Convoy HX 237 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 237
Departed New York on May 1-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 17th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 46 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.Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined ships returned to port.
Info on ships sunk has been added with the help of:
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer
"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan,
and misc. Norwegian sources as quoted on my pages about Brand and Sandanger.
A 1 form is not available to me and, therefore, I don't know the station numbers of these ships.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Pacific Enterprise
British
general
Liverpool
Commodore Vessel
City of Dundee
"
general
Manchester
–
Stanmore
"
general
London
–
Warfield
"
general
Glasgow
–
Ernebank
"
general
Cardiff
–
Avristan
"
general
Liverpool
–
Consuelo
"
general
Hull
Vice Commodore
City of Eastbourne
"
general
London
–
Fort Bedford
"
lumber - general
Immingham
Clan Macarthur
"
refrig. - lead
Glasgow
–
Port Caroline
"
general - passengers - mail
Avonmouth
Opalia
"
Tanker W
Belfast Dock
–
Empire Emerald
"
Tanker W
Stanlow
–
British Valour
"
Admiralty tanker B
Londonderry
From HX 236
Northern Sun
American
Tanker B
Heysham
–
William J. Worth
"
sulphur
Hull
From HX 236
Sailed in HX 238
Elmer A. Sperry
"
general
Mersey
From HX 236
Sailed in HX 238
Charles M. Schwab
"
general
Liverpool
Also cancelled from HX 238
Joined HX 239 - returned to port
Bernard N. Baker
"
general
Mersey
From HX 236
Sailed in HX 238
John F. Appleby
"
general
Liverpool
–
Belgian Gulf
Panamanian
Tanker B
Mersey
–
Gulfwing
American
Tanker B
Swansea
–
Esso Charleston
"
Admiralty tanker W
Clyde
–
Moses Cleaveland
"
sugar
Clyde / Greenock
From HX 236
Bralanta
Norwegian
Tanker B
Stanlow
Sailed in HX 238
Strinda
"
Tanker B
Bowling
–
Frontenac
"
Tanker B
Shellhaven
–
Laurent Meeus
Belgian
Tanker B
Dingle
–
Magdala
Dutch
Tanker W
Bowling
–
Norholm
Norwegian
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Kaldfonn
"
Tanker B
Clyde f. o.
Leerdam
Dutch
general - passengers
Liverpool
–
Delhi
Swedish
steel - cotton
Cardiff
–
Sandanger
Norwegian
Tanker W
Swansea
From HX 236
Sunk by U-221 May 12
20 † - 19 survived
See my page about Sandanger
Spinanger
"
Tanker B
Clyde
–
Dorcasia
British
Tanker B
Stanlow
–
Braga
Norwegian
Navy stores
Loch Ewe / Iceland
–
Herbrand
"
Tanker B
Avonmouth
–
Trondheim
"
Tanker W
Swansea
–
G. C. Brøvig
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
–
Wendell Phillips
American
general
Liverpool
From HX 236
Put back to St. John's
Sailed in HX 238
Winona
"
phosphates
Garston
Put back to St. John's.
Listed in SC 130
Henry Villard
"
general - passengers - mail
Avonmouth
–
James Turner
"
Army stores - passengers - mail
Liverpool
–
Mormacmar
"
grain - general - mail
Avonmouth
–
Aedanus Burke
"
sulphur
Returned to port (Halifax)
boiler trouble
Sailed in HX 238
Alcoa Trader
"
grain - general
Swansea
–
Fort Aklavik
British
metal - lumber - grain
London
–
Joining from Halifax - Sailed May 3
City of Kimberley
British
general
Mersey
Saint Bertrand
"
general
Glasgow
–
Dromore
"
grain - general
Manchester
–
Brand
Norwegian
general
Liverpool
From HX 236
Sunk by U-603 May 12
3 † - 39 survived
See my page about Brand
Argolikos
Greek
grain - general - phosphates
Ipswich
Sailed in HX 238
Norefjord
Norwegian
grain - general
Avonmouth
–
Richard Hovey
American
general
Newport
–
City of Glasgow
British
meat - general
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 238
Fort Concord
"
grain - general
Manchester
Gdynia
Swedish
general
Liverpool
–
Joseph Warren
American
general
Manchester
Put back to St. John's.
Listed in SC 130
Kong Sverre
Norwegian
general
Liverpool
–
Stephen A. Douglas
American
grain - general
Liverpool
From HX 234
Put back to St. John's
Sailed in HX 238
Yukon
–
refrig.
