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CONVOY AP 50 (codeword "Fruit") and AB 18 (codeword "Bottom")

This is a little confusing. According to Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System, the AP convoys were early troop convoys from U.K. to Egypt in mid-1940 and the AB convoys (Aden to Bombay) commenced in Sept.-1942.

The document used to compile the info on this page specifically states that it's Convoy AP 50 and AB 18.

Convoy AP 50 and AB 18 Cruising Order
Departed Aden on Oct. 25-1943
Transcribed from a document received from Tony Cooper, England (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Am=American, Du=Dutch, Fr=French

Ships in columns 1 through 4 are Convoy AP 50 ships.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Convoy AP 50:
Convoy AB 18:
11
Bradford City
(Br)
21
British Sailor
(Br)
31
British Fidelity
(Br)
41
Thomas Pollock
(Am)
51
Esperance
Fr/MOWT 1940
61
Mahout
(Br)
 71
Jalavihar
(Br)		 81
Fort Buckingham
(Br)		 91
Clement Clay
(Am)
12
Charles Henderson
(Am)
22
A. C. Bedford
(Am)
32
Egerø
(Norw)
42
Havkong
(Norw)
52
Pasha
(Br)
62
Tjibadak
(Du)
 72
Kohistan
(Br)		 82
Empire Harry
(Br tug)		 92
Clan Macinnes
(Br)
13
Samoa
(Br)
23
Santa Margarita
 33
Jalapa
(Am?)		 43
Esso Baytown
(Am)		 53
HMS
LST 180		 63
HMS Bulan		 73
HMS Royal Scotsman		 83
Glenapp
(Br)		 93
William Whipple
(Am)
14 24
Juan de Fuca
(Am)		 34
Harry Lane
(Am)		 44
Mark Twain
(Am)		 54
City of Lille
(Br)		 64
Heimvard
(Norw)		 74
Kong Sverre
(Norw)		 84 94


Notes:
Commodore for AP 50 was in British Fidelity, Vice Commodore in British Sailor.
Commodore for AB 18 was in Mahout, Vice Commodore in Fort Buckingham.

Columns 1 through 4 (AP 50) were to be detached in approx. 56E and ships in stations 44, 34 and 24 were to take up stations 51, 52 and 53 in AP 50. Commodore for AB 18 was later to instruct No.'s 54, 64, 74, 83, 91, 92 and 93 to proceed independently to their destination in approx. 58E. AP 50 was to sail at 9 knots when detached, otherwise convoy speed was 8 knots.

Voyages:
British Sailor – From Aden to Bandar Abbas.
British Fidelity – From Bizerta to Bahrein.
Bradford City – From Durban to Buereh.
Charles Henderson – From Philadelphia and New York to Buereh.
Samoa – From New York to Buereh.
A. C. Bedford – From Aden to Bandar Abbas.
Santa Margarita – From Charleston to Bandar Shapur.
Juan de Fuca – From New York to Abadan.
Egerø – From Bizerta to Abadan.
Jalapa – From Aden to Abadan.
Thomas Pollock – From Hampton Roads to Khorram Shahr.
Havkong – From Port Said to Abadan.
Esso Baytown – From Aden to Bandar Abbas.
Mark Twain – From Philadelphia to Abadan.
Pasha – From Massowah to Bombay/Karachi.
Mahout – From Liverpool to Bombay.
Tjibadak – From Liverpool to Bombay.
Esperance – From Tripoli (Syria) to Bombay, via Massowah.
Clan Macinnes – From Glasgow to Cochin.
William Whipple – From Hampton Roads to Colombo.
Clement Clay – From Charleston/Chester, Pa. to Colombo.
Fort Buckingham – From Malta to Bombay.
Empire Harry – From Oban to Bombay.
Glenapp – From Haifa to Fremantle.
Kong Sverre – From Iskenderun to Fremantle.
City of Lille – From Alexandria to Fremantle.
Heimvard – From New York to Fremantle.
Jalavihar – From Adu Sultan to Bombay, via Fanara.
Kohistan – From Manchester to Bombay/Karachi.
Harry Lane – From Philadelphia to Aden, then to Shatt el Arab anchorage, Khorram Shahr, Abadan, Bandar Abbas and on to Masirah.

Escorts AP 50:
HMAS Cessnock, HMIS Punjab and HMIS Madras.

Escorts AB 18:
HMIS Jumna, HMS Kale and HMS Rockrose.

Related external link:
Liberty Ships - Most of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty Ships. This website lists them alphabetically.

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