Convoy ON 20 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

Convoy ON 20 Cruising Order
Departed Liverpool on Sept. 25-1941, Loch Ewe Sept. 27 - dispersed on Oct. 9.

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 146, others with HX 147 or HX 148.
See also HX 156.

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Du=Dutch, Pa=Panamanian, Fr=French, Da=Danish, MOWT=Ministry of War Transport..

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11
Ettrickbank
Galveston
(Br)

21
Strategist
Jacksonville
(Br)

31
Salacia
New York
(Br)

41
Bellerophon
Panama
(Br)

51
Port Fremantle
Halifax
(Br)

61
Port Huon
Montreal
(Br)

71
Modavia
Montreal
(Br)

81
Glenpark
Montreal
(Br)

91
Empire Rainbow
Halifax
(Br)

101
Empire Bittern
Montreal
(Br)

12
Jean L-D
Norfolk
(Br - Ex Fr)

22
Stigstad
Galveston
(Norw)

32
Maja
Houston
(Br)

42
Egda
New York
(Norw)

52
Daphnella
Curacao
(Br)

62
Losada
Bermuda
(Br)

72
Leikanger
New York
(Norw)

82
Solør
New York
(Norw)

92
Gudrun Mærsk
Montreal
(Da / MOWT 1940)

102
Boston City
Montreal
(Br)

13
Delfshaven
New Orleans
(Du)

23
Schuylkill
New York
(Br)

33
Mahana
Kingston
(Br)

43
Empire Cromwell
Hampton Roads
(Br)

53
Sovac
New York
(Br)

63
Diloma
New York
(Br)

73
Edward F. Johnson
New York
(Br)

83
Norvinn
New York
Pa / Norw mngrs.)

93

103
Cape Breton
Montreal
(Br)

14
Grainton*
Tampa
(Br)

24
Ulysses
New York
(Du)

34
San Emiliano
New York
(Br)

44
O. A. Knudsen
New York
(Norw)

54
British Ardour
New York
(Br)

64
British Workman
Baltimore
(Br)

74
Mosli
New York
(Norw)

84
Toorak
New York
(Br)

94
Caspia
Halifax
(Br)

104
British Resource
Halifax
(Br)

15
Dolius
Bermuda
(Br)

25
Peshawur
Kingston
(Br)

35
Dromus
New York
(Br)

45
Sandanger New York
(Norw)

55
Athelvictor
New York
(Br)

65
San Alvaro
NewYork
(Br)

75
Acavus
New York
(Br)

85
British Progress
New York
(Br)

95
Taria
Aruba
(Du)

105
Fernmoor
Halifax
(Norw)

16
Stone Street
Norfolk
(Pa)

26
Mammy
Iceland
(Norw)

36

46

56
Toward
Rescue Vessel
(Br)

66

76

86

96
Merope
Iceland
(Du)

106

* See Convoy ON 17.

Solør and Mirlo had originally been scheduled for the previous convoy, ON 19.

Comparing this A 1 form 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 mentioned on the A 1 form):
British Daltonhall - with a note saying "arr. after being mined".
Dutch Lekhaven - Note, however, that this ship is listed on the A 1 form for the previous convoy, ON 19.
British Merchant Prince - For Clyde
Norwegian Petter - Returned (later joined Convoy ON 24, destination New York).

Notes:
Commodore E. W. Leir was in Port Fremantle, Vice Commodore was the captain of Salacia.

The convoy had 53 ships, 47 of which were still present at dispersal on Oct. 9 (some had gone to Iceland, others had lost touch).

Average speed: 7.25 knots.

The Rescue Vessel Toward was on her 14th voyage as such, joining the convoy from Clyde on Sept. 25, then detached off Iceland on the 30th. Subsequently returned to the U.K. (Stornoway) with Convoy SC 46, Oct. 4-Oct. 12-1941. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague). Her previous voyage had been with ON 13 / SC 42.

Stone Street lost touch during the night of Sept. 29/30 in 58 02N 21 41W
Leikanger stopped with defects at 16:00 on Oct. 6 in 47 9N 39 32W. According to the Commodore's notes, she apparently had no ballast, and "as remainder of convoy had this almost necessary commodity for western passage in Oct., she was 1 knot slower than remainder".
Grainton stopped with defects at 18:00 on Oct. 6 in 47N 40W
Strategist lost touch in the morning of Oct. 9 in 44 45N 50 17W. She had still been in company at 02:00, then there was a period of fog, and she was no longer seen at 07:00 that morning. It was believed she had simply left the convoy, and the Commodore feels the case should be investigated.

The Commodore's handwriting is very difficult to decipher, but it looks like a corvette, which had lost her own convoy (designation unknown) joined them at 17:00 on Oct. 3 and remained until the next day when a small U.S. escort came into view, then she was sent to Iceland. The name of the ship looks like Algoma.

Escorts:
Eastern Atlantic: Walker, Vanoc, Volunteer, Caldwell, Hydrangea, Trawler 224?
Western Atlantic: 1 cruiser, 4 destroyers (U.S.) - not named by Commodore, but named below.
British escort vessels left at 13:50 on Sept. 30 in 55 15N 21 13W, at which time the U.S. escorts joined.

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. 25-Sept. 30: Hydrangea, Vanoc, Volunteer, Walker.
Sept. 26-Sept. 30: Caldwell, St. Cathan.
Sept. 30-Oct. 9: USS Benson, USS Hilary P. Jones, USS Niblack, USS Reuben James, USS Winslow.
Oct. 3-Oct. 4: Algoma.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next ON convoy in my list ON 21 will be added, as will ON 22 through ON 25 In the meantime, see Ships sailing in all ON convoys
The next available convoy is ON 26