Convoy HX 223 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy HX 223 Cruising Order
Departed New York on Jan. 14-1943 on and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 2 (Arnold Hague gives 48 ships).
This does not mean that all the ships arrived that port on that date; some ships had other destinations.

List received from Eric Bissmire. His info has been supplemented with details found in original documents received from Roger Griffiths, England (Commodore's notes) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Underlined ships returned to port.

For info, quite a few of the ships in this convoy are listed in Convoy GN 32, others had arrived New York at the end of Dec.-1942 with Convoy ON 153. Some are listed in ON 155 (see also ON 165 and ON 166).

Br=British, Bel=Belgian, Am=American, Du=Dutch, Norw=Norwegian, Pa=Panamanian.

11
Fort Brule
(Br)

21
Salinas
(Am)

31
Sabine Sun
(Am)

41
Clan Mcgillivray
(Br)

51
Devis
(Br)

61
Winkler
(Pa)

71
Pandorian
(Br)

81
Moreton Bay
(Br)

91
Karamea
(Br)

101
Port Adelaide
(Br)

111
Port Huon
(Br)

121
Villanger
(Norw)

131
Deido
(Br)

12
Biscaya*
(Norw)

22
Pontiac
(Am)

32
Atlantic Sun
(Am)

42
City of Christiania
(Br)

52
Thysville
(Bel)

62
San Ambrosio
(Br)

72
George W. Knight
(*)

82
Eclipse
(Br)

92
Leerdam
(Du)

102
Pan Maryland
(Am)

112
Amerika
(Br [Da])**

122
Cavina
(Br)

132
Curacao
(Du)

23
Saturn
(Am)

33
Anglo Indian
(Br)

43
Egda
(Norw)

53
Gulfpoint
(Am)

63
Laurelwood
(Br)

73
Tamaroa
(Br)

83
Nortind
(Norw)
sunk

93
Norfalk
(Norw)

103
Djambi
(Du)

113
Lone Star
(Am)

123
City of Lyons
(Br)

133

24
Fort St Francois
(Br)

34
Saint Bertrand
(Br)

44
Lady Rodney
(Br)

54
Brimanger
(Norw)

64
Athelduchess
(Br)

74
Temple Inn
(Br)

84
Empire Dickens
(Br)

94
Brasil
(Norw)

104
Port Darwin
(Br)

114
Boskoop
(Du)

124

134

35
Fort La Maune
(Br)

45
Roxburgh Castle
(Br)

55
Empire Coleridge
(Br)

75
Kollbjørg
(Norw)
sunk

85
Canara
(Br)

95
San Adolfo
(Br)

105
Banffshire
(Br)

115
Johnathan Sturges
(Am)

125

135

* Biscaya must have cancelled (or returned to port) - she's listed as sailing in HX 224.

Also in this convoy, but not included in this table, were Esso Baltimore (U.S.) and Fort Amherst (Br), both bound for Halifax, and the British Fort Longueuil and Torr Head, both joining from Halifax (others joining from Halifax are named in Notes below).

Other ships appear to have been scheduled, but did not sail. According to the Advance Sailing Telegram for the next convoy, they were:
The American Booker T. Washington, the Norwegian Reinholt, Morgenen (from HX 222) and Samuel Bakke, Dutch Palembang, Swedish Vaalaren. Also, Glenapp, Empire Reynolds, Markhor, and Fort Halkett (all these ships have a notation saying "Ex. HX 223).

* This is probably the Panamanian Geo W. McKnight.

** Amerika was originally Danish, sailing under The Ministry of War Trasnport from May-1940 (sunk in Apr.-'43, Convoy HX 234).

Notes:
Commodore Rear Admiral D. M. T. Bedford was in Pandorian, Vice Commodore was the captain of Port Adelaide.

Average speed: 7.38 knots.

The convoy had 51 ships upon departure, 55 after HOMP. Note that some of the ships in this convoy had been cancelled from the previous convoy, they are named in HX 222.

The following ships joined from Halifax at 09:00 Jan. 17, in 44 46N 61 00W:
Fort St. Francois, Saint Bertrand (listed as Saint Bernard in Eric Bissmire's list), Fort Longueuil, (cancelled from HX 221), Torr Head, Cavina, Lady Rodney, Clan Mcgillivray.

Esso Baltimore (U.S.) and Fort Amherst (Br) left for Halifax Jan. 17, in 44 46N 61 00W.

Banffshire returned to New York with boiler trouble at 08:30 on Jan. 15, in approx. 40 28N 69 10W - listed in the next convoy, HX 224.
Salinas (U.S.), Pontiac (U.S.), Saturn (U.S.), Lady Rodney (Br) proceeded to St. John's on Jan. 19, in 47 24N 52 19W - this was probably their destination from the start.
Lone Star proceeded to St John's from 54 07N 51 41W following a collision with City of Lyons. The latter left convoy for St. John's on Jan. 21 in 55 12N 51 36W.
Deido proceeded to St. John's, date unknown (to HX 224, did not sail).
Sabine Sun, Atlantic Sun (U.S.), Thysville (Bel) and Fort St. Francois left for Iceland at 15:00 Jan. 27, 62 30N 27 40W

The Commodore says:
Even allowing for the exceptionally adverse weather station-keeping generally was bad especially at night. Insufficient attention was paid to this.
V/S signalling was fair only. Many ships were bad at morse signalling. Morse lamps used at night are usually too bright.

All vessels were able to maintain convoy speed except in adverse weather when there were a number of breakdowns.

16:20/23rd - Fort La Maune endangered convoy by breaking W/T silence to report she was hove to with two lifeboats and one raft gone. The signal was preceded with dashes over a prolonged period which made it very easy to D/F. Also, at 10:00 on the 24th she broke W/T silence with ? groups to pass signal giving her position and that she was making water and might not survive another gale.

Kollbjørg - 13:00/24th, broke in two. (Survivors rescued by Pan Maryland). Nortind was also sunk with all hands. She had stopped to stand by the broken Kollbjørg (together with Pan Maryland) and was subsequently unable to catch up with the convoy - see my page about Kollbjørg, as well as Nortind for more info on this.

Moreton Bay - 18:00/27th, switched on navigation lights unnecessarily.

City of Christiania - 12:40/29th, unable to get a flashing signal through to C. of C. although she was not far off.

Devis - 12:00/31st, called "Devis" incessantly by flashing lamp but she would not answer - also great difficulty in getting her by flags.

The Commodore adds:
"Norfalk (Nor) and Clan Mcgillivray (Br) frequently made excessive smoke, especially the latter. I believe she has since been torpedoed while a straggler and her excessive smoke must have been a contributing factor to her location by enemy". (Note: this ship was not torpedoed).

Escorts:
Western Local Escort South: HMCS Nanaimo , Quesnel, Cobalt
Western Local Escort North: Niagara, Minas, Timmins, Medicine Hat, B uctouche
Ocean Escort: Spencer, Campbell, Lincoln, Dauphin, Napanee, Rosthern, Trillium, Dianthus.

Western local escort parted company at 09:00 Jan. 17, in 44 46N 61 00W, and were relieved by Western Local Escort North.
Western Local Escort North parted company about noon Jan. 19 and was relieved by Ocean Escort who remained with convoy until dispersal. Iceland Escort Ingham joined at 14:30 Jan. 22, in 66(56?) 59N 47 50W and left at 13:00 Jan. 27 in 62 30N 27 40W. Lincoln detached during the night of Jan. 23/24.

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 224