Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

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.

A 1 form is not available and, therefore, stations are not known.

Notes:
Commodore H. D. Wakeman-Colville was in Consuelo, Vice Commodore was B. H. Constable, the captain of City of Glasgow.

The convoy had 73 ships.
Average speed: 9.14 knots.

Daily positions of convoy at 08:00 BST available on request, via contact address provided at the bottom of this page.

Iroquois returned to New York at 07:15 on July 8 - badly damaged plates in engine room and boiler room.
James B. Richardson returned to New York at 07:45 on July 8 - reason not known.
James J. Hill and Richard Hovey lost touch during the night of July 8/9 - returned to New York.
Empire Tamar returned to New York at 06:40 on July 9 in 39 55N 69 00W - serious boiler trouble.
David L. Swain headed to St. John's during the night of July 14/15 in 49 40N 41 19W - cargo shifted.

Richard Stockton and James De Wolf (Halifax section) joined at 08:30 on July 11 in 42 40N 60 18W.

Cartago and USS Symbol left for Iceland at 06:00 on July 19 in 55 54N 23 20W.

Fast section parted company in 55 32N 20 56W, consisting of the following ships:
Manchester Exporter, Corrales, Gallia, Pacific Enterprise, Abraham Lincoln, Abangarez, Lucellum, Esso Nashville, President Buchanan, Duala and Cornwall.

Loch Ewe section parted company at 10:18 on July 21 in 55 36N 08 45W, consisting of the following:
Fort Athabaska (Commodore), Belgian Sailor, Fort Gloucester, William H. Prescott, William Pepperell, Felix Grundy, Gadila, Esso Dover, Conrad Weiser, Eugene Hale, Thomas B. Reed, James Turner, Gulfpoint, George B. McLelland, Philander C. Knox, Roxane and Fort Wellington.

The Commodore says
that some American ships "are still inclined to leave their position in the convoy and act independently when in fog. W/T operators had not read the instructions and one ship asked if she should report her position by W/T to a shore station when crossing 18°W (Wendell Phillips).
When dropping columns astern to reduce front for passage of North Channel, Cape Breton (Br) broke away from her column into Commodore's column and so started a scramble, and did not obey Commodore's signal to resume her proper station although she received it".

Commodore's narrative of voyage:
"Left New York at midnight on 7th July with HX 247 in 14 columns of ships. Experienced dense fog from evening of 9th until morning of 15th. There were three clear intervals of short duration, one of which luckily coincided with H.O.M.P.
Several icebergs were drifting about, but only one ship, S/S John Wise (U.S.A.), was damaged by ice, but she continued the voyage with fore-hold flooded. The Master deserves credit for not returning to harbour.

Hove to to a summer gale from N.W. at 3.30 a.m. on 15th for 6 hours. All ships had large deck cargoes. I submit that the Masters did very well in that after six days of fog, and then heaving to, all ships were present with Commodore except one, S/S David L. Swain, which had returned to St. John's with cargo shifted.
Master of Moses Cleaveland (U.S.) intentionally "steered clear of convoy" as he called it, and was two miles ahead of Commodore on morning of 12th July.
Rescue Ship was used to attend casualties in the convoy, accidents, appendicitis etc., making it unnecessary to withdraw one of escort from the screen.
Escort was oiled at sea. San Ambrosio fuelled 5 ships in 10 hours 50 minutes at average rate of 115 tons per hour.
Funnel smoke was better controlled than during outward passage. Trawler Fusilier with coal from St. John's N.F. and Yorkshire coal, and Consuelo, with coal from Pernambuco, and Ellerman Wilson Durham coal, were chief offenders. These trawlers, acting as Ocean Escort, and fitted with forced draught, should have good Welsh steaming coal.
Regret to report that Chief Engineer of Manchester Exporter died on 13th inst. Convoy half-masted colours for funeral on 14th.
There was no interference from the enemy".

W/T report from HX 247:
On 18th July at 12:17 GMT, while in thick fog, Commodore in S/S Consuelo transmitted an alteration of course to convoy HX 247, consisting of 72 ships, on 500 k/cs. All ships received this signal except No. 14, William H. Prescott, (U.S.), who reported he did not know he had to set watch, also No. 15, William Pepperell (U.S.), who reported he was making repairs to his receiver, and Eugene Hale (U.S.), No. 25, who reported he did not receive the signal. This signal was made during first half hour of single operator period.

Escorts:
Western Local: Montgomery (S.O.), St. Albans, Polyanthus, Cowichan, Cobalt, Lachine - joined at 05:45 July 8.
Cobalt left at 15:00 on July 12 in approx. 44 15N 54 59W, with Asdic trouble and a sick man on board. The others left during the forenoon of July 14 in 48 08N 45 27W.

Ocean Escort: Itchen (S.O.), Burwell, Aggassiz, Galt, Sackville, Honesty, St. Laurent and
Support Group: Nene (S.O.), Tweed, Port Arhtur, Snowberry, Calgary - joined during forenoon of July 13? (in fog) and trawler Fusilier and tug Samsonia joined at 08:00 on July 13 in 45 38N 50 20W.
Galt and Sackville left at 14:00 on July 19 in 55 32N 20 56W, while the Support Group had left at 05:00 that morning in 55 54N 23 20W.
Agassiz left at 10:18 on the 21st in 55 36N 08 45W, and the Ocean Escort and the tug Samsonia left at 16:00 that day in 55 35N 07 00W.

Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Some of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty ships (some of them had just been delivered). This website lists them alphabetically.
This site has more on the the "Fort" ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.

Back to Convoy Index