Convoy HX 239 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY HX 239 Departed New York City on May 13-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 28th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 42 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.

Since all the convoy stations are known, it should be possible to get an idea of what this convoy would have looked like by going to, for instance, this page, which shows the composition of a similar 10 column convoy. Or - print out Mike Holdoway's handy blank form and enter the ships in the appropriate stations.

Ship

Nationality

Cargo

Station

Destination

Remarks

Erin

British

refrig. - general

Liverpool

–

Glenapp

general

Liverpool

–

Port Saint John

refrig. - general

Liverpool

–

Rangitata

refrig.

Liverpool

Commodore Vessel

Tongariro

butter - cheese - wool

Liverpool

From HX 238
Vice Commodore

Fort Jasper

lumber - lead - phosphates

Liverpool

–

Fort Cadotte

lumber - metal

London

–

Ocean Vagrant

general

Barry Dock

From HX 238

Northumberland

dairy produce

Avonmouth

–

City of Cape Town

general

Liverpool

–

Empire Coleridge

Tanker W

Avonmouth

–

Schuylkill

Tanker B

Heysham

Out of screen for 3 hours
(engine defect)

Clausina

Tanker B

Stanlow

–

Empire Chapman

Tanker W

Stanlow

–

Scottish Heather

Admiralty tanker B

Milford Haven

Escort Oiler

~~British?~~

Tanker W

–

U.K.

–

~~Sovac~~

Tanker B

–

Mersey

Abraham Lincoln

Norwegian

general

Liverpool

From HX 238

Fort Fitzgerald

British

lumber - general

102

Milford Haven (Southampton)

–

Athos

Norwegian

Admiralty tanker B

Scapa

–

President de Vogue

Admiralty fuel

Londonderry

Escort Oiler, but unable to fuel
(see Notes)

Tarifa

general

101

Swansea

–

~~Gylfe~~

Admiralty fuel

–

Clyde

~~Glarona~~

Tanker W

–

Clyde

Listed in slow convoy
SC 132 May 26

~~George E. Pickett~~

American

sulphur

–

Manchester

Sailed in HX 240

Joseph Rodman Drake

general

84*

Newport

–

Newton D. Baker

sugar

Glasgow

Out of screen 6 hours
(hove to, securing boats)

~~Cyrus H. McCormick~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 240

Charles M. Schwab

general

Cardiff

From HX 238
Arrived St. John's
(listed in HX 241)

~~Joseph Hooker~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 240

~~Kenmar~~

general

–

Liverpool

(See also slow convoy
SC 134 June 16)

~~Charles M. Hall~~

general

–

Liverpool

From HX 238?
Sailed in HX 240

~~Roald Amundsen~~

Norwegian

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Sailed in HX 240

~~Levi Woodbury~~

American

general

–

Liverpool

~~John McLoughlin~~

general

–

London

Sailed in HX 240

~~Washington Irving~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 240

Delrio

general

Swansea

–

~~Delmar~~

general

–

Belfast f. o.

Sailed in HX 240

~~Roger Sherman~~

general

–

Liverpool

Joined HX 240 - returned to port
Listed in HX 241

~~Ephraim Brevard~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 240

~~John Stevens~~

general

–

Glasgow

Sailed in HX 240

~~William R. Davie~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 240

~~Robin Gray~~

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Listed in slow convoy
SC 132 May 26

~~Winston Salem~~

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Esso Bayonne

Admiralty tanker W

Londonderry

–

Geo. W. McKnight

Panamanian

Tanker W

Milford Haven

–

Gulf of Venezuela

American

Tanker

Avonmouth

–

Gulfdisc

Admiralty tanker

Mersey

Escort Oiler

Texas Sun

Tanker

Clyde

–

Empire Cobbett

British

Tanker W

Stanlow

–

Tide Water

American

Admiralty tanker B

Clyde

–

Cartago

general - passengers - mail

Barry Dock

–

Joining from Halifax

Empire Mariner

British

general - copper - trucks

Liverpool

–

Silverteak

general

85*

Liverpool

~~Elias Boudinot~~

American

sulphur - general

–

Garston

From HX 238
Sailed in HX 240
(See also HX 235)

~~Ittersum~~

Dutch

grain - trucks

–

Loch Ewe f. o.

Tiba

grain - trucks

104

Avonmouth

From HX 238

Bajamar

Norwegian

general

Loch Ewe / Iceland

–

Empire Clarion

British

grain - trucks

Avonmouth

–

Fort La Montee

grain - trucks

Tyne

–

Godafoss

Icelandic

general

Loch Ewe / Iceland

–

John Chandler

American

general

Hull

Out of screen 16 hours
(securing boats & engine defects)

Manchester Progress

British

general

Manchester

–

Mosdale

Norwegian

general

103

Avonmouth

–

~~Norwegian~~

British

general

–

Glasgow

Sailed in HX 240

~~Ribera~~

grain

–

Manchester

To HX 240 - did not sail
Listed in slow convoy
SC 132 May 26

Ocean Faith

aluminium - grain

Manchester

From HX 238
Returned to Halifax

Ionian

Greek

grain

London

–

Additionally, the tug Growler is listed in station 105 of the A 1 form.

Notes:
Commodore A. J. Davies R.N.R. was in Rangitata, Vice Commodore was the captain of Tongariro.

*Joseph Rodman Drake and Silverteak may have swapped places - there's a faint pencil mark saying (station) 85 for the former and 84 for the latter.

