Convoy HX 252 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY HX 252 Departed New York on Aug. 14-1943 arrived Liverpool on the 28th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 52 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.

As can be seen from the stations numbers, the convoy had 5 rows of ships sailing in 12 columns.

For info, some of the ships in this convoy later returned to the U.S. with Convoy ON 202 / ONS 18.

Ship

Nationality

Cargo

Station

Destination

Remarks

Pacific Shipper

British

refrig. - general - 4 passengers

Liverpool

Rear Commodore

Glenbeg

general

Glasgow

From HX 251
Commodore Vessel

Jamaica Producer

refrig. - 48 passengers

Avonmouth

See Notes below

John A. Brown

Tanker W
kerosene - gas

Clyde / Avonmouth

Collided with Gulfcoast
See Page 3

Erin

refrig. - 21 passengers

101

Avonmouth

See Notes

Donacilla

Tanker B - gas

Stanlow

–

Daghestan

grain - general

Liverpool

–

Eclipse

Tanker W - gas

103

Avonmouth

–

British Harmony

Tanker W - gas

102

Bromborough

Rear Commodore

Herbrand

Norwegian

Tanker B
Admiralty fuel

Liverpool

Joined late - see Narrative on Page 2

Belinda

Tanker W
aviation fuel

112

Heysham

–

~~Morgenen~~

Tanker B

–

Birkenhead

Norheim

Tanker W - gas

Avonmouth

Bralanta

Tanker B
Lt. Southern fuel

Mersey

From HX 251

Norholm

Tanker W
gasoline

London / Island of ?

Ex Empire Druid

~~Sunetta~~

Dutch

Tanker W

–

Clyde

Sailed in HX 253

Taria

Tanker W - gas

113

Barry Dock

–

Samuel Bakke

Norwegian

general - explosives - 8 passengers - movies

Glasgow

–

Santos

general - explosives

London

Sank following collision w/Theodore Dwight Weld
More on page about Santos

Skjelbred

general - explosives

Leith Dock

See Notes

Boskoop

Dutch

general - explosives - 12 passengers

Liverpool

–

Heranger

Norwegian

general

111

Swansea

From HX 251

Sidney Sherman

American

general - 11 passengers

Mersey

John Hay

sugar - 8 passengers

123

Liverpool

Straggled - rejoined
Ref. Narrative Page 2

Hamlin Garland

general - 4 passengers

122

Liverpool

–

Charles A. Dana

general - 5 passengers

Liverpool

–

Alan-A-Dale

Panamanian

general - 14 passengers

Liverpool

–

Robert Jordan

American

general - grain - 2 passengers

121

Avonmouth

–

~~Hegira~~

general

–

Mersey

Joined HX 253 - returned to port
Listed in slow convoy SC 141
Sept. 3

Robert Rogers

general - grain

London

–

George W. Childs

general - ammunition

Liverpool

–

Mary Lyon

general - explosives

London

–

Steel Inventor

general - explosives

104

Bromborough

–

Nathaniel Bacon

general - explosives - 5 passengers

Mersey

Returned to New York (see Notes)
Sailed in HX 253

Thomas Lynch

general

Glasgow

–

~~Tropic Star~~

Norwegian

general

–

Barry Roads f. o.

To HX 253 - did not sail
Listed in slow convoy SC 141
Sept. 3

~~Jim Bridger~~

American

general

–

Barry Roads f. o.

Sailed in HX 253

Kentuckian

general - explosives - 3 passengers

Belfast Dock

Straggled - rejoined
Ref. Narrative Page 2

Crawford W. Long

general - ammunition

114

Barry Dock

–

J. H. Senior

Panamanian

Tanker W - gas

Clyde

Colllided with J. Pinckney Henderson
See Notes below, as well as Page 2 & Page 4

Esso Nashville

American

Tanker W - gas

Bromborough

–

Wallace E. Pratt

Tanker W - gas

Stanlow

See Notes

~~F. T. Frelinghuysen~~

general

–

Mersey

Sailed in HX 253

Theodore Dwight Weld

general

Manchester

Collided with Santos See Page 3 and Page 4

J. Pinckney Henderson

general

Mersey

Colllided with J. H. Senior
Ref. Notes, as well as Page 2 & Page 4

George Abernethy

general

London

–

Andrew Carnegie

general

Liverpool

–

~~John Catron~~

general

–

Garston

Richard Montgomery

general - 5 passengers

Middlesbrough

Lost touch - See Page 2

George C. Childress

sulphur - cotton - 1 passenger

124

Manchester

Straggled - rejoined
See Narrative Page 2

Grace Abbott

general - explosives

London

From HX 251
Straggled? - Ref. report Page 4

Robert Fulton

general

London

From HX 251
Returned to port (St. John's)
See Notes
Sailed in HX 253

Socony Vacuum

Tanker W
kerosene - gas

Belfast Dock

See Notes

Gulfcoast

Admiralty tanker
Navy spec.

