Convoy HX 59 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 59 Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram (Will be updated - please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all HX convoys. See also HX escorts).
| Convoy HX 59 Cruising Order Departed Halifax on July 19-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Aug 3 (Arnold Hague also says 54 ships). | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transcribed from A 1 form received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew). Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Sw=Swedish, Du=Dutch, Am=American, Gr=Greek, Pa=Panmanian. B = Ships joining from Bermuda. | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 Invella steel - pit props Hull (Br) | 21 Baron Stranraer pitwood Hull (Br) | 31 Beaverbrae general London (Br) | 41 Consuelo steel ingots Hull (Br) | 51 Oilfield gas - parafin Belfast (Br) | 61 Manchester Port general Manchester (Br) | 71 Sicilian Prince general Liverpool (Br) | 81 Antonios Chandris grain Milford Haven (Gr) | 91Hadleigh steel - pit props Milford Haven (Br) |
| 12 Kingsland pit props Methil (Br) | 22 Stagpool pit props West Hartlepool (Br) | 32 Prins Willem van Oranje grain Methil (Du) | 42 Inger Lise lumber Aberdeen (Norw) | 52 Belinda gasoline Clyde (Norw) | 62 Siremalm wood pulp Manchester (Norw) | 72 |
82 Shakespear steel - general ev. Milford Haven (Br) | 92 Hada County general Milford Haven (Norw) |
| 13 Convallaria wood pulp Methil (Sw) | 23 |
33 Soesterberg pit props Sunderland (Du) | 43 |
53 Missourian steel scrap Glasgow(Am/Br) | 63 Kathariotisa * wood pulp Manchester (Gr)B Modavia lumber Liverpool (Br) | 73Corner Brook newsprint Ellesmere Port (Br) | 83 Middleton steel scrap Milford Haven (Br) | 93 |
| 14 B Donax diesel oil Methil (Br) | 24 Vestland * pulp Grimsby (Norw) | 34 Achilles London (Du) | 44 | 54 Henry Dundas gasoline Clyde(Br) | 64Leise Mærsk grain Manchester (Da/Br) | 74 Empire Lotus wire rods Manchester (Br) | 84 Ramsay grain Milford Haven (Br) | 94 BTredinnick scrap iron Milford Haven (Br) |
| 15 |
25 B Mahia refrig. Methil (Br) | 35 B Valldemosa aviation spirits Clyde (Br) | 45 |
55 |
65 B Loriga general Liverpool (Br) | 75 |
85 B |
95 BDan-y-Bryn lumber - wheat Belfast (Br) |
| 16 | 26 |
36 B Finnanger Admiralty fuel Clyde (Norw) | 46 B Morgenen aviation spirits Clyde (Norw) | 56 B Circe Shell fuel - crude oil Manchester (Br) | 66 |
76 |
86 B Cambridge refrig. Milford Haven (Br) | 96 BWaziristan scrap iron Belfast (Br) |
| 17 | 27 | 37 | 47 B San Francisco general Clyde (Sw) | 57 BSimnia aviation spirits Manchester (Br) | 67 |
77 | 87 | 97 |
| 18 | 28 | 38 | 48 | 58 BClausina aviation spirit Manchester (Br) | 68 | 78 | 88 | 98 |
| I believe this form shows the formation after juncture with the Bermuda portion of the convoy; the 18 ships in this convoy being in the following stations of BHX 59 when they sailed: Donax - 15, Mahia - 25, Valldemosa - 35, Cambridge - 45, Modavia - 55, Loriga - 65, Simnia - 75, Auditor - 85, Dan-y-Bryn - 95, Clausina - 26, Finnanger - 36, Morgenen - 46, Circe Shell - 56, Lady Glanely - 66, Tredinnick - 76, Waziristan - 96, San Francisco - 47 and Norvinn - 67.The Bermuda portion was escorted by HMS Aurania (ocean escort) and HMS Penzance (local escort) and sailed on July 18-1940. Please note that some ships are missing from this form - see Advance Sailing Telegram below. * Auditor is crossed out on this form, but not in the Advance Sailing Telegram. * Vestland lost touch on the night of July 19/20, Norwegian Tautra (not listed on the form) and Greek Kathariotisa on the night of July 20/21 in 56 26N 10 55W, being unable to keep up with the convoy at 8 knots. Modavia subsequently moved to station 63, where the Greek ship had been. |
