1941 SAILINGS
WS
5B
This
convoy sailed in three sections, from the Bristol
Channel (4 ships), Liverpool
(6 ships), and from the Clyde (11 ships). The Bristol
Channel and Liverpool
sections, after their juncture, were oblige to anchor
in Moelfre Bay from 8 to
11.1.41, prior to their final rendezvous with the
Clyde section; they had
therefore to enter Belfast Lough to complete with
fresh water. Sailing from the
Lough, and the junction with the Clyde ships, took
place on 12.1.
The
cruisers AUSTRALIA
and NAIAD
provided AA protection while the ships lay in Moelfre
Bay, A/S protection was by the destroyers HARVESTER
and HIGHLANDER and
the sloop WELLINGTON.
The
convoy sailing plan was:
|
11
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD or ORBITA?
|
21
CAPETOWN CASTLE
|
31
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
|
41
ATHLONE CASTLE
(Commodore)
|
51
BRITTANIC
|
61
ORMONDE (Vice Commodore)
DURBAN CASTLE also shown here
|
71
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
|
|
12
FRANCONIA
|
22
NEA HELLAS
|
32
WINDSOR CASTLE
|
42
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
52
WINCHESTER CASTLE
|
62
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD OR ORBITA?
|
72
HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN=
|
|
|
23
ARUNDEL CASTLE
|
33
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
|
43
PENNLAND
|
|
63
SAMARIA
|
73
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
74
DUCHESS OF YORK
|
Note
added 25 Jan 2014: DUCHESS OF BEDFORD is listed in
positions 11 and 62. The actual position is not
known, but one of the two was probably taken by
ORBITA which is listed in the next table, but not
this one. HIGHLAND PRINCESS (73) is not mentioned
again and her destination is not known. She is
next found in convoy WS 12, leaving Liverpool
29.9.41.
DUCHESS
OF YORK detached as an independent 17.1, CAPETOWN
CASTLE and MONARCH OF BERMUDA
detached to Gibraltar 15.1 escorted by NAIAD,
rejoining the convoy at Freetown.
From
12.1 A/S protection was provided by the destroyers
WITHERINGTON and Polish
manned LEOPARD to 14.1, BEAGLE, FEARLESS, HARVESTER,
HIGHLANDER, JACKAL,
LEAMINGTON, LINCOLN, VANSITTART and WATCHMAN to 16.1.
Ocean
escorts were the cruisers NAIAD and PHOEBE
12 to 15.1, AUSTRALIA and EMERALD
12
to 25.1. The battleship RAMILLIES
accompanied the convoy 12 to 17.1.
The
convoy arrived at Freetown 25.1, having received local
A/S escort from the
corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA from 21.1, destroyers
VELOX from 22.1 and
VIDETTE and corvette CLEMATIS from 24.1.
The
convoy sailed again from Freetown 29.1, with the
addition of CAMERONIA,
escorted locally by the destroyers FAULKNOR and
FORESTER,sloop MILFORD and
corvettes CLEMATIS and CYCLAMEN until 1.2, while the
cruisers AUSTRALIA and
EMERALD provided ocean escort, the former to Durban
and the latter to Capetown.
The convoy arrived at Capetown 8.2 and Durban 11.2,
with ARUNDEL CASTLE,
ATHLONE CASTLE, CAPETOWN CASTLE, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD,
DURBAN CASTLE, EMPRESS OF
AUSTRALIA, EMPRESS OF JAPAN, MONARCH OF BERMUDA and
WINCHESTER CASTLE entering
Capetown, the remaining ships going on to Durban.
The
constituents of the convoy changed somewhat on sailing
from South Africa. The
first section sailed from Capetown 12.2 escorted by
EMERALD and the second from
Durban 15.2 escorted by AUSTRALIA. On the junction of
the two sections, the
formation became:
|
PRIVATE 11
WINCHESTER CASTLE
|
21
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
|
31
ATHLONE CASTLE
|
41
FRANCONIA
|
51
ORMONDE
|
61
BRITANNIC
|
71
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
|
|
12
DURBAN CASTLE
|
22
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
32
ARUNDEL CASTLE
|
42
NEA HELLAS
|
52
WINDSOR CASTLE
|
62
CAMERONIA
|
72
ORBITA
|
|
13
CAPETOWN CASTLE
|
23
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
|
33
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
|
|
53 PENNLAND
|
63
SAMARIA
|
73
NIEUW HOLLAND
|
In
addition, HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN took passage with the
convoy from Capetown to
Durban.
