Convoy SC 122 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY SC 122
Departed New York City on March 5-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 24th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 51 ships in this convoy.
Cruising orders and charts are available on Page 2 
**See also Analysis of attacks
| Sources: "The Critical Convoy Battles of March 1943" and "Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", both by Jürgen Rohwer, with written permission from the author. Please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all SC convoys. See also SC escorts. Further details have been added with the help of:"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan. "Convoy - The Greatest U-Boat Battle of the War", by Martin Middlebrook "Convoy Rescue Ships", Arnold Hague. See also my page about Convoy HX 229 which was also involved in this battle. The stations below show stations at time of departure New York - numbers in parenthesis show stations after meeting Halifax section of convoy. Where there's only one number, stations remained the same after juncture. (By then, of course, the Halifax bound ships were no longer in the convoy). [ ] indicates the ships still present in the convoy in the evening of March 16, before the beginning of the attacks, and their stations at that time. This is illustrated more clearly on Page 2. (The convoy was reorganised again on March 20, after the attacks - 40 ships remained at that time). Number of casualties and survivors varies according to source - hence my question marks. Underlined ships returned to port. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Station | Destination | Remarks |
| Permian | Panamanian | fuel oil | 11 | Halifax | Arrived March 8 (10?) * |
| Asbjørn | Da / Ca Government 1940 | ballast | 12 | Halifax | Arrived March 8 (10?) * |
| * In his text, Rohwer says these 2 ships were detached at 16:00 GMT on March 9 accompanied by The Pas and Blairmore, arrived destination the next day. In the back of his book he says they arrived March 8. | |||||
| Sevilla | ** | fuel oil | 21 | St. John's | Arrived destination March 12 (w/ 2 corvettes from local escort) |
| ** There seems to be some confusion over the nationality of Sevilla. The Advance Sailing Telegram lists her as Norwegian with a general cargo (there was a Norw. motor vessel by this name), while Martin Middlebrook lists her as tanker, with fuel oil as cargo (Britain had a whale oil factory by this name, 7022 gt, which fits with the tonnage given for the ship in this convoy). Note that the Norwegian Sevilla is listed in the original document for the previous convoy, SC 121, but this, in turn, does not agree with the information found in her voyage record for this time period, which says she left New York on March 5 and arrived St. John's on March 12. In other words, the Sevilla in Convoy SC 122 appears to have been the Norwegian one, and she probably had a general cargo, rather than fuel oil. | |||||
| Polarland | Norwegian | general | 22 | St. John's | Fell out in storm Returned to New York March 8 |
| Livingston | British | general (U.S. military stores) | 23 | St John's | Fell out in storm Returned to Halifax March 9 (with damages) |
| Alcedo | Panamanian | general | 24 | Reykjavik | Fell out in storm Returned to Halifax March 8 Joined HX 229 A |
| Askepot | Norwegian | Army supplies | 31 [31] | Reykjavik | Went to Loch Ewe first |
| Cartago | American | refr. meat | 32 [32] | Reykjavik (via Loch Ewe) | – |
| Eastern Guide | " | ammunition - Army suppl. - general | 33 | Reykjavik | Fell out in storm Returned to Halifax March 8 |
| Gudvor | Norwegian | general | 34 | Reykjavik | Fell out in storm Returned to Halifax March 8 |
| Granville | Panamanian | gasoline(?) - general - mail | 41 [41] | Reykjavik | Sunk by U 338 March 17 13 (12?) died - 34 surv. |
