Convoy HX 221 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 221
Departed New York on Dec. 29-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 14-1943.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 36 ships in this convoy.
Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegram, A 1 form etc.) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
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.
MOWT = Ministry of War Transport
For info, some of the ships in this convoy are listed in the westbound convoy ON 162, leaving Liverpool on Jan. 23-1943, others are listed in ON 164 in Febr.-1943.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Aruba
Dutch
general
131
Liverpool
Banfora
French / MOWT 1942
99 passengers (troops)
62
Glasgow
–
Lancastrian Prince
"
steel - general
132
Cardiff
–
City of Calcutta
"
general - 4 passengers
101
Liverpool
Vice Commodore
Straggled - joined up with SC 115 (see Page 2)
Corilla
Dutch
aviation fuel
103
Avonmouth
–
Fort La Montee
British
timber - wheat - metal
21
London
–
Fort Thompson
"
general - planes
31
Avonmouth
–
Fort Poplar
"
lead - lumber
22
London
–
Garonne
Norwegian
Admiralty tanke
diesel oil
92
Scapa
–
Glenapp
British
palm oil - general - 24 passengers - mail
–
Liverpool
–
Gulfgem
American
Admiralty fuel
43
Liverpool
–
Maaskerk
Dutch
sugar - wood pulp - 64 passengers - mail
42
Liverpool
–
Abraham Lincoln
Norwegian
general
71
Glasgow
From HX 220
Commodore Vessel
Marsdale
British
general
84
Manchester
–
Thorsholm
Norwegian
Admiralty fuel
64
Clyde
–
B. P. Newton
"
gasoline
122
Avonmouth
From HX 220
Clan Alpine
British
general - 2 passengers - mail
91
Liverpool
Returned to port (St. John's)
listed in HX 224
Empire Nugget
"
gasoline
112
Avonmouth
From HX 220
Empire Trader
"
general (ref.)
113
Avonmouth
From HX 220
Esso Bayonne
American
Tanker B
–
Manchester
From HX 220
illegible (Esso ?)
"
Tanker
–
–
–
?Eurybates?
British
general - 1 passenger - mail
41
Liverpool
–
F. J. Wolfe
"
Admiralty tanker
–
Clyde
Sailed in HX 222
Ingria
Norwegian
general
23
Hull
From HX 220
Israel Putnam
American
valuables
111
Loch Ewe f. o.
Straggled - joined up with SC 115 (see Page 2)
For info, listed in JW 53 to Murmansk Febr. 15-1943
(see Arctic Convoys)
Haakon Hauan
Norwegian
aviation fuel
63
Stanlow
From HX 220
Mary Kingsley
British
general - 11 passengers
114
Liverpool
–
?Stigstad?
Norwegian
Tanker B
–
Mersey
–
William Bradford
American
general - explosives
121
Barry Dock
–
Leerdam
Dutch
general - explosives
44
Holyhead
To HX 222 - did not sail
Sailed in HX 223
J. H. Senior
Panamanian
gas oil
81
Swansea
Bombs found on board
(see Page 2)
Opalia
British
aviation fuel
52
Stanlow
–
Fort Souris
"
lumber - wheat - metal
123
Milford Haven / Southampton
Straggled - joined up with SC 115 (see Page 2)
Luculus
"
petroleum
73
Dingle
Amastra
"
petroleum
32
Mersey
–
Southern Princess
"
Admiralty tanker
fuel oil
33
Clyde
–
British Ardour
"
Admiralty fuel
82
Clyde
escort tanker
Lynghaug
Norwegian
none given
94
Belfast f. o.
