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

Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined ships returned to port.

As can be seen from the station numbers, the convoy had 13 columns and 5 rows (with only 2 ships in the 6th column).

Notes:
Commodore R. H. R. McKay R.N.R. was in Norwegian Topdalsfjord (Captain K. Kristiansen), Vice Commodore was H. R. Lane R.N.R. in Norwegian Brimanger.
The Commodore says about his ship, " well built, well found and well kept. Commodore's cabin in a convenient position. Navigation good, speed regular and compasses in good order. Good charthouse. No Echo Sounder".

The Rescue Vessel Gothland was on her 9th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Aug. 21-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 198 to Halifax Sept. 2, returning with HX 256 from Halifax to Clyde Sept. 11-Sept 22. (This info from "Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague).

The convoy had 49 ships. Daily convoy positions during passage are available on request via contact address at the bottom of this page.

Belgian Freighter detached for Halifax with a disabled engine at 10:30Z Sept. 13 in 43 50N 56 27W, together with local escort.

James Bowdoin straggled on Sept. 15 and Elmer A. Sperry straggled with engine problems, no date given.

George Durant (Captain F. G. Velez) reported collision with San Veronico (Captain Wigham), Sept. 15. The Commodore says: "San Veronico is a reliable ship keeping good station at all times with promptitude in signalling. George Durant was also steady as a rule".

At 15:35Z on Sept 20 the following ships were detached, forming a fast section, on orders from C.-in-C., W.A.):
Nicania, O. M. Bernuth, Carlos Carillo, Benjamin Lundy, Egbert Benson, President Buchanan, George Rogers Clark, Empress of Russia, Salamis, Scythia, Nuculana, San Veronico, Ferncourt, Axel Johnson and Brimanger.

Zacapa was detached at 04:00Z on Sept. 21 (to join Iceland convoy) in 55 26N 12 44W.

Moses Cleaveland, Hopemount, Penelope Barker, John C. Fremont, Richard Stockton, Thomas Kearns, and James B. Eads were deatched for Loch Ewe at 15:00Z on Sept. 21 in 55 25N 10 5W.

The Commodore says
that Station keeping was "not good", and "comprehension of flag signals not good".
Also, "Gothland out of order", however, "Dromore, Master Gilbert Brown, conduct excellent, signalling very smart" and "George Durant, Master F. G. Velez, Moses Cleaveland, Master Winters were "steady as column leaders, signalling good", and James Schureman, Master W. David and S. M. Babcock, Master B. Norcross "kept very good station in column", but he's not happy about Carlos Carillo, Master J. D. Reed who sent "unnecessary signal on 600 metres", while George Durant had an "inefficient W/T office" - see reports below.

A report re. Carlos Carillo (station 75, previosuly station 91), dated Sept. 22-1943 and signed L.E. Waring Tel. R.N. states the following:
"While proceeding down the swept channel, the above ship broke W/T silence on 462 kcs to inform the Commodore about his breaking down. At the time the weather was clear and it was also daylight, therefore the alternative method by which he should have reported his trouble, was by visual signalling. His strength of signals were also five. Later on in the voyage, on the 12th of September, he again broke W/T silence. Using call sign FT91 he called the Commodore on 600 metres, strength of signals five. This occured while the convoy was passing through thick fog. He also sent his message in plain language and repeated it also. Again, on the 15th September, using call sign FT75 he, for the third time, broke W/T silence, on 600 metres, strength of signals five".

A report re. George Durant, also dated Sept. 22-1943 and signed L.E. Waring Tel. R.N. states:
"While the convoy was enveloped in thick fog which lasted practically the whole of the 18th September, a W/T message, addressed to the whole convoy was transmitted on 600 metres, on orders from the Commodore. This ship did not receive this message sent at 1303 GMT, during the single and two operator watchkeeping periods. The remainder of the convoy apparently did receive it. Pendants 81 was not keeping a wireless watch in conjuction with organisation "B", which was in force at the time".

Back to the Commodore's notes:
At 16:45 on Sept. 18, William Pepperell reported that "mk 29 gear had stopped a torpedo, he thought. Explosion caused damage to main bearings and sanitary pump. Ship was able to continue with convoy. There was no contributory evidence of submarine in the vicinity". (For info, this attack is noted by Jürgen Rohwer in his "Axis Submarine Attacks" giving U-260 as the culprit, position 55 02N 29 27W. In a footnote he adds, "U-260 heard one hit but no detonation. The William Pepperell reported that one torpedo hit her torpedo net").

Escorts:
HMS Chelsea, HMCS Lethbridge, Shawinigan, Granby.
Ocean Escort: HMCS Kootenay (S.O.), Wetaskiwin, Kitchener, Arvida, Sudbury, Eyebright and tugs HMS Allegiance and Samsonia - at 12:10Z Sept. 15 in 47 50N 47 25W.

Related external links:
Liberty Ships - Quite a few of the ships listed as American in the table above were Liberty Ships. This website lists them alphabetically. As will be seen, several of the Liberty Ships in this convoy had just recently been delivered.
Empire Ships listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.
This site has more on the the 2 "Fort" ships mentioned in this convoy.

Just for info, I want to mention that some of the ships named in this convoy started to make voyages to Murmansk shortly afterwards. The Arctic convoys, which had been suspended since March-1943, started up again on Nov. 1 with RA 54A from Kola, consisting of ships that had spent the summer in Archangel, and/or had been employed in trade in the area or had otherwise been supporting Russian activities in the Northern seas. (Mike Holdoway's website about the Arctic Convoys has the names of the ships in this convoy. Escort vessels had previously gone to Russia between Oct. 20 and Oct. 28 in order to bring these merchant ships back to the U.K. - Operation FR). The first convoy from Loch Ewe to Murmansk was JW 54A, which left Loch Ewe on Nov. 15 (follow link for cruising order), followed by JW 54B on Nov. 22 in which Fort Columbia and Thomas Kearns took part - the latter subsequently joined RA 55A to head back to the U.K., but was unable to continue and returned to Kola, then joined RA 55B instead. Fort Columbia can also be found in that convoy, while Fort Astoria is listed as sailing from Loch Ewe in JW 55A on Dec. 12 (again, see Mike's website). Other ships mentioned in HX 256 are listed in JW 56A in my Arctic Convoys section, by then it was Jan.-1944. These are just some examples, but by studying the latter link, as well as my various HX convoy pages and Mike's site, more information on a specific ship's voyages can be derived.

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