From
Durban both cruisers formed the escort until the
latitude of Mombasa where, on
21.2, EMERALD detached with the EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA,
EMPRESS OF JAPAN, ORMONDE
and WINDSOR CASTLE for that port. The remainder of the
convoy escorted by
AUSTRALIA, proceeded to Suez arriving on 3.3.
The amended formation after
detachment of the
Mombasa ships being:
|
PRIVATE 11
WINCHESTER CASTLE
|
21
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
|
31
ATHLONE CASTLE
|
41
FRANCONIA
|
51
BRITANNIC
|
61
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
|
|
12
DURBAN CASTLE
|
22
PENNLAND
|
32
ARUNDEL CASTLE
|
42
NEA HELLAS
|
52
CAMERONIA
|
62
ORBITA
|
|
13
CAPETOWN CASTLE
|
|
33
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
|
|
53
SAMARIA
|
63
NIEUW HOLLAND
|
WS
5BX
The
ships detached to Mombasa from WS 5B took this
designation when they sailed
again on 24.2 escorted by the cruiser
ENTERPRISE, in the following formation:
|
PRIVATE 11
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
|
21
ORMONDE
(Commodore)
|
|
12
WINDSOR CASTLE
|
22
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
The
cruiser CAPETOWN
joined the escort 27.2, and the convoy arrived at
Bombay 3.3.
From
Bombay the convoy continued, under the same
designation but with different
ships, sailing from Bombay on 5.3 as follows:
|
AQUITANIA
|
EMPRESS
OF JAPAN
|
escorted
by the cruiser ENTERPRISE. The cruiser DURBAN
joined the escort 8.3, with
ENTERPRISE detaching on 9.3, and the convoy arrived at
Singapore 11.3.41.
WS
6A
Convoy
sailed from Avonmouth, Liverpool and the Clyde with
all sections joining off
Oversay 9.2.41, and consisted of:
|
ALMANZORA
ASCANIUS
BELLEROPHON
BERGENSFJORD
BURDWAN
CAPE HORN
CITY OF ATHENS
CITY OF CORINTH
CITY OF HANKOW
CITY OF PITTSBURGH
CONSUELO
DALESMAN
HIGHLAND BRIGADE
KINA II
LEOPOLDVILLE
|
LLANDAFF
CASTLE
LLANGIBBY
CASTLE
LOGICIAN
MAHSEER
MANCHESTER
CITIZEN
MATAROA
NOVA
SCOTIA
OPAWA
PORT
ALMA
RANGITATA
RUAHINE
SALWEEN
SCYTHIA
THYSVILLE
|
Local
escorts in UK waters for varying periods as shown
below, were the destroyers
BROADWATER
6 to 9.2, ATHERSTONE, COTTESMORE and KEPPEL 6 to 12.2,
RESTIGOUCHE and ST
LAURENT 7 to 12.2, LEGION and PIORUN 8 to 12.2 and
GARLAND 8 to 9.2.
The
ocean escorts were the cruisers BIRMINGHAM
and PHOEBE and
the armed merchant
cruiser CATHAY. During the passage the battleship RODNEY
escorted by destroyers
ECLIPSE and ELECTRA were in company 15 to 17.2, the
battlecruiser RENOWN
and
aircraft carrier ARK
ROYAL joined 17.2 for a brief period, and the
battleship
MALAYA from 21 to 28.2.
The
convoy arrived at Freetown 1.3, where it joined with
WS 6B to sail again as a
combined convoy.
WS 6B
This
small convoy sailed from Liverpool (ADDA, YOMA) 17.2,
and the Clyde (BURMA,
LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND and HMS CILICIA) on
18.2.41, in the
following order
|
11
YOMA
|
21
LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE
(Commodore)
|
31
NORTHUMBERLAND
|
|
12
ADDA
|
22
BURMA (Vice
Commodore)
|
32
HMS CILICIA
|
BURMA
returned to the Clyde on the day of sailing with
defects, while CILICIA
detached independently on 20.2.
Local
escorts were the destroyers HESPERUS and HURRICANE 17
to 20.2, and GARLAND,
LEGION and PIORUN 18 to 20.2., while the cruiser MAURITIUS
provided ocean
escort from 18.2 to 5.3 to Freetown. The corvettes
CALENDULA and CLEMATIS
joined from that port as local escorts on 3.3.
