Convoy KMS 2 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
Loch Ewe section left at 14:30 on Oct. 25-1942, Liverpool and Clyde sections sailed on Oct. 26.
Arrived at Oran (O section) and Algiers (A section) on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12
(Arnold Hagues gives arrival Gibraltar Nov. 10).
Note that there was also a KMF 2, which left Clyde on Nov. 1 and arrived Algiers on the 12th.
This list of ships was received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research. (Don's work, which covers "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website).
See also MKS 3X
Ship
Nationality
Carrying
Remarks
Abbeydale
British
–
Joined Nov. 10
Agatha
Dutch
–
Put back
Andrew Hamilton
American
2099 t stores - 6 t petrol - 9 troops
–
Artemus Ward
"
267 t petrol - 2355 t stores - 9 troops
–
Bayou Chico
"
600 t petrol - 8 troops
–
Bernard Carter
"
guns - 1347 t stores - 9 troops
–
Browning
British
292 t petrol - 1395 t stores - 9 troops
Sunk - see Notes and external links below
Calumet
"
guns - 277 t stores - 8 troops
–
Christian Holm
"
–
Probably returned in MKS 2 - no signals
City of Christchurch
"
295 t petrol - 576 t stores - 9 troops
–
City of Norwich
"
744 t petrol - 635 t stores - 10 troops
–
Derwenthall
"
34 t petrol - 3002 t stores - 9 troops
–
Dorelian
"
479 t petrol - 530 t stores - 10 troops
–
Empire Baxter
"
8 t stores - 10 troops
–
Empire Buckler
"
600 t petrol - 843 t stores - 9 troops
See Notes below
Empire Ruskin
"
1135 t stores - 9 troops
Joined Nov. 10
Empire Splendour
"
266 t petrol - 1343 t stores - 10 troops
–
Ensis
"
7619 t FFO
(Oran)
–
Fort Augustus
"
176 t stores - 9 troops
–
Gudrun Mærsk
"
3226 t petrol
–
Hardingham
"
500 t petrol - 30 t stores - 8 troops
–
Harpalycus
"
979 t petrol - 188 t stores - 9 troops
–
Horace Binney
American
515 t petrol - stores
–
John Davenport
"
guns - 4 t stores - 9 troops
See Notes below
John P. Poe
"
2 t petrol - 807 t stores - 9 troops
–
John Sergeant
"
550 t petrol - 76 t stores
–
Junecrest
British
232 t stores - 10 troops
–
Lambrook
"
6 t petrol - 183 t stores - 10 troops
–
Lewant
Polish
2486 t petrol
–
Loriga
British
625 t petrol - 1550 t stores - 9 troops
–
Luther Martin
American
–
Returned - See Notes below
Mahsud
British
868 t petrol - 1641 t stores - 9 troops
–
Melmore Head
"
34 t petrol - 2107 t stores - 5 troops
–
Nairung
"
81 t petrol - 1430 t stores - 9 troops
–
Ocean Athlete
"
808 t stores - 1250 t coal - 9 troops
–
Ocean Fame
"
871 t stores - 1257 t coal - 9 troops
–
Ocean Liberty
"
guns - 1354 t stores - 8 troops
See Notes below
Ocean Merchant
"
1531 t stores - 9 troops
–
Ocean Strength
"
AFV - 31 t petrol - 2215 t stores - 9 troops
–
Ocean Trader
"
50 t petrol - 244 t stores - 11 troops
Fire in hold - see narrative below
Ocean Vengeance
"
AFV - guns - 2074 t stores - 10 troops
–
Ocean Veteran
"
AFV - guns - 2318 t stores - 8 troops
–
Ocean Virtue
"
110 t petrol - 2083 t stores - 7 troops
–
Ocean Viscount
"
739 t stores - 9 troops
–
Ocean Vista
"
579 t petrol - 1489 t stores - 9 troops
–
Prince de Liege
Belgian
2603 t petrol
–
Richard Henry Lee
American
713 t petrol - 453 t stores - 9 troops
–
Thomas Hooker
"
116 t stores - 914 t coal - 4 troops
–
Torr Head
British
313 t petrol - 1990 t stores - 12 troops
See Notes below
West Point
"
40 t petrol - 1484 t stores - 9 troops
–
The Commodore's narrative (below) also mentions Empire Day.
Notes:
Commodore Charles Turle was in Dorelian, Vice Commodore was Captain T. J. Sweeney of Browning. This ship, bound for Oran with American military stores, did not reach her destination. She was sunk off Oran on Nov. 12-1942, possibly by a mine, though U-593 has also been blamed for her loss. For a discussion on her demise, please see this thread on my Ship Forum. She had a crew of 51 and 10 gunners - 1 crew died.
Dorelian had on board 218 motor vehicles and a general military cargo, which included 400 tons of petrol in No. 1 hold.
