For info, some of the ships in this convoy are listed as going in the other direction later that month with Convoy OA 98GF or OB 98 (listed on same page).

Br=British, Po=Polish, Norw=Norwegian, Fi=Finnish, Yug=Yugoslavian, Pa=Panamanian

* Caverock did not sail - she's listed in Convoy HG 18, which left a few days later.

Average speed: 7.51 knots.

Summary of narrative of voyage:
Convoy HGF 18 consisting of 32 ships left Gibraltar at 13:30 on Febr. 6-1940 and formed up 5 miles 180° from Carnero Point at 14:30, 6 knots while forming up. Escorts were HMS Vortigern, Gossamer, Folkestone and sub. Otway and also an aircraft. The weather was fine, with a southwesterly breeze and slight sea. Course was altered to 264° at 16:57 that afternoon. At 06:30 the following morning the convoy commenced zig-zagging; all the ships were still present, on the whole keeping excellent station, and weather was still fine with a southeasterly wind and calm sea. Noon position of the convoy that day (Febr. 7) was 35 42N 08 46W, total run from Gibraltar: 170 miles, average speed 8.5 knots. That afternoon there was a heavy swell and cloudy. Course was altered at 17:00 to 302° for 174 miles - position 35 30N 10 00W. No air escort during that day.

All the ships were still in sight at 06:00 on Febr. 8, and zig-zagging was recommenced at sunrise, in a southwesterly wind and confused sea and swell. HMS Enchantress joined at 07:45 that morning, taking over command from Gossamer - position 36 29N 11 38W, convoy speed: 8.25 knots. The local escort (HMS Vortigern) left at 08:20 in 36 31N 11 44W.
By 11:30 Baron Dechmont had lagged behind, and could no longer be seen at 13:00.
Zig-zagging was ceased at 18:00, and course altered at 18:15 to 355° for 486 miles - position 37 16N 12 40W, speed increased to 8.5 knots.The wind had increased in strength and had started to blow from the northwest.
Day's run: 193 miles at an average speed of 8.04 knots.

Baron Dechmont was still missing at 06:45 the next morning, Febr. 9. Zig-zagging commenced at 07:30, and course was altered to 353° at 08:00 that morning - position 38 54N 12 53W, speed 8 knots, north/northwesterly wind and heavy swell. Later that day, at 14:10, Euryades hoisted No. 1 pendant, sounding 6 blasts on her siren, and reported to the Commodore a few minutes later that a submarine was visible on the starboard beam. This was in turn reported to HMS Gossamer which was the escort closest to the Commodore's ship. However, at 14:16 the Rear Commodore in City of Newcastle reported that the object appeared to be a shoal of fish, which was proven correct at 14:46 when the Commodore informed Enchantress that there was a school of whales blowing astern of the Norwegian Garonne - position at the time was 39 54N 13 00W.
Day's run: 199 miles at an average speed of 8.29 knots.

At noon on Febr. 10 course was altered to 000°(?) for 152 miles - position 42 50N 13 28W. During the previous night the wind had changed direction, now blowing from the west/northwest and there was a slight swell; 31 ships still in company.
At 14:45 Enchantress informed the Commodore that the destinations of the following ships had been altered:
Euryades and Garonne for Liverpool, Cymbula for London, British Ardour for Glasgow and Preradovic for the Downs for further orders.
Day's run: 203 miles, average speed 8.45 knots.

(Please be aware that the page containing the narrative for Febr. 10, 11 and 12 is rather blurry, so that some of the numbers, escpecially the 3's and the 5's, are difficult to distinguish).

By 07:30 the next morning, Febr. 11, the weather conditions had worsened, with a southeasterly wind and very heavy swell coming from the Atlantic. Visibility was poor due to a thick mist and rain. Course was altered at 09:00 to 032° for 189 miles - position 45 23N 13 31W, speed 8.25 knots. Visibility improved somewhat later on, and at 11:30 zig-zagging was commenced - 31 ships still in company, all keeping excellent station except for Alma Dawson, which had problems maintaining convoy speed. In order to keep from arriving at the rendezvous in the Western Approaches too early, convoy speed was reduced to 7 knots at 17:00.
Day's run: 200 miles, average speed 8.33 knots.

During the night leading up to Febr. 12 the speed was 6.5 knots, increased to 8 knots just before 08:00 that morning, 31 ships still in company, zig-zagging commenced at 07:30. When the convoy reached the rendezvous position at 09:00, course was altered to 067° for 68 miles - position 48 00N 11 00W. Speed was further increased to 9 knots at 09:15, in a fresh easterly wind and moderate swell. A flying boat approached the convoy from the north/northwest at 09:27, position 48 02N 10 54W. Course of convoy was altered to 059° (039?) for 32 miles at 12:18 - position 48 12N 10 17W. Local Escort, HMS Versatile was sighted at 15:15 in 48 20N 09 54W; air escort left 5 minutes later.
At 16:30 the convoy arrived at the dispersal point 48 26N 09 36W and the following 19 ships left for their destinations with the Vice Commodore in charge, escorted by HMS Versatile:
For Liverpool: Aquila (Captain A. Frith), Antilochus (P. Pallot), Baron Vernon (J. Kerr), City of Lancaster (A. Binder), Oporto (C. Matthews), Kirkland (A. Wilson), Euryades (W. T. Dougal), Garonne (F. Thorsen)
For Glasgow: Inverbank, British Ardour (E. H. Fulcher), Lechistan, Puck
For Greenock: Thornliebank
For Ardrossan: Baron Erskine (A. Gordon Rose)
For Belfast: Lylepark (W. Taylor), Almenara (E. Thaw)
For Barrow: Denpark (A. Paton)
For Swansea: Temeraire
For Avonmouth: Morska Wola (Capt. Miesckowski).