The Convoy had 43 ships, including those joining from Halifax..
Average speed: 9.03 knots.

From Commodore's notes:
Charles M. Schwab hove to in position 48 34N 43(?) 42W at 15:00Z on May 20 (reason not known). Returned to St. John's under escort, arriving May 25.

Schuylkill - engine defects, out of screen 3 hours.
Newton D. Baker - hove to to secure boats, out of screen 6 hours.
John Chandler - securing boats and engine defect, out of screen 16 hours.

"The open order of 4 cables does not lend itself to good station keeping. There is no doubt that this is worse than it used to be. Following ships were particularly bad, keeping outside their station: John Chandler, Joseph Rodman Drake.
Ocean Vagrant had difficulty for the first three days owing to bad coal etc., but afterwards kept well up and good station.

Open order hampers signalling but, considering this, it was good. Special care should be taken that all ships have small blue signalling lamp, otherwise they are inclined to use too bright a light.

As Commodore's vessel Rangitata was "very well equipped and excellent in every way. Captain P.B. Clonks(?) and officers very good indeed and most helpful in every way. Ship keeps very good revolutions."

As for the ships' behavious in convoy he says that "while all leaders were very good, Northumberland, Tongariro and Empire Coleridge stand out as exceptional. Empire Coleridge handles her nets exceedingly well".

Narrative of voyage:
Very fine weather for three days after leaving New York but then 24 hours of fog which covered the meeting of Halifax ships at HOMP, but HMS Lincoln (Lieut. O.I. Helge) did very well indeed in bringing them to close proximity, so that when fog cleared in daylight next day they took up their positions without delay. Heavy rain and patches of fog over the Banks, but luckily it cleared sufficiently to make the 50° turn on Wednesday 19th May. Two large icebergs sighted Thursday 20th May - roughly in position 48N 43 20W.
Wednesday 19th May - Route altered to N.W.
Thursday 20th May (noon) - Route altered from course 009° to course 067° and (at 16:00) again to course 078°. During this day experienced a heavy North Westerly gale with rough sea and while on course 067° for four hours one had doubts whether ships could hold it, but luckily route was again altered bringinig sea on the quarter. A fair wind with wind on the quarter lasted for two days and then fair weather.

Friday 21st May - Sea was too heavy for HMS Archer to use aircraft but for the next 3 days they flew continuously from dawn to dusk. H/F D/F reports were received first on Saturday evening 22nd May. On Sunday 23rd May my position noon (13:00Z) 52 03N 27 58W - a Swordfish, manned by Sub. Lieut. H. Horrocks, Sub. Lieut. Balkwill and an air mechanic* made a successful attack on a submarine whose crew abandoned ship and some of whom were picked up by HMS Escapade. During two of these days submarines appear to have been in the vicinity of convoy but thanks to air-support given by HMS Archer and Support Group it would not appear that convoy was ever actually sighted though a steady course was maintained throughout. And the factor which probably had great effect was that it was only from P.M 23rd May until A.M. 25th May that convoy was without shore based air support.

* This was, in fact, Leading Naval Airman John W. Wicks, telegraphist/air gunner (name received from a relative of Sub. Lieut. Horrocks, Graham Horrocks).

I cannot speak too highly of the handling of HMS Archer (Captain J. Robertson R.N.) and her flying off on first day in a considerable swell. She kept aircraft continuously in the air for 3 days during daylight and never once got outside the escort screen. In this connection I must mention the keenness and alertness always shown by S.O. Escort (Commander M. J. Evans, R.N. in HMS Keppel) who also at all times gave myself and the ships of the convoy every assistance. Captain Scott-Moncrieff R.N. deserves every credit for his most efficient group.

Reference T.M. 52: Escort oilers and Aircraft Carrier were stationed in the column next to the Commodore which was found most satisfactory and communications were thereby enhanced. (Archer is pencilled into station 74 on the convoy form, behind Ocean Vagrant).

It looks like Commodore A. J. Davies had also been the Commodore for the westbound convoy ON 179, which left Liverpool on Apr. 18-1943 and arrived New York City on May 6, because he now says in his report: "Reference T.M. 47: Please refer to my remarks on ON 179 which are confirmed on this convoy".

Following ships were fitted with nets:
Empire Coleridge and John Chandler - towed nets both sides successfully at convoy speed.
Fort Cadotte - can only tow one side at convoy speed.
Empire Chapman - towed one side successfully and might tow both at convoy speed.
Charles M. Schwab - was fitted with American Anti-torpedo "MARK 22" Gear and towed this successfully before becoming a straggler.

Scottish Heather fuelled escorts continuously keeping up convoys speed (9.4) while doing so.
Gulfdisc fuelled one escort at convoy speed, but was without the necessary adapters for hose pipes.
President de Vogue was unable to fuel escorts as she only had canvas hose and swell was too great for fuelling abreast.

Escorts:
From New York until relieved at HOMP: HMS Buxton and 4 corvettes.
HOMP to 45 42N 45 06W (May 19): HMS Lincoln and 3 corvettes.
Ocean Escort (from above pos. to Long 07W): HMS Keppel, Escapade, Garland and 5 corvettes.
Support Group (A.M., May 21 to noon May 24 in 53 32N 22 21W): HMS Faulknor, Onslaught, Impulsive, Pelican, Archer.
May 18, 44 49N 49 59W - Tug Growler and Northern Gem, until Long. 07W.

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. This website lists them alphabetically.
This site has more on the the "Fort" and "Ocean" ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 240