Convoy HX 243 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY HX 243 Departed New York City on June 7-1943 arrived Liverpool on the 21st.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 76 ships in this convoy.

Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegram and A 1 form) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

~~Crossed out~~ ships did not sail.

See also the westbound Convoy ON 181.

Ship

Nationality

Cargo

Station

Destination

Remarks

Noah Webster

American

general

123

Cardiff

–

Calvin Coolidge

general

115

Barry Dock

–

~~Anthony Wayne~~

general - grain

–

Loch Ewe f. o.

~~Agwidale~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 244

~~Oremar~~

general - explosives

–

Hull

Listed in slow Convoy SC 134

~~William A. Graham~~

general - explosives

–

Belfast f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

El Oriente

Panamanian

general

133

Barry Dock

–

~~John Langdon~~

American

general - explosives

–

Belfast f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

James G. Birney

general - explosives

Glasgow

Alcoa Cutter

general

103

Newport

–

Chester Valley

general

121

Avonmouth

–

Charles Henderson

general

151

Hull

–

William N. Pendleton

sugar

London

(Not on A 1 form)
See Notes

Ville d'Anvers

Belgian

general

Swansea

–

Sinclair Opaline

American

Tanker W

131

Swansea

–

Norbris

Panamanian

Tanker W

104

Stanlow

Norwegian managers
listed on N page of this site

Catrine

British

general

111

Manchester

Vice Commodore

Luculus

Tanker B

London (Shellhaven)

–

Bellerophon

general

101

Liverpool

From HX 242

Temple Arch

grain

Belfast Dock

–

Naticina

Tanker W

Bowling / Ardrossan

?From HX 242?

Port Dunedin

frozen general

Liverpool

–

~~San Veronico~~

Tanker W

–

Stanlow

Sailed in HX 244

Villanger

Norwegian

general

Liverpool

–

Salamis

Tanker W

Stanlow

–

Mosli

Tanker B

Scapa

Escort Oiler
see Notes

Boskoop

Dutch

general

Liverpool

–

Delftdijk

general

134

Glasgow

–

Pan-Delaware

American

Tanker W

124

Avonmouth

–

Alfred Moore

general

132

London

–

~~Roger Williams~~

general

–

Liverpool

Joined HX 244 -returned to port

Benjamin Chew

general

London

–

Steel Mariner

general

122

Liverpool

–

~~F. J. Luckenbach~~

general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 244

Kofresi

general

143

Liverpool

~~El Oceano~~

Panamanian

general - explosives

–

Mersey f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

Kentuckian

American

general

Swansea

From HX 242

Leonidas Polk

iron

Liverpool

From HX 242

David S. Terry

general

Cardiff

From HX 242

Joseph Gale

general - explosives

London

From HX 242

John M. Clayton

general

Manchester

–

Henry Groves Connor

sugar

Clyde

–

Esso Providence

Tanker B

112

Avonmouth

–

Smith Thompson

general

Swansea

From HX 242

~~John P. Holland~~

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Had sailed in previous convoy?

