Convoy MKS 25 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY MKS 25
The document from which I've transcribed the information in the first table gives departure date (port?) as Sept. 23-1943, arrival Clyde Oct. 4 (strangely, Page 2, listing Empire Summer through Glenfinlas, gives arrival Clyde Oct. 21, and Page 3, starting with Polish Lech, gives arrival Clyde as Oct. 6).
Arnold Hague gives departure Gibraltar as Sept. 25-1943, arrival Liverpool on Oct. 8. He gives 31 ships in the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy, and indicates that MKS 25 had started out in Alexandria on Sept. 14, w/arrival Gibraltar on the 25th (listed further down on this page).
| Transcribed from 3 documents (Advance Sailing Telegram) received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. This first table shows the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy. As can be seen in the second table below, some of these ships had previously arrived with the Alexandria convoy. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Fortol | British | furnace oil | Clyde | Escort Oiler |
| " | ballast | Clyde f. o. | To MKS 26 - crossed out (note says "Not for U.K.") To MKS 27 - returned to port Listed in MKS 28 | |
| Benrinnes | " | palm kernels | Hull | – |
| Empire Pennant | " | frozen meat | Liverpool | – |
| Fort Chipewyan | " | scrap | Cardiff | From MKS 24 |
| Bridgepool | " | iron ore | Cardiff | Arr. in tow w/engine defects |
| Nairung | " | general | Avonmouth | – |
| Dimitrios Inglessis | Greek | general Indian | Hull | – |
| Clan Macbean | British | manganese ore | Hull | – |
| Empire Wolfe | " | general | Bristol | – |
| Flaminian | " | general | Glasgow | – |
| City of Lancaster | " | general | Garston | – |
| Elizabeth Massey | " | iron ore | Barrow-in-Furness | Returned to Gibraltar Listed in MKS 27 |
| Skeldergate | " | iron ore | Middlesbrough | From MKS 24 |
| Empire Shearwater | " | iron ore | Barrow-in-Furness | – |
| Bur | Swedish | iron ore | Workington | – |
| Kindat | British | general | Liverpool | – |
| Nailsea Moor | " | general | Dundee | – |
| Alresford | " | iron ore | Barrow-in-Furness | – |
| Empire Summer | " | iron ore | London (Dagenham) | – |
| " | iron ore | Middlesbrough | Listed in MKS 26 | |
| Dutch | none given | Loch Ewe f. o. | To MKS 26, returned to port Listed in MKS 27 | |
| British | none given | Belfast f. o. | – | |
| " | none given | Middlesbrough | – | |
| Linge | Dutch | none given | Cardiff | – |
| Trevorian | British | none given | Dundee | From MKS 23 |
| Swedish | none given | Liverpool | See * below | |
| Fort McMurray | Brittish | none given | Glasgow | – |
| " | general | Glasgow | – | |
| " | none given | Clyde | Listed in MKS 27 | |
| Rajput | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Inventor | " | general | London | – |
| Clan Macnair | " | general | Hull | – |
| Ocean Strength | " | iron ore | Glasgow | – |
| Copeland | " | Rescue Vessel | Clyde | See notes below |
| " | none given | Middlesbrough | Listed in MKS 26 | |
| Glenfinlas | " | none given | Sunderland | – |
| Lech | Polish | none given | Liverpool | – |
| Empire Prince | British | none given | Leith Dock | – |
| Baron Fairlie | " | none given | Glasgow | – |
| PLM 13 | " | none given | Tyne | – |
| Comparing the above to a list of ships in Convoy MKS 25 received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research, I find that he has also included HMS Erebus, with a note saying "detached to Channel".* There's a San Francisco in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy MKS 26, but with a different tonnage and listed as French. The Rescue Vessel Copeland was on her 25th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Sept. 7-1943 with Convoy KMS 26 - to Gibraltar Sept. 18, then returned to Clyde with Convoy MKS 25, Sept. 25-Oct. 8. Her previous voyage had been with Convoy ON 192 - HX 251, and her 26th voyage was to Murmansk with Convoy JW 54A. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague). Convoys KMS 26 and ON 192 will be added to this site in due course. Escorts (also received from Don Kindell, whose own work, covering "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website): Sept. 25-Sept. 26: Velox. Sept. 25-Oct. 1: Redpole. Sept. 25-Oct. 4: Erebus, Witch. Sept. 25-Oct. 8: Abelia, Asphodel, Clover, Highlander, Pennywort, Walker, Westcott. Sept. 27-Oct. 3: Scylla, Spartan. |
| From Alexandria, Sept. 14-1943 As mentioned, A. Hague says in his "The Allied Convoy System" that MKS 25 left Alexandria on Sept. 14, w/arrival Gibraltar on the 25th. Transcribed from the document received from Don Kindell - Source: A. Hague's own research. As can be seen in the first table on this page, some of these ships subsequently proceeded to the U.K. with the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Voyage |
