Convoy MKS 28 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY MKS 28

Left Gibraltar on Oct. 23-1943, joined up with Convoy SL 138 from Freetown the next day and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 5.

Arnold Hague indicates that MKS 28 had started out in Alexandria on Oct. 14-1943, arriving Gibraltar on Oct. 23, having lost 2 ships to aircraft attack on the 21st - ref. second table on this page.

Transcribed from documents (Advance Sailing Telegram) received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. Station numbers were obtained from a list of ships in Convoy MKS 28 received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research. Ships in the combined convoy SL 138 / MKS 28 are named at this external website. This first table shows the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy. As can be seen in the second table on this page, some of these ships had previously arrived with the Alexandria convoy.
Ship Nationality Cargo Destination Station Remarks
Empire Flame British iron ore Middlesbrough 11 (See also MKS 27 - Alexandria convoy)
Kerma " pyrites Garston 43
Hallfried Norwegian pyrites Ardrossan 24 Sunk - see Hallfried
Kingsborough British iron ore Barrow-in-Furness Returned to Gibraltar Joined MKS 29 - put into Casablanca
Kiruna Swedish iron ore Dagenham 12
Empire Torridge British iron ore Cardiff 23
Lisbeth Norwegian iron ore Barrow-in-Furness 13
Becheville British pyrites Hull Listed in MKS 29
British Courage " ballast Clyde 22 From MKS 27
Sutlej " general Liverpool 33 From MKS 27
Fort Augustus " ballast Cardiff 41
Sandown Castle " none given Liverpool 31
City of Adelaide " none given Hull 21
Ocean Vesper " none given Barry Roads f. o. Listed in MKS 29
Levernbank " none given Manchester 42
Empire Jessica " iron ore Sunderland 14
Spurt Norwegian general Preston 32
Fort Maurepas British none given Barry Roads f. o.
Manchester Commerce " none given Manchester 51
Clan Macbrayne " none given London 52
Tactician " none given Liverpool 34
PLM 17 " none given Middlesbrough 54
Govert Flinck Dutch none given Tyne 61
Empire Garrick British none given Clyde 53 (See also MKS 27 - Alexandria convoy)
Baron Scott " none given Middlesbrough 63
Elisabeth Dal " none given Tyne 62
Escorts (received from Don Kindell, whose own work, covering "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website): Oct. 23-Oct. 24: Anthony, Barle, Bergamot, Bluebell, Bryony, La Malouine, Velox.
Malta, Oct. 18-1943 As mentioned, A. Hague says in his "The Allied Convoy System" that MKS 28 left Alexandria on Oct. 14-1943 and arrived Gibraltar on Oct. 23 Transcribed from the list of ships in MKS 28 received from Don Kindell - Source: A. Hague's own research. Additional details have been added with the help of: "Loyds War Losses", Vol I "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan 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
Afghanistan British Malta to Philippeville
Anticline American Malta to Bizerta
Arthur Dobbs "
Ary Lensen British Bizerta to Bougie (Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Baltyk Polish Alexandria for U.K. (Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Baron Scott British Algiers to U.K.
Belnor Norwegian Bizerta to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
British Diligence British Alexandria to Malta
British Vigour " Alexandria to Bizerta
Chloris " Malta to Bizerta
Clan Macbrayne " Alexandria for U.K.
David L. Swain American Malta to Bizerta for U.S.A.
Dean Emery Panamanian Bone to Gibraltar
Elisabeth Dal British Oran to U.K.
Empire Garrick " Algiers to Gibraltar
Empire Sapphire " Alexandria to Malta
Empire Scout " Malta to Bizerta
Erinna Dutch Alexandria to Malta
Esso Charleston American Alexandria to Malta
Fort Frobisher British Malta to Algiers
Fort Grahame " Malta to Philippeville
Fort Mingan " Joined from Naples, possibly at Augusta (A. Hague's own note)
Gleniffer " Alexandria to Malta for Taranto
Govert Flinck Dutch Bougie to U.K.
Harmattan British Algiers to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
John P. Mitchell American Oran to Gibraltar
Lars Kruse British (Ex Danish) Malta to Algiers
Macoma Dutch unknown to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Manchester Commerce British Alexandria to U.K.
Ocean Glory " Malta to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Ocean Vulcan " Malta to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 30 to U.K.)
PLM 17 " Oran to U.K.
Ronan " Malta to Bizerta
Salawati Dutch Alexandria to Malta for Taranto
Saltwick British Algiers to Gibraltar (Sunk - See Notes below)
Schiaffino French Algiers to Oran
Sirehei Norwegian Oran to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Tactician British Algiers to Gibraltar
Temple Yard " Malta to Bizerta / Bizerta to Algiers (Listed in MKS 30 to U.K.)
Tivives American Algiers to Oran (Sunk - See Notes below)
William Wilkins " Bone to Algiers
Notes: The British Saltwick, on a voyage from Algiers to Gibraltar in ballast, carrying 900 Red Cross parcels, was torpedoed and sunk by German aircraft on Oct. 21-1943. She had a crew of 41 and 10 gunners, all of whom were saved, according to "Lloyd's War Losses", while R. W. Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" says 1 was killed, 51 survived.The American Tivives, on a voyage from Algiers to Oran with 1750 tons of refrigerated cargo, was also sunk by aircraft that day. She had a crew of 80, 2 of whom were killed. Note that Belnor is said to have shot down one of the aircraft that attacked the convoy - see my page about Belnor. The dates are a little different, but this could simply be a matter of different time zones used in the report. Escorts: Oct. 14-Oct. 21: Bergamot. Oct. 14-Oct. 23: Bluebell, Bryony, La Malouine. Oct. 20-Oct. 23: Barle.
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