Convoy HX 213 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY HX 213 Departed New York City on Oct. 26-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 10.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 42 ships in this convoy (agreeing with Commodore's notes).

Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegram and A 1 form) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

For info, some of the ships in this convoy are also listed in the westbound Convoy ON 153 in Dec.-1942 (see also in ON 155).

Ship

Nationality

Cargo

Station

Destination

Remarks

Ocean Messenger

British

general

104

Cardiff

–

~~Vanja~~

Norwegian

Admiralty tanker B

–

Clyde

–

~~G. C. Brøvig~~

Admiralty tanker B

–

not for U.K.

–

Fort Pelly

British

timber - metal

102

London

–

Eulima

gasoline

Dublin

–

~~Umgeni~~

refrig. - mail - 86 passengers

Mersey f. o.

Mahana

general - refrig. - mail

Liverpool

–

Gulfdisc

American

Admiralty tanker
fuel oil

Liverpool

–

~~Kollbjørg~~

Norwegian

Tanker W

–

Belfast Dock

To HX 214 - did not sail
To HX 215 - did not sail
Sailed in HX 216

Empire Lytton

British

gasoline

Belfast Dock

–

~~Evita~~

Norwegian

diesel oil

Dingle

Sailed in HX 214

Esso Bayonne

American

Admiralty fuel

Clyde

–

British Tradition

British

Tanker W
gas.

Avonmouth

–

Delhi

Swedish

general - phosphates

Hull

–

Pan Maryland

American

kerosene

Stanlow

–

~~Olney~~

Tanker B

–

Avonmouth

–

Athelduchess

British

diesel oil

Mersey

–

Egda

Norwegian

aviation gas

Mersey

–

Gulfpoint

American

diesel oil

Bowling

Nortind

Norwegian

aviation gas

Avonmouth

–

Clausina

British

gasoline

Manchester

–

Empire Emerald

Tanker W
alcohol - acetone

Manchester

–

Manchester Exporter

steel - general

Manchester

Vice Commodore vessel

Baarn

Dutch

sugar - rum - mail

Liverpool

From HX 212

El Mirlo

British

fuel oil - mail

London (Shellhaven)

–

~~Pan NewYork~~

American

Tanker W

Stanlow

Had already sailed in HX 212 (sunk)

Elona

British

gasoline

Avonmouth

–

Empire Coleridge

gasoline

Avonmouth

–

Pacific Grove

general - 17 passengers

Cardiff

Commodore vessel

Antilochus

general

Avonmouth

Rear Commodore vessel

City of Hongkong

general - 150 passengers

Liverpool

–

Empire Kangaroo

general

Hull

–

Lucerna

kerosene

Stanlow

From HX 212

Kafiristan

grain - trucks

Manchester

–

~~Argos Hill~~

general

~~103~~

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 214

~~Minerva~~

Norwegian

none given

–

Mersey f. o.

–

Belgian Freighter

Belgian

general - explosives

Liverpool

–

~~Molda~~

Norwegian

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 214

Madoera

Dutch

wheat - general

Glasgow

From HX 212

Høyanger

Norwegian

valuables - explosives

Belfast / Swansea

–

Morgenen

gasoline

Grangemouth

From HX 212

Additionally, the A 1 form lists the following ships with destination Halifax (not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram):
Sun Oil - crude oil, station 12
Stanvac Manila - crude oil, station 13.
Ravnefjell has been crossed out from station 24.

Joining from Halifax at about noon Oct. 29

Ulysses

Dutch

general

–

Avonmouth

Not on A 1 form
(therefore, station not known)

Empire Rowan

British

general

–

Liverpool

Moveria

general - mail

–

Mersey

~~Asbjørn~~

Danish / Canadian Gov. 1940

general

–

Liverpool

Manchester Merchant

British

general - mail

–

Holyhead / Manchester

Not on A 1 form

Beaverhill

general - mail

–

Liverpool

Jasper Park

general

–

Mancheseter

Jan van Goyen

Dutch

steel - lumber

–

London

Also, I believe the following joined from Halifax:

Empire Darwin

British

grain - trucks - 15 passengers

101

Glasgow

–

Bralanta

Norwegian

fuel oil

Mersey / Stanlow

–

Zacapa

American

general - explosives

–

Clyde

From HX 212

The Commodore also mentions Meigle (bound for St. John's from Halifax), unable to maintain speed and straggled 5 miles astern of convoy, was ordered to proceed to Sydney C.B.

