Convoy HX 185 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy HX 185 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Apr. 14-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 27th (Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" says 33 ships).

List received from Ted Agar, England. (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 185 at Ships in all HX convoys.

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Du=Dutch, Pol=Polish

21
Voco
lub. oil
(Br)

31
Saint Bertrand
general
(Br)
See Notes below

41
Burdwan
general
(Br)

51
Manchester Division*
general
(Br)

61
Empire Bronze
wheat
(Br)

71
Tucurinca
general
(Br)

81
Schuylkill
petrol
(Br)

91
Eastern City
grain
CAM ship
(Br)

12
Delfshaven
grain
(Du)

22
Tricula
FFO
(Br)

42
Agapenor
rubber - general
200 mails
83 passengers
(Br)

52
Southern Princess
fuel oil
(Br)

62
Port Darwin
refrig. - general
(Br)

72
Franche Comté
petrol
(Br)
See Notes below

82
Garonne*
aviation gas
(Norw)

92
Pacific Grove
general
4350 mails
(Br)

13
Empire Tennyson
flour
(Br)

23
Lechistan
general
(Pol)

33
Port Auckland
refrig. - general
(Br)

43
Lochmonar
general
12 passengers
(Br)

53
Donovania
petrol
(Br)

63
Cistula
petrol
(Du)

73
Gold Shell
gas oil
(Br)

83
Drupa
petrol
(Br)

93
Strategist
general
(Br)

14
Ocean Freedom
general
(Br)

24
Bellerophon
general
(Br)

34
Sarpedon
general
200 mails
28 passengers
(Br)

44
Tudor Prince
general
(Br)

54
Meline
gas oil
(Norw)

64
Daghild*
gas oil
(Norw)

74
Regent Panther
aviation gas
(Br)

84
Helgøy
general
(Norw)

94
Westland
general
182 passengers
(Du)

According to notes in connection with the slow Convoy SC 80, Kedoe, Benedict and City of Ripon, sailing in that convoy, came from HX 185.

Agapenor had returned to port from Convoy HX 184.

* Daghild returned. She's listed as sailing in the slow Convoy SC 81, which left Halifax on Apr. 23-1942.

Comparing this information with A. Hague's listing for Convoy HX 185 at Ships in all HX convoys, we see that he has also included the British tug HMS Prudent in this convoy, in ballast, no station number.

* He says the Norwegian Garonne was involved in a collision with Manchester Division on Apr. 19. The British ship was towed in. Follow the link to my page about Garonne.

He has Delfshaven in station 11, while Empire Tennyson has been given station 12, and Ocean Freedom is listed in station 13. Also, Port Auckland is listed in station 32, Sarpedon in station 33.

In station 52, he has the British British Power, cargo of aviation gas, with a note saying she sailed from Argentia to St. John's, N.F., then joined - see also HX 183 and HX 184.
Burdwan detached on Apr. 19, sailing on independently.

Notes: Fort Townshend also departed with the ships in this convoy, but no pendant number is given. (I believe her leaving that day was just a coincidence, and that she did not head out in order to join this convoy).
Additionally, Jamaica Producer went out, but she obviously did not sail in this convoy, because she's listed in next convoy out, HX 186.

Roy Martin has told me that Saint Bertrand was the ex German Chemnitz, built in Germany. (His sources: Lloyd's List and Lloyd's Register 1941/42). Chemnitz was captured in Sept.-1939 by the French submarine Poncelot, renamed Saint Bertrand in 1940. Under Ministry of War Transport charter 1940-1945 ("The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R.W. Jordan).

Franche Comté was the ex Dutch Loosdrecht, which had been sold to France in 1939 and renamed. Under Ministiry of War Transport from 1940. (R. W. Jordan).

The ships left Halifax in the following order (according to the diary): No exact time is given, but sometime after 10 the first to leave was the British liner Sarpedon, followed by Tucurinca, Manchester Division (Flagship), Schuylkill, Voco ("V" on stack), Saint Bertrand (Tanks, French flag on mainmast), Empire Bronze, Tricula, Garonne, Empire Tennyson, Drupa, Ocean Freedom, Gold Shell, Tudor Prince, Pacific Grove, Donovania, Cistula, Strategist, Burdwan (Crated planes), Port Auckland, Bellerophon, Regent Panther, Lochmonar (Crated planes), Eastern City (Catapult freighter, NJX on Hurricane), Franche Comté, Agapenor, Delfshaven, Port Darwin, Helgøy, Fort Townshend (with a note: "Goes out, she is not flying Convoy flag), Southern Princess (whale oil factory - tanks), Westland, Meline, Daghild, Lechistan. Jamaica Producer was the last ship to go out at 3:35, but there's a notation saying "Not in Convoy?"

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):
Algoma - From 18/04/42 to 26/04/42
Arvida - From 18/04/42 to 26/04/42
Bittersweet - From 18/04/42 to 26/04/42
Charlottetown - From 14/04/42 to 18/04/42
Kenogami - From 14/04/42 to 18/04/42
Man o'War - From 27/04/42 to 27/04/42
Shediac - From 18/04/42 to 26/04/42
USCGC Spencer - From 18/04/42 to 26/04/42
USS Gleaves - From 18/04/42 to 26/04/42
Verity - From 14/04/42 to 18/04/42
Witherington - From 14/04/42 to 18/04/42

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