WS 6
The
combined convoy sailed from Freetown 8.3, sailing
order unknown but the
following ships present:
|
ALMANZORA
ASCANIUS
BELLEROPHON
BERGENSFJORD
BURDWAN
CAPE HORN
CITY OF ATHENS
CITY OF CORINTH
CITY OF HANKOW
CITY OF PITTSBURG
CONSUELO
DALESMAN
KINA II
LEOPOLDVILLE
LOGICIAN
|
LLANDAFF
CASTLE
LLANSTEPHAN
CASTLE
MAHSEER
MANCHESTER
CITIZEN
MATAROA
NORTHUMBERLAND
NOVA
SCOTIA
OPAWA
PORT
ALMA
RANGITATA
RUAHINE
SALWEEN
SCYTHIA
THYSVILLE
|
escorted
by the cruisers BIRMINGHAM
and PHOEBE and
the armed merchant cruiser CATHAY,
the latter ship being relieved by the cruiser CORNWALL
on 11.3.
On 21.3
ALMANZORA, BERGENSFJORD, LLANDAFF CASTLE, RUAHINE and
SCYTHIA were detached as
a fast section escorted by PHOEBE, entering Capetown
that day to water ship,
and then proceeding with PHOEBE to Durban where they
arrived 26.3.
The
remainder of the convoy was divided between Capetown
and Durban in the usual
fashion.
The
Capetown section of the convoy sailed 27.3 escorted by
the cruiser DORSETSHIRE
and consisted of:
|
ASCANIUS
BURDWAN
CAPE HORN
CITY OF ATHENS
KINA II
|
LEOPOLDVILLE
LLANDAFF
CASTLE
NOVA
SCOTIA
OPAWA
PORT
ALMA
|
The
Durban section sailed 31.3 escorted by the cruisers CORNWALL
and PHOEBE and
comprised:
|
BELLEROPHON
BERGENSFJORD
CITY OF CANTERBURY
CITY OF CORINTH
CITY OF HANKOW
CITY OF LONDON
CITY OF PITTSBURG
CONSUELO
COSTA RICA
DALESMAN
|
DILWARA
ELISABETHVILLE
LLANSTEPHAN
CASTLE
LOGICIAN
MAHSEER
MANCHESTER
CITIZEN
SALWEEN
THYSVILLE
YOMA
|
TALAMBA
joined at sea 10.4 having been escorted from the
Seychelles by the cruiser
GLASGOW, and
CITY OF ATHENS and LLANDAFF CASTLE detached off
Mombasa on 8.4 to
enter that port.
The
DORSETSHIRE detached to return to Durban 7.4, PHOEBE
detached 10.4 being
relieved by the cruisers CANBERRA
(for that day only) and GLASGOW
which
remained until 13.4.
CORNWALL remained with the convoy
until
15.4.41, when it dispersed off Perim with ships
proceeding independently to
Suez.
WS 7
The
convoy assembled in the Clyde anchorage and sailed
from there 24.3.41 in the
following formation:
|
11 DUCHESS OF YORK
|
21
STIRLING CASTLE
(Vice Commodore)
|
31
DUCHESS OF ATHOLL
|
41
EMPRESS OF CANADA
(Commodore)
|
51
WARWICK CASTLE
|
61
OTRANTO
|
|
12
VICEROY OF INDIA
|
22
DENBIGHSHIRE
|
32
ORION
|
42
STRATHEDEN
|
52
STRATHNAVER
|
62
ORCADES
|
|
13
ANDES
|
23
JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT
|
33
STRATHALLAN
|
43
PASTEUR
|
53
STRATHMORE
|
|
|
14
GEORGIC
|
24
DEMPO
|
34
ORONTES
|
|
54
GLENORCHY
|
|
GEORGIC
detached to Halifax 28.3, STRATHAIRD (not allocated a
number in the plan above)
was in collision with STIRLING ASTLE shortly after
sailing and obliged to
return.
At a
later stage of the convoy passage GLENORCHY took
position 63, retaining that
thereafter.
