Convoy ON 14 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy ON 14 Cruising Order
Departed Liverpool at noon on Sept 7-1941, Loch Ewe Sept 10 - dispersed Sept. 15 (Arnold Hague says 47 ships).

Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

For info, some of the ships in this convoy had previously arrived the U.K. with Convoy HX 143. See also other HX and SC convoys from the same time period.

Note that this table appears to show the formation after 8 ships had been detached for Iceland - more ships are named at the end of the table. Also, 2 ships detached early in the voyage, and are not named in this table - see Notes.

Br=British, Gr=Greek, Norw=Norwegian, Po=Polish, Sw=Swedish, Du=Dutch, Da=Danish.

MOWT=Ministry of War Transport.
s=sunk, †=dead.

11
City of Lancaster
Montreal
(Br)

21
Empire Ibex
Philadelphia
(Br)

31
Empire Whale
Tampa
(Br)

41
King Stephen
Montreal
(Br)

51
Empire Steelhead
Tampa
(Br)

61
Celtic Monarch
Hampton Roads
(Br)

71
Empire Livingstone
Tampa
(Br)

81
R. J. Cullen
Sydney C.B.
(Br)

91
Llangollen
Cuba
(Br)

12
Empire Eland
Tampa
s - 38 †
(Br)

22
Ilissos
Sydney C.B.
(Gr)

32
Zagloba
Halifax
(Po)

42
British Corporal
New York
(Br)

52
Empire Cormorant
Texas
(Br)

62
Gretavale
Baltimore
(Br)

72
Photinia
Cuba
(Br)

82
Hallfried
New Orleans
(Norw)

92
Ravnefjell
Botwood N.F.
(Norw)

13
Vassilios A. Polemis
Montreal
(Gr)

23
Empire Lightning
Halifax
(Br)

33
Haakon Hauan
New York
(Norw)

43
Margit
Pugwash/Gulf of St. Lawrence
Da / MOWT 1940

53
Bullmouth
Curacao
(Br)

63
Rajahstan
Tampa
(Br)

73
Sevilla
New York
(Br)

83
Norefjord
Galveston
(Norw)

93
Lord Byron
St. John's
(Br)

14
Michael L. Embiricos
Cuba
(Gr)

24
Empire Porpoise
Baltimore
(Br)

34
Pegasus
Trinidad
s - 16 †
(Gr)

44
Baron Stranraer
West Indies
(Br)

54
Bur
Sydney C.B.
(Norw)

64
Hjelmaren
Tampa
(Sw)

74
Mamura
Halifax
(Du)

84
Essex Lance
New York
(Br)

94
Ioannis Frangos
Botwood N.F.
(Gr)

35
Georgios P.
Halifax
(Gr)

55
Empire Bruce
Philadelphia
(Br)

65
Newbury
Buenos Aires
s - 45 †
(Br)

Comparing the above with a list of ships received from Don Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's own research, I find that A. Hague has also included the following in this convoy (these are not listed on the A 1 form):
British Atlantic - Government stores (station number and destination not given; probably bound for Iceland, because 8 ships are said to have been detached - see Notes below).
British Blairnevis - Military stores (station number and destination not given; probably for Iceland)
Norwegian Cresco - Coal for Iceland
British Egret - General for Iceland
British Empire Bond - With a note saying "This convoy, not listed but VRC confirms" (I'm assuming this means "voyage record"). She had a cargo of coal but destination is not given; probably Iceland.
British Empire Simba - Detached to Oban on Sept. 8 - This is also mentioned by the Commodore; see Notes.
British Lorca - Government stores (station number and destination not given; probably for Iceland).
British Rota - For Iceland
British (Ex Danish) Thyra - For Iceland

A. Hague's list otherwise agrees with the convoy form, except he has given destination Montreal for the Norwegian Bur, and he has Georgios P in station 34 (as well as Pegasus) - it's possible she took Pegasus' station after that ship had been sunk.

Notes:
Commodore, Rear Admiral A. C. Candy was in King Stephen, Vice Commodore was the captain of Celtic Monarch. Page 2 holds a special report on the captain of King Stephen.

The convoy had 47 ships on leaving Loch Ewe, 8 ships detached for Iceland under escort on Sept. 11 in 58N 11W - see end of table above.

Additionally, Empire Simba detached to Oban at 15:30 on Sept. 8, off Mull of Kintyre, and Caledonia (Sw) lost convoy during fog on Sept. 9, in South Minch (the latter ship is not mentioned by A. Hague).

Empire Porpoise lost convoy during fog on Sept. 12/13; probably failed to receive alteration of course signalled on syren during fog.

Average speed: 6.4 knots.

Empire Eland (straggled prior to dispersal), Newbury and Pegasus were all torpedoed by U-94 on Sept. 15. Empire Eland and Newbury had no survivors - see the external links below.

The Commodore says
that station keeping and visual signalling were good, especially Empire Whale, Zagloba, British Corporal and Rajahstan, which were especially good at signalling. The Greek Georgios P., however, was "invariably astern of station", but after being warned that she would be detached to proceed alone, she became better. The Commodore says "I am afraid, like most neutrals, this was a case of "don't care". As regards Empire Whale, Zagloba and British Corporal he adds "All these proved excellent station keepers and were very helpful with smart signalling and smart lookouts. The Polish vessel Zagloba deserves considerable credit for good signalling and correct station keeping".

The Commodore's narrative of voyage is available on Page 2

Escorts (as per Commodore's notes):
HMS Boadicea (S.O. - left on Sept. 13 to join Convoy HX 148), Beagle, Heather, Lobelia, Salisbury (left Sept. 11 - see Page 2), Renoncul e and Narcissus.
Escort parted company at 10:30 Sept. 14 in 56 25(?)N 24 50W.
Aircraft were around convoy daily until it was dispersed.

The following escort information was 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. 8-Sept. 11: Ayrshire, Lady Madeleine.
Sept. 8-Sept. 14: Arab, Lobelia, Narcissus, Renoncule.
Sept. 9-Sept. 11: Salisbury.
Sept. 9-Sept. 12: Beagle, Boadicea.
Sept. 9-Sept. 14: Heather.

All the Norwegian ships in this convoy are included on this website. More information on them can be found via the alphabet index below, or via the Master Ship Index

Back to Convoy Index

To the next ON convoy in my list ON 15