Convoy HX 45 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 45 Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram
| Convoy HX 45 Cruising Order Departed Halifax on May 24-1940 and arrived Liverpool on June 8 (Arnold Hague says 63 ships). | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transcribed from A 1 form received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew). Nationalities have been added with the help of "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939". R. W. Jordan. Br=British, Am=American, Norw=Norwegian, Fr=French, Pa=Panamanian, Gr=Greek, Sw=Swedish B = Bermuda portion, MoWT=Ministry of War Transport | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 Barrwhin iron ore Glasgow (Br) | 21 Bayano general Liverpool (Br) | 31 Lancaster Castle wheatBarry (Br) | 41 San Florentino crude oilLondon (Br) | 51 Dalblair wheat Falmouth (Br) | 61 Consuelo general Hull (Br) | 71 Peterston grain Hull (Br) | 81 Rushpool scrap iron Grangemouth (Br) | 91 Dalmore timber - steel Leith (Br) |
| 12 Kiruna scrap - general Liverpool(Sw) | 22 Senta* lumber - paper Liverpool(Norw) | 32 Kalypso Vergotti metal - lumberPortishead (Gr) | 42 Filleigh grain Avonmouth (Br) | 52 |
62 Kurdistan wheat London (Br) | 72 Antonio wheat London (Br) | 82 Belcrest grain London (Br) | 92 Leontios Teryazos grain Bordeaux (Gr) |
| 13Manoula*paper - pulp Manchester(Gr) | 23 Clumberhall wheat Liverpool (Br) | 33 Buteshire general Glasgow (Br) | 43 West Cape steel - scrap Swansea(Am / MoWT 1940 | 53 | 63 Goolistan grainAvonmouth (Br) | 73 Wearwood grain Newcastle (Br) | 83 | 93James Magee crude oil Le Havre(Pa) |
| 14 B British Prudence fuel oil Scapa (Br) | 24 BSan Eliseo gasoline Milford Haven (Br) | 34 B Schuylkill aviation spirits Milford Haven (Br) | 44 B |
54 B Inanda general London (Br) | 64 B Tamaroa refrig. London (Br) | 74 B British Commander benzine Downs (Br) | 84 B Caprella fuel oil London (Br) | 94 B Krossfonn crude oil Donges (Norw) |
| 15 B Varanger fuel oil Avonmouth (Norw) | 25 B Litiopa gasoline Milford Haven(Norw) | 35 B South America lub oil Manchester (Norw) | 45 B Thelma diesel oil Mersey(Norw) | 55 B Donax diesel oil Downs (Br) | 65 B Lunula kerosene London (Br) | 75 B Inventor general London (Br) | 85 B Brumaire crude oil Le Havre(Fr) See Notes | 95 BRuth Kellogg fuel oil St. Nazaire(Am / Br) |
| 16 B Hallanger diesel oil Liverpool (Norw) | 26 B Torvanger lumber - zinc Liverpool (Norw) | 36 BEdward F. Johnsonkerosene London (Br) | 46 B Lylepark sugar Falmouth (Br) | 56 B Bradglen scrap iron Hull (Br) | 66 B Waban general London(Am / Br 1940) | 76 BEvoikos** sugar Dunkirk/Casablanca (Gr) | 86 BSaintonge* crude oil Le Havre(Fr/MoWT 1940) | 96 BScottish Standard* fuel oil Portsmouth (Br) |
| 17 B San Gabriel general Liverpool(Am/Gr 1940) | 27 B Moveria general Liverpool (Br) | 37 B Solsten petrol Milford Haven (Norw) | 47 B Scottish Heather fuel oil Clyde (Br) | 57 B Houston City grain - lumber Immingham (Br) | 67 B Coya sulphur London(Am / Br 1940) | 77 | 87 B San Cipriano crude oil Cherbourg (Br) | 97 B Beth fuel oil Le Havre (Norw) |
| 18 | 28 B Cliona fuel oil Mersey (Br) | 38 B Cressington Court lumber Liverpool (Br) | 48 | 58 B Høegh Scout gasoline Falmouth (Norw) | 68 B British Dominion benzine Downs (Br) | 78 | 88 | 98 |
| See also Arnold Hague's listing for HX 45, available on the page naming ships in all HX convoys. |
| Advance Sailing Telegram Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Halifax section | ||||
| Senta | Norwegian | general | Mersey | From HX 44 See * in Notes |
| British | paper | London | From HX 44 Listed in HX 46 | |
| Greek | aluminium - paper | London | From HX 44 To HX 46 - did not sail Listed in HX 47 | |
| Goolistan | British | grain | Avonmouth | From HX 44 |
| Kalypso Vergotti | Greek | lumber - metal | Portishead | From HX 44 |
| Lancaster Castle | British | grain | Barry | From HX 44 |
| Peterston | " | grain | Hull | From HX 44 |
| San Florentino | " | Tanker | London | From HX 44 |
| Filleigh | " | grain | Swansea | From HX 44 |
| West Cape | American / British 1940 | steel | Swansea | Renamed Br. Empire Woodcock From HX 44 |
| Panamanian | Tanker | Southampton | From HX 44 To HX 46 - did not sail To HX 47 - did not sail To HX 48 - did not sail Listed in HX 49 | |
| Dalmore | British | lumber - steel | Portland / Leith | – |
