Convoy SC 56 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY SC 56
Departed Sydney, C.B. on Nov. 22-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 10.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 45 ships in this convoy
Transcribed from several original 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 56 at ships in all SC convoys.
Further details have been added with the help of:
"Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague
"Convoys to Russia 1941-1945", Bob Ruegg & Arnold Hague.
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer
"Lloyd's War Losses", Vol. II.
Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned, except those that are linked, which will automatically be underlined.
MoWT = Ministry of War Transport
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Norwegian
phosphates
84
Mersey
"
Adm. tanker B
(FFO)
62
Clyde
Léopold II
Belgian
wood pulp
13
London (Gravesend)
From SC 55
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 58
Badjestan
British
general - mail
61
Clyde
From SC 55
West Hematite
American / Irish 1941
wheat
103
Belfast for Dublin
(Renamed Irish Pine)
Empire Starlight
British
general - 7 passengers
–
Mersey
From SC 55
Listed in SC 57
Plaudit
Panamanian
general
82
Liverpool
From SC 55
Arrived Reykjavik Dec. 7
Nicolas
Greek
grain
–
Hull
From SC 55
To SC 57 - did not sail
Listed in SC 58
Norwegian
flour
22
London
From SC 55
Everleigh
British
wheat - cereals
31
London
From SC 55
Sevilla
"
whale oil
85
Liverpool
From SC 55
Saltwick
"
grain - cereals
81
London
–
Aeas
Greek
sugar
–
Clyde
Empire Wyclif
British
grain
41
Hull
–
Meropi
Greek
wheat
23
London
–
Baron Cochrane
British
sugar - 1 passenger
21
London
–
Keilehaven
Dutch
paper - pulp
83
Manchester
–
Søborg
Danish / MoWT 1940
phosphates
75
Mersey
–
Glaisdale
British
grain
53
Ipswich
–
Sonja Mærsk
Danish / MoWT 1940
flour
55
Aberdeen
From SC 55
Willesden
British
general
–
Belfast
Did sail
See * in Notes
Zurichmoor
"
grain
–
Leith
Listed in SC 57
Csikos
Panamanian
grain
–
Leith
To SC 57 - returned to port
Dunkeld
British
general - cotton
92
Manchester
–
Elizabeth Massey
"
general
73
Liverpool
–
Kerma
"
phosphate
–
Tees
Listed in SC 57
Margara
Irish
grain
–
Dublin
To SC 57 - did not sail
Norlin See ** in Notes
American
general
24
Reykjavik
–
Raranga
British
frozen meat - general - mail 110
51
Glasgow
–
Start Point
"
sugar
71
Liverpool
Ampetco
Belgian
Tanker B
–
Shellhaven
To SC 57 - did not sail
To SC 58 - did not sail
To SC 59 - did not sail
To SC 60 - did not sail
Listed in SC 61
Norwegian
aluminium - pulp
63
Glasgow
Empire Peacock
British
phosphates
52
Tyne
–
Empire Steelhead
"
general - micanite
42
London
–
Norwegian
grain
12
Hull
–
Lake Osweya
American
general - coal - medical supplies
34
Reykjavik
–
Pendeen
British
sugar
11
London
From SC 55
Selvistan
"
general
104
Cardiff
–
Africander
Panamanian
general
–
Archangel
To SC 57 - did not sail
Does not show up until HX 169
See also *** in Notes
Clearpool
British
general
35
Mersey
–
Daytonian
"
general
72
Holyhead / Liverpool
–
Empire Magpie
"
general
94
Liverpool
–
Empire Ptarmigan
"
general
33
Hull
Flensburg
Dutch
general
93
Liverpool
–
Sheridan
British
general - mail 32
32
London
–
Nellie
Greek
grain
–
Hull
Listed in SC 57
Mälaren
Swedish / MoWT 1940
general
54
Glasgow
See Notes
Stylianos Chandris
Greek
grain
–
Hull
To SC 57 - did not sail
Listed in SC 58
(struck mine)
Ramapo
Panamanian
steel - general
45
Mersey f. o.
–
Skåne
Swedish
general
–
Glasgow
To SC 57 - did not sail
Listed in SC 58
Tolken
"
steel - general
74
Liverpool
–
Saturnus
Dutch
flour
64
Glasgow
–
Scottish Trader
British
steel - general
101
Liverpool
Sunk - See Notes
Trongate
"
none given
–
Londonderry
–
Norwegian
flour
105
Bristol
Lost touch, joined HX 161
Caduceus
British
wood pulp - starch - copper
zinc - pears - wax - steel - general
43
Leith / London
–
Empire Cabot
"
general - micanite
–
London
To SC 57 - returned to port
To SC 63 - did not sail
To SC 64 - did not sail
To SC 65 - returned
To SC 66 - returned
Sailed in SC 68
Norwegian
general - mail
–
Mersey f. o.
Listed in SC 57
Macgregor
British
phosphate
–
Billingham
Listed in SC 57
Norwegian
sulphur
–
Manchester
To SC 57 - did not sail
Listed in SC 58
Roxby
British
general
–
Liverpool
Listed in SC 57
Ramava
Latvian
pulp wood
91
Barrow
–
Norwegian
grain - maize
44
Leith
Campus
British
wheat
65
Clyde
–
Willesden
"
general - steel
102
Belfast / Glasgow
See * in Notes
Notes:
The Rescue Vessel Perth was also with this convoy for a while. She was on her 11th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ON 40 on Nov. 26-1941, to Iceland after detachment Dec. 1, then returned to Clyde with Convoy SC 56 Dec. 6-Dec. 9.
Note that Mälaren is listed as Sälen in some later convoys on this website (from 1942).
* As can be seen, Willesden shows up twice in the Advance Sailing Telegram; the last time with a note attached saying "Deleted from list owing to being omitted from Sailing Telegram"
** There's a note in connection with this American ship saying "May be Norlindo (U.S.) 2686 gt". In fact, she's listed as such by A. Hague (again, see ships in all SC convoys).
*** Africander does not show up in any convoy to Russia in this time period - the only convoy she's listed in is PQ 18 almost a year later (sunk).
Scottish Trader, on a voyage from Philadelphia for Liverpool with steel, food stuffs and general, became a straggler and was torpedoed and sunk on Dec. 6 by U-131. She had a crew of 37 and 6 gunners - there were no survivors. (See also the external link below).
The convoy arrived rendezvous on Dec. 3.
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):
Agassiz - From 24/11/41 to 05/12/41
Amherst - From 24/11/41 to 05/12/41
Beagle - From 06/12/41 to 09/12/41
Bittersweet - From 24/11/41 to 06/12/41
Chicoutimi - From 24/11/41 to 05/12/41
Coventry City - From 06/12/41 to 09/12/41
Drumheller - From 22/11/41 to 24/11/41
FS Alysse - From 24/11/41 to 04/12/41
FS Commandant Detroyat - From 05/12/41 to 09/12/41
FS Lobelia - From 06/12/41 to 09/12/41
Georgian - From 22/11/41 to 24/11/41
Heather - From 06/12/41 to 09/12/41
Lady Madeleine - From 06/12/41 to 09/12/41
Montgomery - From 06/12/41 to 08/12/41
Morden - From 24/11/41 to 05/12/41
Narcissus - From 06/12/41 to 09/12/41
Orillia - From 24/11/41 to 05/12/41
Restigouche - From 24/11/41 to 05/12/41
Summerside - From 22/11/41 to 24/11/41
Thunder - From 22/11/41 to 24/11/41
Related external links:
The Empire Ships - Provides more information on the Empire Ships sailing in this convoy.
To the next SC convoy in my list SC 57