Convoy HX 212 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY HX 212 Departed New York City on Oct. 18-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 2.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 43 ships in this convoy.

Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths - 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.

The ships are listed in the order in which they appear on the various documents.
~~Crossed out~~ ships did not sail, underlined ships returned to port.

For info, some of the ships in this convoy, including some of the escorts, returned with Convoy ON 145 the following month.

† = dead

MOWT = Ministry of War Transport

Ship

Nationality

Cargo

Station

Destination

Remarks

Mathew Luckenbach

American

Army stores

Glasgow

*Collided with Zacapa,
beached off Halifax

City of Lille

British

wheat - concentrates - mail

124

Avonmouth

–

Francis Parkman

American

Army stores

Mersey

–

Thomas B. Robertson

Army Stores

Mersey / Swansea

–

Belgian Gulf

Panamanian

gasoline

Manchester

–

Cymbula

British

gasoline

72
(later 63)

Mersey

–

Empire Bronze

kerosene - aviation fuel

104

Avonmouth

–

~~Durango~~

American

Admiralty tanker B

–

Clyde

To Convoy SC 106

Pan New York

gas

Glasgow

Torpedoed by U-624, Oct. 29
(wreck later sunk by escort)

Uboat.net's text for Pan New York says 43 died, 14 survived. Arnold Hague says 42 died (adding she had a cargo of 12 500 tons "clean oil", R. W. Jordan says 40 died, 16 survived. "A Careless Word - A Needless Sinking" by Arthur R. Moore names 26 casualties, but I've been told by Joseph W. Comtois, whose brother was lost in the sinking, that she also had 17 Armed Guards and 1 Officer, only 1 of whom survived. Joseph, who posted a message to my Guestbook in Aug.-2004, has researched this ship extensively and has quite a bit of information that he would be willing to share (including official roster of the Armed Guard Crew and two declassified documents containing eyewitness reports of the sinking). To obtain his E-mail address, please contact me at the address provided at the bottom of this page. See also this Guestbook message.

Paul H. Harwood

diesel oil

122

Manchester

–

Empire Fletcher

British

gas

Manchester

–

Gulfgem

American

fuel oil

Scapa

–

~~Morgenen~~

Norwegian

gasoline

Oban f. o.

British Vigilance

British

gasoline -130 passengers - mail

Manchester

–

Esso Bayway

American

Admiralty fuel

Loch Ewe f. o.

–

Gurney E. Newlin

gasoline

Manchester

Torpedoed, damaged by U-436
Oct. 27
sunk by U-606 on Oct. 28

With regard to the above American ship, Uboat. net says 3 died in the initial attack, 56 survived, some of whom were picked up by Bic Island, but were killed when that ship was also sunk. Follow the link for more info (A. Hague says 60 died, giving cargo as 12 000 tons petrol and paraffin).

~~Gulfpoint~~

Tanker B

–

Clyde

Sailed in HX 213

Laurelwood

British

Admiralty fuel

Clyde

–

Topdalsfjord

Norwegian

sugar - logs

Greenock

–

Ocean Courier

British

general - barges

Liverpool

–

Sarpedon

refrig.

Liverpool

–

~~Madoera~~

Dutch

general - refrig.

–

Belfast Dock

Sailed in HX 213

Frontenac

Norwegian

fuel oil

Lamlash / Ardrossan
(after having been torp.)

Torpedoed, damaged by U-436
Oct. 27 - no casualties, see D/T Frontenac

Empire Dickens

British

gasoline

Avonmouth

–

~~Tide Water~~

American

Tanker W

–

Clyde

–

Katy

Norwegian

gas

111

Swansea

–

Coptic

British

refrig. - general - 4 passengers - mail

Avonmouth

–

C. J. Barkdull

Panamanian

diesel oil

Avonmouth

–

Jamaica Planter

British

refrig.

