Convoy HX 20 - warsailors.com

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CONVOY HX 20

Convoy HX 20 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Febr. 16-1940 and arrived Liverpool March 4 (Arnold Hague gives 55 ships).
This does not mean that all the ships arrived that port on that date; some ships had other destinations as detailed below.

Info on convoy formation is from the Public Records Office, Kew - received from Tony Cooper, England.
Br=British, Fin=Finnish, Fr=French, Sw=Swedish, Am=American, Pa=Panamanian flag, Norw=Norwegian, Gr=Greek, Hu-Hungarian, Can=Canadian.

†=dead.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

11
~~Dunaff Head~~ *
general
Dublin
(Br)

21
Windsorwood
grain - bacon
Liverpool
(Br)

31
Anglo Canadian
wheat - lumber
Liverpool
(Br)

41
Inanda
general
Liverpool
(Br)

51
Dorelian
general
Avonmouth
(Br)

61
R. J. Cullen
later in 67
paper
Liverpool
(Can)

71
Harpalycus
lumber - wheat
Hull
(Br)

81
Saganaga
flour
Hull
(Br)

91
~~Bassano~~ *
general
Hull
(Br)

12
Temple Yard
later in 15
maize
Belfast
(Br)

22
Egton
wheat
Liverpool
(Br)

32
Bullmouth
Admiralty fuel
Clyde
(Br)

42
Athelempress
Admiralty fuel
Liverpool
(Br)

52
Vimeira
benzine
Milford Haven
Swansea
(Br)

62
Harlesden
later in 43
grain
Liverpool
(Br)

72
Cromarty
lumber - general
London
(Br)

82
British Corporal
gas oil
London
(Br)

92
Saltersgate
wheat - maize
London
(Br)

13
Pencarrow
scrap iron
Glasgow
(Br)

23
Lerwick
scrap steel
Liverpool
(Br)
33
Shirvan
motor spirits
Liverpool
(Br) 43
Rosewood
Admiralty fuel
Clyde
(Br) 53
Waynegate
grain
Barry
(Br) 63
Caspia
gasoline
Plymouth
(Br) 73
Ringulv
aviation gas
Le Havre
(Norw) 83
Charles F. Meyer
benzine
(Br) 93
Tilsington Court
corn
Hull
(Br)

14
Holmbury
flour
Downs
Dundee
(Br) 24
Riverton
grain
Liverpool
(Br) 34
Atlantian*
cotton - lumber
Liverpool
(Br) 44
Loriga
general
Liverpool
(Br) 54
Merchant Royal
grain
Swansea
(Br) 64
Calliope
crude oil
Southampton
(Pa) 74
Monique
crude oil
Le Havre
(Fr) 84
Dalemoor
cereals
London
(Br) 94
Castlemoor
steel ingots
Middlesbr.
foundered
Febr. 25
42 †
(Br)

15
Redmanso **
later in 62
lumber
Downs / Leith 25
C. F. Liljevalch
steel
Liverpool
(Sw) 35
Merchant
cotton
Liverpool
(Br) 45
Treverbyn
scrap iron
Swansea
(Br) 55
Criton
copper - trucks
Le Havre
(Fr) 65
Bourgogne
crude oil
Le Havre
(Fr) 75
Leda
crude oil
Le Havre
(Am / Pa) 85
Goldmouth
(Br) 95
King City
wheat - lumber
London
(Br)

16
Ilissos
general
Liverpool
(Gr) 26
Thyra
wood goods
Preston
(Sw) 36
Hjelmaren
scrap steel
Swansea
(Sw) 46
Fort Médine
horses
Bordeaux
(Fr) 56
Wirta
general
Le Havre
(Fin) 66
Evgenia Chandri
general
Le Havre
(Gr) 76
Calafatis
Le Havre
(Gr) 86
Neion
general
London
(Gr) 96
Ioannis Chandris**
general
London
(Gr)

17 27 37 47 57 67
Donax
later in 61
Pauillac
(Br) 77
Csikós
trucks - copper
Le Havre
(Hu) 87 97
Donacilla
London
(Br)

* It appears Bassano must have cancelled; she's listed in the next convoy, HX 21, with a note saying "Ex HX 20". Dunaff Head also cancelled, and joined HX 21.
** My guess is this should be the Swedish Rådmansö.

* Atlantian had been cancelled from HXF 20.

** According to Arnold Hague, Ioannis Chandris arrived in tow on March 16 after losing rudder Febr. 26. Hague's listing for HX 20 is available on the page naming ships in all HX convoys.

Notes:
Additionally, it looks like the British Rothermere, El Grillo, Vacport and Nailsea Meadow were also scheduled for this convoy, but sailed in HX 21 instead, as can be seen on the next page.

Donacilla is crossed out on the form, but this ship did sail in HX 20.

Ringulv took the place of Chesapeake which did not sail. Chesapeake is listed in Convoy HX 22. Ringulv was separated from the convoy in bad weather and ended up sailing alone (the cargo given above seems strange, she was a steam ship). According to the Public Records Office, she arrived Le Havre on March 5, and if this is the case she must have done good time on the crossing in spite of the storm). Little did her crew know that this would be their last voyage across the Atlantic. They were interned in Morocco that summer and ended up in 9 different Labor Camps. See my father's story at Odd Conrad Holm

Castlemoor was last seen by Merchant Royal on Febr. 25 about 800 miles west of Ushant (R. W. Jordan, "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939").