| Godafoss | Icelandic | general - 2 passengers | 42 (43) [43] | Reykjavik | Went to Loch Ewe first |
| Carso | British | minerals (steel, food) | 43 (44) [44] | Loch Ewe | From HX 228 |
| Kingsbury | " | W. African produce - bauxite - 2 passengers | 51 [51] | Loch Ewe / London | From SC 121 Sunk by U-338 March 17 4 died (incl. 1 passenger) - 44 surv. This page has a personal story |
| King Gruffydd | " | steel - tobacco - explosives | 52 [52] | Loch Ewe / Hull | Sunk by U-338 March 17 24 (22?) died - 25 surv. |
| Empire Summer | " | explosives - general - 8 planes | 53 | Loch Ewe | From SC 121 Fell out in storm Returned to Halifax March 9 (with damages) |
| Atland | Swedish | iron ore | 54 [54] | Loch Ewe | From SC 121 |
| Alderamin | Dutch | oil - seed - general | 61 [61] | Loch Ewe | Sunk by U-338 March 1715 died - 49 survived (A. Hague says no casualties) |
| Empire Galahad | British | general - meat - 1 passenger | 62 [62] | Mersey | From HX 228 |
| Innesmoor | " | wheat | 63 [63] | Loch Ewe | – |
| Beaconoil | Panamanian | pool diesel oil | 64 [64] | Glasgow | From SC 121 |
| Georgios P. | Greek | sugar | 65 | Clyde | Fell out in storm Returned to New York March 7 |
| Baron Stranraer | British | iron ore | 71 [71] | Loch Ewe | – |
| Christian Holm | Danish / MOWT 1941 | fuel oil | 72 [72] | Belfast | Standby oiler |
| Bridgepool | British | linseed | 73 [73] | Loch Ewe | M / FD / F guard ship |
| Baron Elgin | " | sugar | 74 [74] | Loch Ewe | – |
| Aymeric | " | iron ore | 75 [75] | Loch Ewe | – |
| Glenapp | " | African produce (cocoa, palm oil, copper) 24 pass. - mail | 81 [81] | Mersey | From HX 228 Commodore vessel |
| Benedick | " | Admiralty fuel | 82 [82] | Clyde | Escort oiler |
| Clarissa Radcliffe | " | iron ore | 83 | Loch Ewe / Barrow | From SC 121 Missing March 7 (straggled) Sunk by U-663 March 1855 (52?) died - no survivors |
| Vinriver | " | sugar | 91 [35] | Loch Ewe | From SC 121 Straggled, caught up with convoy March 13 |
| Historian | " | general | 92 (93) [91] | Mersey | – |
| Orminister | " | iron ore | 93 (94) [94] | Loch Ewe | No ship in 93 when attacks started |
| Losada | " | general - mail | 101 [101] | Mersey | – |
| Gloxinia | " | lube oil | 102 [102] | Mersey | – |
| Filleigh | " | general - mail | 103 [103] | Mersey | – |
| LST 365 | " | tanks - food - steel | 104 (105) [105] | Mersey | Tank landing ship |
| Empire Dunstan | " | sugar | 111 [111] | Mersey | – |
| Shirvan | " | gasoline | 112 [112] | Belfast / Manchester | From SC 121 |
| Boston City | " | general - explosives | 113 [113] | Belfast | Vice Commodore vessel |
| LST 305 | " | tanks - food - steel | 114 (115) [115] | Clyde | Tank landing ship |
| Dolius | " | bauxite - general - mail | 121 [121] | Belfast | From SC 121 M / FD / F guard ship |
| Vistula | American | petroleum products | 122 [122] | Belfast | From SC 121 |
| English Monarch | British | explosives - general (copper, wheat) | 123 | Belfast | From SC 121 Fell out in storm Returned to Halifax March 9 (with damages) |
| Fort Cedar Lake | " | explosives - general | 124 [124] | Belfast | Damaged by by U-338 (17th) - straggled Sunk by U-665 March 17 All 50 survived |
| Baron Semple | " | general | 131 (53) [53] | Belfast / Loch Ewe | – |
| Carras | Greek | wheat | 132 [132] | Belfast Docks | Straggled - damaged by U-666, Sunk by U-333 March 19All 34 survived(in station 131 when torpedoed?) |
| Bonita | Panamanian | steel - tobacco | 133 (123) [123] | U. K. | – |
| McKeesport | American | grain - general | 141 | U. K. | From HX 228 Fell out in storm Returned to New York March 8 |
| Kedoe | Dutch | wheat - zinc - ore | 142 [134] | Belfast | Straggled, caught up with convoy March 13 |
| By March 7 there were 11 stragglers from this convoy. | |||||
