Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegram 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
"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan.

† = dead, surv.=survived (sinking dates given are according to German time, see also Commodore Gill's narrative of voyage below).

Crossed out ships did not sail - underlined ships returned to port.

Report of Proceedings of Convoy BHX 133
(Bermuda Section - 17 ships), to the Secretary of the Admiralty - signed by Captain Hewett, June 21-1941:

Commodore: Captain G. G. P. Hewett, Royal Navy - HMS Laconia (Escort).
Vice Commodore: Captain of M/T Inverlee.
Average Speed: 7 1/2 knots.

HMS Laconia joined outside the searched channel in approaches to Bermuda - parted company in approximate position 46 20N 49 24W.

The convoy had Air Patrol from Bermuda - returned to base at 18:00 on June 14.

City of Oxford parted company with convoy following collision with the Norwegian Primero in dense fog at 01:00 on June 20, approximate position 45 52N 49 58W. Both ships ordered into St. John's, N.F.

Station keeping: Generally speaking excellent.
Visual Signalling: Very good. No opportunity to form an opinion on W/T signalling.
An exceptionally good convoy and quite the best I have seen in 18 months. Station keeping and signalling was excellent. Darkening ship required no signals and the lack of smoke was most pleasing.

Voyage was uneventful. Weather fine from Bermuda to 41N 55W when thick fog was encountered at 24:00 on June 17 which prevailed up to the time of Laconia parting company with convoy on June 20.

Notes - Convoy HX 133

Commodore R. Gill (R.N.R.) was in Glenpark, Vice Commodore was Captain T. Brown in Mooncrest.
Clyde Commodore is listed as being in Nailsea Manor (but this ship was ordered to St. John's).

The convoy had 57 ships, 43 were present at rendezvous on June 27.
Average speed: 7.7 knots.

The following ships parted company (the 5's and 6's look almost alike on this document, so I'm not sure the positions are 100% correct, some of the 5's may need to be replaced by 6's and vice-versa):
Nailsea Manor left at 10:50 June 19 in 43 67N 61 32W
Dolabella left at 11:00 June 19 in 43 57N 51 32W
Skeldergate left at 11:18 June 19 in 43 59N 51 30W
City of Oxford left at 02:48 June 20 in 46 00N 49 45W (collision with Primero)
Primero left at the same time as City of Oxford
According to the Commodore's notes, all of the above proceeded to St. John's, N.F. after having been in collision (Note that the Advance Sailing Telegram states that Skeldergate and Dolabella returned to Halifax).
Vigrid dropped out at 15:00 June 23 in 53 57N 41 11W, having developed engine problems.
Randa stopped to pick up survivors from Maasdam, 01:53 June 27 - 59 56N 30 35W (this ship is listed in the next convoy, HX 134)
Emma Bakke and Stylianos Chandris were not seen after emerging from fog at 12:45 June 20 (returned to Halifax). Emma Bakke later joined up with HX 134 at sea.

Atlantic City joined the convoy at 19:00 on June 23 on orders from N.C.S.O. Sydney, Nova Scotia.

"Convoy Rescue Ships" by Arnold Hague says that the Rescue Vessel Zaafaran was with this convoy from June 27 until July 2-1941 (having been with the outbound Convoy OB 338 from Clyde to detachment, June 21-June 27, on her 5th voyage as Rescue Vessel). She rescued 17 survivors from Grayburn. Arnold Hague adds "there was one other survivor according to Lloyd's, probably picked up by an escort".

Commodore Gill says:
Station keeping - moderate improving later
Visual signalling moderate, W/T signalling nil
Traveller, Saugor, Havprins and Randa "did splendid work rescuing survivors from torpedoed ships". See also my text for Kongsgaard with regard to Randa.
Tibia and Kongsgaard - Masters and all concerned showed great bravery and devotion to duty in bringing their ships on in convoy after being torpedoed, especially Kongsgaard who also had to put out a fire first (again, my text for Kongsgaard has more on this).

