Convoy MKS 34 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY MKS 34
The Advance Sailing Telegram for the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy gives departure Gibraltar on Dec. 22-1943, arrival Clyde on Jan. 4-1944.
Arnold Hague gives departure Gibraltar on Dec. 24, MKS 34 joining up with Convoy SL 143 from Freetown on the 25th, arrival Liverpool on Jan. 6-1944, adding that MKS 34 had started out in Port Said on Dec. 11-1943, arriving Gibraltar on Dec. 24.
| Transcribed from 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 on this page, some of these ships had previously arrived with the Port Said convoy. (See also the 2nd table on my page for MKS 33). | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Baron Cawdor | British | general | Newport | – |
| Sinnington Court | " | iron ore | Tyne | From MKS 33 |
| Hindustan | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Urbino | " | general | London | – |
| Oriskany | " | general | Dundee | – |
| Rådmansö | Swedish | iron ore | Port Talbot | – |
| Hughli | British | general | Dundee | – |
| Flaminian | " | oranges - sardines | Liverpool | – |
| Tudor Prince | " | oranges | London | – |
| Bridgepool | " | iron ore | Dagenham | – |
| Drakepool | " | iron ore | Cardiff | – |
| Stanhope | " | oranges | Clyde for examination | See * below |
| Tynemouth | " | iron ore | Middlesbrough | From MKS 33 |
| Glaisdale | " | iron ore | Barrow-in-Furness | – |
| Finland | " | oranges | Bristol | – |
| " | oranges | London | Listed in MKS 35 | |
| Empire Heywood | " | onions - oranges - 300 mails | Clyde for examination | – |
| Thistleford | " | iron ore | Middlesbrough | – |
| Sebastian | " | iron ore | Ardrossan | See Empire Tees on this external page From MKS 32 |
| Framlington Court | " | iron ore | Middlesbrough | – |
| Pass of Melfort | " | ballast | Loch Ewe f. o. | Returned to Gibraltar To MKS 35 - did not sail |
| Baron Ramsay | " | iron ore | Workington | – |
| Ocean Faith | " | iron ore | Glasgow | From MKS 32 |
| Nestor | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Malayan Prince | " | none given | not given | Returned to GibraltarTo MKS 35 - did not sail To MKS 36 - did not sail Listed in MKS 37 |
| Samsurf | " | general - 1685 mails | London | – |
| Lowlander | " | general | Manchester | – |
| Baron Elphinstone | " | general | Glasgow | – |
| Also, the Rescue Vessel Pinto was with this convoy. She was on her 1st voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Dec. 8-1943 with Convoy OS 61 / KMS 35 (available at the external link at the end of this page), to Gibraltar Dec. 21, then returned to Clyde with Convoy SL 143 / MKS 34, Dec. 24-1943/Jan. 5-1944. Her next voyage was with Convoy ON 221 / HX 279. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague). Convoys KMS 35 and ON 221 will be added to this site in due course.* Arnold Hague adds that at this time the Government had authorised the importation of oranges from Spain for distribution, principally to children, as a supplement to rations for the civilian population. German activists in Spain arranged for small time bombs to be concealed amongst the crated fruit and two separate explosions occurred on board Stanhope. Other than damage to the oranges (and an unpleasant cleaning job after unloading), no harm was done. 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): Dec. 24-Dec. 25: Aconit, Burza, Lobelia, Narcissus, Orchis, Roselys, Towy, Windrush. |
| Bizerta, Dec. 18-1943 As mentioned, A. Hague says in his "The Allied Convoy System" that MKS 34 left Port Said on Dec. 11-1943 and arrived Gibraltar on Dec. 24. Transcribed from a list of ships in MKS 34 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 |
| Andrew Furuseth | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| Antonia | Dutch | Algiers to Oran |
| Baron Elphinstone | British | U.K. |
| Benedict | " | Bizerta to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 36 to U.K.) |
| Briarwood | " | Algiers to Gibraltar for W. Africa |
| Brighton | " | Augusta to Algiers |
| British Confidence | " | Alexandria to Augusta |
| Darien II | Panamanian | Augusta |
| David Caldwell | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| Dunkeld | British | Augusta to Bizerta (Listed in MKS 36 to U.K.) |
| Empire Bairn | " | Augusta to Algiers |
| Empire Tern | " | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Fort de Douaumont | French | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Fort Dease Lake | British | Augusta |
| Fort Grant | " | Augusta to Bougie |
| Fort McPherson | " | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| Fort Pembina | " | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| George M. Bibb | American | Augusta to Oran |
| Harlesden | British | Augusta to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 35) |
| Henry Groves Connor | American | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Henry H. Richardson | " | Augusta |
| Hermiston | British | Augusta to Gibraltar (Listed in MKS 37 to U.K.) |
| HMS Prosperous | " | Bone to Gibraltar |
| HMS Ythan Braes | " | Algiers to Gibraltar Returned with defects |
| Ile de Brehat | French | Bizerta to Algiers |
| James Jackson | American | Augusta to Oran |
| John E. Schmeltzer | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| John Mason | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| Joseph H. Hollister | " | Augusta to Oran |
| Joseph M. Medill | " | Augusta to Oran |
| Katy | Norwegian | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Laurent Meeus | Belgian | Algiers to Oran |
| Lightfoot | British | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Lincoln Steffens | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| Lorca | British | Oran to Gibraltar Not met - returned |
| Lowlander | " | Alexandria to Gibraltar for U.K. |
| Malayan Prince | " | Alexandria to Gibraltar for U.K. (Listed in MKS 37 to U.K., cancelled from MKS 34, MKS 35 and MKS 36) |
| Maridal | Norwegian | Malta |
| Meroe | British | Alexandria to Augusta |
| Nestor | " | U.K. |
| Noah Webster | American | Augusta to Oran |
| Ocean Fame | British | Augusta to Algiers |
| Ocean Vengeance | " | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| Ocean Vista | " | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| Philander C. Knox | American | Bone to Oran |
| Pierre La Clede | " | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Pocahontas | " | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Prosper Schiaffino | French | Algiers to Oran |
| Rajput | British | Augusta to Gibraltar |
| Riverton | " | Bizerta to Philippeville |
| Robert F. Stockton | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| Salmon P. Chase | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| Samite | British | Algiers to Oran |
| Samsurf | " | U.K. |
| Sunflower | " | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Swiftlight | American | Augusta |
| Theodoric Bland | " | Augusta to Oran |
| Torfinn Jarl | Norwegian | Algeirs to Oran |
| Van der Capelle | Dutch | Bizerta to Philippeville |
| Walter Forward | American | Augusta to Bizerta |
| William C. Endicott | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| William Cushing | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| William Wilkins | " | Augusta to Bizerta |
| Escorts: Dec. 13-Dec. 23: Jonquil, Usk, Vetch. Dec. 18-Dec. 23: Palomares, USS Davis, USS Hilary P. Jones. |
| 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 |
