Convoy HX 211 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 211
Departed New York City on Oct. 8-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 24th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 29 ships in this convoy.
Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
The ships are listed in the order in which they appear on the various documents.
(A 1 form not available and, therefore, I don't know the stations numbers).
Crossed out ships did not sail - underlined ships returned to port.
MOWT = Ministry of War Transport
Note that several ships appear to be missing from the Advance Sailing Telegram for the New York section (there should be 32 according to Commodore's notes). More ships are named in the notes underneath this table.
For info, some of the ships in this convoy later returned with Convoy ON 145, while some joined Convoy KMS 4 at the end of Nov.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Hastings
American
steel - ammunition
Belfast f. o.
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Nanking
Swedish
general - 10 passengers
Cardiff
–
Ethan Allen
American
steel - Army stores
Liverpool
From HX 209
lost touch in gale - did not rejoin
T. J. Jackson
"
gasoline - ammunition - Army stores
Mersey f. o.
lost touch in gale - rejoined
B. P. Newton
Norwegian
Tanker B
Mersey
–
Cities Service Fuel
American
Tanker B
not for U.K.
–
Pan Rhode Island
"
Tanker W
Bowling
Returned to port (see notes below)
Sailed in HX 212
Delphinula
British
Tanker B
Stanlow
–
Southern Princess
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
Sailed in HX 212
White Plains
American
Tanker W
Avonmouth
To SC 105
W. S. Farish
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
engine problems -see notes
Lucerna
British
Tanker
Stanlow
To HX 212 - cancelled
Sailed in HX 213
Gulf of Venezuela
American
Tanker B
Old Kilpatrick
Re-listed on a separate document
(see below)
Comanchee
British
Tanker B
Stanlow
Vice Commodore vessel
Canada
Swedish
wheat - ore
Avonmouth
lost touch in gale - did not rejoin
Contractor
British
general
Manchester
–
Tilapa
"
refrig.
Liverpool
Commodore vessel
Clan Macinnes
"
general - explosives
Glasgow
To SC 105
Director
"
general
Belfast / Clyde
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Winfield Scott
American
Tanker W
Mersey f. o.
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Rosario
"
general
Belfast f. o.
Returned to New York
To SC 105
Ville d'Amiens
French / MOWT 1940
wheat - wool - general
Liverpool
Fort Douglas
British
timber - ore - wheat - 144 passengers
Mersey
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Ocean Seaman
"
U. S. Army stores
Mersey
From HX 210
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Ocean Gallant
"
general
Mersey / Manchester
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Ocean Traveller
"
U.S. Army Stores
Mersey
From HX 210
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Gulf of Venezuela
American
none given (tanker)
Glasgow
lost touch in gale - did not rejoin
Cefalu
Honduran
none given
Clyde
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Thorhild
Norwegian
none given
Mersey
lost touch in gale - did not rejoin
Heranger
"
none given
Liverpool
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Fort Pitt
British
none given
Glasgow
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Pachesham
"
none given
Manchester
Joined from St. John's
at 10:00 on Oct. 13
(47 17N 51 42(?)W)
See notes below for additional ships that are not mentioned in this table.
Joining from Halifax at 09:30 Oct. 11 (in 44 43N 60 57W)
Tudor Prince
British
general
Liverpool
Manchester Trader
"
general
Manchester
–
Corrales
"
general - passengers - mail
Liverpool
Thomas Pinckney
American
general - aviation gas
Mersey f. o.
From HX 210
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Empire Sailor
British
general - passengers
Liverpool
Had 2 deaths on board
ref. Narrative of Voyage below
lost touch in gale - rejoined
Brant County
Norwegian
general
Avonmouth
–
Additionally, the Commodore adds Lady Rodney to the Halifax group of ships - not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram.
This ship later left convoy for St. John's.
Notes:
Commodore E. O. Cochrane R.N.R. was in Tilapa, Vice Commodore was the Captain of Comanchee.
The convoy had 32 ships on departure New York, 6 joined from Halifax (7 left), 1 joined from St. John's (2 left).
Average speed: 9.5 knots. (Daily positions at 08:00 BST are available on request).
The following ships left convoy for Halifax at 08:30 on Oct. 11 (44 34N 61 18W):
USS Kaweah
W. H. Ferguson (Am)
Relief (Am)
Esso Baltimore (Am)
Wallace E. Pratt (Am) - these 4 ships are not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram, and therefore not listed in my table above.
Cities Service (Am) - unable to maintain convoy speed - not included in AST, unless it's identical to Cities Service Fuel?
Trontolite (Br) - unable to maintain 10 knots, also had steering gear trouble (not mentioned in the AST).
Pan Rhode Island (Am) with defective generator.
The following ships parted company for St. John's at 10:00 on Oct. 13 (47 17N 51 43W):
Lady Rodney (Br), and Santa Marta (Am) - these are not listed in the AST either.
On Oct 17 W. S. Farish stopped with engine trouble for 4 hours, told to proceed by stragglers' route (position looks like 58 19N 29 49W).
During gale on the night of Oct. 17/18, between positions 52 36N 28 41W and 52 50N 26 00W, the following ships parted company. In some places the positions are hard to read, because the document is out of focus, so accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Heranger - noon 18th in 53 16N 24 23W.
Fort Pitt - at 17:00 18th in 53 33N 23 14W
Ocean Gallant - at noon 19th in 55 17N 18 35W
Thomas Pinckney - same time and position as above.
