Convoy HX 254 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 254
Departed New York on Aug. 27-1943 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 12.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 81 ships in this convoy.
Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined ships returned to port.
As can be seen from the station numbers, this convoy had 13 columns and 7 rows.
By going to one of the convoys for which I have given a cruising order (for instance, SC 140, which had 16 columns) it's possible to see what this convoy looked like.
Also, a blank convoy form is available for download from Mike's Holdoway's website (just add 1 column).
For info, some of the ships in this convoy later returned to the U.S. with Convoy ON 202 / ONS 18 on Sept. 15.
MOWT=Ministry of War Transport
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Consuelo
British
general
41
London
Commodore Vessel
Empire Bunting
"
general
–
Glasgow
Put back to St. John's - see Notes
Empire Ballad
"
general
23
Hull
–
Fresno Star
"
frozen meat
91
Liverpool
Empire Lionel
"
sugar
–
London
Sailed in slow convoy SC 141
Sept. 3
Mataroa
"
copper
–
Mersey f. o.
Opalia
"
Tanker W
34
Hull
–
British Pride
"
Tanker W
–
Mersey
Sailed in HX 255
British Glory
"
Tanker W
–
Loch Ewe f. o.
–
Empire Coleridge
"
Tanker W
27
London (Thameshaven)
–
Empire Viscount
"
Tanker B
114
Swansea
–
Davila
"
Admiralty tanker B
22
Grangemouth
–
Empire Marvell
"
Tanker W
64
Bromborough
–
Iroquois
"
Tanker B
–
Clyde
–
Robert F. Hand
"
Tanker W
104
Avonmouth
–
Saintonge
French / MOWT 1940
Admiralty tanker B
117
Milford Haven / Devonport
–
San Cirilo
British
Tanker W
96
Stanlow
–
San Eliseo
"
Tanker W
25
London / Isle of Grain
–
San Adolfo
"
Admiralty tanker B
35
Invergordon
–
British Patience
"
Tanker W
101
Avonmouth
Rear Commodore
Norsol
Norwegian
Tanker W
52
Bowling / Ardrossan
–
Skaraas
"
Tanker W
–
Mersey
Sailed in HX 255
Polartank
"
Tanker W
86
Stanlow
–
Orville Harden
Panamanian
Tanker
–
Swansea
Straggled - see Notes
Esso Bayonne
American
Tanker B
–
Clyde
Returned to New York - see Notes
Sailed in HX 255
Franz Klasen
Panamanian
Tanker W
66
Mersey / Avonmouth
Gefion
Norwegian
Tanker W
94
Stanlow
–
Skotaas
"
Tanker W
32
London (Holehaven)
–
Pearl Harbour
American
general
56
Glasgow
–
Kenmar
"
general
–
Liverpool
Returned to New York - see Notes
Also cancelled from HX 256
Sailed in slow convoy SC 142
Sept. 15
Benjamin H. Latrobe
"
general
14
London
–
Artemus Ward
"
general
124
Swansea
–
Carolinian
"
general
106
Swansea / Newport
–
Peter Zenger
"
general
65
Liverpool
–
George F. Patten
"
general
87
Manchester
From HX 253
Laura Keene
"
general
92
Liverpool
From HX 253
Roger Williams
"
general
121
Avonmouth
From HX 253
Edwin M. Stanton
"
general
53
Glasgow
–
Henry George
"
general
31
Hull
–
William B. Woods
"
general
83
Manchester
–
Alcoa Trader
"
general
122
Newport
From HX 253
James E. Haviland
"
general
123
Swansea
–
Francis Asbury
"
general
111
Avonmouth
–
Matthew T. Goldsboro
"
general
16
Hull
–
Theodore Foster
"
general
95
Liverpool
From HX 253
Andrew Pickens
"
general
–
Liverpool
Also cancelled from HX 256
Francisco Coronado
"
sugar
75
Liverpool
–
John Sharp Williams
"
sugar
51
Clyde
–
John Mary Odin
"
sugar
73
Liverpool
–
Thomas W. Owen
"
general
37
London
–
Hubert Howe Bancroft
"
general
–
Barry Roads f. o.
John Bascom
"
general
–
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 255
John H. B. Latrobe
"
general
125
Barry Dock
–
Abner Doubleday
"
general
–
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 255
George Weems
"
general
–
Barry Roads f. o.
Sailed in HX 255
El Oceano
"
general
42
London
–
Winfred L. Smith
"
general
–
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 255
Steel Traveler
"
general
–
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 255
Mijdrecht
Dutch
Tanker B
45
London (Purfleet)
Collided with James I. McKay - see Notes
Trondheim
Norwegian
Tanker W
46
Grangemouth
–
Fjordaas
"
Tanker B
43
Scapa
–
Fernmoor
"
general
105
Cardiff
–
Minerva
"
general
136
Swansea
–
Villanger
"
general
112
Avonmouth Dock
Sälen
Swedish
general
137
Sharpness
From HX 253
Ittersum
Dutch
general
115
Cardiff
–
Axtell J. Byles
American
Tanker
55
Clyde
–
Esso Concord
"
Tanker W
103
Swansea
–
Esso Dover
"
Tanker B
63
Clyde / London (Shellhaven)
–
G. Harrison Smith
"
Tanker
113
Avonmouth
–
Pan-Maine
"
Tanker W
62
Clyde / London (Purfleet)
–
Pan-Maryland
"
Tanker W
–
Mersey f. o.
