mails
(Br)

73
Dolabella
petrol
(Br)

83
Solfonn
gasoil
(Norw)

93
British Harmony
av. gas
(Br)

103
Athelchief
petrol
(Br)

113
Pandorian
general
(Br)

14
Graiglas*
linseed
(Br)

24*
Imperial Transport
dieso
(Br)

Ozark*
general
(Am)

34
Capulin
general
(Pa)

44
Sicilian Prince
general
(Br)

54
Curacao
general
(Du)

64
British Integrity
benzine
(Br)

74
Teucer
general - 220 mails
77 passengers
(Br)

84
Mirza
dieso
(Du)

94
Havkong
gas oil
(Norw)

104
Norvik
fuel oil
(Pa)

114
Indian Prince
general
(Br)

15
Marija Petrinovic
general
(Yug)

35
Hamlet
FFO
(Norw)

75
Høegh Scout
petrol
(Norw)

85
Donacilla
petrol
(Br)

95
Inverarder
FFO
(Br)

105
Fluor Spar
general
(Am)

115
Vermont
general
(Am)

16x
Belleisle
(Can)

26
Empire Tide
grain
CAM ship
(Br)

36x
Fort Amherst
(Br)

46
Godafoss
general
(Ice)

106

116

Comparing the above with A. Hague's listing for HX 172 at Ships in all HX convoys, we find that he has also included the following in this convoy (in addition to Clan Colquhoun and Port Hunter, already mentioned further up on this page):
Russian Belomorcanal - petrol, station 55 (this ship is listed as cancelled from Convoy SC 66)
British Corinaldo - refrig, station 86
Dutch Meerkerk - general, station 76

He has Godafoss in station 45, adding she was detached for Iceland, Febr. 4, as was the Norwegian Hamlet.
Ozark is listed in station 25.

x A. Hague does not mention Belleisle and Fort Amherst in this convoy. These 2 ships may have left Halifax that day for other reasons than to join HX 172.

Notes: *Strategist and an unnamed British freighter, and Imperial Transport and Ozark have been given the same station numbers.

* The Norwegian Heina is listed among the ships leaving Halifax with this convoy, but this ship returned to port - see my page about Heina. When she was sunk in Febr.-1942 she was in Convoy SC 67 which departed Halifax on Jan. 30-1942. Note that Graiglas and Ozark are also listed in that convoy, having also returned to port from HX 172. Indian Prince is listed in the next convoy, HX 173.

See also the note re. Barrister at the external link below.

The ships left port in the following order: The first ship to depart was Trojan Star at 09.21 and with a few minutes between each ship these followed:
At 10.10 Rangitiki (goes out to sea), then Clan Colquhoun (no convoy number), Manchester Merchant (Flagship, Flying 'B' flag), Manchester Citizen, City of Marseilles, Barrister, Donacilla, British Harmony, Norvik (Panamanian flag, with Norwegian managers, listed on the N-page on this website), next came the British whale oil factory Hektoria (4 boats on her decks), Maaskerk (carrying airmen), Port Dunedin, Mirza, Sicilian Prince, San Gaspar, then Hoegh Scout at 11:20 (with the notation: "leaves convoy north of the tower. Finally sails at 2.50pm), Athelempress, Athelchief, Teucer, Inverarder (Flying Admirals flag), Curacao (2 open decks besides boat deck), San Demetrio, Solfonn (with a notation saying: "leaves convoy north of tower" - not sure if this means she did not sail?), Kollskegg, Imperial Transport, Pacific Grove (Maltese Cross on stack), Pandorian, Strinda, Dromus, British Integrity, British Power, Athelprince, City of Lyons, Capulin, Ozark (small ship. Star on narrow high stack), Kafiristan (Catapult freighter, XSE on Hurricane), Empire Tide (NJH on Hurricane), Strategist (Flying “B” Flag), Havkong ('M' on stack), Marija Petrinovic, Hamlet, Fluor Spar, Heina, Clausina, Belleisle, Dolabella, British Chivalry, City of Glasgow, Vermont, Indian Prince, Delane, Graiglas, Fort Amherst (Trucks on her decks), Godafoss. The last ship to depart at 16:10 was an unnamed British freighter which has been given station 62, conflicting with Strategist.

Ships flying “B” Flag were carrying explosives.

A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of HX convoy escorts, also received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Annapolis - From 26/01/42 to 27/01/42
Asphodel - From 03/02/42 to 07/02/42
Aubretia - From 04/02/42 to 07/02/42
Dianella - From 04/02/42 to 05/02/42
Dunvegan - From 26/01/42 to 27/01/42
FS Renoncule - From 04/02/42 to 07/02/42
Hurricane - From 04/02/42 to 07/02/42
Lunenburg - From 26/01/42 to 28/01/42
Molde - From 07/02/42 to 07/02/42
Red Deer - From 26/01/42 to 28/01/42
Scimitar - From 04/02/42 to 07/02/42
The Pas - From 26/01/42 to 28/01/42
USS Buck - From 28/01/42 to 04/02/42
USS Dupont - From 28/01/42 to 04/02/42
USS Herbert - From 28/01/42 to 04/02/42
USS McCormick - From 28/01/42 to 04/02/42
USS Swanson - From 28/01/42 to 04/02/42
Wanderer - From 04/02/42 to 07/02/42

Related external links:
This webpage discusses the escort duties of USS Swanson, Herbert, McCormick and Dupont for HX 172. It includes a report on the sinking of the Norwegian Ringstad, from a westbound convoy (scroll down to "Third trip to Iceland"). Also, the page mentions the following: "On Wednesday 4 February 1942 by mid morning the Swanson was in the MOMP area and approaching the SS Barrister to pick up a wounded man with shrapnel in his chest. Fredrick Heath, a gunner, was being attended by Dr.E.P. Larkin, Lt.(jg) USN of the McCormick. He was brought on board the Swanson as we would be departing for Iceland within the hour where better medical facilities were available" adding: "By mid morning on Thursday 5 February 1942 the Swanson had arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland and moored alongside the tanker Rapidan to fuel. Within minutes the Hospital ship Avon Glen came alongside and the survivors from the SS Ringstad and Fredrick Heath from the SS Barrister were transferred".

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 173