Cargoes have been extracted from a document received from D. Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database - see his listing for HX 181 at Ships in all HX convoys.

Please note that not all the ships have been given a station number in the diary, more are named below.

Br=British, Am=American, Norw=Norwegian, Bel=Belgian, Du=Dutch, Pa=Panamanian.

RV=Rescue Vessel, †=dead.

Also scheduled for this convoy, but did not sail, were:
Zebulon B. Vance and Mormacsul - both joined Convoy SC 77. The former later joined Convoy PQ 15 (Bayou Chico is also listed), while the latter is listed in Convoy PQ 16 (sunk - both are external links). See also this posting to my Ship Forum and my page about Convoy QP 12.

* G. S. Walden had been cancelled from the slow Convoy SC 75.

** According to Arnold Hague, Bralanta became a straggler and joined up with the slow Convoy SC 75 on March 26. He also says that Ravnefjell detached to Argentia (this agrees with her Voyage Record for this period).

He says the Dutch Magdala and the Norwegian Toledo straggled on March 23, and that the British Ocean Vestal was involved in a collision in Mersey on Apr. 3-1942.

* See Convoy PQ 14 to Murmansk, as well as QP 13.

Empire Tide (Catapult freighter. Crated planes), Otina (sand bags under gun mount on stern), British Tenacity (no pennant number is given), Empire Faith (Catapult freighter), Luculus, Stiklestad, Glittre (star on stack), Yaka, Leonatus, Adula, Bralanta (black wire net over stack). At 12:16 the American freighter Bayou Chico went out (KDGK, 5 tanks on decks, several men standing on gun mount at stern have orange lifebelts) but there's no pennant number given. As mentioned, this ship returned and joined the slow Convoy SC 77. At 12:21 the Dutch tanker Magdala went out, then Winona (10 tanks on her decks), Solarium, Marathon, Toledo (crated planes), British Prudence, Torr Head (hand on shield on stack), Dewsbury (Admiralty freighter, "A fi L" on stack), Ravnefjell, Ocean Vestal, Jean Jadot, Vav, Ocean Liberty, Skandinavia (black border on stack, also 'TEXACO T' on stack), and G. S. Walden. The last ship to leave was the British freighter Arabian Prince at 2:15, but she also returned to port, later joining HX 182.

According to Jürgen Rohwer, British Prudence became a straggler and was torpedoed and sunk on March 23 by U-754 in 45 28N 56 13W. A. Hague says she detached to St. John's, N.F. and was sunk on her way there. Roger W. Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" provides the additional information that 3 died, 47 survived (though the year is given as 1941 in this book - must be a misprint). See the external link at the end of this page for more information.

The rescue vessel for this convoy was Dewsbury, on her 3rd voyage as Rescue Vessel having been requisitioned as such on July 24-1941 (her first voyage was with Convoy SC 57 in Dec.-1941, and her 2nd with ON 54 in Jan.-1942). She had started this voyage from Clyde with Convoy ON 73 to Halifax (March 5–March 17-1942 and returned with HX 181, staying with the convoy until Apr. 2 (returned to Clyde). This info from Arnold Hague's "Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945".

A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of HX convoy escorts, also received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Abelia - From 25/03/42 to 02/04/42
Acanthus - From 24/03/42 to 24/03/42
Anemone - From 25/03/42 to 02/04/42
Bodo - From 02/04/42 to 02/04/42
Burwell - From 25/03/42 to 02/04/42
Caldwell - From 22/03/42 to 25/03/42
Eglantine - From 24/03/42 to 24/03/42
Firedrake - From 25/03/42 to 02/04/42
Fredericton - From 21/03/42 to 25/03/42
FS Mimosa - From 24/03/42 to 02/04/42
Matapedia - From 21/03/42 to 25/03/42
Potentilla - From 24/03/42 to 24/03/42
Red Deer - From 21/03/42 to 25/03/42

Related external link:
The attack on British Prudence

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