A/S
escorts for the convoy were supplied for the periods
shown below by the
destroyers:
LEGION
and PIORUN 24 to 26.3, BROADWATER 24 to 27.3, BEDOUIN,
MASHONA, MATABELE and
SOMALI 24 to 28.3, LEOPARD, ROCKINGHAM, AA cruiser CAIRO
and destroyers VICEROY
and WINCHELSEA 25 to 26.3, ST CLAIR 25 to 27.3,
ECLIPSE and FOXHOUND 25 to
28.3; while the cruiser EDINBURGH
was present 24 to 29.3
Ocean
escort was provided by the battleship REVENGE
24 to 28.3; she then detached and
escorted GEORGIC to Halifax, NS. The battleship NELSON,
accompanied by the
destroyer ARROW, escorted the convoy to Freetown.
Off
Freetown, the destroyers DUNCAN and FOXHOUND joined
1.4 and VIDETTE and WISHART
2.4 until arrival on 4.4
The
complete convoy sailed Freetown 7.4 escorted by
FOXHOUND to 8.4 and DUNCAN,
VIDETTE and WISHART to 9.4. NELSON provided ocean
escort from sailing until
15.4 when she was relieved by the cruiser NEWCASTLE
which escorted the convoy
to Capetown, arriving 16.4, and then took the Durban
ships on to that port
arriving 19.4, returning then to Simonstown.
ANDES,
DEMPO, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, DUCHESS OF YORK, EMPRESS OF
CANADA, ORCADES, ORION,
PASTEUR, STRATHALLAN, STRATHEDEN and STRATHMORE
entered Capetown, DEMPO sailing
later the same day as an independent to Durban where
she arrived 20.4; the
remaining ships went on to berth at Durban.
All
ships of the convoy other than STIRLING CASTLE sailed
to go on to Suez, the
Capetown ships on 20.4 escorted by the cruiser HAWKINS,
and the Durban ships on
23.4 escorted by the armed merchant cruiser CARTHAGE;
both sections made a
rendezvous on 24.4 whereon CARTHAGE detached.
The
cruisers COLOMBO
and GLASGOW
sailed from Mombasa and relieved HAWKINS on 28.4
in 4S 42.06E until the convoy divided later in 5N 50E.
Those ships not
detaching as WS 7X, which is shown in the text below,
continued with GLASGOW
until 3.5 when they dispersed off Perim and proceeded
independently to Suez all
arriving during 6.5.41
WS 7X
The
cruiser COLOMBO
detached from the main body of WS 7 on 1.5 with
DUCHESS OF
YORK, JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT, STRATHMORE and WARWICK
CASTLE for Bombay, where
they duly arrived on 5.5.41.
The
STIRLING CASTLE, which remained at Durban when the
convoy sailed on 23.4,
proceeded as an independent ship on 26.4 to Melbourne
where she arrived on
10.5.41.
WS 8A
The
convoy sailed from the Clyde on 26.4.41; the initial
sailing included five
ships ‑ CLAN CAMPBELL, CLAN CHATTAN, CLAN LAMONT,
EMPIRE SONG and NEW
ZEALAND STAR ‑ all destined for Malta as part of
Operation Tiger. The
sailing details available unfortunately exclude CLAN
CHATTAN, possibly she
occupied position 13.
|
11
HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN
|
21
DOMINION MONARCH
(Vice Commodore)
|
31
STRATHAIRD
(Commodore)
|
41
CLAN CAMPBELL
|
51
ARONDA
|
|
12
EMPRESS OF ASIA
|
22
REINA DEL PACIFICO
|
32
SOBIESKI
|
42
CLAN LAMONT
|
52
EMPIRE SONG
|
|
|
23
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
|
33
NEW ZEALAND STAR
|
43
ABBEKERK
|
53
HMS PRETORIA CASTLE
|
A/S
escort comprised the destroyers HARVESTER, HAVELOCK
and HESPERUS from 26.4 until
detaching with the Gibraltar section 2.5, thence to
Gibraltar; BEAGLE and
ERIDGE from 26 to 29.4 when these two detached to join
convoy SL 71, and
HURRICANE, LEGION, OTTAWA, PIORUN, RESTIGOUCHE and
SAGUENAY 26 to 29.4.
The
battle cruiser REPULSE
and cruiser NAIAD
accompanied the convoy to 2.5 and then
proceeded to Gibraltar, the cruiser MAURITIUS
escorted 2 to 9.5 and the armed
merchant cruiser PRETORIA CASTLE accompanied the
convoy to Freetown.
