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CONVOY OA 98GF & OB 98GF
(GF=Gibraltar/Fast)
Joined up to form OG 20F

Some facts about the OA Convoys (form Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System"):
This series, together with the concurrent OB series, were the first outward bound oceanic convoys from the U.K., OA 1 being the first one, leaving the Downs on Sept. 7-1939. Until mid-1940 this series had a dual purpose in that it contained ships proceeding overseas, as well as ships bound for British ports, with the 2 portions splitting off Lands End. Often, ships joined from Southampton, Plymouth and Falmouth. The oceanic section of the convoys would meet up with the OB convoy of the same number (from Liverpool) to continue as a joint convoy under the OB title. About every 5th convoy the merged OA/OB convoy assumed a new title and went south to Gibraltar with the designation OG.

My page for OB 169 has more information on the OB series. See also the external links at the end of this page.

Here are some HG convoys (Gibraltar-U.K.) from the same time period.


Convoy OA 98GF Cruising Order
Departed Southend on Febr. 24-1940, formed OG 20F on Febr. 27 (together with OB 98GF), arrived Gibraltar on March 4 with 38 ships
(Arnold Hague says the OA portion had 19 ships).
List received from Tony Cooper (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).
1
2
3
4
5
11
Atlantic
coal
Gibraltar
(Br)
21
Helenus
general - passengers
Port Said - Malta
(Br)
31
Surat
general - mail
Gibraltar - Port Said
(Br)
41
Ocean Escort
51
Bretwalda
Barry
(Br)
12
Levernbank
general
Calcutta - Port Said
(Br)
22
Merjerda
coal
Savona
32
Clan Stuart
Simonstown
(Br)
42
Cymbula
ballast
Constanza
(Br)
52
13
Gretavale
Gibraltar
(Br)

Urla *

23
Eclipse
ballast
Beaumont, Tx.
(Br)
33
Dromus
ballast
Port Said
(Br)
43
Egyptian
general
Gibraltar - Malta - Alexandria
(Br)
53
14
Cameron(?)
general - stores
Gibraltar
(Br)
24
Draco
general - coal
Genoa-Ledhorn(?)-Savona
(Br)
34
Beechwood
ballast
San Domingo
(Br)
44
Trehata
coal
Lisbon
(Br)
54
15
Ørnefjell?
Alexandria
(Norw)
25
Cameron(?)
35
Polarica?
ballast
Seville
45
Eclipse

Rajahstan
Freetown
(Br)

55
British Honour
Curacao
(Br)
Commodore for this portion was Vice Admiral Washington was in Surat(?), Rear Commodore was Captain P. Cavery of Helenus.

Urla may not have sailed, it looks like she too has been crossed out from station 13.

Convoy OB 98GF Cruising Order
Departed Liverpool on Febr. 24-1940, formed OG 20F (with OA 98GF) on Febr. 27, arrived Gibraltar on March 4 with 38 ships
(Arnold Hague says the OB portion had 20 ships).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
21
31
41
51
Sagaing
general
Gibr. - Rangoon
(Br)
61
Glen Ogilevie *
general
Port Said - Bombay
71
Sardinian Prince
general
Gibr. - Alexandria
(Br)
81
Cornwall
general
Dakar
(Br)
91
Craftsman
Kingston, Jam.
(Br)
12
22
32
42
52
Baron Tweedmouth
coal
Caronte
(Br)
62
Clan Murdoch
general
Port Said - Columbo
(Br)
72
British Zeal
ballast
Port Said - Abadan
(Br)
82
Apapa
general
Dakar
(Br)
92
Sangara
Madeira
(Br)
13
23
33 43 53
Shuna
coal
Malta
(Br)
63
Lublin
ballast
Gibr. - Haifa
(Po)
73
Garonne
ballast
Constanza
(Norw)
83
British Ardour
ballast
Texas
(Br)
93
Aguila
Lisbon
(Br)
14 24 34 44 54
Estrellano
coal
Alexandria
(Br)
64
British Sincerity
ballast
Abadan
(Br)
74
Beaconhill
ballast
Aruba
(Pa)
84
Inverilen
ballast
Dayton., Tx
(Br)


Notes:
* Should the ship in station 61 be Clan Ogilvy? (There was also a Clan Macgillivray).

Commodore for this portion was Vice Admiral Sommerville - ship not known.

Related external links:
OG Convoys - The site also has a chronological list of OA and OB convoys.

See also
OB Convoys

Back to Convoy Index

To the next OA convoy in my list OA 99
To the next available OB convoy in my list OB 169


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