Director - same as above
Winfield Scott - same as above
Cefalu - same as above
Empire Sailor - same as above
Hastings - at 10:00 20th in 56 26N 13 00W
T. J. Jackson - same as above
Ocean Traveller - at 19:00 20th in 56 20N 10 17W
Fort Douglas - at 08:00 21st in 56 35N 07 10W
Ocean Seaman at 03:00 22nd in 53 42N 04 37(?)W
Also, Ethan Allen, Gulf of Venezuela, Thorhild and Canada. These 4 ships did not rejoin, all the others did.
The Commodore says:
"Several ships broke W/T silence unnecessarily, thereby endangering themselves and convoy". They were:
T. J. Jackson - At 22:10 Oct. 17: Asked permission to heave to. At 22:21 on the same day she asked permission to use running lights. Told to heave to, no lights, and to stop transmitting.
Ocean Seaman - At 22:27 Oct. 17: Rolling dangerously. And at 22:52 same day: Waiting orders to heave to, cannot remain on course with any margin of safety. Told to heave to and stop transmitting.
Gulf of Venezuela - At 02:30 on Oct. 20: 242...85...V (not sure what this means)
W. S. Farish - To Port Patrick Radio at 08:02 Oct. 20: Message for Admiralty, can you forward. Then at 18:00 (zone) same day to Lands End Radio: 90...40...V.
Delphinula kept very good station throughout.
2 destroyers were present among the escort vessels from Halifax to St. John's, but the Commodore is not very happy to note that there were no destroyers included among the ocean escorts (8 days) and suggests that there should be at least 2 in this group.
Escort Vessels:
At 09:30 on Oct. 11 in 44 43N 6 57W, HMS Buxton, HMCS Kamsack, HMCS Regina and HMCS Three Rivers left, while HMS Salisbury, HMCS Hamilton, HMCS Matapedia and HMCS Granby joined.
At 10:00 on Oct. 13 in 44 17N 51 43W, HMCS Hamilton, HMCS Matapedia and HMCS Granby left, while HMCS Chambly, HMCS Battleford, HMCS Dauphin, HMCS Eyebright, HMCS Chilliwack and HMCS Napanee joined.
At 14:00 on Oct. 13 in 47 47N 51 12W HMS Salisbury left.
At noon on Oct. 20 in 56 25N 12 24W HMCS Battleford and HMCS Chilliwack left.
At 03:00 on Oct. 21 in 56 11N 08 03W HMCS Chambly and HMCS Napanee left.
At 08:00 on Oct. 21 in 55 38N 07 10W HMCS Eyebright left.
At 08:00 on Oct. 22 in 53 30N 04 20W HMCS Dauphin left.
Air Escort:
Oct. 8, 06:27-19:00, blimps and planes
Oct. 9, 11:58-17:00, two planes
Oct. 10, 06:30-13:00, Catalina and Hudson
Oct. 11, 07:15-14:00, one Catalina
Oct. 12, 08:30-17:00, Catalina and Hudsons
Oct. 13, 07:00-19:30, Catalina
Oct. 14, 06:30-18:30, two planes
Oct. 15, 00:30, heard aircraft pass overhead
Oct. 20, 13:15, one aircraft sighted.
Narrative of Voyage:
Sailed from New York at 04:15 Thursday 8th October. Convoy formed by 09:45. 32 ships in company. Six ships detailed for convoy did not sail.
Oct. 11 - Off Halifax. Changed escorts. Seven ships left, six joined.
Oct. 13 - Off St. John's. Changed escorts. Two ships left, one joined.
Oct. 14 - Convoy re-routed at 14:45 to avoid one or more U-boats less than 24 hours ahead. Pass through 51 01N 30 02W.
Oct. 15 - Empire Sailor committed body of deceased greaser to the deep at 11:00.
Convoy re-routed at 13:00 to pass through (C) 51N 35W (D) 54N 23W (E) 56N 08W.
Oct. 16 - Empire Sailor buried another greaser who died of same complaint as the first. There was no doctor with escort, but a doctor in the Cefalu was in charge of both patients.
As it turned out, this was Empire Sailor's last eastbound convoy voyage, because she was sunk on her return voyage in ON 145. As will be seen, other ships from HX 211 also returned with that convoy.
Oct. 17 - The glass started to fall slightly in the afternoon.
At 17:30 wind S by E 6, mod. sea and swell.
At 20:00 the glass was falling very rapidly, wind S by E 9-10, heavy sea and swell.
At 21:00 the glass started to rise and rose 2/10 in one hour. Wind continued at gale force for about two hours, then veered slowly and eased.
Oct. 18 - Eleven ships and 5 corvettes in company at daylight. Wind WSW 6.
All ships of Liverpool section had rejoined convoy by 22nd October, with the exception of one U.S.A. ship who was in convoy for the first time.
Convoy re-routed at 17:00 to pass through (X) 56 20N 15:00W thence to (L) ommit (E).
Oct. 21 - Clyde and Belfast portions left at 13:00 and 15:00 respectively.
At 16:10 received orders from F.O.I.C. Liverpool to anchor in Moelfre Bay at 08:00A / 22 the port being too congested for ships to enter.
Oct. 22 - Off entrance to Moelfre Bay at 08:00A, a convoy of five ships, much spread out, just leaving.
Anchored at 09:00A with 18 ships.
At 15:30 received orders from F.O.I.C. Liverpool further postponing entry into port for 25 hours until A.M. Saturday 24th October.
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 212