Convoy MKS 31 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY MKS 31
The Advance Sailing Telegram for the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy gives departure Gibraltar on Nov. 22-1943, arrival Clyde Dec. 4.
Arnold Hague gives departure Gibraltar on Nov. 23, MKS 31 joining up with Convoy SL 140 from Freetown on Nov. 24, arrival Liverpool on Dec. 7, adding that MKS 31 had left Port Said on Nov. 13-1943, arriving Gibraltar on the 23rd.
| Transcribed from documents (Advance Sailing Telegram) received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. Ships in the combined convoy SL 140 / MKS 31 are named at this external website. (See also the OS / KMS convoys from the same time period). 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 Port Said convoy. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| British | general - mail | Liverpool | Listed in MKF 26 | |
| City of Kimberley | " | general | Dundee | – |
| Slesvig | " (Ex Danish 1940) | phosphates - copper ore | London | – |
| Empire Usk | British | pyrites | Garston | – |
| Empire Ortolan | " | potash | London | – |
| Cydonia | " | iron ore | Middlesbrough | – |
| Grodno | " | general | Preston | – |
| Samhain | " | cotton | Manchester | – |
| Starstone | " | cotton - general | Manchester | – |
| " | general - mail 10 | Glasgow | Listed in MKF 26 | |
| Greathope | " | pyrites | Garston | From MKS 30 |
| Kingsland | " | pyrites | Glasgow | From MKS 30 |
| Angelo | " | general | Hull | – |
| " | pyrites | Garston | – | |
| Buteshire | " | tea - jute | Manchester | – |
| Samshire | " | military stores | Not for U.K. | – |
| Magician | " | general | Avonmouth | – |
| Coulgorm | " | general | Hull | – |
| Empire Voice | " | copper - general | Liverpool | – |
| City of Derby | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Jean L-D | French | general | Liverpool | – |
| San Ubaldo | British | none given | Clyde | Joined from the Azores |
| Lord Cochrane | " | none given | London | From MKS 30 Joined from the Azores |
| Empire Cormorant | " | phosphates | Birkenhead | – |
| Lynghaug | Norwegian | phosphates | Preston | – |
| Danio | " | none given | Barrow-in-Furness | – |
| Empire Snipe | British | none given | Swansea | – |
| Pilar de Larrinaga | " | none given | Liverpool | – |
| Kelbergen | Dutch | none given | Barrow-in-Furness | – |
| Slemmestad | Norwegian | none given | Birkenhead | – |
| Pendeen | British | none given | Middlesbrough | – |
| Eskdalegate | " | none given | Middlesbrough | – |
| LST ? | American | – | – | – |
| LST 308 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 311 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 312 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 344 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 345 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 346 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 370 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 371 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 380 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 382 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 400 | " | – | – | – |
| LST 338 | " | – | – | – |
| Comparing the above with a list of ships in Convoy MKS 31 received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research, I find that A. Hague has not included Samshire, San Ubaldo, Lord Cochrane and LST 338 (nor the unknown LST) in this convoy; he does, however, have Samshire in the Port Said convoy, voyage Port Said to Augusta. A. Hague has given Jean L-D the nationality British.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): Nov. 23-Nov. 24: Borage, Dahlia, Glenarm, Honeysuckle, Hurricane, Meadowsweet, Oxlip. |
| Augusta, Nov. 17-1943 As mentioned, A. Hague says in his "The Allied Convoy System" that MKS 31 left Port Said on Nov. 13-1943 and arrived Gibraltar on the 23rd. Transcribed from the list of ships in MKS 31 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. Note also that some of these sips show up again in the 2nd table on my page for the next convoy. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Voyage |
| Amos Kendall | American | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Andrea Gritti | Italian | Augusta to Algiers |
| Atlantic Coast | British | Bizerta to Philippeville (straggled) |
| Atle Jarl | Norwegian | Via Philippeville (see also second table in previous convoy) |
| Benjamin Tay | British | Bizerta to Oran |
| Buteshire | " | Port Said to U.K. |
| Cap Padaran | " | Augusta to Malta |