Sailed in HX 222
Lechistan
Polish
general - explosives
61
Mersey
Sailed in HX 222
Høyanger
Norwegian
general
51
Liverpool
–
Castalia
British
general - 50 passengers
–
Hull
From HX 220
Silverbeech
"
general
34
Liverpool
From HX 220
Straggled - joined up with SC 115 (see Page 2)
Gulf of Venezuela
American
Pool diesel oil
54
Clyde
From HX 220
El Mundo
Panamanian
general (explosives, Army stores) - passengers - mail
53
Liverpool
–
Sinclair Opaline
American
diesel oil
72
Belfast / Heysham
–
Gulfdisc
"
Admiralty fuel
74
Scapa
–
Gefion
Norwegian
gasoline
83
Stanlow
–
Mormacswan
American
army stores - mail
93
–
Ordered into Halifax for indpendent routing to U.K.
(see also Page 2)
Washington Express
Norwegian
general - passengers
104
–
Ordered into Halifax for indpendent routing to U.K.
Later attacked by U-boat - see Washington Express
One of the documents is extremely difficult to decipher - I've been able to determine some of the names with the help of the A 1 form. However, a few of them are not included on this form, hence my question marks.
A few ships show up on the A 1 form, but not in the Advance Sailing Telegram, as follows:
Empire Puma, general cargo, crossed out from station 124 (sailed in the next convoy, HX 222).
Darien, reefer, crossed out from station 102.
Iris (Norw?), Army stores, station 11 (detached to Halifax, see narrative, Page 2)
The following ships were detached for St. John's Jan. 4-1943 (not listed in AST):
Lady Rodney, Chateau Thieng and Ørnefjell (the latter with Army stores and general, station 12)
Joining from Halifax, at 16:15 Jan. 1-1943 - 44 41N 61 25W
(had departed Dec. 31) - stations not known, not on A 1 form
Fort Longueuil
British
grain
–
London
Anna N. Goulandri
Greek
flour
–
London
–
Beaverhill
British
general - mail
–
Liverpool
–
Wallace E. Pratt
American
Tanker
–
Swansea
Joining from St. John's, Jan. 4 - 48 35N 49 15W
Tudor Prince
British
fish
–
Liverpool
–
Notes:
Additionally, the Rescue Vessel Zamalek was with this convoy. This was her 17th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ON 151 on Dec. 4-1942, to Halifax Dec. 21 - returning with HX 221 from Halifax on Dec. 31, to Clyde Jan. 13. ("Convoy Rescue Ships", Arnold Hague). Her next voyage (her 18th) was with Convoy ON 165 and Convoy SC 122.
Commodore B.B. Grant R.N.R. was in Abraham Lincoln, Vice Commodore was W. H. Matheson, the captain of City of Calcutta, Rear Commodore in Eurybates.
The convoy had 38 ships.
Average speed: 8.6 knots.
Distance between columns: 1000 yards.
Distance between ships in columns: 500 yards.
Commodore's notes:
Captain Holmsen of Abrahaman Lincoln, "an experienced shipmaster, very keen and most helpful to Commodore, his ship is very well run and equipped, strongly recommended as Commodore's ship".
"Suggest that deck cargo that is likely to break adrift or become damaged should not be carried during the winter in North Atlantic. Bad weather must be anticipated in N. Atlantic at this time of the year and ships carrying deck cargo of the nature mentioned above frequently have to heave to and thus lsoe convoy. It seems to me that the extra cargo carried is not worth the risk of losing the ship".
Escorts:
From position Z to HOMP - HMCS Trail, Moncton and Melville (07:40 Dec. 29-16:15 Jan. 1, 44 41N 61 25W)
From HOMP to WESTOMP - HMCS St. Clair, Hepatica, Wetaskiwin, Lachine (16:15 Jan 1-09:26 Jan. 4, 44 41N 61 26W to 48 42N 49 05W).
Ocean Escort: HMS Burnham, Buttercup, Columbine, Assiniboine, Eyebright, La Malbaie, Bittersweet (09:26 Jan. 4, 48 42N 49 05W to N. Channel). La Malbaie proceeded with William Bradford in the morning of the 8th.
HNMS Lincoln - WESTOMP to PLE, detached am Jan. 7.
To Narrative of Voyage Page 2 
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 222