Transcribed from Advance Sailing Telegram received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Convoy stations are not known.

A document listing all the Norway-U.K. Convoys states that Convoy HN 22 had 4 British, 19 Norwegian, 10 Swedish, 3 Danish and 4 Finnish ships, for a total of 40, 6 of which were bound for the west coast (denoted W in the Advance Sailing Telegram and in this table).

As can be seen, the Advance Sailing Telegram contains more than 40 ships. The majority of the ships have a note next to the name saying "HN 22", while others do not have this note (denoted * below), and when removing them, we do end up with a total number of 40.

I have received a list of ships from D. Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database, and he has named 44 ships in Convoy HN 22, highlighted below, while all the others have been included in HN 23A. These have been extracted from the AST and placed on my page for that convoy.

Ships denoted * joined from Ålesund.

Notes:
All the Norwegian ships mentioned here are discussed on this website, some are listed in the Homefleet section. The easiest way to find them all is via the Master Ship Index.

Brief Summary of HMS Breda's Report - Convoy ON 22 and HN 22:
A section of this report has to do with Convoy ON 22, which according to Breda's report left Methil for Norway at 15:15 on March 23-1940. Another document gives the departure date as March 24, arriving Norway on the 27th, and states that it consisted of 5 British, 19 Norwegian, 3 Swedish and 4 Finnish ships, for a total of 31, including 8 from Kirkwall (3 were detached - not for Norway), adding that ON 22 and subsequent convoys were routed westward of the Shetlands. The extra time required by doing so was gained by sailing earlier from Methil. Escorts for ON 22 are given as Aurora, Sheffield, Cairo, Breda, Escapade, Kashmir, Zulu, Kimberley, Faulknor, Tartar and Juniper, in other words, the same escorts as for HN 22, plus one more.

Breda's report mentions Salmonpool and Sea Valour (ON 22), which "were not getting underway and were left at anchor" (both later joined ON 23). When the convoy had taken up station, and before passing May Island, speed was set at 8 knots, but this had to be varied frequently because of the weather conditions and straggling ships. On March 26, when it became obvious that the convoy could not arrive its destination before 01:00 on the 27th, the speed was set at 5 knots so that it could arrive at daybreak. ON 22 arrived at "position E" at 05:30 on March 27. (Hill had never been able to keep station and had been left behind on the 24th).

At 09:00 that same morning, March 27, HN 22 formed up and proceeded in a northerly force 6 wind, speed set at 7 knots, later reduced to 6 knots because of the weather conditions. At 00:45, March 28, the wind had increased to force 8-9, with fierce squalls, and Breda drew to the northward of the convoy and hove to, having laboured heavily, shipping heavy water. By 14:20, March 28, the weather had moderated sufficiently to enable her to carry on, and Breda rejoined the convoy at 20:55 on March 29, taking up station astern of the convoy, which arrived at Methil at noon on the 29th (another document gives arrival date as March 30).

Summary of HMS Faulknor's Report (8th Destroyer Flotilla):
HN 22 sailed from Hovden at 09:00 on March 27-1940, in an increasing northeast wind which reached gale force during the following night, continuing at about force 8-9 until 10:00 on March 28. At 01:30 on that date HMS Breda reported 'hove to. Do not require assistance". At dawn the entire convoy, except for Breda was again seen, still in remarkably good order, though many individual places had been changed.

"The two German Cruisers and two Destroyers which were reported as leaving the Frisian Islands at 13:30 on 27th March could only reach the Convoy by steaming 20 knots. As this was obviously impossible in the sea then running no further anxiety was felt on this score, and W/T silence was not broken to inform Cover of the amended dawn position by star fix".

During the forenoon (still March 28) the convoy was reformed, and Kashmir and Kimberley managed to collect the westbound section* and get them ready to leave at 19:00.

* In the Advance Sailing Telegram, Helle, Devon, Tauri, Norruna, Neva, Sigrid, Heilo, Stargard and Demeterton are denoted as westbound ships, but as mentioned further up on this page, some of them are listed in the next convoy, HN 23A. My guess is that the westbound portion of HN 22 consisted of Stargard, Demeterton, Helle, Devon, Sigrid and Heilo.

