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CONVOY HN 4 – Norway-U.K.

Sailed from Bergen on Dec. 7-1939, arrived Methil Dec. 12
Received from Tony Cooper, England.

Convoy stations are not known.


The following British ships took part:

Albionic - Archangles for Sharpness, arrived destination Dec. 26. Note that in a document received from D. Kindell, based on Arnold Hague's research, this ship is listed in the previous convoy, HN 3. However, Albionic is mentioned in HMS Eskimo's report re Convoy HN 4.

Anglo Norse - Tønsberg for Liverpool, arrived destination on Dec. 14.

Temple Moat - Murmansk for Garston. Left Narvik, Norway on Nov. 30, arrived Garston Dec. 14.

Imperial Monarch
Albuera
Hardingham
No further voyage details are available at this time for the above 3 ships.

Springtide - Archangles for Le Havre. Arrived Methil Roads Dec. 12, sailed same day, arrived Shields Dec. 13, departed for Le Havre Dec. 16.

Baltannic - Trondheim for London. Left Trondheim Dec. 5, arrived Methil Roads Dec. 12, departed same day and arrived Shields Dec. 13 - intended for London

Lornaston - Narvik for Glasgow, with arrival destination Dec. 16.

A document received from D. Kindell, based on A. Hague's database, also has the Danish Hindsholm in this convoy. Note, however, that this document states that Convoy HN 4 had a total of 9 ships, all British.

The guide of the convoy was forced to heave to at 22:00 on Dec. 8 due to gale force winds. The weather did not improve until 16:00 on Dec. 10, and only 4 ships could be rounded up before dark that day. By then Matabele, one of the escorts, had lost touch and had continued to the Fair Island Channel. At dawn the following morning, Icarus was detached together with the only westbound ship in touch at the time.

Maori made contact on Dec. 11 at 06:50 (this vessel relieved Eskimo as escort commander of the eastbound convoy), and at 08:35 that same day Eskimo and Ilex proceeded towards Pentland Firth, sighting one straggler. After having passed through Pentland Firth, Albionic was sighted and escorted to Cape Wrath by Ilex, while Eskimo continued to Sule Skerry and from there to Cape Wrath to search for westbound stragglers, but no more ships were sighted. Eskimo subsequently joined up with the 6th Destroyer Flotilla (which was on passage).

Escorts:
HMS Eskimo (S.O. - Commander J. A. Micklethwait), Matabele, Icarus and Ilex (from Convoy ON 4). For additional info, see this document, listing escorts for all HN and ON convoys.

See also the text re HN 4 in the text under Dec. 8 on this external page.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next Norway-U.K. convoy in my list 2nd Narvik-Methil convoy
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