Convoy HX 85 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 85 (Will be updated - please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all HX convoys. See also HX escorts).
Left Halifax Nov. 1-1940, arrived Sydney C.B. on Nov. 9.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" lists a convoy with the designation HX 85/1 leaving Sydney C.B. on Nov. 11-1940, arriving Liverpool on Nov. 25, giving 28 ships, and my guess is that the ships listed on this page made up this convoy (though the Commodore says it consisted of 31 ships from Halifax to Sydney C.B.).
| Transcribed from original documents received from Roger Griffiths - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. On the documents, there's a note saying: Consequent holding of convoys at assembly ports owing to ocean raider, following will sail together and rendezvous on Nov. 22. Former rendezvous dates: SC 11 - Nov. 18 HX 85 - Nov. 12 HX 86 (Halifax) - Nov. 16 HX 86 (Sydney) - Nov. 16 HX 87 (Bermuda) - Nov. 20 The "raider" in question was Admiral Scheer - see Convoy HX 84. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Bermuda Section (BHX) - Sailing Oct. 28-1940 | ||||
| Norwegian | – | Clyde | Listed in HX 92 | |
| Athelfoam | British | molasses | Mersey | – |
| British Commodore | British | Ad. tanker B | Milford Haven for Devonport | Ex HX 84 * |
| Bruxelles | Belgian | scrap iron | Ardrossan | Ex HX 84 * |
| Swedish | steel - lumber - cotton | Mersey | Ex HX 84 * To (B)HX 86 (Convoy returned) | |
| Norwegian | tanker W | – | To (B)HX 86 | |
| Capulet | British | Ad. tanker B | Scapa | – |
| Charles F. Meyer | " | tanker W | – | To be sent to Halifax to await orders (listed in Convoy HX 87) |
| Cromarty | " | lumber - metal | London/Hull | – |
| El Grillo | " | tanker B | Manchester/Mersey | – |
| Empire Tiger | " | steel - scrap iron | Swansea | – |
| Hoperange | " | lumber - lead - wheat | London/Hull | – |
| Hoperidge | " | lumber - lead | Barry/Cardiff | – |
| " | steel | – | Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 11 | |
| Kheti | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| British (Ex Danish Kina till 1940) | steel - cotton - timber | – | To (B)HX 86 (not listed) | |
| La Cordillera | British | lumber - metal | London/Hull | – |
| Lima | Swedish | lumber - metal | W. Hartlepool | – |
| British | lumber - lead | – | To (B)HX 86 (not listed) | |
| Halifax Section - Sailing Nov. 1-1940 | ||||
| Norwegian | Ad. tanker B | Clyde | To HX 86 | |
| Greek | sulphur | Garston | Ex HX 84 * To HX 89 | |
| Norwegian | general | Cork | Listed in SC 11 | |
| " | tanker W | Tyne | – | |
| Greek | steel | Liverpool | Listed in SC 11 | |
| Swedish | pig iron | Swansea | To HX 86 | |
| Javanese Prince | British | general - special Mohawk planes | Liverpool | – |
| Tolken | Swedish | steel | Newport/Hull/London | From SC 9 |
| Chaucer | British | steel - special Tomahawk planes | Newport/Avonmouth/Liverpool | – |
| " | steel - special | – | To HX 86 | |
| Nurtureton | " | grain | Avonmouth | – |
| Sarthe | " | general - flour - special (planes) | Liverpool | Ex HX 81? & HX 84 * |
| " | steel - scrap iron | Hull | Ex HX 84 *To HX 86 | |
| " | tanker W | Manchester | Ex HX 84 *To HX 86 | |
| Romney | " | steel - trucks | Belfast/London/Hull | Ex HX 84 * |
| Topdalsfjord | Norwegian | iron ore | Port Talbot | – |
| Trevilley | British | wheat - lumber | London | – |
| Loch Don | " | grain - lumber | Hull | – |
| Uranienborg | British from 1940 (Ex Danish) | pit props | Hull | – |
| Vernon City | British | grain | illegible | – |
| Dornoch | " | grain | Hull | – |
| Manchester Division | " | general - special | illegible | – |
| Beaverdale | " | " | Avonmouth | – |
| Bic Island | Canadian Gov. | " | Liverpool | – |
| Baltara | British | general | Manchester | – |
| Greek | iron ore | – | From HX 81? Listed in SC 12 | |
| British | maize | – | (listed in HX 87) | |
| Several ships have a note saying "Ex HX 84" next to them (denoted * in this table) - however, none of these ships can be found on the HX 84 convoy form - it probably means they were originally scheduled, but did not sail. |
Notes:
Commodore Bertram S. Thosiger was in Sarthe, Vice Commodore B.? C. Benndrell(?) in Manchester Division.
Clyde Vice Commodore in Hoperange
Barry Commodore in Chaucer
Oban Commodore in La Cordillera).
Escorts Halifax: HMCS Assiniboine and HMCS French.
Escorts entering Sydney: HMS Enchantress and HMCS Elk.
Ocean Escort Halifax - Sydney: HMS Rajputana
More details on all the Norwegian ships named in this table can be found in the alphabetical ship lists of this website.
To the next HX convoy in my list HX 86
| 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 |