At 12:45, 2 German Dornier aircraft were seen on the northern flank, and fire was opened by Kashmir (ref. her report below). Air escort arrived at about 13:50, and shortly afterwards Sheffield, Aurora and Cairo arrived. A single Heinkel aircraft showed up at 19:00, dropping 5 bombs which all missed the ships, and the aircraft was met by fire from all the anti-aircraft cruisers and destroyers as it came within range of them. As it turned dark (around 20:30) aircraft could still be heard, and it opened fire with tracer bullets on the convoy, but by 20:45 it was out of hearing range. (The rest of Faulknor's report is not available).

Summary of HMS Kashmir's Report (westbound portion):
At noon on March 28 the convoy was in position 60 33N 00 10W, steering 200°, in a strong northerly wind, sea estimated at 47. Shortly after 13:00 that day 2 Dornier aircraft were spotted ahead. The aircraft were flying low around the convoy, and Escapade and Kashmir opened fire in driving snow at a range of about 8000 yards. After a few salvos the aircraft disappeared eastwards and fighter protection arrived. It was now decided to detach Kashmir and Kimberley with the westbound ships at 19:00. About 15 minutes later the sound of an aircraft was heard, and shortly afterwards, it was seen for a few seconds as it dipped out of the clouds - at least one bomb was seen to fall in the middle of the convoy. For the next 40 minutes the bombers were seen several times at short intervals, but it was not possible to bring Kashmir's armament into action, because each time an aircraft was seen it was either directly over the convoy, or at too great an angle of sight. Fire was opened, however, by Cairo and one of the destroyers (Zulu or Tartar).

The westbound convoy, meanwhile, was being formed up and course altered to 256°. Gladiator fighters arrived, remaining with the westbound portion until about 20:10; by that time this portion was about 5 miles behind the main portion and the attack appeared to have ceased. Visibility was not more than 3 miles at this time, and it was rapidly becoming dark, but flashes of gunfire could occassionally be seen to the eastward in the direction of HN 22, indicating the enemy aircraft were still in the vicinity.

At 20:20 a large bomber was seen approaching at a range of about 4000 yards and a height of about 1000 feet and fire was opened at once. For almost an hour 2 Heinkel bombers attempted to carry out low attacks on the convoy, but were hampered by fierce outbursts of fire. The first few attacks were carried out at a height estimated at about 500 feet, but as it grew darker, the height was less (200-300 feet). Only 2 attacks were pressed home, as the bombers were met by fire from all guns that could bear each time they approached. At this time Kimberly was staitoned at the opposite end of the convoy and was only approached by a bomber on one occasion. Kashmir's commander states that 5 bombs in salvos were observed or heard, and considers they were of about 200 lbs, no hits were obtained. Kimberley reported 3 bombs in her vicinity. A burst of small calibre H.E. shell (about 20 in all) also fell in the centre of the convoy at one point. "The convoy behaved excellently throughout, maintaining a steady course and speed and showing no alarm. On the following morning, S.S. Stargard and S.S. Demeterton reported that 6 bombs were dropped in their immediate vicinity. The Swedish ship Devon reported 5 bombs were dropped. No damage was suffered from any ship".

At about 02:30, March 29 course was altered to 257° and again at 09:00 to 225° towards Cape Wrath. The westbound ships were dispersed at 16:30, 5 miles north of Cape Wrath.

It looks like it had taken 4 hours to get the westbound ships detached and formed up, due to the fact that these ships were distributed between all 4 columns of the convoy, some of which were stretched out more than others because of bad weather. Because of this, Kashmir's commander suggests that "the operation of disengaging the Westbound ships from the H.N. Convoys would be much facilitated if they all originally formed the rear part of the Starboard Column". He also suggests that the convoy leader, in this case HMS Breda, should "signify the moment of altering course at night more clearly than she did to the destroyers of the escort to whom her stern light was not always visible".

A document about convoys attacked by aircraft states the following:
"On March 29 (note date difference), Convoy HN 22 was attacked just after it had split off Sumburgh Head. 2 Heinkels attacked the eastern portion between 19:20 and 19:40 that day, and again at 20:30, while the western portion was attacked by 1 aircraft at 20:42. Attacks were driven off by HMS Cairo (cruiser escort for this convoy) and 3 Hudsons were sent in support.
When 20 miles north of Kinnaird Head, Convoy ON 23 was attacked at 19:56. None of these attacks caused any damage".

Escorts mentioned on this page:
HMS Aurora, Sheffield, Cairo, Breda, Escapade, Kashmir, Zulu, Kimberley, Faulknor, Tartar.

See also the text under March 27 on this external page (scroll down in the text), which mentions this convoy and its escorts. As will be seen, Convoy ON 23 is also discussed.

Back to Convoy Index