Convoy HX 56 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 56 Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram
| Convoy HX 56 Cruising Order Departed Halifax on July 7-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 22nd (Arnold Hague says 48 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, Da=Danish, Sw=Swedish, Hu=Hungarian, Est=Estonian, Du=Dutch, Bel=Belgian MoWT = Ministry of War Transport B = ships joining from Bermuda. | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 Celtic Monarch pit props West Hartlepool (Br) | 21 Donacilla lube oil London (Br) | 31 Beechwood pit props Hull (Br) | 41 Pacific Grove general London (Br) | 51 Sulairia general Glasgow (Br) | 61 Europa general Liverpool(Da/Br) | 71 Dalcairn grain Liverpool (Br) | 81Bayano general Liverpool (Br) | 91Queen City scrap - general ev. Manchester (Br) |
| 12Brynymor grainHull (Br) | 22Inger Toft pit props Tyne (Da/Br) | 32 |
42 Tricula fuel oil Thames (Br) | 52Granby* timber Clyde (Br) | 62 Eastern Trader steel - general ev. Liverpool(Am/MoWT 1940) | 72 British Ardour benzine Belfast (Br) | 82 Montreal City general - general ev. Milford Haven (Br) | 92 Shirak benzine Belfast (Br) |
| 13 Warkworth London (Br) | 23 Uffington Court grain London (Br) | 33 Kirnwood timber London (Br) | 43 King Robert steel - pit props West Hartlepool (Br) | 53 |
63 Thyra pulp wood Manchester(Norw) | 73Kelet* iron ore Milford Haven (Hu) | 83 |
93 Dosinia gasolineBelfast (Br) |
| 14 | 24 | 34 | 44 Gunborg Clyde (Sw) | 54 | 64Forbes Hauptmann Birkenhead(Am/MoWT 1940) | 74 Silverelm Liverpool (Br) | 84Barrgrove steel - timber Belfast - Hull (Br) | 94 Everleigh Avonmouth (Br) |
| 15 B Hopepeaklumber-wheat Hull (Br) | 25 BAlexia fuel oil Scapa (Br) | 35 B Ahamo fuel oil Scapa (Br) | 45 B Craftsmangeneral-expl. Liverpool (Br) | 55 B Speybanknitrates Liverpool (Br) | 65 B Empire Confidencesugar-general-expl. Clyde (Br) | 75 B |
85 B Atheltemplar fuel oil Clyde (Br) | 95 B Beemsterdijk general Belfast (Du) |
| 16 | 26 Western Prince (Br) | 36 B Auris crude & fuel oil Clyde (Br) | 46 B Iroquois gas oil London (Br) | 56 B |
66 B Flowergate sugar Methil (Br) | 76 B |
86 B Ranchergeneral-expl. Liverpool (Br) | 96 B Port Wellington Avonmouth (Br) |
| 17 | 27 | 37 B British Couragefuel oil Clyde (Br) | 47 BBruxelles sugar Liverpool (Bel) | 57 B Storaas fuel oil (Norw) | 67 BSea Giant*(Br salvage tug) Glasgow | 77 B |
87 | 97 |
| Western Prince joined at 20:00 on the 19th(?) in 56 30N 13 44W - reason unknown (not mentioned in Advance Sailing Telegram).Vancouver (also cancelled from HX 55), sailed in HX 57, and Brockley Hill (cancelled from HX 57, sailed in HX 58) are not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram for this convoy. Note, however, that the AST has several ships (listed as cancelled) that are not not included in this A 1 form. The ships denoted * were unable to maintain pre-arranged convoy speed. They are crossed out on the form, having dropped out of the convoy, Sea Giant already while in the Bermuda section - she shows up again in HX 60 later that month. Granby dropped out on the 7th due to engine failure and was sent back to Halifax, while Kelet dropped out at 05:00 on the 8th, unable to catch up with convoy. There's another note for Granby in the Advance Sailing Telegram, saying: "Sent back and sailed independently presumably for Clyde as signal saying Belfast was despatched the day she sailed 8/7". The Bermuda portion was escorted by HMS Ausonia. It'll be noticed, when comparing the above with Arnold Hague's listing for HX 56 at ships in all HX convoys, that he has some of the ships in different stations from what is given in the original convoy documents. Also, he says Empire Confidence became a straggler. He spells Forbes Hauptman with 1 n. A. Hague does not mention Sea Giant in his listing. |
| Advance Sailing Telegram Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Halifax section | ||||
| Eastern Trader | American / MoWT 1940 | steel - special | Liverpool | Became Br. Empire Razorbill From HX 55 |
| Montreal City | British | general - special | Milford Haven | From HX 55 |
| Thyra | Norwegian | lumber | Manchester | From HX 55 |
| Queen City | British | scrap - special | Manchester | From HX 55 |
| " | grain | Avonmouth | From HX 55* To HX 57 - did not sail Listed in HX 58 | |
| * The AST says this ship was from HX 55, but she's not mentioned in the AST for that convoy. | ||||
| Beechwood | " | pit props | Hull | – |
| Europa | Danish / MoWT 1940 | general | Liverpool | Commodore Vessel |
| Barrgrove | British | steel - lumber | Newport | – |
| Norwegian | pig iron | Swansea | To HX 57 - did not sail To HX 58 - did not sail To HX 59 - did not sail To HX 60 - did not sail Listed in HX 61 | |
| British | general | Avonmouth | Listed in HX 57 | |
| " | steel - special | Liverpool | See also Bermuda portion belowListed in HX 57 | |
| King Robert | " | steel - pit props | West Hartlepool | – |
