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CONVOY HX 116
Departed Halifax on March 21-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 9.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" agrees with 28 ships.

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

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

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Grey County
Norwegian
general - 3 Hurricanes
93
Avonmouth
From HX 115
Duke of Athens
British
grain
72
Avonmouth
Gregalia
"
general - T.N.T.
31
Glasgow
Port Campbell
"
refrig. - general
82
Cardiff
San Arcadio
"
Tanker B
81
Milford Haven / Southampton
Stanwell
"
steel - scrap iron
12
Middlesbrough
Edam
Dutch
general
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 117
Mariso
"
steel - 574 tons bombs - explosives
32
Clyde / Glasgow
Sovac
British
Tanker B
42
Birkenhead
Tennessee
Danish / MOWT 1940
grain
Ipswich
Joined SC 26
Delfshaven
Dutch
grain
24
Newcastle
Iddesleigh
British
steel - 593 tons explosives
33
Clyde / Glasgow
Kisnop
American / MOWT 11-1940
iron - steel - trucks
Clyde f. o.
(Renamed Empire Dabchick)
Also cancelled from HX 117
Listed in SC 28
Mahout
British
general - special
61
Belfast for degaussing,
Liverpool
British Prince
"
general - airplane engines
41
Manchester
Erviken
Norwegian
phosphates
Leith
Also cancelled from HX 117
Sailed in HX 118
Noreg
"
Adm. tanker B
Clyde
Sailed in HX 117
Pacific Shipper
British
general - 4 bombers - planes - ammunition
52
Liverpool
Anna Knudsen
Norwegian
Adm. tanker B
73
Milford Haven / Portsmouth
From HX 115
Kaipara
British
general - 416 tons bombs - planes?
51
Liverpool
Tornus
"
Tanker W
13
London
From HX 115
Nellie
Greek
grain
92
Sharpness?
From HX 115
see * in notes
Henry Dundas
British
Tanker B
Avonmouth
From HX 115
Sailed in HX 117
Coulbeg
"
wheat - lumber
11
From HX 115
Birgitte
"
bauxite
23
Tyne
From HX 115
Hercules
Dutch
general - special
14
London
From HX 115
Haakon Hauan
Norwegian
Tanker B
83
Avonmouth
From HX 114
San Florentino
British
Adm. tanker B
21
Clyde
From HX 115
Tetela
"
refrig. - metal
71
Avonmouth
Sandar
Norwegian
Adm. tanker B
Clyde
Sailed in HX 117
Lyras
Greek
grain
62
Manchester
From HX 115
British Dominion
British
Tanker W
91
Avonmouth
Bayano
"
refrig. - general
Liverpool
Sailed in HX 117
Ferncastle
Norwegian
Tanker B
22
Clyde
From HX 115
Murena
Dutch
Tanker B
53
River Mersey
Innerton
British
wheat
63
Liverpool
From SC 26
Richmond Hill
"
pig iron - scrap
43
Glasgow
Ex HX 109 - joined from Reykjavik
see ** in notes

Notes:
Commodore R. P. Galer was in Kaipara, Vice Commodore was the captain of San Arcadio.
Commodore to Clyde was in Port Campbell.

The convoy had 28 ships

* Nellie fell out of convoy at about 08:00 on Apr. 2 to repair engine defects. Repairs completed 10:00, rejoined, but gradually dropped astern - was last seen at 15:45 that day in approx. position 59 45N 32 25W.

** Richmond Hill joined convoy at 15:00 on Apr. 4, approximate position 62 42N 23 10W (as previously arranged).

The Commodore says that
Innerton reported periscope bearing 150 (60 10N 32 09W) at 19:08 on Apr. 2. Tetela and Innerton opened fire. At 19:12 an emergency turn to port was ordered. Ascania went to investigate, and at 20:30 she reported a periscope sighted by 3rd officer of Tetela, as well as by the captain and chief officer of Innerton. No torpedoes seen. Estimated range 2500 yards.

Kites:
Ten ships in convoy with kites - flown for 4 days, first 3 of which weather unsuitable owing to lack of wind and several kites crashed. Last day suitable weather - flown for 12 hours.

Apr. 6
22:30 - Flare (white) apparently from aeroplane, some distance to northward - 59 00N 10 40W.
23:35 - Flare (white) apparently from aeroplane, some distance to northward - 59 00N 10 25W.

The convoy arrived at rendezvous on Apr. 4.

Ocean Escort: HMS Ascania, from Halifax at 18:00 March 21, parted company at 09:00 on Apr. 4, approximate position 62 28N 25 00W. HMS Royal Sovereign joined at 12:00 on March 23, approx. position 42 28N 55 53W - parted company at 23:00 on March 31, approx. position 58N 35 1/2W. (Roger Griffiths has told me that Royal Sovereign's logbook states she sighted HX 116 at 13:38 on March 23. Her position at noon, taken by astro observation was 43 37N 47 47W. She had left Halifax at 09:10 on March 22).
Local Escort was met at 19:30 on Apr. 3, approx. position 62 26N 28 44W (about 85° west from [pre-arranged?] rendezvous). HMS Vanquisher, HMS Bulldog, HMS Ambuscade, HMS Heartsease, HMS Campanula, HMS Freesia, HMS Pimpernel, St. Appola, HMS Winchelsea and HMS Whitehall. Escort in N.W. Approaches was A/A Cruiser HMS Dido.
Air Escort: From 13:00 on Apr. 5, 61 56N 17 44W - and daily from then on.

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