Escort Vessels:
HMS Wolfe joined off Halifax at 17:30 June 16 - left at 14:45 on June 27 in 60 21N 27 29W.
HMCS Ottawa joined in 46 50N 49 34W - left at 14:45 June 27 in 60 21N 27 29W.
HMCS Orillia joined and left in same position as the above.
HMCS Collingwood joined and left in same position as the above.
Local Escort - No. 8 Escort Group joined in 60 22N 26 50W at 17:00 on June 27.
HMS Fleetwood, HMS Ripley, HMS Celandine, HMS Gladiolus, HMS Niger, HMS Nasturtium, HMS Malcolm, HMS Icarus, HMS Violet, HMS Watchman, HMS Scimitar, HMS Speedwell, HMS Arabis, HMS Haplin?, HMCS Chambly, HMCS Annapolis, and 4 trawlers.
Air Escort:
07:15 June 26 - joined in 59 30N 34 28W
09:05 June 27 - joined in 60 12N 29 10W
04:05 June 29 - joined in 69(?) 06N 17 50W

Commodore Gill's Narrative of Voyage (S/S Glenpark)
The times in this document are a little hard to see, hence the question marks:
"After leaving Halifax , convoy had just sufficient time to form up when it came in dense fog and remained thus for four or five days. During this time there were several collisions resulting in five ships having to return to port.

Gales were experienced which slowed convoy down considerably.

Convoy was attacked by enemy submarine at 01:40 GMT 24th June resulting in S.S. Soløy being torpedoed and sunk.

Convoy was again attacked at 18:00 GMT 24th June, resulting in S/S Brockley Hill also being torpedoed and sunk.

At 22:58 GMT 26th June a third attack was made on convoy by enemy submarine resulting in S/S Tibia (Dutch) being torpedoed. This ship after a slight decrease in speed, resumed her station in the convoy and continued voyage. At 23:53 GMT enemy again attacked resulting in the torpedoeing of S/S Malaya II (ex Danish), S/S Maasdam (Dutch) and S/S Kongsgaard (Norwegian). S/S Malaya II was blown to pieces, S/S Maasdam subsequently sank, and S/S Kongsgaard, after extinguishing a fire, continued voyage, rejoining convoy at 15:00 GMT (? hard to decipher the second number, might be 16:00) 27th June.

A further attack was made on convoy at 00:35 GMT (00:36?) 29th June by submarine resulting in the S/S Grayburn being torpedoed and sunk.

One FW aircraft was sighted at 09:50 MST 29th June but after circling convoy did not attack, and subsequently made off.

Apart from these incidents there is nothing to report.

Omitted earlier: One enemy U-boat was sunk by gun fire from HMS Gladiolus at 05:00 (06:00?) June 25(? see below), in position 56(66?) 44N 36:00W.

Also, one enemy U-boat was sunk by HMS Malcolm at 07:30 June 30 in position 59 30N 18 07W".

The date June 25 in the Commodore's report, even when taking into consideration that he operates with GMT, appears to be off - U-556 was sunk on June 27 and U-651 was sunk on June 29, German time. See the external links below for more info on these U-boats.

External links related to text on this page:
U-651 | U-556 - U-boat.net's details on these U-boats.

The attack on Tibia | The attack on Grayburn | The attack on Maasdam | The attack on Malaya II | The attack on Brockley Hill

Hyperwar - (The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II by Robert J. Cressman). The sinking of Maasdam is mentioned in the entry for June 27-1941. See also the entry for July 5, which mentions the rescue of the survivors from Vigrid, and says that the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, John Winant reported on July 11-1941 that out of the 27 American Red Cross nurses who had been en route to England, 9 had arrived safely, 10 had been rescued, 4 of whom were in serious condition, and 8 were missing. The total number of rescued nurses found in my Norwegian sources doesn't quite add up with what is listed by Cressman. As far as I can tell, he does not mention the 2 rescued by Keppel, nor the 9 rescued by Havprins.

The 1st Chapter of Joining the War at Sea also mentions the rescue of the American nurses.

Merchant Navy Sparks - The story of someone who was on board Maasdam at the time - also mentions the rescue by Havprins.

More details on all the Norwegian ships sailing in this convoy can be found with the help of the alphabet index below.

Back to Convoy Index