Sailed in HX 255
Paul H. Harwood
"
Tanker W
15
London (Corydon)
–
Charles W. Eliot
"
general
17
London
From HX 253
Georgian
"
general
33
London
From HX 253
F. J. Luckenbach
"
general
11
London
From HX 253
Anthony Wayne
"
general
21
Newcastle
From HX 253
Empire Benefit
British
Tanker B
107
Milford Haven / Falmouth
From HX 253
Empire Heritage
"
Tanker B
61
Clyde
From HX 253
Vice Commodore
Bernard N. Baker
American
general
36
London
From HX 253
British Gratitude
British
pool oil - vap. oil
72
Stanlow
–
Yemassee
Panamanian
general
12
Loch Ewe / Iceland
–
James I. McKay
American
general - steel
44
Clyde
Collided with Mijdrecht - see Notes
HMS Athene
British
A/C Transport
71
Clyde
–
Additionally, on the A 1 form for this convoy, the rescue tug Hesperia (bound for Greenock) is listed in station 67 - not sure where she originated.
Joining from Halifax - Sailed Aug. 29
St Bertrand
British
general
57
Glasgow
–
Tungsha
Norwegian
general
126
Avonmouth
From HX 253
San Tirso
British
special fuel
134
Londonderry
–
Robert Lowry
American
sugar - general
24
London
Oregon Express
Norwegian
refrig. - general
74
Manchester
–
Antar
British
general
84
Manchester
–
Belgian Captain
Belgian
steel - lumber
26
Sunderland
–
Chippewa Park
British
general
132
Belfast Dock
–
(Le?) Cephee
French
grain - sulphur
54
Glasgow
–
Duala
Norwegian
general - mail
116
Bristol
–
Ezra Weston
American
general
47
London
–
Gerassimos Vergottis
Greek
grain - phosphorus
133
Belfast Dock
–
Gdynia
Swedish
general
131
Belfast Dock
–
James B. Weaver
American
general
135
Cardiff
–
Dundee
British
Rescue Vessel
97
Clyde
–
Joining from Wabana
George Poindexter
American
general
127
Barry Dock
From HX 253
Notes:
Commodore was Captain S. N. White R.N.R. in Consuelo, Vice Commodore was the captain of Empire Heritage, Rear Commodore in British Patience. The Commodore judges his ship to be very suitable as Commodore's vessel, "in all matters of accomodation - signalling and navigational facilities - DF and Echo Sounder".
The convoy had 86 ships.
Average speed: 8.7 knots.
Daily positions of convoy are available on request via the address provided at the end of this page.
The Rescue Vessel Dundee was on her 1st voyage as such (requisitioned Apr. 18-1943), having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ON 196 on Aug. 9-1943 - to Halifax Aug. 20, then returned with HX 254 from Halifax Aug. 29, to Clyde Sept. 12.
The following ships left the convoy:
Kenmar left New York but did not form up with convoy - returned to New York with engine defect (listed in slow convoy SC 142 Sept. 15).
Esso Bayonne returned to New York with engine defect at 23:59Z on Aug. 28 in 40 8N 68 5W (listed in Halifax section of the next convoy).
Empire Bunting proceeded to St. John's at 18:00Z on Aug. 31 in 43 38N 56 10W, with engine defect causing reduced speed and very heavy smoke (oil fuel).
Orville Harden reduced to 6 knots on one engine at 11:15Z on Sept. 5, proceeding on stragglers route, escorted by trawler Grenadier, 51 22N 37 56W.
B. H. Latrobe was diverted to Belfast with defective degaussing at 16:00Z on Sept. 9, remaining with the main body of convoy instead of going to loch Ewe.
Ships in the convoy repeatedly complained about Belgian Captain for not repeating flag signals in spite of general signals made on two occasions stressing that all ships repeat all flag signals. Reprimanded by lamp. San Eliseo and G. Harrison Smith, however, were both "excellent signalling ships and kept exceptionally good station".
Mijdrecht collided with James I. McKay during the night of Sept. 8/9. The latter was damaged and proceeded to Clyde.
Escorts:
HMS Roxborough, HMCS Dunvegan, Saskatoon, Kenogami, Shediac
Ocean Escort: HMS Hotspur, Churchill, Nasturtium, Trillium, HMCS Collingwood, Orillia, HMS Grenadier, Bombardier.
Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Quite a few of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty Ships. This website lists them alphabetically. As will be seen, several of the Liberty Ships in this convoy had just recently been delivered, some that very month (Ezra Weston, James I. McKay), while others were "veterans" from the previous year.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.
Eagle Oil Tankers - This site has info on the "San" ships, with an alphabetical list of casualties from the various "San" ships, as well as survivor reports. Additionally, the site has a lot of useful information on where the misc. Admiralty records are kept - they can be found on this page index.
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 255