Convoy HX 248 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 248
Departed New York on July 15-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 89 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
James B. Richardson
American
general
Swansea
Abiel Foster
"
general
Liverpool
From HX 247
John Henry
"
general
London
From HX 247
Nonsuco
"
general
Liverpool
From HX 247
Atlanta City
"
general
London
From HX 247
Caesar Rodney
"
general
London
From HX 247
El Coston
Panamanian
general
Mersey f. o.
Joined HX 249 - Returned to port - sailed in HX 250
Leiv Eiriksson
Norwegian
general
Avonmouth
Ex Liberty Ship John Wright Stanly
See this page
Abel Stearns
American
general
Liverpool
–
Aedanus Burke
"
general
London
–
Philip P. Barbour
"
general
London
–
John Bidwell
"
general
Cardiff
–
Fridtjof Nansen
Norwegian
general
Manchester
Ex Liberty Ship Francis Nash
(see link above)
Roald Amundsen
"
general
Liverpool
Ex Liberty Ship William Strong
(ref. link above)
Liberty Glo
American
general
Liverpool
–
Joshua W. Alexander
"
general
Cardiff
–
Andrew G. Curtin
"
general
Liverpool
–
Samuel Mcintyre
"
general
Hull
–
Lee S. Overman
"
general
Hull
–
Samuel Nelson
"
sulphur - cotton
Manchester
–
Empire Dickens
British
Tanker W
Mersey
–
Laurelwood
"
Admiralty tanker B
Londonderry
–
Robert F. Hand
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Saintonge
"
(ex Fr.1940)
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
–
San Adolfo
"
Admiralty tanker B
Invergordon
–
San Eliseo
"
Tanker W
Stanlow
–
British Engineer
"
Tanker W
Stanlow
–
Iroquois
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
From HX 247
Empire Tamar
"
general
Liverpool
From HX 247
British Patience
"
Tanker W
Milford Haven (discharge)
–
British Tradition
"
Tanker W
Stanlow
Sailed in HX 249
Nuculana
"?
Tanker W
Stanlow
–
Sovac
"
Tanker B
Mersey
Athos
Norwegian
Admiralty tanker B
Devonport
–
Fjordaas
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
Returned to New York
Sailed in HX 249
Gefion
"
Tanker W
Mersey
–
Trondheim
"
Tanker B
Grangemouth
From HX 247
Dageid
"
Tanker B
Dingle
Sailed in HX 249
Mosli
"
Admiralty tanker B
Scapa
–
Brajara
"
Tanker B
Rosyth
–
Clavella
Dutch
Tanker B
London (Shellhaven)
–
Evita
Norwegian
Tanker
Scapa
Stanley Matthews
American
general
London
From HX 247
Langdon Cheves
"
general
London
From HX 247
John J. Crittenden
"
general
London
–
Delrio
"
general
Cardiff
–
Montgomery City
"
general
Barry Dock
–
Black Hawk
"
general
Milford Haven / Southampton
–
S. M. Babcock
"
general
Liverpool
–
Alexander Ramsey
"
general
Milford Haven / Southampton
–
Louis Joliet
"
general
Barry Dock
–
William Eaton
"
general
Milford Haven / Plymouth
–
Benjamin H. Bristow
"
general
Manchester
–
Joseph Rodman Drake
"
general
Hull
–
Samuel F. Miller
"
general
Newport
–
James J. Hill
"
general
Cardiff
From HX 247
Richard Hovey
"
general
Immingham
From HX 247
Benjamin R. Milam
"
general
Manchester
–
Axtell J. Byles
"
Tanker B
Swansea
–
Esso Concord
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Pan-Maine
"
Tanker W
Swansea
–
Paul H. Harwood
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Sinclair Opaline
"
Tanker W
Barry Dock
–
Sun
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
HMS Ravager
British
planes
Belfast
–
Manchester Port
"
general
Manchester
Commodore Vessel
Glenapp
"
general
Liverpool
From HX 247
Vice Commodore - In station 42
Kaipaki
"
refrig. - general
Liverpool
Rear Commodore - In station 122
Fort Turtle
"
lumber - lead
Tyne
–
Davila
"
Tanker B
Grangemouth
–
Empire Bombardier
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Fort Capot River
"
lead - lumber - phosphates
Immingham
–
Empire Marvell
"
Tanker W
Mresey / Manchester
–
San Cirilo
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Mijdrecht
