Convoy SC 27 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY SC 27
HMS Salopian's report is available on Page 2
| Convoy SC 27 Cruising Order Departed Halifax at 10:00 on March 30-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 18 (Arnold Hague agrees w/29 ships). | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew). |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 Antonio wheat Loch Ewe (Br) | 21 Starstone steel - general Loch Ewe (Br) | 31 Flaminian sugar - rum Loch Ewe (Br) | 41 Blairdevon steel - lumber London (Br) | 51 Pacific Grove general Liverpool (Br) | 61 Clam fuel oil Scapa (Br) | 71 Cape Race steel Clyde (Br) | 81 Dimitrios Inglessis grain Barry Roads (Gr) | 91 |
| 12 Alex grain Loch Ewe (Br) | 22 Caspia gasoline Loch Ewe (Br) | 32 Karlander pit props Loch Ewe (Norw) | 42 |
52 Marit oil fuel Clyde (Norw) | 62 Spinanger fuel oil Liverpool (Norw) | 72 Wisla general Liverpool (Po) | 82 Berto pit wood Barry Roads (Norw) | 92 Rokos Vergottis steel - lumber Barry Roads (Gr) |
| 13 Empire Scout bauxite Loch Ewe (Br) | 23 Icarion steel - scrap iron Loch Ewe (Gr) | 33 Favorit steel - scrap Loch Ewe sunk (Norw) | 43 Campus steel - lumber Hull (Br) | 53 |
63 Joannis phosphates Glasgow (Gr) | 73 Panaghis wheat Manchester (Gr) | 83 Theoskepasti grain Barry Roads (Gr) | 93 |
| 14 Frumenton grain Loch Ewe (Br) | 24 Elisabeth Lensen wheat Loch Ewe (Br) | 34 | 44 Finnanger Adm. fuel Clyde (Norw) | 54 Dimitrios G. Thermiotis steel Clyde (Gr) | 64 |
74 Kalypso Vergotti phosphate Avonmouth (Gr) | 84 | 94 |
| 15 | 25 | 35 | 45 | 55 | 65 Avra grain Manchester (Gr) | 75 | 85 | 95 |
| Note that the Advance Sailing Telegram lists additional ships as scheduled, that are not included in this A 1 form. Groenlo is not mentioned in the AST - also cancelled from SC 28, joined SC 29 (returned to Halifax).The Rescue Vessel Copeland was also with this convoy for a while. She was on her 4th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with Convoy OB 306 on Apr. 4-1941, detached Apr. 9, then joined SC 27 from Reykjavik on Apr 13, to Clyde Apr. 18. She had landed 46 survivers from the British Dunstan in Reykjavik, this ship having been sunk by aircraft while in OB 306 on Apr. 6. ("Convoy Rescue Ships", Arnold Hague). |
| Cruising Order - Apr. 12 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The convoy was reorganised several times (by Commodore). This table shows formation before departure of Ocean Escort at 09:30 Zone+2 on Apr. 12. | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 Antonio | 21 Starstone | 31 Campus | 41 Blairdevon | 51 Pacific Grove | 61 Clam | 71 Wisla | 81 Cape Race | 91 Rokos Vergottis |
| 12 Alex | 22 Caspia | 32 Karlander | 42 Flaminian | 52 | 62 Finnanger | 72 Dimitrios Inglessis | 82 Dimitrios G. Thermiotis | 92 Kalypso Vergotti |
| 13 Empire Scout | 23 Icarion | 33 Elisabeth Lensen | 43 Spinanger | 53 | 63 Joannis | 73 Panaghis | 83 Berto | 93 Avra |
| 14 | 24 | 34 | 44 Frumenton | 54 | 64 Marit | 74 Theoskepasti | 84 | 94 |
| The Norwegian Favorit had parted company - see report on Page 2. |
| Advance Sailing Telegram | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Flaminian | British | sugar - rum | Newcastle | From SC 24 |
| American / MoWT 1941 | steel - scrap iron | Methil d.g. / Middlesbrough | (Renamed Empire Waterhen) From SC 26 Listed in SC 28 | |
| Norwegian | Tanker B | River Mersey | From SC 26 Listed in SC 28 | |
| Empire Scout | British | bauxite | Burntisland | From SC 25 |
| Joannis | Greek | phosphates | Glasgow | – |
| Elisabeth Lensen | British | grain | Newcastle | From SC 26 |
| Icarion | Greek | steel - scrap iron | Ardrossan | From SC 26 |
| Antonio | British | grain | Hull | – |