DOMINION
MONARCH and HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN were in collision 8.5
but proceeded with the
convoy. HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN must have suffered major
damage as she spent over
200 days under repair at Durban after arrival there.
Approaching
Freetown, A/S cover was provided by the destroyers
DUNCAN and WISHART from 5.5
and BOREAS and HIGHLANDER from 6.5, until the arrival
of the convoy at Freetown
on 9.5.
The
convoy sailed from Freetown 14.5 in a new formation:
|
11
IMPERIAL STAR
|
21
REINA DEL PACIFICO
|
31
STRATHAIRD
(Commodore)
|
41
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
|
|
12
ABBEKERK
|
22
ARONDA
|
32
EMPRESS OF ASIA
|
42
SOBIESKI
|
|
|
23
DOMINION MONARCH
(Vice Commodore)
|
33
HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN
|
|
IMPERIAL
STAR joined at Freetown having made an independent
passage from Britain;
HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN sailed late on 15.5 from Freetown,
escorted by the armed
merchant cruiser CILICIA to overtake the convoy and
join at sea.
The
destroyers BOREAS and WISHART to 15.5, and DUNCAN and
HIGHLANDER to 16.5,
provided A/S escort; the cruiser MAURITIUS was ocean
escort from 14 to 24.5,
then relieved by the cruiser HAWKINS
and armed merchant cruiser PRETORIA
CASTLE.
STRATHAIRD
detached independent 23.5, arrived Capetown 24.5 and
then sailed again the same
day for Durban. IMPERIAL STAR went direct to Capetown
arriving 24.5, all other
ships were intended for Durban and arrived there 27.5
except for EMPRESS OF
ASIA. She suffered a mutiny amongst her firemen and
was ordered back to
Capetown on 25.5; delayed by weather she finally
entered the port 26.5.
HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN went in to Capetown for emergency
repairs following the
collision reported earlier, arriving 25.5. After
completion of the temporary
work, she proceeded later to Durban for lengthy and
permanent repair work.
The
convoy sailed from Durban 31.5, escorted by the
cruiser HAWKINS, in the
following formation:
|
11
SOBIESKI
|
21
STRATHAIRD
|
31
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
|
|
12
ARONDA
|
|
32
ABBEKERK
|
and
arrived off Aden 10.6 from whence all ships proceeded
to Suez independently
arriving on 13.6, except STRATHAIRD which arrived
14.6.41.
WS 8B
A
smaller convoy, sailing from the Clyde 22.5.41 as
below:
|
11
CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS
|
21
GEORGIC
(Commodore)
|
31
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
(Vice Commodore)
|
41
ORDUNA
|
|
12
ABOSSO
|
22
MARTAND
|
32
ALMANZORA
|
possibly 42
HMS ARGUS
|
Local
escort was provided by the AA cruiser CAIRO
and destroyers COSSACK, ERIDGE,
MAORI, OTTAWA, PIORUN, SIKH, RESTIGOUCHE and ZULU from
22 to 26.5. The aircraft
carrier ARGUS
was with the convoy for passage to Gibraltar,
detaching 27.5, and
the cruiser EXETER
provided the ocean escort. The destroyers BOREAS and
DUNCAN
joined off Freetown 2.6 and the corvette MARGUERITE
3.6, the convoy arriving at
Freetown 4.6.
Unusually,
the cruiser EXETER carried out the function of Convoy
Commodore for the UK to
Freetown passage owing to illness of the Commodore on
23.5, until 27.5 when the
Master of the GEORGIC was appointed Commodore.
ORDUNA
and ALMANZORA were in collision 31.5 but continued
with the convoy.
A
reduced convoy sailed from Freetown 6.6 as follows:
|
11
ALMANZORA
|
21
GEORGIC
(Commodore)
|
31
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
(Vice Commodore)
|
|
12
ORDUNA
|
|
32
MARTAND
|
Local
destroyer escort was BOREAS, DUNCAN and HIGHLANDER
until 8.6 with EXETER as
ocean escort to Durban, where the convoy arrived 20.6.
The
convoy, with the addition of NIEUW ZEELAND in position
22, sailed Durban with
EXETER as escort 23.6 and dispersed off Aden 4.7.41,
all ships proceeding
independently to Suez.
