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CONVOY HX 58
Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram

Convoy HX 58 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on July 15-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 31st (Arnold Hague says 65 ships).
Transcribed from A 1 form received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

This is another one of those extremely messy forms where ships have been crossed out and rearranged - in some cases they have simply been moved to another station, other times they do not appear in another station.

Br=British, Du=Dutch, Am=American, Norw=Norwegian, Sw=Swedish, Est=Estonian

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

B = Bermuda portion

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Filleigh
grain
Methil
(Br)
21
Don
(see H 94)

Baron Yarborough
pit props
Belfast & Sunderland
(Br)

31
Brockley Hill
timber
London
(Br)
41
Diloma
gasoline
London
(Br)
51
Sheaf Crown
(see H 54)

Camito*
Glasgow
(Br)

61
Newfoundland
general
Liverpool
(Br)
71
Volendam
general
Liverpool
(Du)
81
Norwegian
general
Avonmouth
(Br)
91
Empire Hawksbill
steel
(Br)
12
Ampleforth
grain
Methil
(Br)
22
Baron Yarborough
(see station 21)

B La Pampa
grain - lumber
Methil
(Br)

32x
Coimbra
Belfast & London
(Br)
42
Ravnefjell
(see H 24)

Virgilia
gasoline
London
(Br)

52
Towa
(see station 87)
62
Crispin*
general
Liverpool
(Br)
72
Lowther Castle
steel - lumber
Liverpool
(Br)
82
Llanwern
grain
Milford Haven
(Br)
92
Ragnhildsholm
grain
Avonmouth
(Sw)
13x
Favorit
lumber
Belfast
(Norw)

A.D Huff?
newsprint
Methil
(Br)

23x
Athelcrown
fuel oil
Clyde
(Br)
33
Mars
wood pulp
Green Hithe
(Du)
43
Virgilia
(see station 42)

replaced by Leerdam from 64?
steel - general
Belfast
(Du)

53
Muneric
iron ore
Glasgow
(Br)
63x
Willemsplein
iron ore
Milford Haven
(Du)
73
San Amado
clean oil
Manchester
(Br)
83
West Point
steel scrap
Milford Haven
(Br)
93x
Innerton
grain
Avonmouth
(Br)
14
Botusk
lumber
Methil
(Br)
24
Hatasu
general
London
(Br)
34
Newton Ash
pit props
West Hartlepool
(Br)
44
Illegible
gasoline
East-West

Geddington Court
steel
Glasgow
(Br)

54x
Photinia
iron ore
Birkenhead
(Br)
64x
Leerdam
(see station 43)

Norefjord
Barrow
(Norw)

74
San Gaspar
fuel & crude oil
Liverpool
(Br)
84
Empire Soldier
iron ore
Newport
(Br)
94
Olev
lumber
Dublin
(Est)
H 14*
Bodegraven
grain
London
(Du)
H 24*
Ravnefjell
general
London
(Norw)
H 34*
Blairesk
pit props
Methil
(Br)
H 44 H 54*
Sheaf Crown
steel - general
Clyde
(Br)
H 64*
Kina II
Liverpool
(Da/MoWT 1940)
H 74*
West Cawthon
steel - general
Manchester
(Am/MoWT 1940)
H 84*
A. D. Huff
see station 13
H 94*
Don
pit props
Sunderland
(Norw)
15 B
Hopecrest
lead - lumber
Methil
(Br)
25 B
Athelsultan
Admiralty fuel
Scapa
(Br)
35 B
Indian Prince
general
London
(Br)
45 B
Inkosi
refrig. general
Clyde for London
(Br)
55 B
San Eliseo
gas oil
Grangemouth
(Br)
65 B
San Demetrio
gasoline
Clyde
(Br)
75 B
Schuylkill
aviation spirits
Manchester
(Br)
85 B
Inversuir
aviation/motor spirits
Milford Haven
(Br)
95x B
Derrymore
general
Glasgow
(Br)
16 26 B
Harberton
scrap iron
Methil
(Br)
36 B
Lumen
gasoline
Methil
(Br)
46 B
Saint Bernard
sugar
Methil
(Br)
56 B
Delphinula
lub. oil
Methil
(Br)
66 B
Vernon City
lumber - metal
Liverpool
(Br)
76 B
Anadara
diesel & fuel oil
Mersey
(Br)
86 B
Rodsley
lumber spelter
Liverpool
(Br)
96 B
Derrymore
may have been
moved here