According to the Commodore the convoy had 51 ships upon departure (this is more than what is given in the table above). Additionally, 2 ships (Abbeydale and Empire Ruskin) joined at 07:00 on Nov. 10 in 36 10N 4 15W.
Average speed: 7.49 knots.
From The Commodore's Narrative (received from Robert Martin - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. All times are GMT):
"The early days were not encouraging. The signalling and station keeping reached a new low level and during the forenoon of 27th October (57N 11W) the following was the situation":
Ocean Liberty dropped back, securing deck cargo.
Empire Buckler hauled out to port, cargo shifting.
Empire Day dropped astern, cargo loose, must be lashed.
Luther Martin hauled out to starboard, securing cargo (during the night of Oct. 26/27). HMS Bideford was left behind by the Senior Officer (of escort) to help but contact was lost and Luther Martin put back to Belfast.
Torr Head stopped with slight defects.
John Davenport dropped back, cargo shifting.
All of these rejoined the convoy, except Luther Martin.
"Then on three successive nights fore steaming lights were switched on, sometimes at full brilliancy. At last on 2nd November I gave orders that they were to be permanently disconnected". That same evening Ocean Trader signalled that her No. 4 hold was badly on fire, adding "Have battened down. Am injecting steam and hoping for the best. A quantity of petrol is in the hold and ammunition is in No. 5". The fire was finally reported to be out p.m. on Nov. 5; most of the damage was to 2 radio vans which were burnt out.
At 14:25 on Nov. 9 one of the escorts reported the sound of torpedo engines on the starboard bow, and the convoy carried out "fairly well an emergency turn together to starboard".
"The Londonderry (Actg. Captain J. S. Dalison) and her strong force went about their work with notable precision and certainty; they used R/T on 2410 kc.s. very freely and without bringing down any massed attack on the convoy".
The convoy split up off Oran at 06:00 on Nov. 11, when the "O" section proceeded into Arzew.
Commodore's suggestion for improvement of convoy system:
"To have an escort 12 to 16 strong was a novel and satisfactory experience; but also raised regrets that these H.M. ships could not take any offensive action unless the U-boat came to them, whereas any U-boat located within 40 to 50 miles of the convoy could probably be attacked - IF located with sufficient accuracy, and such accuracy should often be attained if there are aircraft working from the convoy. There are plenty of Tramps who could carry the rolling-up venetian-blind ramp for seaplanes over their stern or could arrange for a helicopter to land on their deck; and there appears to be a few who could be fitted with a short flying deck and arresting wires suitable for slow landing aircraft. The need for thus increasing the offensive power of the escorts seems to be emphasized by such a trip as this of KMS 2. Fiftyone ships at 7 1/2 knots, covering a 5 mile front, passing through areas of U-boat concentrations and often in restricted waters, can hardly hope to have escaped casualties by evasion or luck. It must be presumed that U-boats do not press their attack in face of such a strong escort. In order to gain some experience about the value of one or two a/c in a convoy would it not be possible to fit a few C.A.M. ships with some suitable seaplane".
Escorts (from Commodore's notes):
From England: Londonderry (S.O.), Bideford, Rochester, Leith, Erne, Scarborough, Sandwich, Landguard, Lulworth, Woodstock, Louisburg, Prescott.
From 43 20N 27W at 12:45 Nov. 2.: Cleveland, Eskdale and Albrighton.
From 36 20N 15 10W at 07:20 Nov. 7: Coltsfoot.
At 08:00 Nov. 10, 36 10N 4 15W - left Convoy: Londonderry, Cleveland, Albrighton, Eskdale, Woodstock and Prescott (all returning to Gibraltar).
Joined Convoy: Armeria, Cyclamen, Geranium, Spiraea, 10th group trawlers, Kintyre, Hunda, Westray and C.M.B.'s.
Don Kindell's dates:
Oct. 25-Oct. 27: Bradford, Swale
Oct. 25-Nov. 12: Bideford
Oct. 26-Nov. 10: Londonderry, Prescott, Woodstock
Oct. 26- Nov. 12: Erne, Landguard, Leith, Louisburg, Lulworth, Rochester, Sandwich, Scarborough
Nov. 2-Nov. 10: Albrighton, Eskdale
Nov. 2-Nov. 10: Cleveland
Nov. 7-Nov. 12: Coltsfoot
Nov. 10-Nov. 12: Armeria, Cyclamen, Geranium, Hunda, Kintyre, Spiraea, Westray
Related external links:
Survivor story / Browning - Scroll down on the page.
Uboat.net's page about the loss of Browning (as mentioned, there's some doubts as to whether she was sunk by a U-boat - again, see this discussion on my forum).
OG, OS and KMS and KMF Convoys - in chronological order, starting with 1939.
Liberty Ships
List of Liberty Ships by Hull No.
To the next available KMS convoy in my list KMS 4