WS 8X
Sailing
from the Clyde 31.5.41, this small convoy comprised:
|
11
PORT WYNDHAM
|
21
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
(Commodore)
|
31
HMS ESPERANCE BAY
|
41
WAIWERA
|
A strong
destroyer escort of BRIGHTON, LEGION, PIORUN,
SAGUENAY, ST MARYS, SHERWOOD,
VANSITTART, WILD SWAN and WIVERN escorted to 3.6; the
cruiser NORFOLK
provided
ocean cover to Freetown, while the aircraft carrier VICTORIOUS
and cruiser
NEPTUNE were
in company 3 to 5.6. The convoy was met by the
destroyer VELOX and
corvette ASTER 9.6 and arrived at Freetown 11.6.
ESPERANCE BAY detached from
the convoy on 3.6 in 49.14N 20.34W to commence a
patrol.
The
convoy continued its passage unchanged, leaving
Freetown 15.6 and arriving at
Capetown 24.6. After fuelling etc, it sailed again
28.6, called at Kilindini
6.7 thence to Aden where it dispersed as independent
ships on 11.7, finally
arriving at Suez 15.7.41. The cruiser NEPTUNE escorted
the convoy throughout
its passage.
WS 8C
This
convoy, and its embarked troops, was intended for the
seizure of the Azores and
made the short passage from UK ports to the main Fleet
base at Scapa Flow to be
held there while the final political decisions were
made. In the event the
operation was cancelled, as it had been on several
previous occasions; none
however had come so close to being ordered into action
as this proposed
landing. The ships then returned to the Clyde,
disembarked their troops, and
dispersed.
The
convoy was an integrated force prepared for an opposed
landing and was made up
of HM Ships serving as Landing Ships Infantry, both
the large and small
variants, Landing Ships Tank Mk 1, RFA tankers,
mercantile personnel ships and
MT ships. The ocean escort would also have included
major warships to support
the intended landing, and to protect the islands
thereafter.
HM Ships
in the convoy were:
|
LSI (Assault)
KARANJA
PRINCE CHARLES
QUEEN EMMA
ROYAL SCOTSMAN
ULSTER MONARCH
LST (1)
BACHAQUERO
MISOA
RFA tankers
DEWDALE
ENNERDALE
|
Personnel
ships
BATORY
NARKUNDA
(Commodore)
ORMONDE
WINCHESTER
CASTLE
Motor
Transport (MT) ships
CLAN
MACDONALD
DUNEDIN
STAR
MACHARDA
POTARO
SILVERTEAK
(Vice Commodore)
SUFFOLK
|
The
convoy sailed from the Clyde 9.8.41 arriving at Scapa
Flow the following day,
SUFFOLK and POTARO being damaged in collision while
entering the Flow.
The
destroyer escort from the Clyde comprised BULLDOG,
CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN,
ECHO, INTREPID, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and WITCH.
The
convoy remained at Scapa Flow until 15.8 when it
returned to the Clyde to
disperse, arriving 17.8. The two damaged ships, POTARO
and SUFFOLK, sailed from
Scapa Flow for the Clyde on 12.8.41.
The
return passage escorts were the destroyers ANTELOPE,
CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN,
DOUGLAS, GEORGETOWN, INTREPID, LEAMINGTON, and SALADIN
and the AA ship
POZARICA.
WS 9A
This
convoy made its final rendezvous off Oversay 3.6.41
after clearing the feeder
ports of Avonmouth and Liverpool, and was formed from
the following ships:
|
11
HIGHLAND BRIGADE
|
21
SAMARIA
|
31
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
(Commodore)
|
41
DURBAN CASTLE
|
51
FRANCONIA
(Vice Commodore)
|
61
CAPETOWN CASTLE
|
|
12
AAGTEKERK
|
22
EASTERN PRINCE
|
32
MOOLTAN
|
42
ORBITA
|
52
LLANGIBBY CASTLE
|
62
MENDOZA
|
|
|
23
EMPIRE CONDOR
|
33
EMPIRE CURLEW
|
43
EMPIRE EGRET
|
53
EMPIRE WIDGEON
|
|
Local
escort was the AA cruiser CAIRO,
the armed merchant cruiser AUSONIA and the
destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, OTTAWA, RAMSEY,
RESTIGOUCHE, RICHMOND, SIKH, VANQUISHER,
WINCHELSEA and ZULU from 3 to 7.6.
