Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home 

Available Discussion Forums

CONVOY HX 54
Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram

Convoy HX 54 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on June 29-1940 and arrived Liverpool on July 14 (Arnold Hague says 43 ships).
Transcribed from A 1 form received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

Br=British, Am=American, Norw=Norwegian, Sw=Swedish, Da=Danish, Gr=Greek, Du=Dutch
s=sunk, † = dead

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

B = Ships joining from Bermuda.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Dunaff Head
general
Belfast
(Br)
21
Gregalia
general regrig.
Glasgow
(Br)
31
Pennland
general
Liverpool
(Du)
41
Manchester Spinner
general
Liverpool
(Br)
51
Allende
pit props
Clyde
(Br)
61
Brookwood
steel - lumber
Clyde
(Br)
71
Kainalu
paper
Belfast
(Am / MoWT 1940, Pachesham)
81
Tresillian
wheat
Clyde
(Br)
91
Antigone
steel - pit props
Clyde
(Br)
12
Leonidas
wheat
Cork
(Gr)
22
Breedijk
grain - copper
Glasgow
(Du)
32
Vaalaren
general - steel
Liverpool
(Sw)
42
Treverbyn
lumber - steel
Liverpool
(Br)
52
Treworlas
steel - scrap iron
Newport
(Br)
62
Voco
lub. oil
Clyde
(Br)
72
Trolleholm
general
Belfast
(Sw)
82
Janna*
wood pulp
Liverpool
s - 0†
(Norw)
92
Hartington
steel - lumber
Cardiff
(Br)
13
Demeterton
iron ore
Manchester
(Br)
23 B
Sepia
Admiralty fuel
Clyde
(Br)
 33
Sabine
ballast
Glasgow
(tug)		 43
San Gaspar*
fuel oil
Liverpool
(Br)		 53
Baron Dunmore
pit props
Falmouth
(Br)		 63
Embassage
grain
Clyde
(Br)		 73 B
Holmpark
scrap iron
Hull
(Br)		 83
Rupert de Larrinaga
grain
Clyde
(Br)		 93
Lars Kruse
pit props
Clyde
(Da / MoWT 1940)
14 24 34 44 54 64 74 84 94
15 B
Empire Caribou
sulphur
Manchester
(Br)		 25 B
Buesten
petrol
Foynes
(Norw)		 35 B
Comanchee
lub. oil
Clyde
(Br)		 45 B
Port Brisbane
refrig. general
London
(Br)		 55 B
John A. Brown
petrol
Falmouth
(detached)
(Br)

Stureholm
general
Belfast
(Sw)

 65 B
Dromus
benzine - benzex.
Manchester
(Br)		 75 B
Hoperange
general
Clyde
(Br)		 85 B
Benmohr
general
Clyde
(Br)		 95 B
Bonnington Court
general
Clyde
(Br)
16 26 B
Athelbeach
molasses
Liverpool
(Br)		 36 B
Athinai
sugar
Greenock
(Gr)		 46 B
Vimeira
gasoline
Clyde
(Br)		 56 B
Stureholm
see station 55

Holmpark
scrap iron
Hull
(moved to 73)

 66 B
Dirphys
general
Belfast
(Gr)

76 B
Empire Moose
sulphur
Clyde
(Br)		 86 B
Jutland
scrap iron
Clyde
(Br)		 96 B
Westmoreland
refrig. - wool
Liverpool
(Br)
17 27 37 47 B
Sepia
(moved to 23)		 57 67
Holmpark
see station 56		 77 87 97
According to notes for HX 55, Sea Giant, cancelled from the Bermuda portion of that convoy, is said to have come from HX 54. This is probably the un-named tug listed in the Advance Sailing Telegram below.

Note that several ships that are not mentioned on this A 1 form are crossed out on the Advance Sailing Telegram.

* Janna was intended for this convoy, but could not find it and was sunk on July 11 by U-34. Follow the link for more details.
San Gaspar developed engine defects and returned to port; listed in HX 58.

The Bermuda portion was escorted by HMS Ascania, sailing between columns 4 and 5 (to be 6 cables apart, others to be 4 cables apart).

It'll be noticed, when comparing the above with Arnold Hague's listing for HX 54 at ships in all HX convoys, that he has some of the ships in different stations from what is given in the original convoy documents. His stations probably show the formation following the junction with the Bermuda portion. Hague's listing does not include John A. Brown - this ship detached from the Bermuda convoy, before the 2 portions joined up.

