Convoy SC 52 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)

CONVOY SC 52 Departed Sydney, C.B. on Oct. 29-1941, returned to Sydney with arrival Nov. 5.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 34 ships in this convoy

Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper (Advance Sailing Telegram) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. The station numbers and names of escorts have been extracted from documents recived from Don Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database - see his listing for SC 52 at ships in all SC convoys. Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned (the convoy suffered a heavy U-boat attack soon after sailing, and was therefore ordered to return to Sydney, C.B., after circumnavigating Newfoundland). Further details have been added with the help of: "Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan "Lloyd's War Losses", Vol. I. MoWT = Ministry of War Transport
Ship Nationality Cargo Station Destination Remarks
Everoja Latvian / MoWT 1940 wheat 93 Dublin From SC 51 Sunk - See Notes
Llandaff British iron ore - calcium - carbide 13 Middlesbrough From SC 51 Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Elwood Panamanian general – Glasgow From SC 51 Listed in SC 53
Sommerstad Norwegian Tanker B 42 London From SC 51 Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Empire Snow British steel - scrap - special 91 Swansea From SC 51 Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Marylyn " general 82 Liverpool From SC 51 Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Circe Shell " Adm. tanker B 52 Loch Ewe f. o. From SC 51 Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Ingrid Norwegian sugar – Liverpool To SC 53 - did not sail Listed in SC 54
Empire Wildebeeste British steel – Hull (See also HX 153) Listed in SC 54
According to the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy SC 52, the above ship did not join. It'll be noticed, when going back to A. Hague's listing for SC 52 at ships in all SC convoys, that he has included her in this convoy, giving her station 31. He says she had started out in Convoy HX 153, but proceeded to St. John's with defects, later joining SC 50, but returned to port.
Marouko Pateras Greek sugar 14 London From SC 51 Ashore - See Notes
Denpark British sugar 61 Greenock Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Eskdalegate " iron ore 41 Middlesbrough Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Empire Redshank " aviation gas - carbon block – Archangel From SC 51 Listed in SC 60 Later joined Convoy PQ 7B to Murmansk (returned w/QP 6)
Merchant " steel - general - foodstuffs - copper - special 71 Liverpool Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Flynderborg Danish / MoWT 1940 lumber 12 London Sunk - See Notes
British Progress British Tanker W 32 London Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Empire Energy " maize 92 Belfast Ashore - See Notes
Solitaire Norwegian Tanker B – London Listed in SC 53
Egton British sugar – London Listed in SC 53
Gretavale " steel 11 Loch Ewe f. o. Sunk - See Notes
Hedera Swedish lumber 63 London Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Ilissos Greek lumber – Mersey To SC 53 - did not sail Listed in SC 54
Photinia British sugar – London Listed in SC 55
Stalowa Wola Polish general 53 Mersey Returned (St. John's) See * in Notes To SC 57 - did not sail Listed in SC 58
War Admiral Panamanian general 72 Liverpool Listed in SC 54
Anna Mazaraki Greek grain 74 London Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Baron Yarborough British sugar 21 London From SC 51 Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Csarda Panamanian phosphates 64 London Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Empire Gemsbuck British general 84 Londonderry Sunk - See Notes
Empire Hartebeeste " general 51 Hull Commodore Vessel Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Empire Woodcock " steel - cotton – Mersey Listed in SC 53
Empire Zephyr " steel - general 23 Loch Ewe f. o. Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Loreto " nitrate - metal – Liverpool To SC 53 - did not sail To SC 54 - did not sail Listed in SC 55
Randa Danish / Can. Govt. 1940 general 81 Preston Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Theomitor Greek general – Avonmouth Listed in SC 53 (in collision)
Agia Marina " grain – Barry Dock To SC 53 - returned Listed in SC 54
Benedick British Adm. tanker B – Clyde Listed in SC 53
Chulmleigh " wheat 54 Archangel Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Dalfram " general 22 Newcastle Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Empire Bruce " steel 24 Loch Ewe f.o. Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Michael Jebsen Danish / MoWT 1940 flour – Leith Listed in SC 53
Michael L. Embiricos Greek sugar 83 Liverpool Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Newton Ash British grain - general 62 Hull Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
West Neris Irish (ex. Am. 9/41) grain – Belfast f. o. Renamed Irish Oak To SC 53 - returned Listed in SC 55
British Renown British Tanker W – Milford f.o. Listed twice - see * in Notes Listed in SC 54
Empire Dorado " – – Loch Ewe f.o. To SC 53 - sank (collision)
Kathariotisa Greek lumber – Bristol Listed in SC 53
Moscha D. Kydoniefs " grain 44 Hull Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Guido British general - mail 170 33 London Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
Norwalk American general 34 Reykjavik Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
City of Dallas " general - gasoline 43 Reykjavik Returned to Sydney Listed in SC 54
British Renown British Tanker W 73 Belfast Returned to Sydney See * in Notes Listed in SC 54
Ships from Wabana (Convoy WSC 52) These are not mentioned in A. Hague's listing
Petter II Norwegian Tanker B – Loch Ewe f.o. From SC 51 Proceeded to Sydney To SC 53 - returned Listed in SC 55
Barberrys British paper – London From SC 51 Proceeded to Sydney Listed in SC 53
Gudmundrå Swedish sugar – Liverpool From SC 48 To SC 53 - did not sail(had run aground)
British Industry British Tanker B – Belfast From SC 50 (see Ships in all SC convoys) To SC 53 - did not sail Listed in SC 55
Empire Morn " wheat – Mersey From SC 50 To SC 53 - did not sail Listed in SC 54
Georgios P Greek zinc concentrates – Avonmouth From SC 50 Proceeded to Sydney Listed in SC 53
Mount Kitheron Greek iron ore – Barry Roads To SC 53 - did not sail Listed in SC 54

