Convoy HX 173 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy HX 173 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Febr. 1-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 14th (Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 30 ships).

List received from Ted Agar (His source: A diary. Although the information is usually incomplete, I consider this diary valuable and important in and of itself and, therefore, I've chosen to transcribe it and keep it "as is" on this website, adding further details and/or corrections from other sources separately, rather than within the form itself [except for cargoes], as seen below).

Cargoes have been extracted from a document received from D. Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database - see his listing for HX 173 at Ships in all HX convoys.

Br=British, Du=Dutch, Pa=Panamanian, Am=American, Russ=Russian, Norw=Norwegian.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

11
USS Pleiades
transport
(Am)

31
Inverilen
petrol
(Br)

41
Nicoya
general
(Br)

51
Pacific Enterprise
general
6 passengers
(Br)

61
San Ernesto
petrol
(Br)

71
Empire Gold
petrol - paraffin
(Br)

81

*

12
Artigas
general
(Am)
See below

42
San Amado
petrol
(Br)

52
British Resolution
aviation gas
(Br)

72
D. L. Harper
petrol**
(Br)

82
Indian Prince
general
(Br)

13

*

23
Norbris
fuel oil
Iceland
(Pa)

33
Havprins
gasoil
(Norw)
See Notes below

43
Oscilla
crude oil
(Du)

53
Murena
fuel oil
(Du)

63
Garonne
petrol
(Norw)

73
Empire Amethyst
petrol
(Br)

83
Empire Mahseer
general
(Br)

14
Ballot
general
(Pa)

24
Dvinoles*
sank
petrol
(Russ)
See Notes below

34
Evita
benzine
(Norw)
See Notes below

44

*

54
Corilla
damaged
petrol
(Du)
See Notes below

64

*

74

84
Fanad Head
general
(Br)

15
USS Mirza
(F 12)
(Am)
See below

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

*

According to a note for the slow Convoy SC 68, the Panamanian Kingman, sailing in that convoy, had originally been scheduled for HX 173.

The Rescue Vessel Bury was also with this convoy for a while; see Notes below.

Indian Prince had returned to port from Convoy HX 172.

For info, Ballot later joined Convoy PQ 13 to Murmansk, returning with Convoy QP 11.

Comparing the above with what can be found in Arnold Hague's listing for HX 173 at Ships in all HX convoys, we see that he has also included the following (not mentioned in the diary):
*In station 81 - The British Empire Ray, cargo of grain, CAM ship
In station 13 - The Panamanian Alcedo, general cargo, returned to port, listed in SC 68 (link above).
In station 44 - The American USS Aquila, general cargo, for Iceland
In station 64 - The Norwegian Gallia, cargo of petrol
In station 85 - The British Pacific Pioneer, general cargo, 2619 mails, 1 passenger
There's no USS Mirza, instead he has USS Mizar, bound for Reykjavik, no station number.
Artigas is listed as Panamanian

He says Evita and Havprins became stragglers.

**See also SC 58.