Convoy HX 99 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY HX 99 (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 Dec. 26-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 11-1941.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" also gives 22 ships in this convoy.
Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
The A 1 form showing all the ships after Bermuda section had joined is unavailable to me and, therefore, I do not know the stations of the Bermuda ships.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Bermuda Section - Sailed Dec. 24 ref. the report on Page 2
Abraham Lincoln
Norwegian
aircraft - spruce acetone - general
?
Liverpool
From HX 98
(not available)
Auris
British
Adm. tanker B
–
Clyde
Blankaholm
Swedish
phosphates
?
Garston
–
Cowrie
British
Adm. tanker B
?
Holyhead - Beaufort
–
Daytonian
"
general
?
Liverpool
–
Duke of Athens
"
wheat - lumber
?
Hull
–
Geisha
Norwegian
lumber - acetone
–
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 100
Karabagh
British
Tanker W
?
London
Fell astern - rejoined
(see Page 2)
Rokos Vergottis
Greek
general
?
Liverpool
–
Kinross
British
wheat - lumber
?
Tyne
–
Winkleigh
"
timber - wheat - metal
–
Hull
To SC 18 - did not sail
Listed in SC 19
Halifax Section - Sailed Dec. 26
Dimitrios G. Thermiotis
Greek
steel - scrap iron
–
Newport
From HX 98
Listed in SC 18
Eastern Star
Norwegian
general
33
Manchester
Dropped astern - rejoined
(see end of Page 2)
Oberon
Dutch
steel - dry pulp
–
London
Sailed in HX 100
Wellington Court
British
steel
–
Clyde f. o.
From HX 98
To HX 100 - returned to port
Benedict
"
general
43
Liverpool
To HX 100 - cancelled
To SC 18
Leonidas M
Greek
general
62
Liverpool
New Brunswick
British
steel - general
32
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 100
Zypenberg
Dutch
steel - scrap iron
–
Hull
To SC 18 - returned to port
(see also SC 13)
Alderpool
British
grain
31
Hull
delayed departure - see "notes" below
& report on Page 2
Innerton
"
grain
–
Leith
Sailed in HX 100
West Wales
"
steel
–
Clyde f. o.
Warkworth
"
steel - lumber
21
West Hartlepool
Cape Nelson
"
steel
12
Hull
From HX 98
Lost touch - see Page 2
Alnmoor
"
steel - general
–
Glasgow
From HX 98
To HX 100 - returned to port
Langleebrook
"
steel - scrap iron
31
Glasgow
From HX 98
Sailed in HX 100
Teneriffa
Norwegian
general
73
Avonmouth / Newport
From HX 98
Lost touch - see Page 2
Lida
Polish
paper
–
Belfast d.g / Avonmouth
From HX 98
To HX 100 - cancelled
Sailed in HX 101
Masunda
British
grain
–
Manchester
From HX 98
Sailed in HX 100
Aelybryn
"
grain
61
Liverpool
From HX 98
West Ekonk
American / MOWT 1941
steel - scrap iron
42
Manchester
(Became Br. Empire Wildebeeste 1941)
From HX 97
See "Commodore's notes"
Page 2
Tower Field
British
grain
11
Hull
From HX 98
Kaaparen
Swedish
trucks
–
Liverpool
–
Olympos
Greek
sulphur
52
Manchester
From HX 96
See "Commodore's notes"
Page 2
A. D. Huff
?
newsprint
71
London
Lost touch - rejoined
(see report - Page 2)
Ittersum
Dutch
steel - scrap iron - trucks
22
Swansea / Cardiff
–
Ulysses
"
general
–
Bristol
From HX 98
Sailed in HX 100
Thysville
Belgian
general
51
Liverpool
From HX 98
See "Commodore's notes"
Page 2
Yselhaven
Dutch
grain
72
Sharpness
Taborfjell
Norwegian
general
–
Manchester
From HX 97
Sailed in HX 101
Tai Yin
"
steel - general
–
Hull
–
Penrith Castle
British
general - bombers
41
Garston
Liverpool
Notes:
Commodore P. E. Parker was in Penrith Castle, Wice Commodore was Captain W. V. Smith of Tower Field.
14 ships sailed from Halifax, 8 from Bermuda. The Bermuda ships joined at intervals, after the fog lifted between Dec. 31-1940 and Jan. 4-1941 (see report - Page 2). Alderpool was delayed in leaving Halifax and joined on the night of Dec. 27/28.
20 ships were still present when Oban bound ships parted company on Jan. 9 (see end of Page 2). Teneriffa and Cape Nelson had lost touch with the convoy in fog between Dec. 29 and Dec. 31 and never rejoined.
Average speed: 7.97 knots. The convoy rarely went at a greater speed than 8 knots, and no ships appeared to have any difficulty in keeping up.
The convoy arrived rendezvous with local escort on Jan. 7.
Ocean Escort: HMS Alaunia and HMS Porpoise - left Halifax with the convoy. Porpoise parted company at 15:00 on Jan. 5-1941 in 60 20N 25 20W, and Alaunia at 08:00 on Jan. 6 in 61 12 N 21 20W.
Local Escort (Halifax): HMCS Otter and HMCS Columbia.
Local Escort: HMS Shikari, HMS Sardonix, HMS Anemone, HMS Lady Elsa and HMS La Malouine.
The first of the Local Escort was met at 13:30 GMT on Jan. 7-1941 in 60 25N 16 00W, 4 1/2 hours (after? word illegible) programme time, and 5 miles to the Northward of amended rendezvous position. Remainder of escort were met at intervals later.
Air Escort: Aircraft were overhead during daylight hours on the day of departure Halifax, and on the following forenoon. Sunderland flying boat met convoy at 08:20 on Jan. 8 in 60 20N 10 37W and aircraft were seen during daylight hours and occasionally at night until arrival of ?.
More information on the Norwegian ships mentioned above can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page.
As always when working on these convoys, it strikes me that, although they had a safe voyage in a particular convoy, very few of the ships listed actually survived the war. This is also the case for many of the ships in this convoy.