| Dimitrios Inglessis | Greek | grain | Avonmouth | From HX 117 |
| Frumenton | British | grain | London | – |
| Blairdevon | " | steel - lumber | London | From SC 26 |
| Theoskepasti | Greek | grain | Avonmouth | – |
| Alex | British | grain | Leith | – |
| Panaghis | Greek | grain | Manchester | – |
| Marit | Norwegian | Tanker B | Clyde | – |
| Spinanger | " | Adm tanker B | Liverpool | From SC 26 |
| " | Adm. tanker B | Clyde | Listed in SC 28 | |
| Campus | British | steel - lumber | Hull | – |
| Greek | grain | Barry Docks | Listed in SC 28 | |
| Rokos Vergottis | " | steel - lumber | Barry Docks / Swansea | – |
| Clam | British | Adm. Tanker B | Scapa | From HX 117 |
| Starstone | " | general | London | From HX 117 Vice Commodore |
| Greek | grain | Sharpness | Listed in SC 28 | |
| Cape Race | British | steel - explosives - special | Manchester | – |
| Wisla | Polish | general | Liverpool | – |
| Berto | Norwegian | pit props | Barry Docks | – |
| Karlander | " | pit props | Hull | From SC 23 |
| Caspia | British | Tanker W | London | – |
| Dimitrios G. Thermiotis | Greek | steel | Newport | – |
| British | phosphates - expl. - special | Avonmouth | Listed in SC 28 | |
| Avra | Greek | grain | Liverpool | – |
| American / MoWT 2/1941 | phosphates - expl. - special | Birkenhead | (Renamed Empire Cougar) See also SC 30 | |
| Favorit | Norwegian | steel - scrap | Hull | From SC 26 Sunk - Follow link to Favorit |
| Finnanger | " | Adm tanker B.D. | Milford Haven / Devonport | From HX 115 |
| Pacific Grove | British | general - special | Liverpool | From HX 118 Commodore Vessel |
| Kalypso Vergotti | Greek | phosphates | Avonmouth | From SC 24 |
Notes:
Commodore, C. D. Burke was in Pacific Grove, Vice Commodore was the captain of Starstone.
Clyde Commodore: Cape Race.
The convoy had 29 ships, 28 of which were present at rendezvous, the Norwegian Favorit having dropped out at 14:20 on Apr. 7 with disabled steering gear, 48 29N 40 58W - time and position according to the Commodore's notes. Salopian's report gives 12:00 in position 48 27N 41 04W. Favorit was later sunk - follow the link to my page about this ship for further details.
Average speed: 7 knots.
Several alterations in the composition of the columns were made by the Commodore during the passage of this convoy, and the Ocean Escort, HMS Salopian, took station astern of Pacific Grove between the 5th and 6th columns.
The convoy arrived rendezvous on Apr. 14 (according to Advance Sailing Telegram).
Escorts:
HMS Salopian, Keppel, Venomous, Lincoln, Kingcup, Sunflower, Man o' War, Northern Dawn, Lady Elsa, Philante, Dianella.
Ocean Escort parted company at 09:30 on Apr. 12.
Local Escort joined at 08:30 on Apr. 13 in 61 38N ?W.
From the Commodore's notes:
"Convoy 8 hours early. Fresh R/V given too far in advance of old R/V for any reduction of speed to be effective - dangerous as convoy had just been rerouted round an U-boat. Apparently operations had convoy's speed wrong".
Air escort:
Air patrols encountered from 12:30 Apr. 13 in 61 36N 24 ?W.
From 13:00 Apr. 16 in 60 21N 10 26W
Arnold Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of SC convoy escorts, based on Arnold Hague's database, received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Buxton - From 30/03/41 to 31/03/41
Dianella - From 13/04/41 to 18/04/41
Keppel - From 13/04/41 to 17/04/41
Kingcup - From 13/04/41 to 17/04/41
Lincoln - From 15/04/41 to 18/04/41
Philante - From 13/04/41 to 18/04/41
Salopian - From 30/03/41 to 12/04/41
St. Croix - From 30/03/41 to 31/03/41
Sunflower - From 13/04/41 to 18/04/41
Venomous - From 23/04/41 to 18/04/41
HMS Salopian's report is available on Page 2
To the next SC convoy in my list SC 28
| 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 |