Loch Ewe
–
Ferncourt, cancelled from the previous convoy, is also included in the Commodore's list of ships, but not in the Advance Sailing Telegram. However, I cannot be 100 % sure she actually sailed, as in his list, the Commodore has also included those which are listed as cancelled in the AST.
Additionally, the Commodore lists HMS Fencer within the convoy (also listed in the next convoy).
Notes:
Commodore Roy Gill R.N.R. was in Pacific Enterprise (to Belfast), Vice Commodore was the captain of Consuelo (to Loch Ewe).
Average speed: 9.5 knots.
The convoy had 52 ships, 42 of which were still present at rendezvous with local escort.
Found to be missing in fog, May 7:
Winona, Fort Concord, Wendell Phillips, Brand, Stephen A. Douglas, Sandanger, Joseph Warren, Alcoa Trader, Moses Cleaveland.
Aedanus Burke detached to Halifax with boiler trouble.
The British Roslin Castle joined (for convoy in dangerous area) during the night of May 11/12, left at 08:00Z May 14
M/F D/F Report:
The following ships were detailed at New York for M/F D/F guards:
Ernebank – 350-400 Kc/s
Avristan – 400 -450 Kc/s
Port Caroline – Spot 437 Kc/s
Empire Emerald - Spot 480 Kc/s
Special searching ships:
Fort Aklavik – 600-400 Kc/s
City of Eastbourne – 400-300 Kc/s
Further ships were detailed by Halifax amongst ships leaving there but names of these ships was not known.
The Senior Officer of the ocean escort detailed the escorts for M/F D/F guards.
The following reports were received in Commodore's ship:
1 - From HMS Opportune at 22:10Z/9, ZS2A
2 - From Port Caroline at 01:15Z/11, ZS9A
3 - From HMS Biter at 18:13Z/10, ZR2B4X 384
4 - From Port Caroline at 00:47Z-02:01Z/12, ZS9B
5 - From Dromore at 11:15Z/12, ZS9A 384
All those received from merchant ships were unidentified, but the two received from HM ships were classified as homing signals. The frequency of Opportune's homig singal was asked for but no reply received.
The special searching ships were ordered at New York to inform Commodore by V/S of any homing signals they received on their respective searching bands but none were received by Commodore.
Dromore, Captain Clarke - "visual signalling and station keeping very good".
British Valour, Spinanger - "efficient in fuelling escorts".
Commodore's Narrative (he does not appear to be aware of the fact that 3 stragglers were sunk):
"After junction with Halifax portion thick fog set in which lasted for 2 days and three nights, resulting in ten ships losing convoy. It became known that convoy was being shadowed on the 9th May and H/F D/F bearings were obtained from that date to the 12th May. Surface support group consisting of HMS Biter and three destroyers which were in the offing joined up with convoy. This group proved a very valuable asset in spotting submarines with aircraft and is just what the doctor ordered. The net result being that two submarines were sunk in the following positions Lat 46-49N Long 25-35W, Lat 48-37N Long 22-39W. The convoy suffered no loss, in fact the submarines could not get close enough to convoy to carry out an attack. Splendid work was done by escort group C 2 and support group in their relentless pursuit and destruction of enemy.
Convoy made good headway and was favoured by fair winds and moderate sea.
It is my considered opinion that given an aircraft carrier and three destroyers as a support group in submarine infested waters, the U-boat menace would gradually disappear and one would be able to send a wire to Hitler informing him of convoys sailing and telling him if any of his submarines are in the way, they will be sunk."
Escort Vessels:
HMCS Trail, Timmins, Noranda, HMS St. Albans, Broadway, Lagan, HMCS Morden, HMS Primrose, HMCS Chambly, Drumheller, HMS Biter, Pathfinder, Opportune, Obdurant (should this be Obdurate?).
Local escort left at 14:00Z on May 7 in 42 06N 45 46W, when ocean escort joined.
Ocean escort left at 21:00Z May 15 in 55 39N 08 49W.
Surface support group joined at 17:00Z May 9 in 40 40N 36 04W to 10:45Z May 13 in 49 17N 22 13W.
Air escort:
Joined at 12:00Z May 2 in 40 02N 68 55W to 19:00Z same day in 40 30N 67 40W.
Joined at 06:00Z May 13 in 49 00N 22 37W to 20:00Z same day in 50 20N 20 28W.
Joined at 05:00Z May 14 in 51 20N 19 00W to 21:30Z same day in 53 05N 15 39W.
All the Norwegian ships sailing in this convoy are listed on this website - see alphabet index below.
Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Some of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty ships (a few of them had just been delivered in Apr.). This website lists them alphabetically.
This site has more on the the "Fort" ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 238