Advance Sailing Telegram

Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Halifax section
Antigone
British
steel - pit props
Hull
From HX 53
Norwegian
wood pulp
London
From HX 53
Does not show up again until HX 66
Allende
British
pit props
West Hartlepool
–
Celtic Monarch
"
pit props
West Hartlepool
From HX 53?
Listed in HX 56
Leonidas
Greek
grain
Cork
From HX 53
Gregalia
British
general - steel
Glasgow
–
Kainalu
American / MoWT 1940
paper
Manchester
(Later Br. Pachesham)
From HX 53
Dunaff Head
British
general
Belfast
From HX 53
Treverbyn
"
steel - lumber
Hull
–
Breedijk
Dutch
general
Glasgow
From HX 52
Manchester Spinner
British
general
Manchester
Commodore Vessel
Pennland
Dutch
general
Liverpool
From HX 52
Tresillian
British
grain
London
–
Treworlas
"
steel - scrap
Newport
–
Trolleholm
Swedish
general
Belfast / London
Collided w/Holmpark - See Notes
Scottish Minstrel
British
Tanker B
–
"Not to sail"
Listed in HX 55
Vaalaren
Swedish
steel - general
Liverpool
–
Mount Kassion
Greek
grain
Liverpool
Listed in HX 55
Rupert de Larrinaga
British
grain
Hull
–
Trehata
"
lumber - steel
London
Listed in HX 55
Sabine
"
Tug
Glasgow
–
Anglo Saxon
British
steel - special
Liverpool
Listed in HX 55
Embassage
"
grain
Belfast / Ipswich
–
The following ships appear on a separate document, with no mention of which section they belong to - note, however, that some of these belong in the Bermuda portion, denoted with a B
Sepia
British
Adm. tanker B
Sheerness
B
John A. Brown
"
Tanker W
Falmouth
B
From HX 53
"To return to Halifax"
(detached July 1 or July 3 - hard to decipher)
Dromus
"
Tanker W
Manchester
B
Westmoreland
"
refrig. - general
Manchester
B
Demeterton
"
iron ore
Manchester
–
San Gaspar
"
Tanker B
Liverpool
"Returned to Halifax"
See notes in A 1 form
Listed in HX 58
Baron Dunmore
"
pit props
West Hartlepool
–
Brookwood
"
steel - lumber
London
Vice Commodore
Norwegian
pulp wood
Liverpool
From HX 53
Sunk - See Janna
See also * below
Voco
British
Tanker B
London
–
Hartington
"
steel - lumber
Cardiff
–
Lars Kruse
Danish / MoWT 1940
pit props
West Hartlepool
–
* There's a note in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Janna saying she returned to port, but according to a Norwegian source she never joined, being unable to find the convoy.
Joining from Bermuda - Sailed June 28
Lycia
British
bauxite
Manchester
From HX 53?
Listed in HX 55
Comanchee
"
Tanker B
London
–
Edwy R. Brown
"
Tanker W
–
"To Halifax to await orders"
(Does not show up again on this site until HX 63)
Stureholm
Swedish
general
Belfast f. o.
–
Empire Caribou
British
sulphur
Manchester
–
Vimeira
"
Tanker W

London
–
Norwegian
Tanker W
–
"To Halifax to await orders"
Listed in HX 59
Bonnington Court
British
timber - grain
Hull
–
Athelcrown
"
Tanker B
–
"To Halifax to await orders"
Listed in HX 58
Athelviking
"
Tanker B
Clyde
To HX 56 - did not sail
Listed in HX 57
San Casimiro
"
Tanker B
–
"To Halifax to await orders"
Listed in HX 55
Port Brisbane
"
refrig.
Liverpool
–
Benmohr
"
wool - tallow
London
–
Hoperange
"
timber - grain
Hull
–
Scottish Maiden
"
Tanker B
–
"To Halifax to await orders"
(Does not show up again on this site until HX 62)
British General
"
Tanker B
–
"To Halifax to await orders"
(Does not show up again on this site until HX 60)
Holmpark
"
scrap iron
Belfast / Hull
Collided w/Trolleholm - See Notes
Jutland
"
scrap iron
Tyne
–
Mount Helmos
Greek
general
Liverpool
Listed in HX 55
Dunkeld
British
wheat
Liverpool
Listed in HX 55
Norwegian
Tanker W
Foynes
–
A British tug
(Not named - probably Sea Giant)
none given
Glasgow
To HX 55 - did not sail
Listed in HX 56
Athinai
Greek
sugar
Greenock
–
Dirphys
"
lumber
Belfast f. o.
–
Athelbeach
British
Tanker - molasses
Liverpool
–
Empire Moose
"
sulphur
Hull
From HX 52
Again, please note that the Bermuda portion had more ships than those listed above - See A 1 form.


Notes:
Commodore vessel was Manchester Spinner, Vice Commodore was in Brookwood, and Rear Commodore in Port Brisbane (joining from Bermuda).

In the morning of July 11, the Swedish Trolleholm was in collision with Holmpark. Trolleholm was leaking badly in the forepeak but could continue at 5 knots; Holmpark was slightly damaged.

The convoy arrived rendezvous on July 11.

Ocean Escort: HMS Rajputana.

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):
Assiniboine - From 29/06/40 to 30/06/40
Harvester - 11/07/40
Havelock - From 11/07/40 to 13/07/40
Ottawa - From 29/06/40 to 30/06/40
Rajputana - From 29/06/40 to 04/07/40
Sandwich - From 11/07/40 to 14/07/40
Wanderer - From 11/07/40 to 14/07/40

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 55


   Be   
C
   D   
E
F
G
   He   
I
J
   K   
L
M
N
O
   PQ   
R
   So   
   To   
U
V
W
   Ø   

 Site Map | Search Warsailors.com |Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home