| Sulairia | " | general | Glasgow | – |
| Warkworth | " | grain | London | – |
| Bayano | " | general | London | – |
| Brynymor | " | grain | Hull | – |
| " | grain | Belfast | Listed in HX 57 | |
| Dalcairn | " | grain | Belfast / Newcastle | – |
| Everleigh | " | grain | Manchester | – |
| Pacific Grove | " | general - aircraft | Glasgow | Vice Commodore |
| Silverelm | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Uffington Court | " | grain | London | – |
| Norwegian | timber | Belfast | To HX 57 - did not sail Listed in HX 58 | |
| Greek | grain | Southampton | Listed in HX 57 | |
| Tricula | British | Tanker B | Mersey f. o. | See alo HX 53 |
| Dosinia | " | Tanker W | Manchester | See alo HX 51 |
| British Ardour | " | Tanker W | Manchester | See alo HX 50 |
| Shirak | " | Tanker W | Manchester | See alo HX 50 |
| Norwegian | Tanker B | Clyde f. o. | Listed in HX 57 | |
| Donacilla | British | Tanker B | London | – |
| Inger Toft | Danish / MoWT 1940 | pit props | Tyne | – |
| Norwegian | general | Liverpool | Listed in HX 57 | |
| British | Tanker W | – | "To remain at Halifax" Listed in HX 57 | |
| " | steel | Birkenhead | Listed in HX 57 | |
| The following ships appear on a separate document, with no mention of which section they belong to - note, however, that one of these belong in the Bermuda portion, denoted with a B | ||||
| Empire Confidence | British | sugar - general - Naval stores - explosives | London | B |
| Celtic Monarch | " | pit props | West Hartlepool | See alo HX 54 |
| Kirnwood | " | timber | London | – |
| Gunborg | Swedish | pulp wood | Barrow | – |
| Granby | British | timber | Belfast f. o. | See note in A 1 form |
| Forbes Hauptmann | American / MoWT 1940 | scrap - explosives | Birkenhead | Became British Empire Kittiwake Later Norw. Norfalk |
| Kelet | Hungarian | iron ore | Port Talbot | – |
| Joining from Bermuda - Sailed July 6 Escorted by HMS Ausonia | ||||
| Sea Giant | British | Tug | Glasgow | From HX 55 See note in A 1 form above |
| Alexia | " | Adm. tanker B | Liverpool | From HX 55 |
| " | sugar | Methil f. o. | From HX 55 Listed in HX 57 | |
| Lake Hallwil | Estonian | general | London | – |
| Hopepeak | British | wheat - lumber | Hull | From HX 55 |
| Atheltemplar | " | Adm. tanker B | Clyde | – |
| " | Tanker B | – | "To proceed to Halifax to await orders" Listed in HX 57 | |
| Panamanian / Norw. mngrs. | Adm. tanker B | Devonport | Listed in HX 59 | |
| Iroquois | British | Tanker B | London | – |
| " | Tanker B | To HX 57 | ||
| " | scrap iron - steel - explosives | Middlesbrough | To HX 57 See Halifax portion above | |
| " | Tanker | – | "To proceed to Halifax to await orders" Listed in HX 61 | |
| Beemsterdijk | Dutch | general | Liverpool | – |
| British | scrap iron | Ardrossan | Listed in HX 57 | |
| Speybank | " | nitrates | Liverpool | – |
| Ahamo | " | Adm. tanker B | Scapa | – |
| Auris | " | Tanker B | Manchester | – |
| Rancher | " | general - explosives | Liverpool | – |
| Craftsman | " | general - explosives | Liverpool | From HX 55 |
| Storaas | Norwegian | Adm. tanker B | Clyde | – |
| Port Wellington | British | meat - butter | Avonmouth | – |
| " | Tanker (crude oil) | Manchester | To HX 57 - did not sail (does not show up until HX 85) | |
| Flowergate | " | sugar | Hull | From HX 55 |
| Norwegian | Adm. tanker B | Portsmouth | Listed in HX 57 | |
| British | Tanker W | – | "To proceed to Halifax to await orders" Listed in HX 63 | |
| Norwegian | Tanker W | – | "To proceed to Halifax to await orders" Listed in HX 62 | |
| British Courage | British | Tanker B | London | – |
| Ruahine | " | wool - dairy produce | Liverpool | – |
| " | Tanker B | Belfast f. o. | Listed in HX 57 | |
| " | Adm. tanker B | Clyde | From HX 54 Listed in HX 57 | |
| Bruxelles | Belgian | sugar | Avonmouth | – |
| Additionally, Empire Confidence, as noted above. |
Notes:
Commodore, Rear Admiral Peyne(? hard to read) was in Eur opa, Vice Commodore H. S. Pearley was in Pacific Grove, and Rear Commodore in Sulairia.
Speed: 8 1/2 knots.
The Commodore is not impressed with the ships' ability to keep their stations, saying it was the worst he had ever experienced, and is equally critical with regard to visual and W/T signalling.
Ocean Escort: HMS Comorin - sailed with convoy from Halifax, parted company at 18:30 on the 20th and proceeded with east coast section of the convoy.
Local Escort: The only vessels I can desipher with a fair amount of certainty are Hearstease, Warwick, Rochester and Leith.
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):
Comorin - From 07/07/40 to 20/07/40
Hastings - From 19/07/40 to 20/07/40
Heartsease - From 19/07/40 to 22/07/40
Leith - From 19/07/40 to 22/07/40
Ottawa - From 07/07/40 to 08/07/40
Rochester - From 19/07/40 to 22/07/40
Saguenay - From 07/07/40 to 08/07/40
Warwick - From 19/07/40 to 22/07/40
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 57
| 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 |
