Convoy HX 240 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY HX 240 Departed New York City on May 19-1943 and arrived Liverpool on June 4.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 56 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.

~~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 (similar formation, except HX 240 had 14 columns). Or - print out Mike Holdoway's handy blank form and enter the ships in the appropriate stations.

Ship

Nationality

Cargo

Station

Destination

Remarks

Houston City

British

general

Swansea

–

Nassa?

Tanker W

112

Avonmouth

–

British Destiny

Tanker W

103

Stanlow

–

Fort Buffalo

lumber - lead

London

–

Solarium

Tanker W

Stanlow

–

British Engineer

Tanker W

123

Stanlow

–

Mahia

refrig. - general - mail

Liverpool

–

Ocean Angel

general

142

Glasgow

–

Luminetta

Tanker

Stanlow

–

Kaipaki

general

Liverpool

Vice Commodore
See Commodore's Notes

~~Hindustan~~

steel - general

–

Glasgow

Fort Nakasley

general

London

–

Comanchee

Tanker

121

Mersey

–

Lucellum

Tanker

Clyde

–

Settler

general - passengers - mail

Liverpool

Commodore Vessel

Fort Chesterfield

lumber - metal

Immingham

–

British Respect

Tanker W

102

Manchester

–

Gylfe

Norwegian

Admiralty tanker B

Invergordon

Skandinavia

Tanker W

Dingle

See Commodore's Notes

Velma

Admiralty tanker

Milford Haven

–

~~Molda~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed n HX 241

~~illegible~~

Swedish? Dutch?

general

–

Liverpool

Possibly Dutch Melampus
Listed as cancelled from HX 241

Wallace E. Pratt

American

Tanker W

Bowling

See Commodore's Notes

~~Fort La Traite?~~

British

wheat

–

Belfast Dock

If Fort La Traite,
sailed in SC 132

British Confidence

Tanker W

Bowling / Ardrossan(?)

–

Roald Amundsen

Norwegian

general

Liverpool

From HX 239

Thorhild

Tanker

Avonmouth

–

~~Solør~~

Tanker

–

Avonmouth

Høyanger

general

Glasgow

–

Esso Baltimore

American

Tanker W

122

Barry Dock

See Commodore's Notes

Benito Juarez

sulphur

141

Liverpool

–

Washington Irving

general

Avonmouth

From HX 239

John McLoughlin

Army stores

143

Cardiff

From HX 239

Joseph Hooker

general

Liverpool

From HX 239

Levi Woodbury

general

London

From HX 239

George E. Pickett

sulphur

Manchester

Ephraim Brevard

general

Glasgow

From HX 239

Henry Clay

general

Liverpool

–

Delmar

general

131

Liverpool

From HX 239

Abangarez

general

113

Garston

See Commodore's Notes

Charles M. Hall

general

111

Cardiff

From HX 239

John Stevens

general

Liverpool

From HX 239

Roger Sherman

general

–

Liverpool

From HX 239
Straggled - arrived Halifax May 23
Sailed in HX 241

Cyrus H. McCormick

general

Newport

From HX 239

William R. Davie

general

Hull

From HX 239

George Gale

sugar

London

–

Francis Lewis

general

104

Liverpool

–

~~Hollywood~~

general

–

Liverpool

Listed in slow convoy
SC 132 May 26

~~Ella Willard~~

general

–

Avonmouth

Should this be Emma Willard?

~~Sun~~

Tanker B

–

Avonmouth

Sailed in HX 241

~~Simon Willard~~

general

–

Belfast f. o.

Steel Ranger

general

London

–

~~Ponce De Leon~~

general

–

Mersey

Sailed in HX 241

~~William Pepper~~

general

–

Mersey f. o.

