Convoy SC 74 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY SC 74
Departed Halifax on March 12-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 28th
(Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" says 34 ships).
Transcribed from original documents received from Tony Cooper, England (Advance Sailing Telegram) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Station numbers and sequence of departure were received from Ted Agar - His source: A diary. Stations are pendants flown on departure Halifax, and may have changed as the voyage progressed.
Names of escorts and cargoes for the tankers have been extracted from documents recived from Don Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database - see his listing for SC 74 at ships in all SC convoys. It'll be noticed that in some cases, he has given different station numbers than those provided in the diary and these have been added in parenthesis below.
Crossed out ships did not sail.
MoWT = Ministry of War Transport
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Empire Eagle
British
steel - trucks
12
Hull
Agios Vlasios
Greek
steel - wood pulp
34
Glasgow
–
Ingman
British
steel - wood pulp
93
Milford Haven f. o.
Panos
British
grain
42
London
Listed in SC 75
Elizabeth Massey
"
general
71
Manchester
From SC 73
Lancaster
American
general
63
Murmansk
Later joined Convoy PQ 15
(ref. external link at end of page)
See also QP 13
Aristides
Panamanian
steel - general - mail 1677
not known
(A. Hague gives 73)
Liverpool
–
Stalowa Wola
Polish
general
72
Manchester
From SC 73
Deer Lodge
American
general
43 (42)
Archangel
Later joined Convoy PQ 15
Cydonia
British
grain
13
Tyne
–
Empire Albatross
"
steel - trucks
61
Hull
From SC 73
Danby
"
grain
41
London
From SC 73
Oregon
"
general
92
Newcastle
–
Empire Penguin
"
general
31
Liverpool
(Became Dutch Van der Velde, 1942)
Barberrys
"
general - 2 passengers
51
Liverpool
–
Clearpool
"
phosphates
21
Glasgow
–
Norwegian
general
82
Cardiff
–
Nicolas
Greek
grain
23
London
–
Zurichmoor
British
grain
11
London
–
Empire Robin
"
steel - wood pulp
81
Mersey
(Became Dutch Ferdinand Bol, 1942)
See also Notes
Norwegian
Tanker B
(lub. oil)
53
Glasgow / Mersey
–
Expositor
American
general
–
Archangel
Listed in HX 180
Later joined Convoy PQ 15,
see also QP 12
Norwegian
Tanker B
(fuel oil)
52
Glasgow
–
Morska Wola
Polish
general
62
Manchester
–
Thurso
British
sugar
74
Liverpool
–
Caduceus
"
general
–
Mersey
Listed in SC 75
Christian Holm
Danish / MoWT 1941
Tanker B
–
Mersey
Gitano
British
general
–
Hull
Listed in SC 75
Innerton
"
grain
25
Hull
–
Norwegian
steel - timber
84
Cardiff / Southampton
–
Archangelos
Greek
copper - iron ore
33
Tyne
–
Norwegian
flour
32
Leith
–
Emmy
Greek
grain
–
London
To SC 75 - returned
Listed in SC 77
Leonidas N. Condylis
"
grain
35
London
Mount Mycale
"
grain
–
Newcastle
Listed in SC 75
Dinara
Yugoslavian
grain
65 (64)
Barry Docks / Southampton
–
Empire Tyne
British
wheat
14
London
Trompenberg
Dutch
phosphates
22
Avonmouth
From SC 73
Odysseus
Greek
grain
24
London
–
Dunsley
British
sugar
44 (43)
Clyde
From SC 73
Viking Star
"
refrig.
83
Liverpool
From SC 73 & HX 179
Empire Moon
"
general
91
Liverpool
* The diary also lists the Panamanian Lake Traverse in station 64, and has Empire Planet as cancelled from station 15. As can be seen, these are not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram. Empire Planet had previously returned to port from Convoy SC 73, later joined SC 75. Lake Traverse probably left port that day for other reasons that to join SC 74.
Notes:
Commodore was in Barberrys, Vice Commodore in Clearpool, Rear Commodore in Zurichmoor.
The Rescue Vessel Perth was also with this convoy, sailing in station 54. She had been requisitioned on Oct. 14-1940 and was on her 13th voyage, having started out from Clyde on Febr. 14-1942 with Convoy ON 66 to Halifax (March 1), returning on March 12 with SC 74, to Clyde March 26. ("Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague).
Empire Robin is listed as Empire Oryx in some earlier convoys on this website. See also Convoy HX 70, in which she's listed under her earlier name of West Harshaw. As Ferdinand Bol, she sank following a collision with the Norwegian Norse King in July-1942, Convoy HS 35. This page has more on the collision. The website about the Empire Ships that I've linked to at the end of this page has further details on her history, as well as more info on the other Empire Ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Eagle had previously had the name Indianan (American) and is listed as such in Convoy HX 41 on this website. Again, see also Norjerv.
The ships left port in the following order (according to the diary):
The first ship to go out at 11:00 was the British Barberrys (Flagship), followed at 11:14 by Empire Moon (Catapult freighter - Crated planes) and with a few minutes between each ship Elizabeth Massey, Zurichmoor, Empire Penguin, Empire Albatross, Trompenberg, Empire Tyne, Morska Wola, Deer Lodge, Suderøy (5 bombers on deck), Panos (Cancelled), Lake Traverse (probably not for this convoy), Torvanger, Agios Vlasios, Cydonia, Clearpool, Oregon, Viking Star, Danby, Empire Eagle, Stalowa Wola, Lancaster, Perth, Snar, Bruse Jarl, Odysseus, Dunsley, Nicolas, Empire Robin, Thurso, Sommerstad, Archangelos, Innerton, Dinara, Leonidas N. Condylis - no times are given for the last 3 ships.
The convoy arrived rendezvous on March 24.
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):
Anchusa - From 16/03/42 to 27/03/42
Dahlia - From 16/03/42 to 26/03/42
Gananoque - From 12/03/42 to 18/03/42
Hurricane - From 16/03/42 to 26/03/42
Monkshood - From 16/03/42 to 27/03/42
Niagara - From 12/03/42 to 18/03/42
Snowflake - From 16/03/42 to 27/03/42
The Pas - From 12/03/42 to 18/03/42
Witch - From 12/03/42 to 18/03/42
Related external links:
Russian Convoy Series - Convoy PQ 15 is included.
To the next SC convoy in my list SC 75