| Adabelle Lykes | American | Alexandria to Gibraltar for U.S.A. |
| Alcinous | Dutch | Malta to Bizerta |
| Alexander Martin | American | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| Augustin Le Borgne | French | Bizerta to Oran |
| Brockholst Livingston | American | Alexandria to Gibraltar for U.S.A. |
| Cape Sable | British | Bizerta for U.K. |
| Charles Piez | American | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| Chertsey | British | Algiers to Gibraltar (later to U.K. with MKS 27) |
| Clan Macnair | " | Alexandria to U.K. |
| Crackshot | " | Malta to Bizerta |
| Dalemoor | " | Algiers to Oran |
| Daniel Webster | American | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| David Caldwell | " | Bizerta for U.S.A. |
| Edward P. Costigan | " | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| Empire Coral | British | Alexandria to Malta |
| Empire Cormorant | " | "probably this convoy" (A. Hague's own note) |
| Empire Raja | " | Alexandria to Tripoli |
| Empire Spartan | " | Bone to Gibraltar |
| Fort Cataraqui | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Fort Frobisher | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Fort Maurepas | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Fort McMurray | " | Bizerta to U.K. |
| Gallium | French | Bizerta to Algiers |
| George H. Thomas | American | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| George Matthews | " | Bizerta for U.S.A. |
| Govert Flinck | Dutch | Bone to Philippeville |
| Greystoke Castle | British | Alexandria to Malta |
| Gulfprince | American | Algiers to Oran (probably in tow) |
| Hugh Williamson | " | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| Ignatius Donnelly | " | Alexandria to U.S.A. |
| Inventor | British | Alexandria to U.K. |
| James Woodrow | American | Bizerta for U.K. |
| Janine | French | Algiers to Oran |
| John Clarke | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| John Howard Payne | " | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| Josephine Le Borgne | French | Bizerta to Bone |
| Lancashire | British | Alexandria to Augusta |
| Lewis Morris | American | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| LST 79 | – | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Narvik | Listed as Norwegian, but see * below | Malta to Gibraltar |
| Ocean Strength | British | Bone to U.K. |
| Ocean Vagrant | " | Bone to Gibraltar for U.S.A. |
| Ocean Vesper | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Pacheco | " | Malta to Oran |
| Portsea | " | Bizerta to Philippeville |
| Prestol | " | Bone to Philippeville |
| Prometheus | " | Malta to Bone |
| Rajput | " | Alexandria to U.K. |
| Robert Mærsk | " | Alexandria to Augusta |
| San Francisco | Swedish | Bizerta for U.K. (see note in first table above) |
| San Venancio | British | Alexandria to Malta |
| Selvik | Norwegian | Bizerta to Oran |
| Shirrabank | British | Alexandria to Malta |
| Sofala | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Speedfast | " | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Spondilus | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| Suiyang | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Thomas A. Hendricks | American | Alexandria to U.S.A. |
| Thomas L. Clingman | " | Alexandria to U.S.A. |
| Thomas Nelson | " | Bizerta for U.S.A |
| Tore Jarl | Norwegian | Bizerta to Bougie |
| Trevorian | British | Bizerta for U.K. |
| USS Aroostook | American | Bizerta to Bone |
| Waipawa | British | Malta to Algiers |
| William Bradford | American | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| William Dean Howells | " | Bizerta to U.S.A. |
| Willodale | British | Algiers to Oran |
| Winfield Scott | American | Bizerta for U.S.A. |
| Yankee Arrow | " | Bone to Oran |
| Yenangyaung | British | Malta to Bizerta |
| Zaan | Dutch | Bizerta to Bone |
| * A. Hague lists Narvik as Norwegian, with a tonnage of 5164 gt, but I think this must be an error as the Norwegian Narvik was not delivered until Jan-1944 (as Cape River) and taken over by Nortraship on Jan. 22. There was a Swedish Narvik (4251 gt), but this ship had already been sunk in Apr.-1943. However, Convoy MKS 26 has a Polish Narwik - perhaps this is the ship listed above? Narwik started life as Empire Roamer in Jan.-1942 (the Empire Ships website that I've linked to at the end of this page has more on this ship). There was also an HMS Narvik, ex Norwegian whale catcher Gos 9, but this was much smaller. Escorts: Sept. 16-Sept. 19: Jumna. Sept. 16-Sept. 25: Bluebell, Bryony, Camellia, La Malouine. Sept. 19-Sept. 25: Bergamot. |
| 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 |