Fort Ash

British

lumber - lead - phosphates

London

–

Fort Slave

steel - lumber

Immingham

–

Argos Hill

general

Liverpool

–

Fort Brule

steel - lumber - grain

Liverpool

From HX 242
Rear Commodore

~~Elona~~

Tanker B

–

Stanlow

Westland

Dutch

general

Liverpool

Commodore Vessel

Washington Express

Norwegian

general

Glasgow

Laurits Swenson

general

114

Liverpool

–

~~Germa~~

general

–

Liverpool

Listed in slow Convoy SC 134

Oregon Express

general

Manchester

From HX 242

Esso Concord

American

Tanker W

102

Bromborough

–

James M. Wayne

general

141

Liverpool

From HX 242

~~Nathaniel Bacon~~

general

–

Avonmouth

Sailed in HX 244

~~Cefalu~~

Honduran

general - explosives

–

Belfast f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

~~Edwin Markham~~

American

general

–

Belfast f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

Robert M. T. Hunter

general - explosives

113

Liverpool

From HX 242

George Taylor

general

Manchester

–

~~Gabriel Duval~~

general - explosives

–

Hull

Sailed in HX 244

~~Tarleton Brown~~

none given

–

Liverpool

Joined HX 244 - returned to port

~~James R. Randall~~

general

–

Liverpool

To HX 244 - did not sail

British Tradition

British

Tanker W

Bowling

–

Robert F. Hoke

American

general

142

Liverpool

–

Davila

British

Admiralty tanker B

Londonderry

Escort Oiler
see Notes

San Adolfo

Admiralty tanker B

Liverpool

Escort Oiler
see Notes

~~Collis P. Huntington~~

American

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Fort Dease Lake

British

none given

London

–

Jamaica Producer

none given

Avonmouth

–

Prinses Maria-Pia

Belgian - MOWT 1940

none given

Liverpool

–

Yemassee

Panamanian

none given

Loch Ewe / Iceland

–

Green Mountain

American

none given

152

Manchester

–

Additionally, the Commodore mentions the following ships in his notes:
Fort Townshend and Cathcart - left convoy for Halifax at 13:45 on June 10 in 43 00N 60 23W.
Lady Rodney, bound for St. John's, left at 16:30 June 12 in 45 11N 49 10W, escorted by Lincoln.

Joining from Halifax - Sailed June 9 Joined at 13:00 June 10 - 42 47N 60 33W

Fort Longueuil

British

grain - general

154

Barry Dock

–

~~Empire Capulet~~

general

–

Tyne

Sailed in HX 244

~~Empire Hunter~~

general

–

Loch Ewe f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

~~Fort Fraser~~

grain - general

–

Manchester

Joined HX 244 - returned to port
Listed in HX 245

~~Comedian~~

grain - general

–

Liverpool

Listed in HX 245

Kafiristan

grain - general

153

Manchester

–

~~Tudor Prince~~

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Tilapa

meat - metal - mail

144

Liverpool

–

Riverview Park

general

Liverpool

–

Empire Prowess

steel - lumber

Sunderland

–

Ocean Vigour

grain

105

Liverpool

Pleiades

American

general

Loch Ewe / Iceland

–

Thomas W. Hyde

general

145

Liverpool

–

Empire Yukon

British

general

125

Liverpool

–

Deebank

general

135

Milford Haven / Southampton

–

Hopecrest

grain

116

Liverpool

–

Fort Mingan

grain

136

Leith Dock

From HX 242

Emily Dickinson

American

general

Glasgow

From HX 242

~~Asa Gray~~

steel - general

–

Mersey f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

~~Cep~~ ~~nee~~

French

grain

–

Glasgow

To HX 244 - did not sail
Sailed in HX 245

~~Eugene Field~~

American

grain - general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 244

Elm Park

British

general

Glasgow

–

~~George Handley~~

American

general

–

Mersey f. o.

To HX 244 - did not sail

~~Laban Howes~~

British?

steel - lumber

–

Tyne

Listed in slow Convoy SC 134

Mary Lyon

American

general

126

Avonmouth

–

~~Medina~~

general

–

Loch Ewe / Iceland

Ocean Stranger

British

grain - general

London

–

~~Patrick Henry~~

American

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

~~Richmond Mumford Pearson~~

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

~~Thomas R. Marshall~~

general

–

Mersey f. o.

Sailed in HX 244

Gorjistan

British

general

Manchester

(Halifax section?)

Scottish Monarch

general

Manchester

(Halifax section?)

Helder

Dutch

general

Liverpool

(Halifax section?)

Bury

British

Rescue Vessel

Clyde

–

Rescue Vessel Bury was on her 9th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with westbound Convoy ON 184 on May 15-1943, to Halifax May 29 - returning with HX 243 from Halifax to Clyde, June 9-June 21. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague).