Avonmouth

Commodore vessel

Cairnesk

general

Clyde / Mersey

–

Pacific Shipper

general - explosives

Liverpool

–

Southern Princess

Admiralty fuel - valuables

Clyde

From HX 211
Rear Commodore vessel

Sourabaya

general - Admiralty fuel - barges

Liverpool

Sunk by U-436, Oct. 27
77† - 81 survived

Survivors from Sourabaya were picked up by Bic Island, but were killed when that ship was sunk (see Sourabaya on Uboat.net).

~~Lucerna~~

Tanker

–

Stanlow

From HX 211
Sailed in HX 213

Mahia

general - refrig.

102

Cardiff

–

Cape Breton

phosphates

Tees

–

Lancastrian Prince

general

121

Swansea (bunkers) / Southampton

–

Abraham Lincoln

Norwegian

food - explosives - barges

Liverpool

Vice Commodore vessel

Zacapa

American

general (valuables) - explosives

Clyde

* Collided with Mathew Luckenbach,
returned to port (Halifax)
Sailed in HX 213

Exchester

Army stores

101

Liverpool

–

Exilona

Army stores
(steel - valuables)

112

Liverpool

–

~~Meriwether Lewis~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Arizonan~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Artigas~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Benjamin Rush~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Capulin~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Daniel Hiester~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Fisher Ames~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Henry St. G. Tucker~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~John C. Fremont~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

~~Michael J. Stone~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

~~Philip Schuyler~~

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

Kosmos II

Norwegian

fuel oil - vaulables - landing craft

Clyde

Torpedoed, damaged by U-606
Oct. 28
Sunk by U-624, Oct. 29
See my page about Kosmos II

~~Alcoa Leader~~

American

Army stores

–

Belfast f. o.

–

Fort Amherst

British

general

Halifax

Detached Oct. 21

R. G. Stewart

American

crude

Halifax

*At 08:45 on Oct. 21 (in 44 10N 62 7W) Mathew Luchenbach collided with Zacapa - proceeded to Halifax under escort (see report on Page 2).
Fort Amherst and R. G. Stewart were detached for Halifax at 12:30 on Oct. 21, 44 24N 61 16W.

Joining from Halifax at 12:30 Oct. 21-1942

Gdynia

Swedish

general - passengers

Glasgow

–

Tudor Prince

British

general

Liverpool

From HX 211

Helgøy

Norwegian

general

114

Cardiff

Bic Island

Canadian

general

Liverpool

Sunk by U-224 - Oct. 29
165† - 0 survived

The casualty number includes survivors from other ships picked up by this ship. Again, see Uboat.net's account for Bic Island.

Saint Bertrand

British

general

Glasgow

–

Pan Rhode Island

American

Tanker W

Bowling

From HX 211

Barrwhin

British

grain

London

Sunk by U-436, Oct. 29
24† - 90 survived

Some of the casualties were survivors picked up from the Norwegian Kosmos II, see my page about this ship as well as Uboat.net's page about Barrwhin.

The following 2 ships are also listed, but I'm not sure which port they originated from (possibly New York City?)

Skaraas

Norwegian

oil

113

Swansea

–

Fort a la Corne

British

general

123

Cardiff

–

Additionally, the A 1 form lists USS Beaver, explosives, station 52 (destination looks like Roseneath or similar) and USS Salinas, gas and diesel oil, station 64, detached for St. John's. Ship in station 71 then moved to her station.
Fairfax, troops for Greenland, station 63 - after she had detached, ship in station 72 moved to her station.
Dorchester, troops for Greenland, station 73
Zoella Lykes, general for Argentia, station 74.
Baarn (Dutch), sugar and passengers for Liverpool, crossed out from station 103, listed in the next convoy, HX 213.
None of the above are mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram.

Fairfax, Salinas, Dorchester, Zoella Lykes parted company for St. John's at 15:30 Oct. 21(?) in 47 30N 51 17W (the latter is listed in HX 213, joining from Argentia). The A 1 form gives the date as Oct. 23, while Commodore's notes gives date as Oct. 21 for all these ships - however, he gives the date as Oct. 23 in his log (Page 2).

Notes:
Commodore Vice Admiral W. de M. Egerton was in Jamaica Planter, Vice Commodore was the captain of Abraham Lincoln, Rear Commodore in Southern Princess.