Joining from Argentia at 15:30 Oct. 31 (with Ocean Escort)

Zoella Lykes

American

steel - lumber - general

–

Liverpool

Notes:
Commodore Errol Manners was in Pacific Grove, Vice Commodore was H. D. Wakeman-Colville in Manchester Exporter, Rear Commodore in Antilochus.

The convoy had 35 ships on departure New York, 2 left for Halifax. According to the Commodore's notes, 9 joined from Halifax (as mentioned, Meigle was later ordered to proceed to Sydney C.B.), 1 joined from Newfoundland.

Average speed: 9.2 knots. (Daily Noon positions of convoy are available on request).

Commodore's comments:
Station keeping was "very good by all ships". As far as signalling, Flashing - good, flags - good.
"Following ships require to be commended - Antilochus, Clausina, Empire Coleridge, Baarn, Elona.
Mahama, Empire Emerald, Gulf Point "requires improvement and to be supplied with an Aldis lamp".

Pacific Grove "is a very efficient ship and really good as Commodore's ship".

U.S.A. ships still without DAY signalling lamp, this requires immediate remedy.
Gulf Point requires careful over?(part of word missing, possibly "overhaul of"?) engines and steering gear - managed to keep up with convoy, but apt to be dangerous due to temporary breakdowns. At 08:30 2nd Nov. she reported ? blade of propellor and so speed of convoy was reduced for remainder of voyage.
Gulf Point and Lucerna - both tankers, reported maximum speed 8 1/2 knots due to engine trouble.

A very successful voyage - good steaming by ships(? word missing in margin of document). Weather was very good, fog only for a few hours?. No adverse winds, although it blew hard on several days, but from abaft the beam. Order received for diversions on 29th, 30th and 1st Nov. were complied with. At 01:00 2nd Oct. star shells were seen far away (40-50 miles) on port bow, from 6 ships of SC 107, torpedoed (ref. external links below). At 01:29 altered course 20° to starboard as suggested by Hesperus, and this was retained till dusk, so placing us about 30' more to the ? and then original course was resumed. This was undoubtedly a good move and convoy very slowly regained route laid down - convoy escaped attack, submarines concentrating on SC 107. Vanessa was sent away to assist SC 107, she rejoined on 6th Nov. Net Defence ships were ordered to get nets out on evening of 2nd Nov. but were unable to do more than possibly 8 knots and so got the nets in - ships were Empire Coleridge, Jasper Park, Fort Pelly and Ocean Messenger. 6 fast ships, City of Hongkong, Beaverhill, Zacapa, Madoera, Zoella Lykes and Manchester Exporter proceeded at 12 knots as ordered by C. in C. Western Approaches.

Escorts: HMS Witch, HMCS Buctouche, Sarnia, Stratford, Georgetown, Dundas, Barrie, Kinora, HMS Hesperus, Whitehall, Clematis, Gentian, Heather, Vanessa.

Air Escort: Aircraft round convoy on Oct. 27 and 28.
Oct. 29th, one aircraft, then a Hudson was seen at 11:00 and 11:40 as well.
Oct. 30 - 07:41, Catalina sighted and at 16:40 a Hudson sighted.
Oct. 31 - 15:53, aircraft sighted.
Nov. 1 - 08:00 and 11:20, plane No. 571 over convoy. 15:00, one Catalina and another? plane seen. 16:20, one plane round convoy for 1 hour.
Nov. 6 - Hudson seen at 11:05, 15:00.
Nov. 8 - Hudson seen at 12:30.

Related external links:
Battle for Convoy SC 107

The attacks on Convoy SC 107 - From Tom Purnell's website about Convoy HX 72

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 214