La Pampa
(see station 22)

17 27 B
Oiltrader
fuel oil
Methil
(Br)
37 47 B
Port Caroline
refrig. general
Methil
(Br)
57 B
Wayfarer
general
Liverpool
(Br)
67 B
Cerinthus
paraffin - lub. oil
Manchester
(Br)
77 B
Patrick Henry
general
Liverpool
(Am/MoWT 1940)
87
Towa
iron ore
Milford Haven
(Du)
97
x Coimbra, Favorit, Athelcrown, Willemsplein, Innerton, Photinia, Leerdam, and Derrymore have been crossed out on the A 1 form, but not on the Advance Sailing Telegram, so I believe all these ships did sail.

* Camito and Crispin became HMS Camito and HMS Crispin in Aug. that year (Ocean Boarding Vessels).

Hollinside and Loke joined at sea - see Notes.

* It looks like an extra row has been inserted between the original 4th and 5th rows, with a number of vessels added by hand. Instead of the usual station numbers, the 5th row has numbers like H 14, H 24, H 34 etc. As I'm not sure what this means, I've gone ahead and numbered the stations exactly as they appear on the form.

It'll be noticed, when comparing the above with Arnold Hague's listing for HX 58 at ships in all HX convoys, that he has some of the ships in different stations from what is given in the original convoy documents. He says Saint Bernard had a cargo of lub. oil and that Sheaf Crown became a straggler. See also Notes further down on this page.

The Bermuda portion (BHX 58) was escorted by HMS Jervis Bay (also Commodore of this portion), sailing between columns 4 and 5, which were to be 6 cables apart, rest of columns to be 4 cables apart - ships in columns, 2 cables apart.