The convoy had 45 ships, sailing in 4 rows, 12 columns, the Commodore saying that "the convoy was formed at my special request in 12 columns. I am firmly convinced that the safest formation for a convoy is when formed with a wide front, and thin in depth. Thus my arrangement for 36 ships would be in 18 columns of 2 each. No difficulty was found in manouvering the larger number of columns, and signals in practise pass outwards quicker than they do from front to rear, as the more ships in the column, the greater the distance between ships, owing to bad station keeping. Guides on the whole keep pretty good station. I would like my next convoy to try a wide front. It also has the advantage that stragglers can be seen at once from the Commodore's ship and checked.

From the escorts' point of view, the wide front should be popular, as the vessels stationed on the beam could be closer in, and have less area of water to cover. The front of the convoy, if ships were say 3 to 4 cables apart, could be covered by 3 vessels, and one would be required at least astern. An extra destroyer would be useful for reconnaissance at a distance in advance and astern of convoy. In my opinion, this last is one of the most important of the escorts' duties, when air reconnaissance is not available".

Distance between columns: 700 yards.
Distance between ships in columns: 500 yards.
Average speed: 8.69 knots.

The Commodore adds:
Convoy HX 212 was either sailed from New York 12 hours too early or the rendezvous with Halifax ships was arranged too late. The Convoy's speed had to be reduced over practically the whole distance from New York to the rendezvous in order to avoid being early. It should have been possible for Halifax ships to have made contact on the evening of the 20th between 4 and 5 p.m. local time. I do not think it is a good principle for ships to be at sea longer than necessary in present conditions. I managed to get the original position of rendezvous, which was right off the route, altered, and the time advanced some 3 hours.

Helgøy could barely manage 9 1/2 knots.
Lancastrian Prince whilst a very good guide, should be told her officers must keep a better look out for signals.
Barrwhin stopped to pick up survivors from Frontenac, and I think that, under the conditions of weather prevailing and in view of the fact that a ship had been torpedoed near him in the next line, the conduct of the Master is deserving of the highest praise (Frontenac coninued on her way, but Barrwhin did pick up survivors from Kosmos II, many of whom died when Barrwhin was also lost - see my text for Kosmos II).

It would be a great improvement if a larger number of Masters were able to attend the conference for outward convoys. I would suggest Belfast Lough as a suitable assembly port for Bristol Channel, Liverpool and Clyde portions the conference being helt at Bangore. This would leave only the Loch Ewe portions unrepresented."

Escort Vessels (handwritten -hard to decipher)
Western Local South: HMS Walker, Colombia, Fennel(?) Buctouche, and 1 more illegible.
Western Local North: 44 24N 61 16W, at 09:30 Oct. 21 - Lincoln (S.O.), Digby, and 2 illegible.
Ocean Escort: 47 30N 51 17W, at 15:30 Oct. 21 - USS Campbell, USS Badger, HMS Dianthus, HMCS Rosthern, HMCS Ville de Quebec, HMCS Summerside, HMCS Trillium, HMCS Alberni.

Continue to report on passage, page 2

External links related to the text on this page
HX-212, 26 - 29 Oct 1942
Allied ships hit by U-boats - Uboat.net's section for all torpedoed allied ships. Use the search features to find more details on the ships hit in HX 212.

The history of USS Campbell - Includes quite a bit of details on events in Convoy HX 212.

Norwegian casualties / Sourabaya - Commemorations at the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway, which says that Oskar Arnold Dalen died following a war related accident in Liverpool in Nov.-1940, while the other 2 died in a "war action". No date is given for their demise, but I believe they died when she was sunk. (Sourabaya was managed by Chr. Salvesen & Co., Edinburg).

Liberty Ships - Some of the American ships mentioned in this convoy (including some of the cancelled ones) were Liberty Ships, this website lists them all in alphabetical order.
Empire Ships - Also in alphabetical order
This site has more details on Ocean Courier and Fort a la Corne (a warning: lots of pop ups).

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 213