Convoy HX 247 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 247
Departed New York at midnight on July 7-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 22nd.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 71 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.
A 1 form is not available and, therefore, stations are not known.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Consuelo
British
general
Liverpool
Commodore Vessel
City of Glasgow
"
general - refrig.
Liverpool
Vice Commodore
Glenapp
"
general
Liverpool
Iroquois
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
Returned to New York - see Notes
Sailed in HX 248
British Destiny
"
Tanker W
Milford Haven / Plymouth
San Ambrosio
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
Escort Oiler
Cape Breton
"
sugar
Liverpool
–
Athelvictor
"
Tanker W
Stanlow
–
Athelchief
"
Tanker W
Bromborough
–
British Confidence
"
Tanker W
Stanlow
From HX 246
Lucellum
"
Tanker W
Heysham
From HX 246
Novelist
"
sugar - general
Liverpool
–
Cornwall
"
refrig. - general
Liverpool
–
Fort Fidler
"
lumber - wheat - metal
Liverpool
–
Fort Athabaska
"
lumber - wheat - metal
London
–
Fort Gloucester
"
lumber - wheat - metal
London
–
Empire Tamar
"
general
Liverpool
Returned to New York - see Notes
Sailed in HX 248
Abraham Lincoln
Norwegian
general
Liverpool
–
Axel Johnson
Swedish
general
Liverpool
–
Montevideo
Norwegian
general
Liverpool
–
Bengkalis
Dutch
general
Liverpool
–
Belgian Freighter
Belgian
general
Glasgow
From HX 246
Vav
Norwegian
Tanker W
Mersey / Manchester
From HX 246
Strinda
"
Admiralty tanker B
Mersey f. o.
From HX 246
Trondheim
"
Tanker W
Belfast f. o.
Gallia
"
none given
Stanlow
–
Conrad Weiser
American
general
London
From HX 246
John G. Carlisle
"
general
Cardiff
From HX 246
David L. Swain
"
general
Manchester
Put back to St. John's - see Notes
Sailed in HX 249
John F. Appleby
"
general
Avonmouth
–
James B. Richardson
"
general
Mersey
Returned to New York - see Notes
Sailed in HX 248
James Schureman
"
general
Manchester
–
Abiel Foster
"
general
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 248
William Tyler Page
"
general
Cardiff
–
John Henry
"
general
London
Sailed in HX 248
Nonsuco
"
general
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 248
Abangarez
"
general
Avonmouth
–
Clark Mills
"
general
Liverpool
–
Henry Villard
"
general
Manchester
–
Elmer A. Sperry
"
general
Swansea
–
Wendell Phillips
"
general
Manchester
–
Richard Hovey
"
general
Mersey
Returned to New York - see Notes
Sailed in HX 248
John S. Pillsbury
"
general
Glasgow
–
John Cabot
"
general
Cardiff
–
Joseph R. Lamur
"
phosphates - cotton
Liverpool
–
Felix Grundy
"
general
Hull
–
Edward Burleson
"
cotton - sulphur
Liverpool
–
John Wise
"
general
Liverpool
Damaged by ice, but continued
See Commodore's narrative
Joseph N. Nicollet
"
general
Clyde
–
William H. Prescott
"
general
London
In station 14
Hannibal Hamlin
"
general
Newport
–
Lucius Q. C. Lamar
"
general
Cardiff
–
Moses Cleaveland
"
general
Barry Dock
–
Esso Dover
"
Tanker W
London (Shellhaven)
–
Esso Montpelier
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Esso Nashville
"
Tanker W
Belfast Dock
–
Franz Klasen
Panamanian
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Gulfpoint
American
Admiralty tanker B
Scapa
–
Pan-Rhode Island
"
Tanker W
Bowling / Ardrossan
–
Cartago
"
general
Loch Ewe / Iceland
See Notes
Langdon Cheves
"
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 248
Stanley Matthews
"
general
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 248
James J. Hill
"
general
Mersey f. o.
Returned to New York - see Notes
Sailed in HX 248
Atlanta City
"
general
London
Sailed in HX 248
Caesar Rodney
"
general
London
Sailed in HX 248
Gadila
Dutch
Taker B
Jarrow-on-tyne
–
Audacious
Panamanian
general - mail
Milford Haven / Southampton
–
President Buchanan
American
general
Swansea
–
Joining from Halifax at 12:00 on July 11 position 42 47N 59 45W
Pacific Enterprise
British
general - refrig.
Avonmouth
–
Tjimanoek
Dutch
general
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 248
Aruba
"
general
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 248
Roxane
French
Tanker B
Clyde
Corrales
British
general - refrig.
Liverpool
–
George B. McClellan
American
general
London
–
William Pepperell
"
general - grain
London
In station 15
James De Wolf
"
general
Newport
See Notes
Manchester Exporter
British
general
Manchester
Had a casualty on board
See Commodore's narrative
Duala
Norwegian
general - meat
Cardiff
–
Delilian
British
general
Glasgow
–
Belgian Sailor
Belgian
flour - grain
London
From HX 246
Corner Brook
British
steel - newsprint - sulphite
Manchester
–
Eugene Hale
American
general
Hull
In station 25
Fort Wellington
British
aluminum - grain - flour
London
–
Harriet Beecher Stowe
American
general
Milford Haven / Plymouth
–
James Turner
"
general
Hull
–
Philander C. Knox
"
general
London
–
Richard Stockton
"
general
Milford Haven / Southampton
See Notes
Thomas B. Reed
"
general
London
–
Melrose Abbey
British
Rescue Vessel
Clyde
–
Melrose Abbey was on her 8th voyage as rescue vessel, having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ONS 10 on June 8-1943 (to St. John's June 25). She then travelled independently to Sydney C.B. June 27-June 29, and subsequently from there to Halifax with Convoy SH 90 July 4-July 6, returning to Clyde with HX 247 July 11-July 22. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague).