To HX 241 - did not sail

Belinda

Norwegian

Tanker

133

Mersey

–

Fjordaas

Tanker

Scapa

–

Joining from Halifax Sailed May 21 - Joined at 15:30Z May 22

Elias Boudinot

American

sulphur - general

London

Ittersum

Dutch

grain

London

From HX 239

Moveria

British

general

114

Liverpool

–

~~Jean L-D~~

French

general

–

Liverpool

To HX 241 - straggled
To SC 132

Empire Claymore

British

grain

London

–

~~Empire Faith~~

grain

–

Avonmouth

California Express

Norwegian

meats - metals

Cardiff

See Commodore's Notes

Norwegian

British

general

132

Glasgow

From HX 239

~~Corrales~~

general

–

Cardiff

William Phips

American

general

134

Avonmouth

–

Charles Sumner

general

144

Manchester

–

Coombe Hill

British

grain

Hull

–

Bañaderos

Norwegian

general

Loch Ewe / Iceland

See Commodore's Notes

Empire Bittern

British

general

101

Swansea / Avonmouth

–

~~James J. Pettigrew~~

American

general

–

Belfast f. o.

Sailed in HX 242

Manchester Trader

British

general

124

Manchester

See Commodore's Notes

~~Peter Cartwright~~

American

general

–

Belfast f. o.

Sailed in HX 242

~~Ribera~~

British

grain

–

Manchester

From HX 239
Listed in slow convoy
SC 132 May 26

Additionally, the Commodore mentions Lady Rodney among the ships in the Halifax section. This ship detached for St. John's at 17:20Z May 25, in 44 22N 45 58W

Notes:
Commodore Arthur Cocks R.N.R. was in Settler, Vice Commodore was Captain S. F. Cameron of Kaipaki.

The convoy had 58 ships. Columns 5 cables apart and ships in columns 4 cables apart.
Average speed: 8.75 knots.

From Commodore's Notes:
Roger Sherman straggled during the night of May 19/20, during thick fog in approx. 40 10N 70 55W. Afterwards reported to have arrived safely at Halifax, May 23. (Joined the next convoy).
Kaipaki, California Express, Esso Baltimore, Wallace E. Pratt, Skandinavia, Manchester Trader, Bañaderos, and Abangarez were detached from main convoy at 08:00(B) June 1, in 56 53N 23 10W, and sent ahead under escort as fast section.

Station keeping and visual signalling: Good. However, Moveria and Høyanger had difficulty in maintaining a speed of 9.5 knots with wind of force 4 and slight sea. The speed of convoy had to be slightly reduced from time to time on their account. "It is recommended that these vessels be not again included in fast convoys".

Commodore's ship was judged to be "unsuitable, as the only cabin available for Commodore is two decks below bridge, and there is no settee (or room for one) in chart room."

The convoy experienced heavy weather during the latter part of the voyage, which resulted in considerable delays. There were no attacks or incidents, though heavy depth charges were heard at 15:30Z in 56 53N 21 00W on June 1.

The Commodore suggested that "groups of signals be inserted in Mersigs covering Net Defence vessels, such as "Stream Star'd Net", "Recover Star'd Net", "Stream both nets", "Recover both nets" etc. It should also be possible to introduce coloured light signals to control Net Defence vessels at night."

Ships reported for persistent smoking:
Manchester Trader - declared speed 13.5 knots. Informed by signal that she would be reported for persistent smokng. Her reply: "Every effort is made at all times to minimise smoke. This ship is fired by automatic stokers. Coal is mixture Dolton nuts, Cortors Nuts, Bentley slack, and Sherwood slack, received at Ellesmere Port".
Abangarez was also informed by signal that she would be reported for persistent smoking. Her reply was: "This is an oil burning ship. During this period of heavy smoking speed of Convoy was 9.5 knots".

Escort Vessels:
Western Local (South): St. Clair, Quesnel, Chicoutimi - to 15:30Z May 22 in 43 23N 61 08W (HOMP), relieved by
Western Local (North): St. Francis, Midland, Kamloops, Transcona - to 17:20Z May 25 in 44 22N 45 59W, at which time the mid-ocean escort took over.
Mid-Ocean: Ottawa, Dianthus, Banff, Arvida, Wetaskiwin, Fishguard, Rostern, Nene, St. Elstan (trawler) and Stormking (rescue tug).
5th Support group joined on May 27 and remained in company until p.m. May 30.

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 241