Convoy HX 246 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 246
Departed New York on June 30-1943 and arrived Liverpool on July 14.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 63 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.
By looking at the cruising order for HX 229, it should be possible to visualize what this convoy looked like (just add 2 more columns for HX 246).
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Port Adelaide
British
refrig. - general
71
Liverpool
Commodore Vessel
Port Halifax
"
refrig. - general
91
Glasgow
–
Idomeneus
"
refrig. - general
33
Liverpool
Rear Commodore
Arabian Prince
"
general
103
Liverpool
Vice Commodore
Coptic
"
refrig. - general - mail
81
Cardiff
–
Fort Glenora
"
lumber - metal
13
Barry dock
–
Peshawur
"
refrig. - general
92
Avonmouth
–
Dromore
"
steel - general
51
Manchester
–
Norman Star
"
refrig.
73 (43)
Tyne
British Destiny
"
Tanker W
–
Mersey f. o.
British Fidelity
"
Tanker W
vap. oil
84 (85)
Avonmouth
–
British Respect
"
Tanker W
gas.
54 (55)
Stanlow
–
Empire Coleridge
"
Tanker W
gas.
52 (53)
Swansea
–
Scottish Heather
"
Admiralty tanker B
fuel oil
62 (52)
Clyde
Collided with Benjamin Bourne
see Notes below
HMS Striker
"
planes
93
Mersey / London
–
HMS Searcher
"
planes
43 (73)
Mersey
From HX 245
British Confidence
"
Tanker B
–
Stanlow
Sailed in HX 247
Lucellum
"
Tanker B
–
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 247
Empire Wisdom
"
refrig. - general
61
Liverpool
–
Elisabeth Bakke
Norwegian
general - passengers
41
Manchester
–
Lista
"
general - grain
22
Liverpool
From HX 245
Ganymedes
Dutch
general - sugar - passengers
111
London
–
Evita
Norwegian
Admiralty tanker W
–
Clyde
Strinda
"
Tanker B
–
Mersey f. o.
To HX 247 - did not sail
Vav
"
Tanker W
–
Mersey f. o.
Belinda
"
Tanker W
gas.
34
Bromborough
–
Skandinavia
"
Tanker W
gas. - kerosene
104
Swansea
–
Thorhild
"
Tanker W
gas. - oil
105
Clyde
–
G. C. Brøvig
"
Admiralty tanker W
Admiralty fuel
23
Scapa
–
Velma
"
Admiralty tanker B
Admiralty fuel
31
Invergordon
Oiler
Kaia Knudsen
"
Admiralty tanker B
Admiralty fuel
75
Milford Havon / Devonport
Oiler
Belgian Freighter
Belgian
general
–
Glasgow
Sailed in HX 247
Tigre
Norwegian
general
112
Cardiff
Skotaas
"
Tanker W
–
Stanlow
Listed in slow convoy SC 136
leaving Halifax July 8-1943
Conrad Weiser
American
general
–
Liverpool
From HX 245
Sailed in HX 247
Samuel F. B. Morse
"
general - tanks - mail
122
Liverpool
–
Bernard N. Baker
"
general - mail
15 (124)
Liverpool
–
Edwin M. Stanton
"
general
76
Liverpool
–
William Johnson
"
general
113
Avonmouth
–
Benjamin Bourne
"
general - troops
53 (54)
London
Collided with Scottish Heather
See Notes below
Abraham Baldwin
"
grain - general
32
Cardiff
–
Pennsylvania
"
general
11
Glasgow
–
Frederick L. Dau
"
general - passengers
14
Liverpool / Garston
–
Joseph M. Medill
"
phosphate
74
Garston
From HX 245
Theodor Foster
"
sugar - general - tanks
44
Clyde
–
Richard S. Ewell
"
sugar - general
121
Liverpool
–
Francis Asbury
"
general
12
Liverpool
From HX 245
Button Gwinnett
"
steel - general
95
Liverpool
From HX 245
Laura Keene
"
general
86
Liverpool / Garston
–
William Wilkins
"
general
46
Avonmouth
Put back to St. John's
Sailed in HX 248
Abner Doubleday
"
general - tanks
101
Liverpool
Collided with J. H. Senior
See Notes below
Richard H. Alvey
"
general - steel
83 (84)
Newport
James Hoban
"
general
55 (56)
Liverpool
–
Beaconoil
Panamanian
Admiralty tanker B
–
Clyde
Listed in slow convoy SC 136
leaving Halifax July 8-1943
J. H. Senior
"
Tanker W
gas. - gliders
102
Avonmouth
Collided with Abner Doubleday
See Notes below
Belfast Commodore
Wallace E. Pratt
American
Tanker W
gas.
72
Barry Dock
–
Dettifoss
Icelandic
general - passengers
24
Loch Ewe / Iceland
John G. Carlisle
American
general
–
Mersey f. o.
James E. Haviland
"
general
123
Manchester
See Notes
British Promise
British
Tanker W
aviation fuel
42
Barry Dock
–
Regent Panther
"
Tanker W
aviation fuel
94
Avonmouth
–
San Cipriano
"
Tanker W
gas.
45
Stanlow
–
Taria
Dutch
Tanker W
benzine
35
Dingle
–
Lechistan
Polish
general
21
Glasgow
–
George Handley
American
general
25
Liverpool
Esso Baltimore
"
Tanker W
gas.