Joining from St. John's on July 13 position 46 05N 49 05W
Sirehei
Norwegian
pulp
Ellesmere Port / Manchester
–
Notes:
Commodore H. D. Wakeman-Colville was in Consuelo, Vice Commodore was B. H. Constable, the captain of City of Glasgow.
The convoy had 73 ships.
Average speed: 9.14 knots.
Daily positions of convoy at 08:00 BST available on request, via contact address provided at the bottom of this page.
Iroquois returned to New York at 07:15 on July 8 - badly damaged plates in engine room and boiler room.
James B. Richardson returned to New York at 07:45 on July 8 - reason not known.
James J. Hill and Richard Hovey lost touch during the night of July 8/9 - returned to New York.
Empire Tamar returned to New York at 06:40 on July 9 in 39 55N 69 00W - serious boiler trouble.
David L. Swain headed to St. John's during the night of July 14/15 in 49 40N 41 19W - cargo shifted.
Richard Stockton and James De Wolf (Halifax section) joined at 08:30 on July 11 in 42 40N 60 18W.
Cartago and USS Symbol left for Iceland at 06:00 on July 19 in 55 54N 23 20W.
Fast section parted company in 55 32N 20 56W, consisting of the following ships:
Manchester Exporter, Corrales, Gallia, Pacific Enterprise, Abraham Lincoln, Abangarez, Lucellum, Esso Nashville, President Buchanan, Duala and Cornwall.
Loch Ewe section parted company at 10:18 on July 21 in 55 36N 08 45W, consisting of the following:
Fort Athabaska (Commodore), Belgian Sailor, Fort Gloucester, William H. Prescott, William Pepperell, Felix Grundy, Gadila, Esso Dover, Conrad Weiser, Eugene Hale, Thomas B. Reed, James Turner, Gulfpoint, George B. McLelland, Philander C. Knox, Roxane and Fort Wellington.
The Commodore says
that some American ships "are still inclined to leave their position in the convoy and act independently when in fog. W/T operators had not read the instructions and one ship asked if she should report her position by W/T to a shore station when crossing 18°W (Wendell Phillips).
When dropping columns astern to reduce front for passage of North Channel, Cape Breton (Br) broke away from her column into Commodore's column and so started a scramble, and did not obey Commodore's signal to resume her proper station although she received it".
Commodore's narrative of voyage:
"Left New York at midnight on 7th July with HX 247 in 14 columns of ships. Experienced dense fog from evening of 9th until morning of 15th. There were three clear intervals of short duration, one of which luckily coincided with H.O.M.P.
Several icebergs were drifting about, but only one ship, S/S John Wise (U.S.A.), was damaged by ice, but she continued the voyage with fore-hold flooded. The Master deserves credit for not returning to harbour.
Hove to to a summer gale from N.W. at 3.30 a.m. on 15th for 6 hours. All ships had large deck cargoes. I submit that the Masters did very well in that after six days of fog, and then heaving to, all ships were present with Commodore except one, S/S David L. Swain, which had returned to St. John's with cargo shifted.
Master of Moses Cleaveland (U.S.) intentionally "steered clear of convoy" as he called it, and was two miles ahead of Commodore on morning of 12th July.
Rescue Ship was used to attend casualties in the convoy, accidents, appendicitis etc., making it unnecessary to withdraw one of escort from the screen.
Escort was oiled at sea. San Ambrosio fuelled 5 ships in 10 hours 50 minutes at average rate of 115 tons per hour.
Funnel smoke was better controlled than during outward passage. Trawler Fusilier with coal from St. John's N.F. and Yorkshire coal, and Consuelo, with coal from Pernambuco, and Ellerman Wilson Durham coal, were chief offenders. These trawlers, acting as Ocean Escort, and fitted with forced draught, should have good Welsh steaming coal.
Regret to report that Chief Engineer of Manchester Exporter died on 13th inst. Convoy half-masted colours for funeral on 14th.
There was no interference from the enemy".
W/T report from HX 247:
On 18th July at 12:17 GMT, while in thick fog, Commodore in S/S Consuelo transmitted an alteration of course to convoy HX 247, consisting of 72 ships, on 500 k/cs. All ships received this signal except No. 14, William H. Prescott, (U.S.), who reported he did not know he had to set watch, also No. 15, William Pepperell (U.S.), who reported he was making repairs to his receiver, and Eugene Hale (U.S.), No. 25, who reported he did not receive the signal. This signal was made during first half hour of single operator period.
Escorts:
Western Local: Montgomery (S.O.), St. Albans, Polyanthus, Cowichan, Cobalt, Lachine - joined at 05:45 July 8.
Cobalt left at 15:00 on July 12 in approx. 44 15N 54 59W, with Asdic trouble and a sick man on board. The others left during the forenoon of July 14 in 48 08N 45 27W.
Ocean Escort: Itchen (S.O.), Burwell, Aggassiz, Galt, Sackville, Honesty, St. Laurent and
Support Group: Nene (S.O.), Tweed, Port Arhtur, Snowberry, Calgary - joined during forenoon of July 13? (in fog) and trawler Fusilier and tug Samsonia joined at 08:00 on July 13 in 45 38N 50 20W.
Galt and Sackville left at 14:00 on July 19 in 55 32N 20 56W, while the Support Group had left at 05:00 that morning in 55 54N 23 20W.
Agassiz left at 10:18 on the 21st in 55 36N 08 45W, and the Ocean Escort and the tug Samsonia left at 16:00 that day in 55 35N 07 00W.
Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Some of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty ships (some of them had just been delivered). 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 248