Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegrams and A 1 Forms) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Further details have been added with the help of:
"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, "Axis Submarine Successes of WW II", Jürgen Rohwer, and "The World's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan.

† = dead, surv.=survived

Please note that there were several, different A 1 forms included with these documents, each showing the ships in different stations.
I'm not sure what this means, but for info I've chosen to indicate these stations in my own table below (it might simply mean the ships were moved around in the course of the voyage, or the various forms might show sections of the convoy after it split in home waters?).

The ships are listed in the order in which they appear in the various documents.

Notes:
Commodore Rear Admiral F. B. Watson was in Tortuguero, Vice Commodore Brooke in Black Condor.

The convoy had a total of 41 ships - 36 were still present at rendezvous on March 15.

* The following fell astern on the night of March 10/11 - 55 00N 36 20W:
Ixion, Winnimac, Margarita Chandris, Westland, Traveller, Robert F. Hand, Cloucester City and Cistula - the Commodore says the underlined ships "rejoined on 14th March from HX slow convoy" (they may have sailed with an SC convoy for a while? Possibly SC 24?). He adds: "There was little excuse for losing touch and each Master should be asked for his reasons for doing so."

The Commodore also complains about the ships' ability and effort to keep closed up to 2 cables, in spite of frequent signals, but adds: "After night attacks, however, the station keeping improved 100%." He recommends that Everleigh, a bad station keeper when in column, should never be leader of a column. He seems to be happier with visual and W/T signalling, saying "Especially smart were Erodona, Elona, Auris, Lima, San Cipriano, Diloma, Stad Haarlem and Bic Island. Their repeating of flag and lamp signals was very smart indeed."

Ocean Escort: HMS Ranpura, from Halifax until parting company at 17:30 GMT on March 14, postion 61 00N 24 40W. HMS Norfolk, flying flag of SCI was also in company from time to time between 5th and 14th (11th?) of March.
Local Escorts: HMS Walker, HMS Vanoc, HMS Sardonyx, HMS Scimitar (destroyers), HMS Bluebell (corvette), Syrniga(?).

More details on all the Norwegian ships mentioned on this page can be found in the alphabetical ship lists of this website - ref. index below.

Back to Convoy Index