| Chloris | " | Bizerta to Philippeville |
| City of Derby | " | Port Said to U.K. |
| Cochrane | " | Algiers to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 32 to U.K.) |
| Comedian | " | Port Said to Augusta |
| Coulgorm | " | Port Said to U.K. |
| Danio | Norwegian | Bone to Gibraltar |
| Defender | British | Put back w/defects |
| Director | " | Alexandria to Augusta |
| Empire Darwin | " | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| Empire Falstaff | " | Alexandria to Augusta for Bari |
| Empire Farmer | " | Alexandria to Augusta for Bari |
| Empire Gareth | " | Bizerta to Bougie (Listed in MKS 33 to U.K.) |
| Empire Newton | " | Bizerta to Bougie (see also second table in previous convoy) |
| Empire Scout | " | Put back (Listed in MKS 32 to U.K.) |
| Empire Snipe | " | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| Empire Voice | " | Port Said to U.K. |
| Empire Zephyr | " | Arr. Malta w/defects - ex Augusta Later Malta to Bizerta |
| Eskdalegate | " | Oran to U.K. |
| Fort Ash | " | Augusta to Bone |
| Fort Carillon | " | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Fort Gibraltar | " | Augusta to Algiers |
| Fort Gloucester | " | Augusta to Algiers |
| Fort Grahame | " | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| Fort Grant | " | Bone to Philippeville |
| Fort Souris | " | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Fort Wellington | " | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| Fort Yale | " | Alexandria to Augusta for Bari |
| Francis Marion | American | Augusta to Bizerta |
| George C. Childress | " | Philippeville to Algiers |
| Glaisdale | British | Augusta to Bougie |
| Ile de Brehat | French | Augusta to Oran |
| Indiana | Panamanian | Augusta to Algiers as straggler |
| James G. Birney | American | Augusta to Bizerta |
| James J. Hill | " | Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A. (probably with a GUS convoy) |
| James J. Pettigrew | " | Augusta to Oran |
| James Whitcomb Riley | " | Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A. |
| Jean L-D | French (taken over by Br.?) | Port Said to U.K. |
| John Rutledge | American | Augusta to Bizerta |
| John W. Brown | " | Augusta to Oran |
| Kelbergen | Dutch | Bone to Gibraltar |
| Lochee | British | Bizerta to Algiers |
| LST 308 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 311 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 312 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 344 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 345 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 346 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 370 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 371 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 380 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 382 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| LST 400 | – | Oran to U.K. |
| M. M. Guhin | American | Augusta to Oran |
| Magdala | Dutch | Alexandria to Algiers |
| Magician | British | Port Said to U.K. |
| Marigot | French | Augusta to Algiers |
| Ninella | British | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| Ocean Faith | " | Augusta to Bougie |
| Ocean Fame | " | Bone to Philippeville |
| Ocean Vengeance | " | Bizerta to Bougie (see also second table in previous convoy) |
| Pendeen | " | Oran to U.K. (see also second table in previous convoy) |
| Pilar de Larrinaga | " | Bizerta to Gibraltar (see also second table in previous convoy) |
| Pocahontas | American | Augusta to Oran |
| Rodsley | British | Port Said to Malta |
| Samarina | " | Alexandria to Augusta for Bari |
| Sampa | " | Port Said to Augusta |
| Samphire | " | Alexandria to Augusta for Bari |
| Samshire | " | Ex Samara Port Said to Augusta |
| Shickshinny | American | Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A. |
| Slemmestad | Norwegian | Oran to U.K. (see also second table in previous convoy) |
| Thaddeus Kosciuszko | American | Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A. |
| Thorshov | Norwegian | Augusta to Bizerta for U.S.A. |
| Thraki | Greek | Algiers to Gibraltar (see also second table in previous convoy) |
| Toltec | Honduran | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Topdalsfjord | Norwegian | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| USS Andromeda | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| Escorts: Nov. 13-Nov. 15: Anemone. Nov. 13-Nov. 23: Aire, Alisma, Spiraea. Nov. 14-Nov. 23: Miaoulis. Nov. 19-Nov. 23: Honeysuckle, Oxlip. |
| 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 |