Ocean
escort was provided by the cruiser BIRMINGHAM
and the armed merchant cruiser DUNNOTTAR CASTLE
throughout the voyage, while the local destroyer
escort from
Freetown of VANSITTART and WILD SWAN joined 13.6 and
BOREAS, BRILLIANT,
HIGHLANDER and VELOX 16.6; the convoy arriving at
Freetown 18.6.41.
The
convoy sailed again from Freetown on 20.6 with the
addition of:
|
BERGENSFJORD
|
CHRISTIAAN
HUYGENS
|
the
whole escorted by the destroyers BOREAS, VANSITTART,
VELOX and WILD SWAN to
22.6. The cruiser BIRMINGHAM was the ocean escort, and
she and the convoy
arrived off Capetown 1.7 where CAPETOWN CASTLE, DURBAN
CASTLE, EASTERN PRINCE,
EMPIRE WIDGEON, EMPRESS OF JAPAN and LLANGIBBY CASTLE
entered harbour, the
remaining ships proceeding to Durban to arrive there
4.7. BIRMINGHAM was
relieved as escort by the cruiser HAWKINS
on 2.7.
EASTERN
PRINCE sailed from Capetown 2.7 and proceeded to
Durban, arrving there 4.7.
sailing from that port with the main Durban
contingent.
All the
Capetown ships sailed 5.7 escorted by the cruiser
BIRMINGHAM, and were joined
on 9.7 in 29.30S 33.40E by:
|
AAGTEKERK
ARONDA
EASTERN PRINCE
EMPIRE CONDOR
|
EMPIRE
CURLEW
EMPIRE
EGRET
THYSVILLE
|
from
Durban escorted by the cruiser HAWKINS, all of which
had sailed on 8.7. The
convoy proceeded to Aden and dispersed off that port
on 21.7.41 to proceed as
independents to Suez, less the ships detached earlier
to form convoy WS 9AX.
WS 9AX
Three
ships, CAPETOWN CASTLE, DURBAN CASTLE and EMPRESS OF
JAPAN, detached from
convoy WS 9A in 9.10N 51.40E on 18.7 to proceed to
Bombay escorted by the armed
merchant cruiser HECTOR, arriving 22.7.41. From
Bombay, the same three ships
sailed with the armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR as
escort on 27.7 for Colombo,
arriving 30.7.
From
Colombo, CAPETOWN CASTLE and EMPRESS OF JAPAN sailed
on 1.8 escorted by the
cruiser MAURITIUS,
later relieved by the cruiser DURBAN,
to arrive at Singapore
5.8.41.
WS 9A2
One of
the rare WS convoys that did not commence passage from
Britain, this convoy
formed at Durban 11.7.41 comprising:
|
11
ILE DE FRANCE
|
21
MAURETANIA
|
31
NIEUW AMSTERDAM
|
escorted
by the cruiser CORNWALL
to Perim where the ships dispersed as independents on
18.7 for Suez, their arrivals being staggered to avoid
congestion, MAURETANIA
on 21.7, NIEUW AMSTERDAM on 23.7 and ILE DE FRANCE on
21.7.
CORNWALL,
after dispersing the convoy, entered Aden to land
passengers, on 19.7.41.
WS 9B
Sailing
from Avonmouth (A) 27.6.41, Liverpool (L) 28.6 and the
Clyde (C) 29.6, the
convoy forming at sea off Oversay on 30.6:
|
11C
TAMAROA
|
21C
ORONSAY
(Commodore)
|
31C
HMS CATHAY
31C
HMS EDINBURGH
(same position number)
|
41C
CLAN FORBES
|
51C
PAMPAS
|
|
12C
PULASKI
|
22L
ATHLONE CASTLE
|
32C
HMS MORETON BAY
|
42A
ARUNDEL CASTLE
|
52L
RANGITATA
|
|
13L
ANSELM
|
23L
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
|
|
43A
MATAROA
|
53L
ELISABETH BAKKE
|
|
14C
HMS GALATEA
|
24L
CERAMIC
|
34C
HMS CHITRAL
|
|
54C
HMS CAIRO
|
ANSELM
returned with defects to the Clyde, and was later sunk
on her passage to
Freetown on 5.7.41 with the loss of approximately 250
troops. When sunk she was
in company with a naval survey ship, both being
escorted by corvettes and did
NOT bear any convoy designation. The not infrequent
attribution of her loss to
convoy WS 9C is incorrect.
