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

Available Discussion Forums

CONVOY HX 139
Departed Halifax on July 16-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 31st.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" agrees with 60 ships in the convoy.
See also Voyage Report & Collision Report

(Will be updated - please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all HX convoys. See also HX escorts).

Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegram, A 1 form, reports) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
The information has been supplemented with details received from Roy Martin - His sources: Southampton Library and Lloyd's list and Lloyd's Register 1941/42.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Empire Foam (C.A.M.)
British
grain
115 (?)
Mersey
–
Dolabella
"
Tanker B
lub. oil
21 (21)
London
Loch Ewe Commodore
Empire Moon (C.A.M.)
"
grain
–
Mersey
To Convoy SC 38
Ingria
Norwegian
general
114 (65)
Mersey
From HX 138
Barbro
"
Tanker B
gas oil
103 (103)
Swansea
–
Karamea
British
refrig. - general
–
Clyde f. o.
To HX 141
British Splendour
"
Tanker W
–
Clyde
To HX 141
(not listed)
Sailed in HX 142
Nanking
Swedish
rice - ore
14 (44)
Clyde
Transferred to HX 140
Polar Chief
British
Tanker B
fuel oil
93
Belfast
From HX 138
To HX 141
Athelprincess
"
Tanker (molasses)
11 (52)
Clyde
–
Olaf Bergh
Norwegian
steel - scrap iron
–
Newport
Sailed in HX 140
British Confidence
British
Tanker B & W
benzine
101 (?)
Dublin
–
Largs Bay
"
general - refrig.
31 (31)
Glasgow
–
Sembilangan
Dutch
general
–
Hull
Sailed in HX 140
San Cipriano
British
Tanker W
gasoline
81 (91)
Swansea
–
San Ambrosio
"
Tanker W
gasoline
82 (82)
Manchester
collided - see report Page 2
Empire Energy
"
pig iron - scrap iron - special
12 (12)
Middlesbrough
Transferred to HX 140
Vanja
Norwegian
Adm. tanker B
Admiralty fuel
53 (?)
Londonderry
From HX 138
Lodestone
British
steel
54 (54)
Glasgow
From HX 138
Mamura
Dutch
Tanker B
fuel oil
44 (14)
London
From HX 138
Transferred to HX 140
Empire Heron
British
phosphates - special
83 (83)
Holyhead / Mersey
–
Egton
"
sugar
73 (22)
Humber
Collided with ?
(see page 2)
Ondina
Dutch
Tanker B
fuel oil
32 (32)
London
–
R. J. Cullen
Canadian
steel - paper
–
London
Sailed in HX 140
Ampetco
Belgian
Tanker B
fuel oil
24 (24)
London
–
British Pride
British
Tanker W
gasoline
22 (73)
Barry Dock
–
British Endurance
"
Tanker W
pool oil
104 (41)
Clyde
–
Empire Redshank
"
scrap iron - steel
41 (104)
Swansea
Clyde Commodore
Empire Oryx
"
scrap iron - steel
43 (64)
Manchester
–
Ocana
Dutch
Tanker W
gasoline
45 (?)
Belfast
–
San Demetrio
British
Tanker W
gasoline
72 (72)
Manchester
collided - see report Page 2
Silversandal
"
general - supercargo
61 (61)
Belfast / Cardiff
Commodore Vessel
British Prestige
"
Tanker B & W
–
London
Sailed in HX 140
Bonneville
Norwegian
general
–
Mersey
Sailed in HX 140
Dromore
British
steel - general
92 (71)
Manchester
–
Kelso
"
general
13 (13)
Hull
–
Luminetta
"
Tanker B
fuel oil
52 (11)
Grangemouth
–
Luxor
"
Tanker B
–
Ardrossan
To HX 140 (but not on A 1 form)
Listed in HX 141
Lindenhall
"
steel
112 (16)
London
–
King William
"
steel
111 (101)
Newport
–
Sicilian Prince
"
general
91 (81)
Manchester
Vice Commodore
Tudor Prince
"
sugar
–
Clyde f. o.
Sailed in HX 140
Evita
Norwegian
Tanker W
–
Belfast f. o.
Sailed in HX 140
Carelia
British
Tanker W
–
Medway
Sailed in HX 140
Vancouver
"
gasoline
33 (33)
Medway
Malvina
Dutch
Tanker B
–
London
Sailed in HX 140
Vardefjell
Norwegian
Tanker B
–
Manchester
Sailed in HX 140
Prinses Maria-Pia
Belgian
phosphates
84 (84)
Port Talbot
–
Sepia
British
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
34 (34)
Scapa
–
Birchbank
"
general
63 (95)
Manchester
–
Chr. Th. Boe
Norwegian
Tanker B
(66)
Grangemouth
Transferred to HX 140
President De Vogue
"
Adm tanker B
crude oil
64 (43)
Clyde
–
Barendrecht
Dutch
Tanker W
gasoline
102 (102)
Avonmouth
–
Glaucus
British
general
62 (62)
Mersey
–
Regent Panther
"
Tanker W
–
Avonmouth
To HX 140 (but not on A 1 form)
Listed in HX 141
Riley
"
sugar
74 (74)
Mersey
–
British Colony
"
Tanker B
fuel oil
23 (23)
London
–
F. J. Wolfe
"
Adm. tanker B
fuel oil
51 (51)
Clyde
–
Otaio
"
general - refrig.
55 (63)
Mersey
–
Vivi
Norwegian
Tanker W
(92)
Milford Haven
–
Patella
British
Adm. tanker B
–
Clyde
Sailed in HX 143
Madrono
Norwegian
Tanker B
–
Milford Haven f. o.
Sailed in HX 140
Miralda
British
Tanker B
fuel oil
42 (42)
Ardrossan
–
Kentar
Dutch
general - special
113 (36)
Leith
–
Contractor
British
general - special
94 (75)
Holyhead / Manchester
–
Woensdrecht
Dutch
Tanker B
–
Mersey
Sailed in HX 140
Baron Semple
British
iron ore
65 (26)
Immingham
–
Acavus
"
Tanker B
gas oil
71 (53)
Clyde
–
NOTES:
There are 2 A 1 forms available for this convoy. One is typewritten, and appears to show the stations on departure Halifax. 48 ships are included on this form.
The 2nd form is handwritten, and if I've guessed correctly, this shows the stations after the Sydney and Wabana ships had joined, because 60 ships are listed. The numbers in parenthesis indicate the stations given on the latter form (some remained in the same station as before). Unfortunately, I'm not able to tell which ships sailed in the 11th column on this form (5 ships).