Advance Sailing Telegram

Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Halifax section
Norwegian
scrap steel
Middlesbrough
From HX 57
To HX 59 - did not sail
Listed in HX 60
Brockley Hill
British
timber
London
From HX 57
Vice Commodore
Norwegian
general
London
From HX 57
Innerton
British
grain
Hull
From HX 57
Norwegian
steel - pig iron
Swansea
From HX 57
To HX 59 - did not sail
To HX 60 - did not sail
Listed in HX 61
"
lumber
Belfast / Boness(?)
From HX 57
Lowther Castle
British
grain - pit props - steel
Manchester
From HX 57
Photinia
"
iron ore
Birkenhead
From HX 57
Muneric
"
iron ore
Glasgow
Empire Hawksbill
"
steel - scrap iron
Swansea
Geddington Court
"
steel plate - scrap
Glasgow
Empire Mariner
"
general - special
Mersey f. o.
Listed in HX 64
Olev
Estonian
lumber
Dublin
Willemsplein
Dutch
iron ore
Cardiff
Ampleforth
British
grain
Hull
Norwegian
pit props
Belfast / Sunderland
Kirnwood
British
lumber
London
See HX 56
Towa
Dutch
iron ore
Cardiff
Volendam
"
general
Liverpool
Convallaria
Swedish
wood pulp
Medway
Listed in HX 59
Filleigh
British
grain
Hull
Hatasu
"
general
London
Middleton
"
steel - scrap
Middlesbrough
Listed in HX 59
Norwegian
"
general
Avonmouth
Ragnhildsholm
Swedish
general
Avonmouth
Sheaf Crown
British
steel - explosives
River Mersey
Antonios Chandris
Greek
grain
Avonmouth
Listed in HX 59
Bodegraven
Dutch
grain
London
Camito
British
general
Glasgow
Llanwern
"
grain
Barry
Prins Willem van Oranje
Dutch
grain
London
Listed in HX 59
Norwegian
lumber
Aberdeen
Listed in HX 59
Mars
Dutch
pulp
Greenhithe
Newfoundland
British
general
Liverpool
Commodore Vessel
Crispin
"
general
Liverpool
Empire Soldier
"
iron ore
Newport
Leerdam
Dutch
steel - general
London
West Cawthon*
American/MoWT 1940
steel - ammunition
Liverpool
Became Br. Empire Bison
* I've seen this ship spelt West Cawthon, as well as West Cawthorn. The Empire Ships website (external link) has her as West Cawthon, as does the Advance Sailing Telegram.
The following ships appear on a separate document, with no mention of which section they belong to - note, however, that some of these belong in the Bermuda portion, denoted with a B
San Demetrio
British
Tanker W
Clyde to lay up
B
Station 65 Bermuda convoy
Patrick Henry
American/MoWT 1940
general - special
Liverpool
Became Br. Empire Steelhead
B
Station 77 Bermuda convoy
Botusk
British
lumber
Methil
Baron Yarborough
"
pit props
Sunderland
Athelcrown
"
Tanker B
Clyde
See also HX 54
Coimbra
"
Tanker
Belfast / London
See also HX 53
Newton Ash
"
pit props
West Hartlepool
Blairesk
"
pit props
Hull
Diloma
"
Tanker W
London
Virgilia
"
Tanker W
London
Norwegian
pulp wood
Barrow
San Amado
British
Tanker B
Manchester
See also HX 51
San Gaspar
"
Tanker B
Liverpool
See also HX 54
West Point
"
steel scrap
Swansea
Kina II
Danish Kina/MoWT 1940
aircraft
Liverpool
A. D. Huff
British
newsprint
Belfast / London
Joining from Bermuda - Sailed July 14
Escorted by HMS Jervis Bay (also Commodore)
Anglo Peruvian
British
wheat
London
From HX 57
To HX 59 - did not sail
Listed in HX 60
Oiltrader
"
Tanker B
London
From HX 57
Station 27 Bermuda convoy
Derrymore
"
general
Glasgow
From HX 57
Station 95 Bermuda convoy
Vernon City
"
lumber - lead
River Mersey
From HX 57
Station 66 Bermuda convoy
Hopecrest
"
lumber - lead
Hull
From HX 57
Station 15 Bermuda convoy
Indian Prince
"
lumber

London

Station 35 Bermuda convoy
Inversuir
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
Station 85 Bermuda convoy
Harberton
"
scrap iron
Hull
Station 26 Bermuda convoy
Schuylkill
"
Tanker W
Manchester
Station 75 Bermuda convoy
San Eliseo
"
Tanker B
Grangemouth
Station 55 Bermuda convoy
Cerinthus
"
Tanker B & W
Manchester
Station 67 Bermuda convoy
La Pampa
"
grain - lumber
Hull
Station 96 Bermuda convoy
Lumen
"
Tanker W
London
Station 36 Bermuda convoy
Diala
"
Tanker W
"To proceed to Halifax to await orders"
Listed in HX 63
Inkosi
"
general
Clyde
Station 45 Bermuda convoy
Wayfarer
"
general
Manchester
Station 57 Bermuda convoy
Delphinula
"
Tanker B
London
Station 56 Bermuda convoy
Rodsley
"
lumber - spelter
London
Station 86 Bermuda convoy
Athelsultan
"
Adm. tanker B
Scapa
Station 25 Bermuda convoy
Saint Bernard
"
sugar
London
Station 46 Bermuda convoy
Loriga
"
general
Liverpool
Listed in HX 59
Mahia
"
refrig.
London
Listed in HX 59
Custodian
"
general - explosives
Liverpool
From HX 57
To HX 59 - did not sail
Listed in HX 60
Macgregor
"
phosphates
Glasgow
(See also HG 35)
To HX 64 - did not sail
Listed in SC 1
Anadara
"
Tanker B
Liverpool
Station 76 Bermuda convoy
Port Caroline
"
refrig.
London
Station 47 Bermuda convoy
Again, note that 2 more ships were in the Bermuda portion - see A 1 form above.


