Convoy MKS 7 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy MKS 7 Cruising Order
Departed Algiers on Febr. 5-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 17th
(In his "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague says this convoy had 65 ships).

Transcribed from A 1 form received from Robert Martin, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
The details have been compared to (and supplemented with) a list of ships received from Don Kindell - His source: A. Hague's own research.

For info, there was also a faster convoy, MKF 7, which had left Algiers on Jan. 18-1943, dispersed on the 25th.

Further details have been added with the help of:
"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer
"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan.
"Lloyd's War Losses", Vol I

Br=British, Am=American, Norw=Norwegian, Du=Dutch, Da=Danish, Fr=French, Bel=Belgian.

11
Empire Splendour
Swansea
(Br)

21
Inventor
Manchester
(Br)

31
Nairung
Penarth
(Br)

41
City of Christchurch
Newport
(Br)

51
Argos Hill
Barrow
(Br)

61
Sobo
Mersey
(Br)

71
St. Essylt
Clyde
(Br)

81
Oporto
Mersey
(Br)

91
Spero
Mersey
(Br)

101
Steel Traveler
Mersey
(Am)

111
Atlanta City
Loch Ewe
(Am)

121
Empire Darwin
Glasgow
(Br)

12
Artemus Ward
Mersey
(Am)

22
Empire Nightingale
Barrow
(Br)

32
Loriga
Mersey
(Br)

42
Empire Kangaroo
Barry Roads
(Br)

52
Gudrun Mærsk
Swansea
(Br - ex Da)

62
Richard Henry Lee
Avonmouth
(Am)

72
Dorelian
Glasgow
(Br)

82
Bayou Chico*
Mersey
(Am)

92
Novelist
Mersey
(Br)

102
Empire Kestrel
Mersey
(Br)

112
President de Vogue
Clyde
(Norw)

122
Empire Moon
Loch Ewe
(Br)

13
Stad Haarlem
Newport
(Du)

23
Agwidale
Mersey
(Am)

33
Empire Centaur
Cardiff
(Br)

73
Fort Chipewyan
Loch Ewe
(Br)

83
Fort Confidence
Mersey
(Br)

93
Miriam
Mersey
(Br)

103
Fort McLoughlin
Manchester
(Br)

113
Champollion
Clyde
(Fr)

123
Illinoian
Loch Ewe
(Am)

14
Ocean Messenger
Swansea
(Br)

24
Ocean Vista
Newport
(Br)

34
Junecrest
Swansea
(Br)

44
Blenheim
Cardiff
(Am)

54
Joel Chandler Harris
Avonmouth
(Am)

64
Levernbank
Swansea
(Br)

74
Empire Driver
Glasgow
(Br)

84
Ocean Wanderer
Mersey
(Br)

94
William Wirt
Mersey
(Am)

104
Baron Ruthven
Mersey
(Br)

114
Fomalhaut
Loch Ewe
(Am?**)

124
Marsa
Ardrossan
(Br)

25
Algerian
Mersey
(Br)

35
Clan Macbrayne
Cardiff
(Br)

45
Matadian
Mersey
(Br)

65
Grodno
Barrow
(Br)

75
Cephee
Glasgow
(Fr)

85
Alcinous
Mersey
(Du)

95
Lambrook
Bone-Algiers (& Mersey)
(Br)

105

115
Julia Luckenbach
Loch Ewe
(Am)

125
Groix
Clyde
(Fr)

26
Atlantic Coast
Preston
(Br)

56
Ravens Point
Bristol
(Br)

76
Empire Rowan
Clyde
(Br)

86
HMS Marne
in tow of
tug Eminent

96
City of Lancaster
Mersey
(Br)

106

116
Kingsland
Loch Ewe
(Br)

126
Heranger
Glasgow
(Norw)

77
Belgian Freighter
(Bel)

107

117

127

* The ship in station 82 is given as Baron Chico on the A 1 form.
** The ships in station 114 is given as Formalhaut - assuming it's a mis-spelling of Fomalhaut. A. Hague's list gives the nationality as French for this ship.