Milford Haven / Devonport

Collided with John A. Brown
See Page 3

Joining from Halifax Sailed Aug. 16 - joined at 16:00Z Aug. 17 in 43 06N 59 55W

Glacier Park

British

general

Not on A 1 form

Liverpool

–

~~Tungsha~~

Norwegian

general

–

Avonmouth

To HX 253 - did not sail
Sailed in HX 254

Tudor Prince

British

general

–

Sharpness

–

~~Elm Park~~

general

–

Avonmouth

Sailed in HX 253

Alcoa Cutter

American

general

–

Loch Ewe / Iceland

From HX 251
See also Notes

Fort St. Regis

British

grain - aluminium

Not on A 1 form
possibly in 125

Manchester

From HX 251
Straggled? - See report Page 4

Asbjørn

general

Not on A 1 form

Liverpool

From HX 251

Empire Cavalier

Tanker W

Not on A 1 form

Stanlow

From HX 251

Cairnvalona

general

–

Newcastle

–

Cairnesk

general

Not on A 1 form

Newcastle

–

Lady Rodney

Not on A 1 form

St. John's

Not in Advance Sailing Telegram
See Notes

Bury

Rescue Vessel

Not on A 1 form

Clyde

More in Notes

Joining from St. John's at 15:40Z Aug. 19 w/Grenadier and Hesperia

El Mundo

Panamanian

Army stores

Not on A 1 form

Liverpool

From HX 251
See Notes

Notes:
The Rescue Vessel Bury was on her 10th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on July 16-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 193 to Halifax (July 28), then sailed with HX 252 from Halifax to St. John's Aug. 16-Aug. 20. She had observed a fire in the fog and closed to investigate, finding that 2 ships were involved, namely J. H. Senior and J. Pinckney Henderson. A lifeboat was found, which was also on fire, and 3 men taken on board, suffering from severe burns. Hearing whistles, she then found 2 more survivors on a raft. Because of their burns, she detached from HX 252 to land the survivors at St. John's for urgent medical care. Both ships were towed to port, but could not be repaired. J. Pinckney Henderson burned from Aug. 19 til Sept. 25 - only 9 men survived from both ships. Bury subsequently returned to Clyde with the next convoy, HX 253. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hauge - this source does not mention the Norwegian Santos' involvement). Page 4 has more on these collisions.

Commodore Rear Admiral R. M. King was in Glenbeg, Vice Commodore Rear Admiral C. H. G. Benson was in Pacific Shipper, Rear Commodore was the captain of British Harmony.

47 ships sailed from New York, another 9 joined from Halifax + Rescue Ship Bury, 1 from St. John's.

Average speed: 9.17 knots.

Daily positions of convoy at 08:00 BST are available on request via address provided at the bottom of this page.

Ships leaving the convoy (from Commodore's notes):
Nathaniel Bacon returned to New York with steering defects at 03:35Z on Aug. 15, position 39 58N 70 43W.

Lady Rodney detached to St. John's at 14:35Z on Aug. 20.

Rescue ship Bury to stand by Santos after being torpedoed at 02:00Z Aug. 19, position 42 03N 52 47W, then to St. John's N.F. with survivors. (Please note that this is incorrect; Santos was not torpedoed, as will be seen by following the link to the page about this ship above).

Robert Fulton arrived St. John's N.F., having lost convoy in fog, position unknown.

Jamaica Producer, Erin, Skjelbred, Wallace E. Pratt, El Mundo and Socony Vacuum detached in fast convoy to U.K. at 14:00Z on Aug. 25, position 54 28N 21 35W.

Alcoa Cutter detached for Iceland at 11:30Z on Aug. 26 in position 54 44N 15 44W.

Cairnvalona, Norholm, Cairnesk, Robert Rogers, Mary Lyon, Grace Abbott and George Abernethy to Loch Ewe at 09:00Z on Aug. 27, position 55 15N 10 00W.

Ships for Clyde and Belfast left at breaking off points in Irish Sea coastal route on Aug. 28.

Glenbeg detached for Glasgow at 05:30Z in 54 34N 05 21W, Aug. 28.

Escorts:
HMCS Montgomery (S.O.), HMCS Cobalt and HMCS Lachine joined at end of swept channel New York, at 16:00Z Aug. 14 (the convoy had departed New York at 06:00 EWT that morning).
HMCS Cowichan joined at 10:00Z on Aug. 15 - left at 16:00Z Aug. 17 in 43 06N 59 55W.
HMCS Battleford joined at 16:00Z on Aug. 17 in 43 06N 59 55W - left at 16:00Z Aug. 18.
HMCS Chelsea joined at 16:00Z Aug. 18.
Lachine and Cobalt parted company to hunt U-boat at 01:00Z Aug. 19, position 42 03N 52 47W.
Ocean escort: Destroyers HMCS Assiniboine and HMS Forester joined at 22:50Z Aug. 19.
The other Ocean Escorts, HMS Itchen, HMCS Agassiz, Sackville, Galt, HMS Evenlode and Celandine joined at 14:50Z on Aug. 20, position 48 09N 46 19W.

Montgomery and Chelsea left at 14:50Z on Aug. 20.

2 Ocean Escort vessels left with the fast convoy at 14:00Z on Aug. 25 in 54 28N 21 05W.
1 Ocean Escort vessel left with Alcoa Cutter at 11:30Z on Aug. 26 in 54 44N 15 46W.
1 Ocean Escort vessel left with Loch Ewe portion at 09:00Z on Aug. 27 in 55 18N 10 00W.
4 Ocean Escort vessels left in position 55 35N 07 00W.

Air Cover: 3 sorties from Newfoundland covered convoy between 07:28Z and 22:41Z, Aug. 17.

Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Most of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty Ships. This website lists them alphabetically. As will be seen, quite a few of the Liberty Ships in this convoy had just recently been delivered.
This site has more on the the "Fort" and "Park" ships.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 253