Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home 

Available Discussion Forums

CONVOY HX 172

Convoy HX 172 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Jan. 26-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 7 (Arnold Hague gives 53 ships).
This does not mean that all the ships arrived that port on that date; some ships had other destinations.
List received from Ted Agar.

The British Clan Colquhoun is also included in the list of ships going out, but she had no pendant up.
Additionally, I've been told (by Mike Holdoway) that Port Hunter also took part - this according to her own movement card.

The positions given here are the pendants the ships were flying upon departure Halifax - they may have moved to other stations as the voyage progressed.

Br=British, Pan=Panamanian, Am=American, Can=Canadian, Ice=Icelandic, Du=Dutch, Norw=Norwegian, Yug=Yugoslavian.
expl.=explosives.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
11
Barrister
(Br)
See Notes
21
31
City of Marseilles
(Br)
41
Hektoria
(Br)
51
Trojan Star
(Br)
61
Manchester Merchant
expl
(Br)
71
Manchester Citizen
(Br)
81
91
Port Dunedin
(Br)
101
Rangitiki
(Br)
111
Kafiristan
(Br)
12
Maaskerk
(Du)
22
Dromus
(Br)
32
Strinda
(Norw)
42
Heina *
(Norw)
52
Clausina
(Br)
62
Strategist
expl
(Br)

or

unnamed Br.
freighter?*

72
Delane
(Br)
82
San Gaspar
(Br)
92
San Demetrio
(Br)
102
Athelempress
(Br)
112
Pacific Grove
(Br)
13
City of Lyons
(Br)
23
British Chivalry
(Br)
33
Athelprince
(Br)
43
Kollskegg
(Norw)
53
British Power
(Br)
63
City of Glasgow
(Br)
73
Dolabella
(Br)
83
Solfonn
(Norw)
93
British Harmony
(Br)
103
Athelchief
(Br)
113
Pandorian
(Br)
14
Graiglas *
(Br)
24
Imperial Transport
(Br)

or

Ozark**
(Am)

34
Capulin
(Pa)
44
Sicilian Prince
(Br)
54
Curacao
(Du)
64
British Integrity
(Br)
74
Teucer
(Br)
84
Mirza
(Du)
94
Havkong
(Norw)
104
Narvik
(Pa?**)
114
Indian Prince
(Br)
15
Marija Petrinovic
(Yug)
25 35
Hamlet
(Norw)
45 55 65 75
Høegh Scout
(Norw)
85
Donacilla
(Br)
95
Inverarder
(Br)
105
Fluor Spar
(Am)
115
Vermont
(Am)
16
Belleisle
(Can)
26
Empire Tide
(Br)
36
Fort Amherst
(Br)
46
Godafoss
(Ice)
56 66 76 86 96 106 116


Notes:
*
Strategist and an unnamed British freighter, and Imperial Transport and Ozark have been given the same station numbers.

* The Norwegian Heina is listed among the ships leaving Halifax with this convoy, but this ship returned to port - see my page about Heina. When she was sunk in Febr.-1942 she was in Convoy SC 67 which departed Halifax on Jan. 30-1942. Note that Graiglas and Ozark are also listed in that convoy, and probably also returned to port from HX 172.

List of ships according to order of departure:
The first ship to depart was Trojan Star at 09.21 and with a few minutes between each ship these followed:
At 10.10 Rangitiki (goes out to sea), then Clan Colquhoun (no convoy number), Manchester Merchant (Flagship, Flying 'B' flag), Manchester Citizen, City of Marseilles, Barrister, Donacilla, British Harmony, Narvik (**I'm wondering if this should be Norvik? This ship did indeed sail under Panamanian flag, with Norwegian managers, and is listed on the N-page on this website. Norway also had a ship named Narvik, as did Sweden), next came the British whale oil factory Hektoria (4 boats on her decks), Maaskerk (carrying airmen), Port Dunedin, Mirza, Sicilian Prince, San Gaspar, then Hoegh Scout at 11:20 (with the notation: "leaves convoy north of the tower. Finally sails at 2.50pm), Athelempress, Athelchief, Teucer, Inverarder (Flying Admirals flag), Curacao (2 open decks besides boat deck), San Demetrio, Solfonn (with a notation saying: "leaves convoy north of tower" - not sure if this means she did not sail?), Kollskegg, Imperial Transport, Pacific Grove (Maltese Cross on stack), Pandorian, Strinda, Dromus, British Integrity, British Power, Athelprince, City of Lyons, Capulin, Ozark (small ship. Star on narrow high stack), Kafiristan (Catapult freighter, XSE on Hurricane), Empire Tide (NJH on Hurricane), Strategist (Flying “B” Flag), Havkong ('M' on stack), Marija Petrinovic, Hamlet, Fluor Spar, Heina, Clausina, Belleisle, Dolabella, British Chivalry, City of Glasgow, Vermont, Indian Prince, Delane, Graiglas, Fort Amherst (Trucks on her decks), Godafoss. The last ship to depart at 16:10 was an unnamed British freighter which has been given station 62, conflicting with Strategist.

Ships flying “B” Flag were carrying explosives.

More information on all the Norwegian ships in this convoy can be found on this website - see the alphabet index below.

Related external links:
According to
this webpage, USS Swanson, along with USS Buck, Herbert, McCormick and Dupont were part of the escort for HX 172. It includes a report on the sinking of the Norwegian Ringstad, from a westbound convoy (scroll down to "Third trip to Iceland"). Also, the page mentions the following: "On Wednesday 4 February 1942 by mid morning the Swanson was in the MOMP area and approaching the SS Barrister to pick up a wounded man with shrapnel in his chest. Fredrick Heath, a gunner, was being attended by Dr.E.P. Larkin, Lt.(jg) USN of the McCormick. He was brought on board the Swanson as we would be departing for Iceland within the hour where better medical facilities were available".

Report of Engagement with Enemy Submarine on January 28, 1942 - From U-boat Archive.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 173


   Be   
C
   D   
E
F
G
   He   
I
J
   K   
L
M
N
O
   PQ   
R
   So   
   To   
U
V
W
   Ø   

 Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home