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CONVOY HGF 23
Departed Gibraltar at 17:00 BST on March 17-1940 arrived Liverpool on the 26th.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 30 ships in this convoy, which agrees with the Commodore's notes.

Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Evoikos
Greek
Jute
44
Glasgow
–
Saltwick
British
iron ore
53
Portland / Middlesbrough
–
Cape York
"
Indian general
–
London
Not in convoy
Listed in HG 23
British Faith
"
Taker W & B
22
Manchester
–
British Princess
"
Tanker W
62
London
–
Dalhanna
"
general
81
London
–
Clydebank
"
raw sugar
–
Liverpool
Transferred to HG 23
British Trust
"
Tanker B
41
Southampton
–
Derrynane
"
zinc concentrates
–
Swansea
Transferred to HG 23
British Officer
"
Tanker W
32
Swansea
–
Miriam
"
citrus
12
Liverpool
–
Glenshiel
"
Eastern general
61
London
Commodore Vessel
British Security
"
Tanker W
73
London
–
Lech
Polish
citrus
43
Cardiff
–
Fernwood
Norwegian
wheat
23
Dublin
–
Nailsea Court
British
cotton seed
72
Portland / Hull
–
Mandasor
"
Indian general
91
Portland / Dundee
–
Opalia
"
Tanker B
52
Southampton
–
Lucellum
"
Tanker W
63
London
–
Scottish Musician
"
Tanker
–
Marseilles
Not in convoy
Tasso
"
fruit
54
London
–
Fendris?
"?
zinc - general
–
Bristol
(Name hard to decipher)
Transferred to HG 23
Ontariolite
"
Tanker
–
Brest f. o.
Transferred to HG 23
Shaftesbury
"
pyrites
–
London
To HGF 24 *
Arabian Prince
"
citrus
–
Manchester
Transferred to HG 23
Lwow
Polish
citrus
13
Liverpool
–
Baron Yarborough
British
phosphates
–
London
Transferred to HG 23
Martand
"
Indian - general
51
London
–
Baron Lovat
"
phosphates
92
Ipswich
From HG 22
Peterston
"
sugar
82
London
From HG 22
Skeldergate
"
pyrites
?
(not on A 1 form)
London / New York?
From HGF 22 *
(listed in HX 38 end of Apr.-1940)
Rancher
"
general
31
Liverpool
From HG 22
Vice Commodore
Winkleigh
"
–
–
–
Not in convoy
Myrmidon
"
general
71
London
–
Gerd
Danish
–
–
Liverpool
Not in convoy
Listed in HG 23
Ettrickbank
British
wheat
21
Liverpool
–
Thurso
"
general - fruit
93
London
–
Kheti
"
general
11
Liverpool
–
Anghyra
Greek
fruit
33
Liverpool
–
Svein Jarl
Norwegian
general
83
London
–
Blairmore
British
ore
–
Middlesbrough
Not in convoy
Listed in HG 23
Lackenby
"
ore
42
Cardiff
–
Zamalek
"
cotton seed
64
London
–
* The notes in the Remarks column here are from the original document which says Shaftesbury was to join HGF 24, but as will be seen when following the link to that convoy, she's not listed.
Similarly, Skeldergate is not mentioned in HGF 22 (the name does not match up with any of the ships crossed out from that convoy), and the ships said to have come from HG 22 are not mentioned in the document for that convoy.

Notes:
Commodore A. W. Taylor was in Glenshiel, Vice Commodore (name illegible) was in Rancher.

For info, Zamalek was requisitioned for use as rescue vessel that same month (March-1940).

Average speed of convoy: 7.79 knots.

The Commodore says
that station keeping was "on the whole, not good. The suspected presence of a submarine closes up the convoy like a concertina, whilst signals are not too effective".

"B" portion of convoy parted company at 18:00 March 23 in 48 28N 09 06W - names of ships in this portion are not given. However, there's a separate report signed by the Vice Commodore in Rancher saying, "parted company with main body of HGF 23 at 18:00 23/3/40". Some ships mentioned in this report are Ettrickbank, Kheti, British Faith, Lackenby, British Officer, Lech, Fernwood and Evoikos, but there were probably more (possibly 12 - escorted by HMS Winchelsea? Text difficult to decipher).

Mandasor, Nailsea Court (Captain W. Hewitt), and Saltwick were ordered to proceed to Portland at 07:00 March 25 in 49 50N 3 02W.
British Trust was ordered to proceed to Southampton at 10:00 March 25 in 50 01N 2 02W.

Escorts:
French destroyer Panthere, French Minerve, and destoyer HMS Bulldog.
Destroyers HMS Wakeful and HMS Whitehall were local escorts.
Air Escort: From 17:00 March 17 to 10:00 March 18, and from 10:50 March 23 to 18:40 March 25.
British aircraft and flying boat were overhead at various times on March 23, 24 and 25 (Vice Commodore's portion).

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

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