Notes:
Commodore R Eliot R.N.R. was in Newfoundland, Vice Commodore was Captain J. Williams of Brockley Hill, and Rear Commodore was in Inkosi - from Bermuda section. (Clyde Commodore: W. E. Harvey of Camito, Milford: H. J. Pollock of Norwegian).

The convoy had 42 ships upon departure Halifax, 1 more - Kina II - joined in the morning of the 16th, 22 joined from the Bermuda feeder convoy, for a total of 65, 64 of which were still present at rendezvous with local escort, + British Hollinside and Norwegian Loke (the latter 2 joined with HMS Clarkia at R.V. point). Sheaf Crown left the convoy in the morning of July 17, rejoined in the afternoon of the 19th, then finally dropped out at noon on the 22nd in 48 48N 38 10W. Reason unknown.

Commodore's comments on signalling and station keeping:
"First four lines generally good - rear lines straggled back especially at night, with the resulting hustle up at dawn and excessive smoke. Visual signalling very good considering the size of the convoy. Some W/T oscillation was noted, and Ocean Escort warned the offenders.

Crispin (Captain R. B. Furneaux), Diloma (Captain E. C. L. Jones) and Lowther Castle (Captain H. Williams) - all excellent signalling and station keeping, good ships.
Camito (Captain W. E. Harvey) excellent signals, good station keeper.
Volendam, excellent flag and morse signals, no semaphore. Rather dangerous at times station keeping, a big unwieldy ship for slow speeds.
Olev (G. Kauger), did very well to keep up with the convoy - seldom far out of station.
Filleigh (A. Harp) and Empire Hawksbill (John Dunlop) - both bad station keepers as leaders of columns. Would remain out of station for hours if not pulled up.
Towa - bad all around, seldom in station, would not even answer signals, and when put at the rear straggled badly. Did not appear to understand the idea of convoy at all."

Commodore's comments on passage:
"Except for 12 hours, 19th - 20th, perfect weather conditions. Junction with Bermuda section made satisfactorily the two sections being joined and on the Northerly course at noon. At 20:30 21st July lat. 47 15N Long 40 18W a searchlight beam bearing 105 degs was seen shining in the direction of the convoy, but the ship using it was well below the horizon and nothing more was seen or heard."

Ocean Escorts: From Halifax, HMS Ranpura (departed at 08:40 on July 29 off Belfast) - from Bermuda, HMS Jervis Bay.
Local Escort: Sloop HMS Enchantress, Canadian destroyer HMCS Skeena, British corvettes HMS Camellia, HMS Clarkia, 2 trawlers, and the destroyer HMS Westcott. The local escort joined 06:08 to 06:30 on July 27, within a few miles of pre-arranged time. The convoy was about 1 1/2 - 2 hours late. Enchantress joined in the afternoon.
Skeena and Camellia left with the A portion of the convoy at the "split point". Trawlers withdrawn during the night of 28th to 29th. Enchantress left at Bar L.V. Westcott left with the Clyde ships and rejoined in the afternoon of the 25th. Clarkia left with the Milford Haven portion at 16:20 on the 25th, 54 06N 05 13W.
Air Escort during daylight of each day - left at dusk.

A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of HX convoy escorts received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Assiniboine - From 15/07/40 to 16/07/40
Camellia - From 27/07/40 to 31/07/40
Clarkia - From 27/07/40 to 31/07/40
Enchantress - From 27/07/40 to 30/07/40
Lady Elsa - 27/07/40
Ranpura - From 15/07/40 to 28/07/40
Saguenay - From 15/07/40 to 16/07/40
Skeena - From 27/07/40 to 31/07/40
St. Kenan - From 27/07/40
Westcott - From 27/07/40 to 30/07/40


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