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CONVOY HN 0 – Norway-U.K.

Left Bergen on Oct. 14-1939 and arrived Methil Roads on the 16th.
Received from Tony Cooper, England.

Convoy stations are not known.


The following ships took part:

Polish Robur IV - Commodore vessel (Lieutenant G. O. Symonds from HMS Jackal)
Polish Wilno
Polish Narocz
Polish Kroman
Polish Chorzow
French Limousin (replacing Tafelberg, which appears to have been cancelled). Limousin was initially stationed in between the other ships, but due to her larger size she was moved to the starboard wing on Oct. 15.
Greek Manoula - arrived at Namsos on Oct. 7 from Steinkjer and sailed on the 10th for the convoy. This ship, with a cargo for London, does not appear to have been scheduled for this convoy originally, but was allowed to join up. Arrived Northfleet/Gravesend on Oct. 18.

Additionally, it looks like the whale oil factories Terje Viken and Hektoria were also scheduled, but were not present at rendezvous off Marsten at 15:00 on Oct. 14. Robur IV's captain reported that these 2 ships may have headed to the original rendezvous off Holmengrå Light at 16:00. Reason for this change in rendezvous point at such short notice is not known (in fact, the meeting place off Marsten brought the convoy about 50 miles closer to the German air bases).

The convoy was forming up off Marsten when HMS Southampton and 4 destroyers of the Humber Force arrived. Convoy speed was 9 knots until dark on Oct. 14 at which time it was decreased to 8 1/2 knots during the night, and this speed was maintained in order to enable Wilno and Chorzow to keep their stations until HMS Southampton parted company in the evening of Oct. 15.

After having formed up, the convoy proceeded westwards to 59 51N 00 25E at 09:00 on Oct. 15, then turned south towards May Island.

The arrival of this convoy at Methil on Oct. 16 coincided with the first enemy air raid on Rosyth, one aircraft attacking the convoy with bombs, but was shot down. HMS Mohawk, which had been sent out from Rosyth to relieve one of the escort vessels, suffered some casualties and minor damage from a near miss.

Escorts:
HMS Southampton (S.O. - 2nd. Cruiser Squadron) in close support astern by day and to port by night, Jackal (ahead of convoy), Jupiter (starboard), Janus (port), Jervis (astern). Southampton parted company at 20:30 on Oct. 15 - at that time, only Jervis and Jupiter remained with the convoy, Jackal and Janus having been ordered to Scapa. Another document (listing escorts for all HN and ON convoys) also mentions Mohawk.
A flying boat joined at Marsten and was used to reconnoitre to the southward.

See also the text under Oct. 15 on this external page, which mentions escorts for Convoy HN 0 (the site also adds the destroyer Jersey, but does not mention Jupiter).

Back to Convoy Index

To the next Norway-U.K. convoy in my list Narvik-Methil Convoy
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