| " | Tanker B | Havre | Listed in HX 46 | |
| James Magee | Panamanian | Tanker B | Brest f. o. | – |
| Manoula | Greek | paper pulp | Mersey | See * in Notes |
| Norwegian | lumber | Hull | (Does not show up again on this site until SC 6) | |
| According to A. Hague, Veni had arrived Halifax in tow with a broken propeller shaft on May 7-1940. She had started out from the U.K. in Convoy OB 126 (external link). She later travelled to the U.K. independently at the end of June-1940, going back to Sydney, C.B. in Aug.-1940, returning with SC 6 the following month. | ||||
| British | steel - lumber | Belfast | Listed in HX 51 | |
| Barrwhin | " | iron ore | Glasgow | – |
| Antonio | " | grain | Avonmouth | – |
| Panamanian | Tanker B | Southampton | To HX 46 - did not sail To HX 47 - did not sail To HX 48 - returned to port To HX 50 - did not sail To HX 51 - did not sail | |
| Kiruna | Swedish | scrap iron | Ardrossan | – |
| Bayano | British | general | Liverpool | Vice Commodore |
| Consuelo | " | general | Hull | Commodore Vessel |
| Kurdistan | " | grain | Portland / London | – |
| Belcrest | " | grain | London | – |
| Buteshire | " | general | Glasgow | – |
| Clumberhall | " | grain | Liverpool | – |
| Leontios Teryazos | Greek | grain | Bordeaux | – |
| Wearwood | British | grain | Newcastle | – |
| The following ships appear on a separate document - note that some of these are listed on the A 1 form for the Bermuda portion, others on the form for the Halifax portion. I've denoted the Bermuda ships with a B | ||||
| Cressington Court | British | lumber | Manchester | B |
| Lylepark | " | sugar | London | B |
| Dalblair | " | wheat | London | – |
| Høegh Scout | Norwegian | Tanker W | Avonmouth | B |
| Tamaroa | British | refrig. | Glasgow | B |
| Coya | American / MoWT 1940 | sulphur | London | Renamed Br. Empire Tiger B |
| Rushpool | British | scrap iron | Portland / Grangemouth | – |
| Beth | Norwegian | Tanker B | Brest f. o. | B |
| Joining from Bermuda - Sailed May 23 | ||||
| Bradglen | British | scrap iron | Hull | From HX 44 |
| Ruth Kellog | American (MoWT 1940? 1941?) | fuel oil | Donges | (Later Empire Dolphin) |
| Schuylkill | British | Tanker W | Swansea | From HX 44 |
| Solsten | Norwegian | Tanker W | Ardrossan | From HX 44 |
| Evoikos | Greek | sugar | Casablanca | See ** in Notes |
| British Prudence | British | Adm. tanker B | Scapa | – |
| Donax | " | Tanker B | Mersey | From HX 44 |
| Cliona | " | Tanker B | Southampton | – |
| " | sugar | Liverpool | From HX 44 Listed in HX 46 | |
| Brumaire | French | Tanker B | Brest f. o. | Later sunk - See Notes |
| Scottish Standard | British | Adm. tanker B | Portsmouth | From HX 43 See * in Notes |
| Waban | American / MoWT 1940 | general | Portland / London | Became Br. Empire Sambar See also Norhauk and HX 42 |
| Litiopa | Norwegian | Tanker B | Mersey | From HX 44 |
| Thelma | " | Tanker B | Glasgow | – |
| Krossfonn | " | Tanker B | Donges | – |
| Varanger | " | Tanker B | Mersey | – |
| Hallanger | " | Tanker B | Swansea | – |
| Lunula | British | Tanker W | Clyde | – |
| Inanda | " | general | London | – |
| Caprella | " | Tanker B | Grangemouth | – |
| South America | Norwegian | Tanker B | Manchester | – |
| Torvanger | " | lumber - zinc | Mersey | – |
| San Gabriel | Greek | general | Liverpool | – |
| Edward F. Johnson | British | Tanker W | Hull | Returned? |
| British Commander | " | Tanker W | Mersey | – |
| San Eliseo | " | Tanker B | Clyde | – |
| Norwegian | Tanker B | London | Listed in HX 46 | |
| Houston City | British | grain - lumber | Immingham | – |
| San Cipriano | " | Tanker B | Brest f. o. | – |
| Moveria | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Inventor | " | W. I. produce | Liverpool | – |
| " | meat - wool | London | – | |
| Rangitiki | " | meat - butter | London | – |
| Scottish Heather | " | Adm. tanker B | Liverpool | – |
| " | Tanker B | Liverpool | Listed in HX 47 | |
| British Dominion | " | Tanker W | Mersey | – |
| Saintonge | French / MoWT 1940 | Tanker B | Brest f. o. | See * in Notes |
| Again, note that there were more ships joining from Bermuda - see A 1 form above. |
Notes - Bermuda portion:
The Bermuda portion was escorted by HMS Rajputana, Captain F. H. Taylor, R.N. who also acted as Commodore for this portion. Vice Commodore was A. H. Prow in Inanda. Local escort for this portion was HMS Penzance.
