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CONVOY OB 244

Convoy OB 244 Cruising Order
Departed Liverpool on Nov. 17-1940, dispersed Nov. 22 according to Arnold Hague, who gives 46 ships.
This list was gratefully received from Alan Shard, see his own story at The Loss of the Putney Hill.
Please note that the reference in this story to the Norwegian whale factory Empire Alonzo is incorrect, it should be N. T. Nielsen-Alonso (listed on my N-page).

Please note that I'm not entirely sure all these ships actually sailed in this convoy, because some of them show up again in Convoy OB 248, which left Liverpool on Nov. 23 - see this external page.

Details on ships sunk and number of casualties are added with the help of:
"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague
"Axis Submarine Successes of WW II", Jürgen Rohwer
"The World's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan.

Br=British, Yug=Yugoslavian, Norw=Norwegian, Du=Dutch, Bel=Belgian, Gr=Greek, Pol=Polish, Sw=Swedish.
s=sunk, †=dead.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Carperby
(Br)
21
City of Norwich
(Br)
31
Daydawn
s - 2 †
(Br)
41
San Delfino
(Br)
51
R. J.
Cullen
(Ca)
61
Manchester Spinner
(Br)
71
Llandaff
(Br)
81
Putney Hill
(Br)
91
Blairesk
(Br)
12
Victoria
s - 0 †
(Gr)
22
PLM 22
32
Virginia S.
(Gr)
42
Dageid
(Norw)
52
Karabagh
(Br)
62
King Idwal
s - 12 †
(Br)
72
Merchant Royal
(Br)
82
Flaminian
(Br)
92
Embassage
(Br)
13
Empire Gunner
(Br)
23
Leonidas N. Condylis
(Gr)
 33
Mount Athos
sunk later*
(Gr)		 43
H(eina?)
(Norw)		 53
Baron Ruthven
(Br)		 63
Oakcrest
s - 35 †
(Br)		 73
Tymeric
s - 72 †
(Br)		 83
Zagloba
(Pol)		 93
Vigsnes
(Norw)
14
Gypsum
Queen
(Br)		 24
Sud
(Yug)		 34
Havtor
(Norw)		 44
Thyra
(Norw)		 54
Anten
s - 1 †
(Sw)		 64
Gdynia
(Sw)		 74
Egret
(Br)		 84
Zeus
(Gr)		 94
Ingertre
(Norw)
15
Parklaan
(Du)		 25
Brabo
(Bel)		 35
Sanso
(Bel)		 45
Inga
(Norw? **)		 55
Tenax
(Br)		 65
Leonidas
(Gr)		 75
Vestland
(Norw)		 85
Helena Margareta
(Br)		 95
Loke
(Norw)
16 26 36
Kingsbury
(Br)		 46
Lysaker V
(Norw)		 56
Elisabeth Lensen
(Br)		 66
Ledaal
(Norw)		 76
Bonde
(Norw)		 86 96


Notes:
The reason for my question marks behind some of the names above is that the text in the copy of the convoy form is very hard to decipher in some places. The Norwegian ship in station 43 could possibly be Heina(?). All the Norwegian ships in this convoy are discussed on this website under their respective letter of the alphabet, links at the bottom of this page.

* In "The World's Merchant Fleets" (R. W. Jordan), as well as in "Axis Submarine Successes" (J. Rohwer) and "Lloyd's War Losses" Vol I, Mount Athos (on a voyage from Barry to Freetown at the time) is listed as sunk by U-103 on Nov. 28-1940 (19 died), but no convoy is mentioned. She's said to have been bound for Wabana when in Convoy OB 244, and she was sunk only 6 days after this convoy was dispersed, but as can be seen, she's also listed in Convoy OB 248 at this external page, and this is probably the convoy she had been in before she was sunk.

** With regard to the Inga in Station 45 the form does not give a nationality. I believe this might be the Norwegian Inga I, but have no way of proving that. (Denmark had a ship named Inga, but this ship came under German control in 1940).

Ships joining from the Bristol Channel:
Joining from Glasgow:
Carperby for Hampton Roads in ballast.
P.L.M. 22 for Pepel(?) in ballast.
Daydawn for La Plata with coal.
Victoria for Botwood in ballast.
Leonidas N. Condylis for St. John's N. F. in ballast.
Virginia S. for Buenos Aires with coal.
Empire Gunner for St. John N.B. in ballast.
Sud for Bermuda/New Orleans in ballast.
Mount Athos for Wabana with coal.
Gypsum Queen for Galveston in ballast.
Brabo for Wabana in ballast.
R. J. Cullen for Sydney C. B. in ballast.

 Llandaff for Capetown in ballast.
Merchant Royal for Montreal with coal.
Flaminian for Barbados with general.
Tymeric for Buenos Aires with coal.
Putney Hill for Panama in ballast.
Zagloba for St. John N. B. in ballast.
Zeus for Philadelphia in ballast.
Egret for Iceland with general (there's a handwritten note saying "missing" next to her name).
Joining from Oban:
Blairesk for St. John's with coal.
Vigsnes for Sydney C. B. in ballasat.
Embassage for New York with coke.
Loke for Sydney C. B. in ballast.
Sanso for St. John's in ballast.
Parklaan for Rosario with coal.
Ledaal for Wabana in ballast.
Inga for Sydney C. B.
Kingsbury for Buenos Aires.		 Ingertre for Sydney C. B. in ballast.
Lysaker V for Halifax with coal.
Helena Margarita for Philadelphia in ballast.
Elisabeth Lensen for Sydney C. B. in ballast.
Vestland for Quebec in ballast.
Havtor for St. John's with coal.
Tenaxh? for Sydney C. B.
Bonde for Sydney C. B.

The remaining vessels must have joined the convoy at its port of origin, Liverpool.

Ships sunk:
Daydawn was sunk by U-103 on Nov. 21, 2 died, 36 survived.
Victoria was sunk by U-103 on Nov. 21. All 27 survived.
Oakcrest was sunk by U-123 on Nov. 23. 35 died, 6 survived. See also Ian Campbell's article at Uboat.net.
King Idwal was also sunk by U-123 on Nov. 23 (12 died, 28 survived).
Anten was also sunk by U-123 on Nov. 23 (according to Roger W. Jordan she was torpedoed in 56 57N 18 18W on the 23rd, but did not sink until Nov. 25, in about 57 15N 17 40W. 1 died, 32 survived).
Tymeric was sunk by U-123 on Nov. 23. 72 died, 3 survived.

Jürgen Rohwer indicates that the Greek Kolchis was sunk in this convoy, with a footnote saying "The Kolchis was reported missing since 23.11.40. This was probably the ship identified by U-123 as the British steamer Blairesk". However, Kolchis could not have been in Convoy OB 244, she had sailed from Sydney C. B. in Convoy SC 13 on Nov. 22-1940 and became a straggler (this convoy will be added soon).

Related external links:
OA and OB Convoys - Chronological list, starting with 1939.

OB Convoys

Allied Ships hit by U-boats - By entering the name of each ship sunk in this convoy, more information can be found

Back to Convoy Index

To the next available OB convoy in my list OB 275

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