The ship in station 71 was spelt Harpalycuc in the list I received- there was a British Harpalyce, but I feel Harpalycus is closer to the original.

There was also a Norwegian ship named Thyra.

A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of HX convoy escorts received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Enterprise - From 16/02/40 to 29/02/40
Fowey - From 29/02/40 to 04/03/40
Fraser - From 16/02/40 to 17/02/40
Rochester - From 29/02/40 to 04/03/40
St. Laurent - From 16/02/40 to 17/02/40
Volunteer - From 29/02/40 to 04/03/40
Witch - From 29/02/40 to 04/03/40

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 21

Aa–Al	An–Ar	As–Av	Ba	Be	Bi–Bl	Bo	Br–Bu	C	D
E	F	G	Ha	He	Hi–Hy	Hø	I	J	K
L	M	N	O	PQ	R	Sa–Sc	Se–Sj	Sk–Sn	So
Sp–St	Su–Sø	Ta–Te	Th–Ti	To	Tr–Tø	U	V	W	Ø

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Convoy HX 20 Cruising Order Departed Halifax on Febr. 16-1940 and arrived Liverpool March 4 (Arnold Hague gives 55 ships). This does not mean that all the ships arrived that port on that date; some ships had other destinations as detailed below.
Info on convoy formation is from the Public Records Office, Kew - received from Tony Cooper, England. Br=British, Fin=Finnish, Fr=French, Sw=Swedish, Am=American, Pa=Panamanian flag, Norw=Norwegian, Gr=Greek, Hu-Hungarian, Can=Canadian. †=dead.
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
11 ~~Dunaff Head~~ * general Dublin (Br)	21 Windsorwood grain - bacon Liverpool (Br)	31 Anglo Canadian wheat - lumber Liverpool (Br)	41 Inanda general Liverpool (Br)	51 Dorelian general Avonmouth (Br)	61 R. J. Cullen later in 67 paper Liverpool (Can)	71 Harpalycus lumber - wheat Hull (Br)	81 Saganaga flour Hull (Br)	91 ~~Bassano~~ * general Hull (Br)
12 Temple Yard later in 15 maize Belfast (Br)	22 Egton wheat Liverpool (Br)	32 Bullmouth Admiralty fuel Clyde (Br)	42 Athelempress Admiralty fuel Liverpool (Br)	52 Vimeira benzine Milford Haven Swansea (Br)	62 Harlesden later in 43 grain Liverpool (Br)	72 Cromarty lumber - general London (Br)	82 British Corporal gas oil London (Br)	92 Saltersgate wheat - maize London (Br)
13 Pencarrow scrap iron Glasgow (Br)	23 Lerwick scrap steel Liverpool (Br)	33 Shirvan motor spirits Liverpool (Br)	43 Rosewood Admiralty fuel Clyde (Br)	53 Waynegate grain Barry (Br)	63 Caspia gasoline Plymouth (Br)	73 Ringulv aviation gas Le Havre (Norw)	83 Charles F. Meyer benzine (Br)	93 Tilsington Court corn Hull (Br)
14 Holmbury flour Downs Dundee (Br)	24 Riverton grain Liverpool (Br)	34 Atlantian* cotton - lumber Liverpool (Br)	44 Loriga general Liverpool (Br)	54 Merchant Royal grain Swansea (Br)	64 Calliope crude oil Southampton (Pa)	74 Monique crude oil Le Havre (Fr)	84 Dalemoor cereals London (Br)	94 Castlemoor steel ingots Middlesbr. foundered Febr. 25 42 † (Br)
15 Redmanso ** later in 62 lumber Downs / Leith	25 C. F. Liljevalch steel Liverpool (Sw)	35 Merchant cotton Liverpool (Br)	45 Treverbyn scrap iron Swansea (Br)	55 Criton copper - trucks Le Havre (Fr)	65 Bourgogne crude oil Le Havre (Fr)	75 Leda crude oil Le Havre (Am / Pa)	85 Goldmouth (Br)	95 King City wheat - lumber London (Br)
16 Ilissos general Liverpool (Gr)	26 Thyra wood goods Preston (Sw)	36 Hjelmaren scrap steel Swansea (Sw)	46 Fort Médine horses Bordeaux (Fr)	56 Wirta general Le Havre (Fin)	66 Evgenia Chandri general Le Havre (Gr)	76 Calafatis Le Havre (Gr)	86 Neion general London (Gr)	96 Ioannis Chandris** general London (Gr)
17	27	37	47	57	67 Donax later in 61 Pauillac (Br)	77 Csikós trucks - copper Le Havre (Hu)	87	97 Donacilla London (Br)
* It appears Bassano must have cancelled; she's listed in the next convoy, HX 21, with a note saying "Ex HX 20". Dunaff Head also cancelled, and joined HX 21. ** My guess is this should be the Swedish Rådmansö. * Atlantian had been cancelled from HXF 20. ** According to Arnold Hague, Ioannis Chandris arrived in tow on March 16 after losing rudder Febr. 26. Hague's listing for HX 20 is available on the page naming ships in all HX convoys.