Not included on the typewritten A 1 form are Vivi, which has station 92 on the handwritten form and Chr. Th. Boe which has been given station 66 on the latter form.
Additionally, the hand written form has an Empire Chac or Chal in station 93, which is not mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram. As far as I can see from the Empire Ships website, there was no ship by that name.
Sydney Section (SHX) - Sailed July 17, joined July 19
w/ HMS Southern Prince
According to the Commodore's notes, there were 8 ships in the Sydney section.
Hjalmar Wessel and Heina are listed among the ships in the Halifax section in the Advance Sailing Telegram, but they are not included on the typewritten A 1 form, which made me suspect they might belong in the Sydney Section - Roy Martin's investigations have since confirmed this.
(Unfortuantely, the Advance Sailing Telegram for these 2 sections is almost impossible to decipher.
I have guessed most of the names by comparing to names found on the A 1 form, and with some extra help from Roy Martin).
Boreas?
Norwegian
pulp
–
Manchester
Sailed in HX 140
Agia Marina?
Greek
grain
–
Tyne
–
Bur
Norwegian
steel - lumber
(15)
London
Lost touch in fog - see notes
(joined HX 140)
Harmatris
British
sugar
(45)
Clyde?
–
Twickenham
"
steel - lumber
(?)
Belfast
–
Barrington Court
British
wheat - beans? - special
(35)
London
–
Dimitrios Inglessis?
Greek
grain
–
Hull
–
Ila?
Norwegian
sulphate
–
London
To SC 38
Ramsay
British
grain
(56)
London
–
A?-looks like Atlantis
"
flour
–
London
Roy Martin says:
An Atlantian sailed from Sydney but for Barbados
Could be Atlantic?
(see HX 140)
Helmspey
"
flour - special
(46)
Hull
–
Hjalmar Wessel
Norwegian
pulp - paper
(55)
Glasgow
From HX 137
Heina
"
general
(85)
Mersey
From HX 137
Wabana Ships - Joined July 22
w/ HMS Fleetwood
Enseigne Maurice Prechac
British
iron ore
(?)
Port Talbot
Via St Johns NF
Maritima
"
flour - grain
(94)
Avonmouth
–
Evinos
Greek
iron ore
(105)
Newport
–
illegible *
Norwegian
iron ore
–
Newport
To SC 38
* Short name, looks like Senta (or similar), but tonnage doesn't fit. Tonnage is also illegible, but looks like 5766 gt.
Additional details from Roy Martin:
Enseigne Maurice Prechac is not in the books but sister Enseigne Marie Saint-Germain was managed by Wm. Reardon Smith
Rose Castle sailed from Wabana July 16 with Senta, so perhaps the illegible ship above is Senta afterall?
(Others that sailed at this time were the Armathia (Gr) for Sydney and the Panamanian Halcyon for Sydney plus the Watuka for Louisberg).

Notes:
Commodore D.S. Robinson was in Silversandal, Vice Commodore was G. Gillander in Sicilian Prince.

Average speed - 8.11 knots.

The convoy had 49 ships from Halifax, 8 from Sydney and 3 from Wabana for a total of 60, 55 were present at arrival local rendezvous point July 27.

Empire Energy, Mamura, Nanking, Chr. Th. Boe and Bur were last seen at 12:00 on July 20 in 48 21N 48 46W when the convoy encountered thick fog. They all show up again in HX 140, possibly joining from Iceland(?)

The Commodore says Harmatris slowed convoy down considerably, reported inferior coal. Otherwise, station keeping and signalling "very good" (see also the Commodore's Voyage Report).

Ocean Escort: HMS Ranpura and HMS Southern Prince. Ranpura parted company at 16:00 on July 26, in 61 18N 23 06W, at which time the local escort was met. The convoy was 5 hours late.
Other Escort Vessels: 1 sloop, 2 coastguard cutters and 2 corvettes.
Local Escorts: 4 destroyers, 1 sloop, 1 trawler.
Air Escort sighted at 21:00 on July 25.

Please note that more information on all the Norwegian ships mentioned in this convoy can be found with the help of the alphabet index below.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 140


   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