Convoy HX 70 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 70 (Will be updated - please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all HX convoys. See also HX escorts).
Departed Halifax on Sept. 1-1940 and arrived arrived Liverpool on the 16th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 42 ships in this convoy.
Notes:
Commodore was in Hilary.
Commodore to Clyde: In Botavon.
Commodore to Milford Haven: In West Harshaw.
Ocean Escort: HMS Montclare.
* According to my information for Hird, she left Bermuda in convoy on Sept. 7 (not Aug. 31), but lost sight of the convoy due to a fire on board, and never rejoined. See text for Hird
Narrative of voyage by commanding officer of HMS Montclare, dated Sept. 5
Unfortunately the times in the narrative are illegible, so I've only included the details (wherever I've started a new line, a different time is given in the report):
Sept. 1
- Sailed.
- Rounded Red Buoy and set course 116 degrees, 12 knots.
- Cerinthus and Bente Mærsk (both delayed sailing) rounded Red Buoy.
- In station with convoy, speed 6 knots. All closed up except Cerinthus and Bente Mærsk both in sight astern.
Sept. 2
- Thick fog.
- Fog cleared. All ships present except Coryton. Convoy badly out of station. One ship (Corvus) of column 9 was in column 3 and several others two to four columns out. Consider fog signals not made sufficiently frequently.
- Thick fog. D. R. Noon position: 43 39N 60 45W.
- Visibility 3 miles; increased to 7 knots.
- Thick fog.
- Course was altered by sound signal 20 degrees to port in succession.
- Course altered 20 degrees to port by sound signal. Course signalled as 073 degrees (C O).
Sept. 3
- Fog cleared.
- Fog shut down again.
- Fog lifted.
- 8 knots.
- 8 1/2 knots.
- West Kedron and Cerinthus not with convoy.
- Position 17 miles astern of Position 4. Visibility 8 miles.
- Altered course 097 degrees.
- Speed 8 knots. Noon position: 44 01N 57 19W. Visibility 10 miles.
- Patches of fog started.
Sept. 4
- Patches of fog, thick at times.
- Fog cleared - proceeded at 14 knots to search north of convoy for SHX convoy (this was the Sydney section).
- No sign of SHX 70. Ordered Vice Commodore to make callsign at 13:00 (15:00?) GMT(?).
- Rejoined convoy.
- Unable to tell whether bearing 106(?) degrees or ? degrees. As Commodore is sure it was ? degrees, proceeded ahead of convoy at 14 knots. (Noon position is given, but unable to decipher).
The convoy arrived rendezvous on Sept. 13.
More details on all the Norwegian ships named in this convoy can be found in the alphabetical ship lists of this website.
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 71
(Reports only)