| Advance Sailing Telegram Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Halifax section | ||||
| Henry Dundas | British | Tanker W | Clyde to lay up | – |
| Belgian | sugar | Belfast f. o. | See HX 66 | |
| Oilfield | British | Tanker W | Belfast | – |
| Belinda | Norwegian | Tanker W | Clyde | See also HX 54 |
| British | steel - lumber | Belfast / West Hartlepool | To HX 60 - straggled Listed in HX 61 | |
| Convallaria | Swedish | wood pulp | Ridham Dock | From HX 58 |
| Sicilian Prince | British | general | Liverpool | – |
| " | ballast (trawler) | East-West | Listed in HX 60 | |
| Norwegian | steel scrap | Manchester | From HX 58 Listed in HX 60 | |
| Justitia | British | lumber | Glasgow | – |
| Baron Stranraer | " | pit props | Hull | – |
| Prins Willem van Oranje | Dutch | grain | London | From HX 58 |
| Invella | British | steel - lumber | Hull | – |
| Inger Lise | Norwegian | lumber | Aberdeen | From HX 58 |
| Middleton | British | steel scrap | Swansea | From HX 58 |
| American / MOWT 1940 | general - ammunition | Liverpool | (Became British Empire Ocelot) Listed in HX 60 | |
| Corner Brook | British | newsprint | Ellesmere Port | – |
| Hada County | Norwegian | aluminium | Avonmouth | – |
| Kathariotisa | Greek | wood pulp | Manchester | – |
| Kingsland | British | pit props | Tyne | – |
| Antonios Chandris | Greek | grain | Avonmouth | From HX 58 |
| Leise Mærsk | Danish / MOWT 1940 | grain | Manchester | – |
| Manchester Port | British | general | Manchester | Commodore Vessel |
| Shakespear | " | steel - explosives | Newport | – |
| American / MOWT 1940 | pig iron | Glasgow | (Became Br. Empire Dorado) To HX 60 - did not sail Joined HX 61 - returned To HX 63 - did not sail To HX 64 - did not sail See also HX 65 & HX 66 (Sailed in HX 67) | |
| Beaverbrae | British | general | London | Vice Commodore |
| Hadleigh | " | pit props | Barry | – |
| Norwegian | general | Glasgow | Listed in HX 60 | |
| Stagpool | British | pit props | West Hartlepool | – |
| Empire Lotus | " | wire rods | Manchester | – |
| Missourian | American / MOWT 1940 | steel scrap - special | Glasgow | (Became Br. Empire Swan) |
| Ramsay | British | grain | Sharpness | – |
| American / MOWT 1940 | newsprint | Manchester | (Became British Barberrys) Listed in HX 60 | |
| British | pig iron | Swansea | Listed in HX 60 | |
| Norwegian | pig iron | Swansea | From HX 58 To HX 60 - did not sail Listed in HX 61 | |
| Siremalm | " | wood pulp | Manchester | – |
| The following ships appear on a separate document, with no mention of which section they belong to - note, however, that some of these belong in the Bermuda portion, denoted with a B | ||||
| Clausina | British | Tanker W | Manchester | B |
| San Francisco | Swedish | general - nitrate | Greenock | B |
| Ootmarsum | Dutch | iron ore | Port Talbot | – |
| Heina | Norwegian | general | Liverpool | – |
| Tautra | " | lumber | Taymont(?) | – |
| Temple Inn | British | steel | Newport | – |
| Consuelo | " | general - steel ingots | Hull | – |
| Achilles | Dutch | pulp wood | River Medway | – |
| Schie | " | lumber | Belfast / London | – |
| Bollsta | Norwegian | pit props | Belfast / Immingham | – |
| Vestland | " | pulp | Grimsby | – |