| Joining from Halifax (Convoy HSC 122) at 19:00 GMT on March 9 having departed at 16:00 GMT March 8, escorted by Leamington, Dunvegan and Cowichan. Stations shown are stations in combinded convoy from March 9 Stations in brackets are positions as per March 16, before the beginning of the attacks - See Page 2 | |||||
| Fjallfoss | Icelandic | timber - food | 11 [34] | Reykjavik | Went to Loch Ewe first |
| Selfoss | " | timber | 12 | Reykjavik | Straggled March 16,but arrived destination March 23 |
| Ogmore Castle | British | flour | 42 [42] | Loch Ewe | – |
| Franka | Yugoslavian | general | 45 [45] | Loch Ewe | From SC 121 |
| Parkhaven | Dutch | general | 55 [55] | Loch Ewe | From SC 121 |
| Drakepool | British | general | 65 [65] | Loch Ewe | – |
| Zouave | " | iron ore | 84 [84] | U. K. | From SC 121 Sunk by U 305 March 17 13 died - 30 surv. |
| PLM 13 | " | steel - timber | 85 | – | Fell out with boiler trouble Left for St. John's March 12 |
| Port Auckland | " | meat - general - mail passengers (RAF personnel) | 92 [92] | Belfast Lough / Avonmouth | From HX 228 Sunk by U-305 on March 178 died - 110 (100?) surv. |
| Zamalek | " | Rescue Vessel | 95 [95] | Londonderry | – |
| Badjestan | " | grain | 104 [104] | Glasgow | From SC 121 |
| Porjus | Swedish | steel - pulp | 114 [114] | Manchester | From SC 121 |
| Empire Morn | British | grain | 131 [131] | – | straggled - but arrived destination |
| Helencrest | " | grain | 133 [133] | Belfast | From SC 121 |
| Joining from St. John's (WSC 122) March 12 having departed March 11, escorted by HMS Saxifrage | |||||
| Reaveley | British | none given | 63 [83] | Mersey | From SC 121 |
Notes:
Commodore, S. N. White R.N.R. was in Glenapp, Vice Commodore was F. R. Neil, captain of Boston City.
Local Escorts:
Destroyer HMS Leamington, Corvettes HMCS Dunvegen, HMCS Rimouski, HMCS New Westminster and mine sweeper HMCS Cowichan.
Ocean Escorts (sailing from St. John's March 11 - relieved Local Escort on March 12): HMS Havelock, HMS Swale, HMS Lavender, HMS Pimpernel, HMS Buttercup, HMS Saxifrage, HMS Godetia (straggled), USS Upshur, and from March 19 the U.S Coast Guard cutter Ingham(the latter 2 were intended to later escort the ships bound for Iceland, but due to the lack of escorts, the Iceland bound vessels remained with convoy to the U.K. The 2 American escorts were detached from the convoy in the morning of March 21)
The trawler HMS Campobello, damaged and leaking was sunk by Godetia, after having transferred crew.
(Martin Middlebrook devides the local escorts as follows:
New York to Halifax: Corvettte _HMCS The Pas,_and mine sweeper HMCS Blairmore.
New York to St. John's: Corvettes HMCS New Westminster and HMCS Rimouski
Halifax to St. John's: Destroyer HMS Leamington, corvette HMCS Dunvegen, minesweeper HMCS Cowichan).
Zamalek (requisitioned in March-1940) was on her 18th voyage as rescue vessel, having started this voyage at Clyde with Convoy ON 165 on Febr. 2-1943 (to St. John's Febr. 22), then with Convoy JH 38 from St. John's to Halifax Febr. 24-Febr. 28, then returning to the U.K. with Convoy SC 122 March 8 to Clyde March 22-1943. Below is some information on the rescues she performed in this battle:
March 17: Rescued 12 survivors from Alderamin, 44 from Kingsbury, 50 from Fort Cedar Lake and 25 from King Gruffydd; 3 others were found to be dead. She then rejoined the convoy, and was asked to continue searching, then found the lifeboats from Carras, rescuing all 34. She was subsequently given permission to leave the convoy and headed directly for Clyde (under escort), landing the survivors there on March 22.
Related external links:
The battle for Convoy SC 122 and HX 229 - Uboat.net's account.
Will be added: SC 123 and SC 124
(See ships in all SC convoys ) To the next available SC convoy in my list SC 125
| 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 |