Notes:
* Stalowa Wola and British Renown show up twice in the Advance Sailing Telegram. The second time they both have the notation "re-instated by 2337Z/20". British Renown is crossed out the first time, then listed as returned to Sydney the second time, as can be seen in the above table.

Ships sunk - all on Nov. 3-1941 (number of casualties varies according to source):

Gretavale, on a voyage from Baltimore for Loch Ewe (via Sydney, C.B.) with a cargo of 6700 tons of steel and 17 trucks, was sunk early in the morning hours by U-202. She had a crew of 42 and 5 gunners, 1 crew died, 36 missing, 5 saved, 5 gunners missing.

Flynderborg, on a voyage from Parrsboro, N.S. for London (via Sydney) with 2125 tons of lumber, was also sunk by U-202 that morning. She had a crew of 22 and 2 gunners, 3 crew died.

That afternoon, Everoja, on a voyage from St. John, N.B. for Dublin with 6401 tons of wheat, was sunk by U-203 - She had a crew of 39 and 2 gunners, all of whom survived.

Empire Gemsbuck, on a voyage from Philadelphia for Londonderry (via Sydney, C.B.) with 6200 tons of general cargo, which included machinery, was also sunk by U-203 in this attack. Forepart blew up, after part was not seen to sink. She had a crew of 37 and 6 gunners, all of whom survived.

Other losses:
Marouko Pateras, stranded in fog at Double Is., Labrador on Nov. 3. There were no casualties. Refloated Nov. 5, sank 2 miles southwest of Double Is.

Empire Energy, ran ashore at Big Brook on Nov. 4, 11 miles west of Cape Norman, Belle Isle Straits, N.S, total loss - there were no casualties.

A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of SC convoy escorts, received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Battleford - From 29/10/41 to 01/11/41
Broadway - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41
Buctouche - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41
Burwell - From 02/11/41 to 03/11/41
Cobalt - From 02/11/41 to 03/11/41
Dunvegan - From 29/10/41 to 01/11/41
FS Aconit - From 01/11/41 to 04/11/41
Galt - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41
Nasturtium - From 01/11/41 to 05/11/41
Sorel - From 29/10/41 to 01/11/41
Windflower - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41

Related external links:
The attack on Gretavale (w/picture of ship)
The attack on Flynderborg (w/picture of ship)
The attack on Everoja
The attack on Empire Gemsbuck

The Empire Ships - Provides more information on the Empire Ships sailing in this convoy.

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To the next SC convoy in my list SC 53

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