| Soesterberg | Dutch | pit props | Sunderland | – |
| Joining from Bermuda - Sailed July 18 | ||||
| British | lumber - wheat | London | From HX 58 Listed in HX 60 | |
| Auditor | " | general | Manchester | Crossed out on A 1 form |
| " | Tanker W | – | "To remain at Halifax" Listed in HX 62 | |
| Cambridge | " | refrig. | Cardiff | – |
| " | general - explosives | Liverpool | From HX 58 Listed in HX 60 | |
| " | Tanker W | Clyde f. o. | To HX 60 - did not sail See also HX 64 | |
| Circe Shell | " | Tanker B | Manchester | – |
| " | Tanker W | – | "To remain at Halifax" Listed in HX 60 | |
| Donax | " | Tanker B | Hull | – |
| Dan-y-Bryn | " | lumber - wheat | Belfast / Tyne | – |
| Norwegian | Adm. tanker B | Devonport | Listed in HX 60 | |
| British | Tanker W | – | "To remain at Halifax" Listed in HX 64 | |
| Finnanger | Norwegian | Adm. tanker B | Clyde | – |
| American / MOWT 1940 | lumber | Tyne | (Became Br. Empire Tarpon) To HX 60 - did not sail See also HX 65 (listed in SC 2) | |
| Lady Glanely | British | lumber | Cardiff | – |
| Loriga | " | general | Liverpool | From HX 58 |
| Mahia | " | refrig. - general | London | From HX 58 |
| Modavia | " | lumber - special | Liverpool | – |
| " | Adm. tanker B | Clyde | Listed in HX 60 | |
| Simnia | " | Tanker W | Manchester | – |
| Tredinnick | " | scrap iron | Swansea | – |
| Waziristan | " | scrap iron | Belfast / Hull | – |
| Norvinn | Panamanian / Norw. mngrs. | Adm. tanker B | Clyde | See also HX 56 |
| Valldemosa | British | Tanker W | Clyde to lay up | – |
| Morgenen | Norwegian | Tanker W | Clyde to lay up | See also HX 52 |
| Again, note that 2 more ships were in the Bermuda portion - see A 1 form above. |
Notes:
Commodore A. T. Tillard was in Manchester Port, Vice Commodore B. L. Laslie was in Beaverbrae, and Rear Commodore in Cambridge (originally in station 45).
Average speed: 8.3 knots.
Upon leaving Halifax the convoy had 36 ships; 18 joined in the BHX feeder convoy from Bermuda at 16:00 on July 23 for a total of 54 ships, 51 of which were still present on arrival at local escort rendezvous (Vestland, Tautra and Kathariotisa having lost touch, as mentioned in A 1 form).
Commodore's Comments on Station Keeping:
"Fair. The station keeping of convoy seems to be deteriorating. This may be due to the increase in number of foreign ships (22 in convoy)."
In the column for suggestions for improvement of the convoy system, the Commodore suggests that "Consigs be amplified. Such signals as SK, VL etc. would be very useful. Owing to large number of foreign ships in convoy signals have sometimes to be made by International Code." He also suggests that "all except one receiver set in foreign ships should be sealed and examined on arrival in port."
Ocean Escort: HMS Voltaire (Armed Merchant Cruiser) was with the convoy from Halifax until 12:00 on July 30, parting company in 56 06N 22 30W.
Local Escorts: Sloop HMS Fowey, Corvettes HMS Hibiscus and HMS Heartsease, joining at 11:35 on July 31 in 56 19N 16 45W. The commodore says: "Fresh easterly head winds and sea were met with during first six days, which reduced speed of small ships (3 under 2000 tons) to 7 knots. Convoy was consequently 5 hours late at R.V. with local escort. Voyage uneventful."
Air Escort from 06:00 on Aug. 1 in 56 24N 12 28W.
More details on all the Norwegian ships named in this table can be found in the alphabetical lists of this website.
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 60
| 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 |
