Convoy ON 224 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY ON 224
According to Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System", ON 224 departed Liverpool on Febr. 14-1944,
and arrived New York on March 2 - this source gives 79 ships in the convoy.
The document I'm using for the table below gives departure U.K. at 09:15Z on Febr. 15.
Notes:
El Aleto and John Fitch collided on the night of Febr. 22, superficial damages sustained - both were able to continue.
A note for Casimir Pulaski states the following: "In collision Tercero (ONS 29), damage above waterline. Picked up one Tercero boat". (See page about Tercero). Convoy ONS 29 had left Liverpool for Halifax on Febr. 12-1944, arrival Febr. 29.
There's a note next to Harold L. Winslow saying she was to be escorted to Ponta Delgada.
The Rescue Vessel Gothland was on her 12th voyage as such, joining from Clyde on Febr. 14-1944, to Halifax Febr. 29. She subsequently returned to Clyde with Convoy HX 284 on March 23, arrival Apr. 6-1944. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague).
Escorts:
The western local south escorts are listed as Sherbrooke, Portage, and Transcona.
Other escorts listed in this document are Assiniboine, Forest, St. Laurent, Halifax, Fredericton, Giffard and tug Sapper.
Also mentioned are St. Boniface, Hepatica, Digby, Melville and Dundas.
According to Jürgen Rohwer's "Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two" the sloop HMS Woodpecker was escorting ON 224 when torpedoed on Febr. 20-1944 by U-256, taken in tow, but later sank. Starling is also mentioned (but not hit), which would indicate that the 2nd Escort Group was with this convoy. In addition to the 2 ships already mentioned, this group consisted of Kite, Cygnet, Wren and Wild Goose (and possibly Magpie?) commanded by the well know Captain F. Walker (HMS Starling). Woodpecker and Starling had sunk U-264 on Febr. 19.
The first external website that I've linked to below says that the 10th Escort Group, including the frigate Spey, transferred to Convoy ON 224 on Febr. 19-1944.
Related external links:
Atlantic Battle - Scroll down to Febr.-1944. Note that this site lists U-764 as the U-boat that torpedoed Woodpecker.
Liberty Ships - Most of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty ships. This website lists them alphabetically.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. (I always use these sites to check and, if necessary, correct the spelling of the ships in my lists before uploading a convoy).
To the next ON convoy in my list ON 225
will be added, as will ON 226 through ON 260
In the meantime, see Ships sailing in all ON convoys
The next available ON convoy is ON 261