Dutch
Tanker W
Avonmouth
–
Francis Lewis
American
general
Avonmouth
–
John A. Quitman
"
sugar
Clyde
–
Pan-Florida
"
Tanker B
Clyde
–
Joining from Halifax - Sailed July 17 Joined at 09:30Q on July 18 in 43 01N 60 08W
Tjimanoek
Dutch
general
Hull
Aruba
"
general
Liverpool
From HX 247
Tortuguero
British
metas - metal - mail
Cardiff
–
California Express
Norwegian
general - meat
Glasgow
–
William S. Haisted
American
general
London
–
Robert Treat
"
general
London
–
Bajamar
Norwegian
general
Loch Ewe / Iceland
Bañaderos
"
general
Loch Ewe / Iceland
(See also RU 84)
Darien
Panamanian
refrig. - mail
Avonmouth
–
Elk Island Park
British
general
London
–
Helgøy
Norwegian
general
Glasgow
–
Joseph Warren
American
general
Swansea
–
Manchester Commerce
British
general - mail
Manchester
–
Panaman
American
grain - steel
Mersey
Rugeley
British
steel - newsprint
Manchester
–
William Phips
American
general
Liverpool
–
William J. Worth
"
general
Liverpool
–
Gothland
British
Rescue Vessel
Clyde
Gothland is not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram for this convoy, but she's listed in "Convoy Rescue Ships, 1940-1945" by Arnold Hague as sailing with HX 248. She was on her 8th voyage as Rescue Ship, having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ON 182 on May 6-1943 (to Halifax May 19). During fog on this voyage, she hit ice at 9 knots, and though she escaped major damage, she had to remain in Halifax while repairs were undertaken at the overworked dockyard there. She finally returned with HX 248 from Halifax on July 17 - to Clyde July 29.
Joining from St. John's at 15:00Q on July 21 in 46 37N 44 06W
William Wilkins
American
general
Avonmouth
Notes:
Commodore, Vice Admiral F. A. Marten R.N. Rtd. was in Manchester Port, Vice Commodore was C. A. Fremantle R.N.R. in Glenapp.
The convoy had 90 ships.
Average speed: 9.4 knots.
The following ships left at 09:00N on July 26, in 55 20N 19 15W, forming a fast portion:
Kaipaki, Sinclair Opaline, California Express.
Bañaderos and Bajamar left for Iceland at 12:00N on July 26 in 55 20N 18 36W.
Loch Ewe portion, consisting of 25 ships, left at 22:00Z on July 27 in 55 34N 09 58W.
Laurelwood left for Londonderry at 08:30A on July 28 in 55 34N 06 51W.
Clyde portion (6 ships) left at 11:30A on July 28 in 55 21N 06 13W.
Belfast portion left at 12:30A on July 28 in 55 19N 06 03W.
From the Commodore's notes:
"Did well in fog but still too much tendency for ships in column not to keep closed up. British Empire Tamar, erratic station keeper and should not be placed as leader.
V/S signalling - Repeating very slow and inaccurate."
He considers the Commodore's ship suitable in every way, "except for bridge, which is too small and an all round view is obscured by guns, gun platforms and obstructions". The next page has the Commodore's report on the voyage.
Escorts:
From New York: HMS Matapedia, Columbia, Lincoln, Melville, Moncton, Ravager.
Matapedia left in 39 51N 71 28W, and Columbia in 46 37N 44 06W.
Gatineau (S.O.), Lagan, Kamloops, Chambly, Polyanthus, Drumheller and Primrose joined at 46 37N 44 06W. No date is given, but this position is the same as the position given for William Wilkins, which joined on July 21.
Primrose and Ravager left in 55 20N 19 15W, possibly to escort the fast section mentioned above(?), which is said to be leaving in this postion on July 26.
Polyanthus left in 55 34N 09 58W (probably with Loch Ewe section said to leave in that position on July 27), while Gatineau left in 55 34N 06 57W (with Laurelwood on July 28? - see above), when Aquamarine joined. The latter remained to Liverpool.
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" (and "Park") 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 249