UK based
escorts were the AA cruiser CAIRO
and destroyers CASTLETON, GARLAND, MAORI, PIORUN, ST
FRANCIS, VANQUISHER, WINCHELSEA and WOLVERINE 29.6 to
2.7, WELLS
29.6 to 1.7 and READING 29.6 to 3.7.
The
cruiser EDINBURGH
was with the convoy 29.6 to 3.7; the armed merchant
cruisers
CATHAY and CHITRAL detached 4 and 6.7 respectively,
the cruiser GALATEA
and
armed merchant cruiser MORETON BAY detached 13.7. The
ocean boarding vessel
CORINTHIAN, on passage with the convoy, detached to
patrol 6.7.
An
unusual feature of the escort for this convoy is the
inclusion of the cruisers
and armed merchant cruisers in the sailing plan.
Local
escort of the destroyers BRILLIANT, WILD SWAN and
WIVERN and corvette ASPHODEL
joined 10.7 and the convoy arrived at Freetown 13.7.
The
convoy sailed from Freetown, its formation unchanged.
16.7 escorted by the
destroyers BOREAS, BRILLIANT, VANSITTART and VELOX to
18.7 and with the cruiser
GALATEA as ocean escort to Durban.
Off
Capetown on 27.7 CERAMIC, CLAN FORBES, ELISABETH
BAKKE, PAMPAS, PULASKI and
RANGITATA entered that port, the remaining ships
proceeding to Durban, where
they arrived 29.7.
On
sailing from Capetown 30.7, CERAMIC (for Australia)
and RANGITATA, MATAROA and
TAMAROA remained behind, the remaining ships were
escorted by the armed
merchant cruiser QUEEN OF BERMUDA to rendezvous with
the Durban ships sailing
3.8. Of the ships arriving at Durban only ARUNDEL
CASTLE, ATHLONE CASTLE,
MONARCH OF BERMUDA and ORONSAY sailed for the passage
northward, escorted by
the cruiser GALATEA. The convoy, less those ships
detaching as convoy WS 9BX,
arrived off Aden 14.8.41 and dispersed, ships then
proceeding to Suez
independently.
WS 9BX
ATHLONE
CASTLE and ELISABETH BAKKE detached from WS 9B on 13.8
and, escorted by the
armed merchant cruiser HECTOR, arrived at Bombay
16.8.41.
WS 9C
Sailing
from Newport (N), Swansea (S) ,
Liverpool and the Clyde and assembling off Oversay
13.7.41, this convoy
consisted principally of ships destined for Operation
Substance, a supply
convoy to Malta.
Convoy
formation on sailing was:
|
11C
HMS MANCHESTER
|
21C
AVILA STAR
|
31C
PASTEUR
(Commodore)
|
41C
MELBOURNE STAR
(Vice Commodore)
|
51
HMS MANXMAN
|
|
12S
DEUCALION
|
22C
LEINSTER
|
32C
HMS NELSON
|
42N
DURHAM
|
52L
CITY OF PRETORIA
|
|
13C
HNethMS HEEMSKERK
|
23N
PORT CHALMERS
|
33L
SYDNEY STAR
|
|
53C
HMS ARETHUSA
|
PASTEUR
had 4200 troops embarked for the relief of the
Gibraltar garrison.
Escorts
were, from the Bristol Channel the cruiser HEEMSKERK
and the sloop STORK ( the
latter until 13.7). Dutch AA cruiser HEEMSKERK and
destroyers GARLAND, GURKHA,
VANOC and WANDERER 12 to 15.7; battleship
NELSON, cruisers MANCHESTER,
ARETHUSA
and destroyers COSSACK, LIGHTNING, MAORI, NESTOR and
SIKH 12 to 17.7.
The cruiser EDINBURGH
was in company on 20.7, the minelayer MANXMAN
from 15 to
16.7 and the destroyer FIREDRAKE joined from Gibraltar
18.7. The destroyer WINCHELSEA also sailed with the
convoy, her detachment date is not known.
PASTEUR
detached to Gibraltar 17.7 escorted by MANCHESTER,
LIGHTNING and NESTOR plus
AVON VALE, ERIDGE and FARNDALE from Gibraltar;
LEINSTER also detached that day
with ARETHUSA plus COSSACK and SIKH, while AVILA STAR
detached as an
independent on 16.7. All ships of the convoy destined
for Gibraltar had arrived
by 20.7.41.