There are no dates visible on the document from which I've transcribed the above, only a note stating "Before detaching MKS 7 South P.M.). A. Hague's list agrees with what is found on the A 1 form, but also adds several ships that are not included on the form, namely:
British Baltonia (sunk - See Notes below) - also mentioned in the previous convoy, with the notation "Gibraltar" behind her name).
Norwegian Bjørkhaug (Bone to Oran, paused Algiers Febr. 3-5)
British Calumet (via Algiers Febr. 3-5)
French Cap-Pinede (Oran to Gibraltar)
British Clan Macbean
French El-Biar (Oran to Gibraltar - renamed Belgian Captain after repair)
British Empire Mordred (sunk - See Notes below)
British Esneh (Algiers to Oran)
Norwegian Evviva (Algiers to Oran), then he lists Evviva a 2nd time with the note "Bone to Algiers".
American Examiner (Oran to Gibraltar)
French Fort de Douaumont (Algiers to Oran)
American Frederick Lykes (Oran to Gibraltar)
HMS Eminent (towing HMS Marne, see station 86)
French Janine (Oran to Gibraltar)
British Lochee (Philippeville to Algiers)
Polish Lwow (Algiers to Oran)
British Mary Slessor (sunk - See Notes below)
British Narva (Algiers to Oran)
British Norton (Bougie to Gibraltar - at Algiers Febr. 3-5)
British Ocean Vengeance
British Ocean Viceroy
American Santa Maria (Oran to Gibraltar)
British Southgate (Algiers to Gibraltar)
British Stanhill (Algiers to Gibraltar - defects)
Norwegian Vanja (Oran to Gibraltar)

Notes:
Baltonia, Empire Mordred and Mary Slessor are said to have run into a mine field (Febr. 7-1943) laid on Febr. 1/2 by U-118.

Baltonia, on a voyage from Seville for Belfast Lough (via Gibraltar) with 1215 tons of sour oranges and 6 tons of general cargo had a crew of 52 and 10 gunners - 10 crew and 1 gunner were killed.

Empire Mordred, on a voyage from Bona for the U.K. (via Gibraltar) in ballast had a crew of 54 and 16 gunners - 12 crew and 3 gunners were killed. She broke in 2, forepart sank, afterpart reported seen the following day, but also sank.

Mary Slessor, on a voyage from Algiers for Mersey (via Gibraltar) with tartar and sardines, had a crew of 60, 14 gunners, 4 R.A.M.C. and 1 Naval signalman - 28 crew, 2 gunners and 1 R.A.M.C. were killed, the signalman dying later.

Escorts (from Don Kindell, whose own work, which covers "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website):
Febr. 7-Febr. 8: Cadmus, Hussar.
Febr. 7-Febr. 9: Convolvulus, Nasturtium, Penstemon, Speedwell, Vetch, Weyburn.
Febr. 7-Febr. 14: Erne.
Febr. 7-Febr. 17: Fleetwood.
Febr. 8-Febr. 10: Verity.
Febr. 8-Febr. 17: Hastings, Landguard, Leith, Lulworth, Rochester, Sandwich, Scarborough.

SL, HG and MKS and MKF convoys - In Chronological order. The MKS and MKF convoys start on this page for 1942, while the 1943 convoys are listed on this page.

Liberty Ships - Alphabetical list (some of the ships listed as American in this convoy, were Liberty Ships).
List of Liberty Ships by Hull No. - Includes info on the men for whom the ships were named (from Wikipedia).

Isthmian Lines - Some of the ships in this convoy belonged to this company (Steel Traveler, Atlanta City). This website has more on its history and ships.

This site has more on the the "Fort" and "Ocean" ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Ships - Also listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next MKS convoy in my list MKS 8