82 (83)
Grangemouth
–
Joining from Halifax joined at 09:00 on July 3 in 42 28N 67 42W
Fort Coulonge
British
grain - tanks - trucks
36
London
From HX 245
Ocean Faith
"
grain - tanks - trucks
132
Manchester
–
Cavina
"
general - passengers
114
Liverpool
–
Tide Water
American
Admiralty tanker B
Navy sp. fuel
85 (82)
Clyde
From HX 245
Gerassimos Vergottis
Greek
general
115
Glasgow
–
Fort St. Francois
British
grain - tanks - trucks
106
London
–
Frederick Douglass
American
general - tanks - loco.'s
133
Glasgow
Roxane
French
Tanker B
pool fuel
96
London
From HX 245
Sailed in HX 247
Belgian Sailor
flour - grain
–
London
Sailed in HX 247
Pachesham
British
newsprint - steel
131
London
–
Goodwin
"
Rescue Vessel
96
Clyde
–
Joining from St. John's (joined at 12:45 on July 5 in 44 40N 50 40W)
Esso Bayonne
American
Admiralty tanker
–
Scapa
From HX 245
Fort Albany
British
grain - trucks
–
Liverpool
From HX 245
Joseph E. Johnston
American
general - grain - planes
–
London
From HX 245
Also, the tug Hesperia and the trawler Coldstream.
Notes:
There are 2 A 1 forms for this convoy - I believe one of them shows the cruising order on departure New York, and the other after juncture with the Halifax section, because Goodwin is listed on the latter, but not the former. Where the stations are different on the 2nd form, I've listed them in parenthesis.
Rescue Vessel Goodwin was on her 3rd voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ON 188 on June 10 (to Halifax June 24), returning with HX 246 from Halifax on July 2, to Clyde July 13. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague).
Commodore R. H. Mackay O.B.E. R.N.R. was in Port Adelaide, Vice Commodore was Rear Admiral C. G. Brodie in Arabian Prince (Captain James Baird).
Distance between colums - 1000 yards
Distance between ships in columns - 500 yards
Convoy code word - "Broom"
Weather was fine, fog from July 4 to July 7. No ice encoutnered, but one berg reported during fog, clear of convoy.
The Commodore says that station keeping was "bad - U.S. ships would not keep proper distance in column." He is, however, happier about the signalling, escpecially as regards Coptic, Port Halifax, Empire Wisdom and Dromore, the latter being "very smart indeed", but again "American ships were all bad - slow in answering or repeating, sometimes not repeating at all", Frederick Douglass and Francis Asbury being judged the worst.
He considers Port Adelaide "an excellent ship with a capable and energetic Master, T.L. Kidwell. Good steam whistle, engine speed regular".
Tide Water straggled at 10 knots in moderate sea. Speed reduced 1/2 knot.
William Wilkins and James E. Haviland parted company in fog July 4/7 between positions 43 43N 53 20W and 49 52N 42 50W. James E. Haviland subsequently rejoined in the Irish Sea.
Heavy gun practice:
Firing was ordered under favourable conditions on July 1, at target towed by HMS Roxborough by outside ships. The opportunity was not given to rear ships.
With regard to this gun practice, the Senior Officer of Escort reported to the Commodore:
"Not many customers. No. 123 had not decoded your signal. No. 102 did a good shoot. No. 121 and all port wing ships were not interested except No. 14. Port wing ships did not even have guns manned.
Total cost: About five tons fuel, one fog buoy ruined, and lower deck cleared to heave in target.
Ships in firing segment: No. 14 - Frederick L. Dau fired, No. 122 - Samuel F. B. Morse, good.
The following 6 ships did not open fire: No. 121 - Richard S. Ewell, No. 123 - James E. Haviland, No. 11 - Pennsylvania, No. 12 - Francis Asbury, No. 13 - Fort Glenora and No. 15 - Bernard N. Baker..
Collisions:
Two collisions orccurred. Benjamin Bourne and Scottish Heather collided during fog while altering course (date not given), and Abner Doubleday was in a collision with J.H. Senior at about 21:00 on July 9 in clear weather. Damage was reported by Scottish Heather when fog lifted at 11:27 on July 6. She was very reliable and was probably in station.
Loch Ewe portion detached on July 13 in 56 02N 13 18W.
Suggestions:
Mersigs, Art. 99
Suggest Article (a) to read as follows: In order to assist ships to keep correct station in a fog, the Commodore may periodically sound the second figure of his columns distinguishing signal. On hearing this signal leading ships of other columns are similarly to sound the second figure of their column distinguishing signal in succession from IN-OUT. That is in the same sequence as they would repeat a general sound signal .... except the leading ships of the tenth and columns outside of that who will only sound the THIRD FIGURE of their column number, No. 101 will sound the figure NOUGHT, No. 111 will sound figure ONE, etc. No. 121 sound figure TWO, this being the third figure of their actual column number. In all cases this figure is to be made through once only, in order to avoid possible confusion with a convoy distinguishing signal or alarm signal.
Silence sign was used on one occasion in fog, and some ship repeated as 4 T, followed by two other ships; I think this was due to abnormal use of sound by seamen inexperienced in convoy.
Escort Vessels:
HMS Roxborough (S.O.), HMCS Nanaimo, Sudbury and Burlington.
Ocean Escort: HMS Deveron (S.O.), Vanquisher, Vervain, Kingcup, Freesia, and Norwegian corvettes Acanthus, Rose, Potentilla - joined July 6 at 10:20P in 46 41N 46 20W, when local escort left.
Daily positions of convoy at 06:00 hrs GMT are available on request - my contact address is at the bottom of this page.
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" 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 247