s=sunk, †=dead, Br=British, Fr=French

"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague says Malabar, cargo of tobacco, lumber and general was sunk on Oct. 27-1939 by U-34. However, Jürgen Rohwer's "Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two" indicates she was damaged by U-34 on this date and sunk by the same U-boat on Oct 29 (he calls the convoy HX 5A at this point of the voyage - I would assume the convoy had split up and the ships heading for their respective destinations). Rohwer also claims that the British Bronte was sunk in this convoy, but this ship was outward bound in Convoy OB 25 (voyage Liverpool-Rosario) when torpedoed by U-34 on Oct. 27, wreck later sunk by the destroyers HMS Walpole and HMS Whirlwind.

R. W. Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" also lists Cairnmona as sunk (calling convoy HX 5A) - torpedoed on Oct. 30-1939 by U-13, 3 died.

* Floride struck a mine off Dunkirk on Dec. 1-1939.

According to A. Hague, the escorts for HX 5 were (received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year).
Emerald - From 17/10/39 to 28/10/39
Fraser - From 17/10/39 to 19/10/39
Gallant - From 28/10/39 to 29/10/39
Grafton - From 28/10/39 to 29/10/39
St. Laurent - From 17/10/39 to 19/10/39
Wessex - From 28/10/39 to 29/10/39
York - From 17/10/39 to 19/10/39

Related external links:
HX and HXF Convoys - In chronological order.

The attack on Malabar
The attack on Cairnmona

Convoy OB 25

The attack on Bronte

Back to Convoy Index