Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home 

Available Discussion Forums

CONVOY HG 25

Convoy HG 25 Cruising Order
Departed Gibraltar at 18:30 BST on Apr. 5-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 15th
(Arnold Hague agrees with 37 ships).
Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Br=British, Po=Polish, Yug=Yugoslavian, Fi=Finnish
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Meroe
Liverpool
(Br)
21
Saint Dunstan
Birkenhead
(Br)
31
Indus
Manchester
(Br)
41
City of Hankow
Liverpool
(Br)
51
Mariposa
Avonmouth
(Br)
61
Bayano
Southampton
(Br)
 71
Benrinnes
London
(Br)		 81
City of Oran
London
(Br)		 91
Mahout
London
(Br)
12
Baron Tweedmouth
Barrow
(Br)
22
Oporto
Liverpool
(Br)
32
African Prince
Manchester
(Br)
42
Stagpool
Barrow
(Br)
52
Baron Cochrane
Milford Haven
(Br)
62
Acavus
London
(Br)
 72
Eurybates
London
(Br)		 82
City of Dunkirk
London
(Br)		 92
La Pampa
London
(Br)
13
Balmore
Belfast
(Br)
23
Cressado
Liverpool
(Br)
 33
Simnia
Manchester
(Br)		 43
Ivo Racic
Barry
(Yug)		 53
Hylton
Avonmouth
(Br)		 63
Cymbeline
Liverpool
(Br)		 73
Gullpool
Portland
(Br)		 83
Lord Byron
Portland
(Br)		 93
Ingola
London
(Br)
14
Corinda?
Liverpool
(Br)		 24
Tweed
Glasgow
(Br)		 34
Winha *
Ardrossan
(Fi)

Baron Dechmont*
(Br)

 44
Pikepool *
Ardrossan
(Br)		 54
Eumaeus**
Liverpool
(Br)		 64
Baron Cawdor
Portland
(Br)		 74
Wilno
Dunkirk
(Po)		 84
Lisbon
London
(Br)		 94
Draco
London
(Br)
15 25 35 45 55
Finland
London
(Br?)		 65
Dago
London
(Br)		 75 85 95
Note that some of the ships in this convoy had previously been cancelled from Convoy HGF 25.

* Baron Dechmont joined 3 hours after the convoy had sailed from Gibraltar.
** Eumaeus was waiting in the Straits of Gibraltar - had not arrived in time to anchor in the bay.
* Pikepool is listed as sailing in HG 27, Apr. 21, Winha shows up again in HG 28.


Notes:
Commodore Vice Admiral G. T. C. Sisabey(? possibly Loabey?) was in Benrinnes, Vice Commodore Kelly R.N.R. in Indus.

The convoy had 37 ships - all present at rendezvous.

Average speed of convoy: 6.1 knots.

Ships bound for West Coast ports in B portion parted company at 14:30 on Apr. 13.

Cymbeline left at 14:30 on Apr. 13 in 48 38N 8 00W bound for Liverpool - originally bound for Falmouth.

Gullpool, Lord Byron and Baron Cawdor left at 04:30 on Apr. 15 in 50 3N 2 8W bound for Portland for degaussing - Gullpool was originally bound for Middlesbrough, the others for Hull.

Bayano left for Southampton at 24:00 Apr. 14/15 in 49 55N 2 08W.

The Polish Wilno left for Dunkirk at 13:45 Apr. 15 in 50 21N 0 26W.

From the Commodore's notes re station keeping, signalling etc.:
Station keeping was on the whole very good and improved as the convoy got close to home waters. Bayano, Eurybates and Mahout were especially good.
Signalling was also on the whole good, with the following ships being noticably good:
Indus (Captain C. Bryan), Bayano (Captain A. Wallis), Eurybates (Captain P. Dugdale?), and La Pampa (Captain S. Toder). The Polish and the Yugoslavian ship have also been given a favourable mention by the Commodore. No W.T. signals were made.
Mariposa, on the other hand, was unable to maintain her station as leading ship of her column, and remained to the rear throughout the passage.
Tweed had great difficulty in maintaining the speed of 7 1/2 knots, though she was the last ship in her column.

Escorts:
Local from Gibraltar: HMS Watchman - left at 19:45 in 36 18N 12 02W.
Ocean Escort (also from Gibraltar): HMS Fowey (S.O.), HMS Bideford - Fowey left with the West Coast portion at 14:30 on Apr. 13, while Bideford parted company on Apr. 14 in 49 40N 4 12W.
Local Escort: HMS Verity, Broke joined at 07:45 Apr. 12 in 45 50N 11 20W (convoy was 23 hours late, and this rendezvous point was ordered by the Senior Officer of Escort).
HMS Vivacious relieved HMS Broke at 13:55 on Apr. 14 in 49 40N 3 31W.

Air Escort:
From 09:50 Apr. 6 - last seen at 16:00.
From 07:00 Apr. 13 - last seen at 20:30.
From 03:30 Apr. 15.

Related external link:
The history of La Pampa on Roy Martin's website

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HG convoy in my list HGF 26


   Be   
C
   D   
E
F
G
   He   
I
J
   K   
L
M
N
O
   PQ   
R
   So   
   To   
U
V
W
   Ø   

 Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home