Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegram, A 1 form etc.) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Further details have been added with the help of:
"Convoy Rescue Ships", Arnold Hague
"Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer.
"The World's Merchant Fleets", Roger W. Jordan.

The ships are listed in the order in which they appear on the various documents.
Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined ships returned to port.

Please note that the station numbers given below are stations as per Febr. 2-1943. Some ships had become stragglers by then and, therefore, are not listed on the form (no ships are listed in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd columns).

For info, some of the ships in this convoy are listed in the westbound ON 155 and ON 157.
(See also and ON 166 and ON 170)

MOWT=Ministry of War Transport.

Notes:
Commodore T. L. Owen was in Erin, Vice Commodore was R. Hodgson, the captain of Matheran.

The convoy had 58 ships.

Commodore's notes:
08:30, Jan. 26, in 45 00N 56 23W - El Costen missed from convoy. She apparently fell out during night.
Norvinn returned to St. John's with engine defect at 08:00 on Jan. 28 in 47 38N 49 44W.
During the night of Jan. 30/31 in approx. 50 50N 33 50W, Fort Concord, Fort Halkett, Salawati, Testbank, Cordelia, Thomas Scott, William Brewster, City of Omaha, Alcoa Cutter, Booker T. Washington, Palembang fell out in heavy weather.

At 14:00 on Febr. 4 in 56 54N 13 05W Erin, Empire Might, Empire Glade, Banffshire, Samuel Bakke, Reinholt, Skandinavia, Westland and Vaalaren left on orders from C in C W.A.

Station keeping was "fairly good, considering weather conditions. Athelregent, R. Roberts Master, kept very good station and succeeded in inducing remainder of convoy to do the same".
Signalling was "good. Most signalling was carried out under somewhat adverse weather conditions".
All ships capable of at least 9.5 knots in good weather.

Matheran, R. Hodgson Master, was of great assistance in passing signals. Her Master carried out V/C duties very well.

Commodore's narrative of voyage:
"Voyage without incident until at 08:35/28 escort plane suddenly crashed into the sea in position 47 59N 47 56W, and there were no survivors. Her depth charges exploded. The same day convoy ran into very heavy weather which continued until February 3rd. On Feb 2nd at 01:05 U.S. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer was torpedoed during very heavy weather. No further attacks were made on convoy that night but at 00:55/3 Br. Inverilen was torpedoed, during night of 3rd/4th two attacks were driven off by escort. At 14:00/4 in company with eight other ships I left main convoy and proceeded to Belfast. Convoy HX 224(F) dispersed at 10:30 in 55 35N 07 00W and proceeded independently to their destination".

Rescue Vessel Accrington (requisitioned in March-1942) was on her 3rd voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Dec. 25-1942 with the westbound Convoy ON 156 to Halifax (Jan. 13-1943), returning with HX 224 to Clyde (Jan. 24 - Febr. 7-1943). She rescued survivors from Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, as follows:

"The American Jeremiah Van Rensselaer with a crew of 42 plus 28 USN gunners was torpedoed by U-456 on 2 February and burst into flames. Accrington closed the wreck and, with great difficulty, recovered eight men from a lifeboat. Search then revealed two further rafts containing eighteen survivors in an advanced state of exhaustion. Two of Accrington's seamen therefore jumped overboard and succeeded in boarding the rafts and securing lines to all eighteen men. They were then, in company with their rescuers, hauled inboard from the Rescue Ship whose carpenter spent the entire rescue over the side in the scrambling nets assisting the survivors. Unfortunately, two of the men were found to be dead and a further man died in the rescue ship. Accrington continued the search for any remaining survivors but without success, and then closed the wreck. A further man was seen still onboard and a boat was sent to recover him and examine the ship as the fire was dying down. Accrington's 2nd Engineer succeeded in entering the engine-room to find it slightly flooded and red hot. Subsequently fire again broke out and the wreck was sunk by one of the escorts." (Arnold Hauge, "Convoy Rescue Ships"). See also Uboat.net's info on this ship, link below.

Escorts:
Fennel, Cowichan(?), Chedabucto, Dunvegan (left at 11:48, Jan. 25, in 44 30N 61 30W)
At 12:00 Jan. 25, in 44 30N 61 30W - Hamilton, Dundas, Garanouque, Brantford joined (left when ocean escort joined, date and position below).

Ocean Escort: Highlander, Restigouche, Asphodel, Sherbrooke, Amherst, Collingwood joined at 17:00 Jan. 27 in 47 19N 51 22W.

At 13:30 (15:30?) on Febr. 3, in 56 20N 26 35W, Clare and Londonderry joined.

Related external links:
Uboat.net's page about Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, info differs slightly from mine above. The site also has details on the sinking of Inverilen and Cordelia.
Liberty Ships - Quite a few of the ships listed as American in this convoy were Liberty Ships (the ones with names of people), this website has an alphabetical list of them.

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