The 12 ships bound for East Coast ports then altered course to 070°, and at 18:12 the convoy's speed was reduced to 8.5 knots. At sunset, all the ships were well up in position.
Day's run (Febr. 12): 186 miles, average speed 7.75 knots.

The night leading up to Febr. 13 was extremely dark, with a strong east wind, and at dawn 3 ships were found to be missing, namely Alma Dawson, Dagmar and Bruse Jarl (the latter 2 fell astern in approx. 49 30N 4 00W and were not seen again). Zig-zagging was commenced at 07:10 and 20 minutes later the speed was reduced to 8 knots in an attempt to give the missing ships a chance to catch up. The escorts Gossamer and Otway parted company at 07:40 in 49 00N 07 12W; an air escort arrived at 07:45. At 08:40 Enchantress reported that Alma Dawson was 20 miles astern proceeding very slowly, unable to rejoin. Convoy speed was again increased to 9 knots at 09:30, and later that day, at 13:10 course was altered to 063° - position 49 12N 06 04W. The Commodore was later informed by Enchantress that the convoy must not arrive at the Downs before 08:30 on Febr. 15, so speed was reduced accordingly to 7 knots at 13:38, the convoy being ahead of time. When in position 49 21N 05 40W at 17:00 that afternoon course was altered to 073° - air escort left half an hour later.
Day's run: 179 miles, average speed 7.46 knots.

At 05:00 the following morning, Febr. 14, course was altered to 093° - position 49 49N 03 39W, and again at 06:40 to 073° - position 49 48N 03 23W. In the course of the night Alma Dawson had rejoined, which meant there were now 10 ships present. Zig-zagging was commenced at dawn, strong east/northeast wind and slight sea, convoy speed: 7 knots, increased to 8 knots at 10:55, and to 8.5 knots at 11:55. Air Escort arrived at 11:56.
Geo. H. Jones (Captain J. Cowling) parted company 12 miles 164° from the Casquets at 12:20 that day, bound for Le Havre, and at 14:00 Folkestone departed - position 49 58N 02 05W; air escort left at 16:55. At 17:30 the convoy formed a single line ahead.
Day's run: 160 miles, average speed 6.67 knots.

9 ships now remained, escorted by Enchantress - namely City of Sydney (Captain W. Hill), City of Newcastle (R. Walmsley?), Clan Macnaughton (A. Macintyre), Cymbula (A. Clatworthy) and Gourko (J. Calvert), all for London, King Idwal (J. Elsdon) for Hull, Alma Dawson (J. Young) and Baron Ailsa (G. Ralston Logan) for Middlesbrough, and Preradovic (M. Kovacevic) for the Downs ( f. o.).

The air escort arrived again at 06:57 the next morning, Febr. 15, and speed was increased to 9 knots at 07:02. About an hour later the ships proceeded independently in a position abeam of Dungeness, Enchantress parting company at the South Downs. With regard to this ship, the Commodore states:
"I wish to report most favourably on Commander Scott-Montcrief of HMS Enchantress, whose co-operation was quite exceptionally useful to me to keep the convoy together and in station. I have never been supplied with an escort so zealous and one to whom the trouble of urging on the rear ships to keep up was made so light of".

He adds that all the ships were quite good at visual signalling, except the neutrals "which never answered any signals". Notable exception to this was Puck. "I consider that the presence of neutrals in convoys, with the exception of Norwegians is not a good policy. For one thing, it is quite impossible to execute or even practise emergency turns. They are utterly unreliable and do not even answer signals". The British and Norwegian ships were good at station keeping, but the Yugoslavian ship in station 93 was "an actual danger to the convoy".

Special mention for very good signalling: Cymbula (Captain A. Clatworthy).
Special mention for good station keeping: Euryades (Captain W. T. Dougal).

Escorts:
Local from Gibraltar: HMS Vortigern - returned to base at 08:30 on Febr. 8, 36 31N 11 44W, after Enchantress had joined.
Ocean: HMS Folkestone, Gossamer and sub. Otway sailed with the convoy from Gibraltar, while HMS Enchantress joined at 07:45 on Febr. 8 in 36 29N 11 38W.
Gossamer and Otway parted company at 07:40 on Febr. 13 in 49 00N 07 12W, Folkestone left at 14:00 on Febr. 14 in 49 58N 02 05W, and Enchantress parted company at the South Downs.

Local escort at W.A.: HMS Versatile met convoy at 15:15 on Febr. 12 in 48 20N 09 54W - left with Liverpool portion at 16:30 on the same day in 48 26N 09 36W.

Air Escort:
From Gibraltar Febr. 6 - left at 17:45.
From 09:27 on Febr. 12 in 48 02N 10 54W (flying boat) - left at 15:20.
From 07:45 on Febr. 13 in 48 00N 10 54W - left at 17:30 in 48 26N 09 36W.
From 11:56 on Febr. 14 in 49 53N 02 35W - left at 16:55 in 50 04N 01 42E(?)
From 06:57 on Febr. 15 in 51 48N 00 55E.
(These times and positions are transcribed directly from the original document, but I'm aware some of them don't seem to match up with the positions given for the arrival and departures of the escorts on the same dates and around the same time in the Commodore's narrative of voyage).

Related external link:
HG (& SL) Convoys - In chronological order.

Back to Convoy Index