Edward N. Hurley

American

general

Hull

From HX 242
Joined from St. John's
13:00/12th

Notes:
Commodore W. E. B. Magee D.S.O. R.N.R. was in Westland, Vice Commodore was C. Feaves, the captain of Catrine, Rear Commodore was the captain of Fort Brule.

The convoy had 77 ships

Average speed: 9.61 knots

William N. Pendleton dropped out during thick fog on the night of June 14/15 in approx. 50 20N 43 00W.

The Commodore's notes are very brief. He says station keeping and signalling were "good", Commodore's vessel "suitable".

"Fine weather generally was experienced during the voyage. Fog and icebergs south of Cape Race, smoke caused trouble at times and forms the subject of a separate report (not available). As regards enemy action the voyage was uneventful. An excellent convoy".

Escort Oilers Report
Davila:	San Adolfo:	Mosli:
Escort	Date & Amount	Escort	Date & Amount	Escort	Date & Amount
HMS Broadway	June 13 - 27 tons	HNMS Lincoln	June 12 - 92 tons	HMS Rockingham	June 15 - 76 tons
HMS Primrose	June 15 - 37 tons	HMS Rockingham	June 13 - 59 tons	HMS Fennel	June 15 - 52 tons
HMS Monkshood	June 15 - 40 tons	HMS Hurricane	June 13 - 48 tons	HMS Dahlia	June 16 - 55 tons
HMCS Drumheller	June 16 - 50 tons	HMS Broadway	June 15 - 98 tons	HMCS Kamloops	June 17 - 90.2 tons
–	–	HMCS Chambly	June 15 - 60 tons	–	–
–	–	HMS Borage	June 15 - 50 tons	–	–

Escorts:
Local Escort (from date of sailing): HNMS Lincoln*, (S.O.), HMCS Sudbury - to 14:00 June 10, 43 02N 60 16W.
Joining in Ambrose Channel (date illegible): HMCS Oakville, HMCS Arrowhead, HMCS Brockville - to 14:30 June 12, 45 07N 49 35W.
Joining June 10 in 42 57N 60 33W: HMS Caldwell - to 14:30 June 12, 45 07N 49 35W.
Ocean Escort - Group B 1 (joined in 45 06N 49 40W, date illegible, possibly June 11?): HMS Hurricane (S.O.), HMS Rockingham, HMS Dahlia, HMS Borage, HMS Monkshood and HMS Meadowsweet (left at 12:00 June 18 in 55 36N 21 24W.
Group C 2 (also joined in 45 06N 49 40W): HMS Broadway, HMS Lagan, HMS Fennel, HMS Primrose, HMCS Chambly, HMCS Kamloops, HMCS Drumheller (left at 17:00 June 20, 55 48N 07 12W).
HMS Lancer joined in 45 01N 50 04W (date illegible) and escorted convoy to Liverpool. Also, rescue tug HMS Griper - parted company at 22:00 June 20 off Mull of Kintyre.

*HNMS Lincoln "after parting company on 10th June was absent from convoy until 14:00/11th June when he rejoined in position 43 48N 54 24W. He finally parted company at 16:30/12th June in position 45 10N 49 10W escorting Lady Rodney to St. John's N.F.".

Air Escort :
Ambrose channel, various types for 10 1/2 hours - left at 20:15 June 7
40 09N 71 17W, Mitchell for 10 hours - left at 17:00 June 8.
40 24N 66 25W, Catalina for 9 1/2 hours - left at 14:00 June 9.
44 08N 55 52W, Catalina for 3 1/2 hours - left at 10:30 June 11.
45 40N 46 35W, Liberator for 13 hours - left at 19:30 June 13.
52 28N 40 08W, Liberator for 4 hours - left at 18:00 June 15.
55 05N 25 20W, Liberator for 6 1/2 hours - left at 04:30 June 18
55 20N 22 50W, Liberator for 10 1/2 hours - left at 18:00 June 18.

All the Norwegian ships sailing in this convoy are discussed on this website - more info on them can be found with the help of the 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", "Ocean" and "Park" ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.

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To the next HX convoy in my list HX 244