BHX 45 departed Bermuda at 12:00GMT on May 23-1940 with 39 ships (37 of which remained at arrival rendezvous with the HX portion) and was formed up by 18:25, course 061° - speed 8 knots.
* Scottish Standard (station 96) experienced engine trouble and fell out of the convoy - last seen at 23:12 GMT on May 25 in 35 57N 56 50W, course 061°, speed approx. 5 knots.
Saintonge (station 86) also had engine trouble and fell out of the convoy - last seen at 18:20GMT on May 28 in 40 41N 46 08W.
"Zigzagging, altering course by wheeling and turning together were carried out. Fog buoys were streamed satisfactorily".
"Station keeping was unsatisfactory for the first 48 hours, after that it was fair, except for the usual tendency for rear ships to drop back during dark hours. Visual signalling was bad at first, signals taking half an hour before Convoy repeated them as a whole, this time was eventually cut down to 10 minutes". Edward F. Johnson, Scottish Heather and Donax were very good.
"It is pointed out that the Convoy, though given a Cruising speed of 9 knots, included Scottish Standard 8 1/2 knots and Waban. In Form A 1 Waban's speed was given as 9 knots. In the Form giving particulars of all ships her speed was given as 8 knots. In fact, she could only do 8 knots, and signalled Rajputana to that effect. The inclusion of slow ships, in effect, means a delay in making junction with the Halifax Convoy, unless the weather is continuously fair, and provided no radical alterations of course have to be made owing to possible enemy ships".
The HX portion was sighted at 07:10GMT on May 29, bearing 020° 12 miles. At 10:30, BHX 45 was manoeuvred as necessary to take station astern and was in correct position at 11:30. Ocean Escort (Rajputana) parted company at 12:10GMT in 41 50N 43 40W, arriving Bermuda at 15:00 on June 2.
Brumaire was bombed and sunk off Belle Isle by German aircraft on June 20-1940. ("The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan and "Lloyd's War Losses", Vol I).
Notes - Combined convoy:
Commodore was in Consuelo, Vice Commodore was in Bayano, and Rear Commodore in Inanda (from Bermuda section).
* Senta dropped astern on May 25, Manoula dropped astern on the 26th in dense fog.
** Evoikos was dispatched independently to Casablanca on May 29.
C. J. Barkdull did not sail (boiler trouble) - she had also been cancelled from several of the previous convoys, and did not get away until HX 49.
The convoy arrived rendezvous on June 5.
Ocean Escort: HMS Voltaire.
A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of HX convoy escorts received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Hibiscus - From 07/06/40 to 08/06/40
Periwinkle - From 05/06/40 to 06/06/40
Restigouche - From 24/05/40 to 25/05/40
Saguenay - From 24/05/40 to 25/05/40
Sandwich - From 05/06/40 to 07/06/40
Skeena - From 24/05/40 to 25/05/40
St. Laurent - From 24/05/40
Voltaire - From 24/05/40 to 04/06/40
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 46
| Aa–Al | An–Ar | As–Av | Ba | Be | Bi–Bl | Bo | Br–Bu | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | F | G | Ha | He | Hi–Hy | Hø | I | J | K |
| L | M | N | O | PQ | R | Sa–Sc | Se–Sj | Sk–Sn | So |
| Sp–St | Su–Sø | Ta–Te | Th–Ti | To | Tr–Tø | U | V | W | Ø |
