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CONVOY HX 57
Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram

Convoy HX 57 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on July 11-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th (Arnold Hague says 51 ships).
Transcribed from A 1 form received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

Br=British, Du=Dutch, Norw=Norwegian, Sw=Swedish, Gr=Greek, Lat=Latvian, Est=Estonian, Am=American, Pa=Panamanian.

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

B = Bermuda portion.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Norman Prince
pit props
Medway
(Br)
21
San Emiliano
gas oil
Grangemouth
(Br)
31
Delftdijk
general
London
(Du)
41
Delilian
grain - general
Glasgow
(Br)
51
Daldorch
steel - general ev.
Liverpool
(Br)
61
Manchester Division
general
Manchester
(Br)
71
Bereby
general
Liverpool
(Br)
81
Rio Blanco
general
Garston
(Br)
91
Bengore Head
general
Belfast
(Br)
12
Bjørkhaug*
timber
Grimsby
(Norw)
22
Brockley Hill
timber
London
(Br)

Harlesden
pit props
Immingham
(Br)

32
Olaf Bergh
scrap steel
Middlesbrough
(Norw)
42
Milcrest
iron ore
Glasgow
(Br)
52
Leiesten
lub. oil
Clyde
(Norw)
62
Hercules
general ev. - general
Liverpool
(Du)
72
Hørda
general
Liverpool
(Norw)
82
City of Oxford
general
Avonmouth
(Br)
92
Horn Shell
fuel oil
Belfast
(Br)
13
Granicos
pulp
Gravesend
(Gr)
23
Hartismere
steel - pit props
Hull
(Br)
33
Vancouver
kerosene
London
(Br)
43
Agia Marina
grain
Glasgow
(Gr)
53
Vingaland
general
Clyde
(Sw)
63
Evanger
general
Liverpool
(Norw)
73
Gypsum Queen
steel - planes
Liverpool
(Br)
83
Sedgepool*
steel - lumber
Cardiff
(Br)
93
Zeus
grain
Belfast
(Gr)
14 24 34 44 54 64 74
Ruperra
pig iron
Newport
(Br)
84
Everoja
sugar
Dublin
(Lat/Br)
94
White Crest
scrap iron
Belfast
(Br)
15 B
Goodleigh
general
Grangemouth
(Br)
25 B
Invershannon
Admiralty fuel
Scapa Flow
(Br)
35 B
La Cordillera
lead - lumber
London
(Br)
45 B
Port Darwin
refrig.
London
(Br)
55 B
San Arcadio
crude & fuel oil
Clyde
(Br)
65 B
Rio Azul
scrap iron
Ardrossan
(Br)
75 B
Malmanger
Admiralty fuel
Clyde
(Norw)
85 B
Inverilen
aviation spirits
Avonmouth
(Br)
95 B
Vav
gasoline
Dublin
(Norw)
16 26 36 B
Carperby
sugar
London
(Br)
46 B
Salvestria
fuel oil
Grangemouth
(Br)
56 B
Sildra
Admiralty fuel
Portsmouth
(Norw)
66 B
El Ciervo
Admiralty fuel
Clyde
(Br)
76 B
Clearwater
steel - cotton
Liverpool
(Am/MoWT 1940)
86 B
Sulev
sugar
Belfast
(Est/Br)
96 B
Atlantian
steel - cotton
Liverpool
(Br)
17 27 37 B
Kars
aviation fuel
Clyde
(Br)
47 B
Athelviking
fuel oil
Clyde
(Br)
57 B
Eglantine
general scrap
Swansea
(Am / MoWT 1940)
67 B
Tuscan Star
refrig.
Clyde
(Br)
77 B
Ronin
general
Clyde
(Gr/Pa)
87 B
Madrono
fuel oil
Belfast
(Norw)
97
* Norwegian Bjørkhaug and British Sedgepool parted company before rendezvous (reason not given - A. Hague says they straggled).

The Estonian Sulev and the Latvian Everoja were taken over by MoWT in 1940.

As will be seen from the Advance Sailing Telegram, several more ships than those crossed out above were scheduled but did not sail.

It'll be noticed, when comparing the above with Arnold Hague's listing for HX 57 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. For Everoja, he has a note saying, arrested at Dublin Aug. 7-1940.

The Bermuda portion (BHX 57) was escorted by HMS Emerald (also Commodore of convoy), sailing between columns 4 and 5 (to be 6 cables apart, the others 4 cables apart, ships in columns to be 2 cables apart). Cruising speed: 9 knots.


Advance Sailing Telegram

Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Halifax section
Brockley Hill
British
timber
London
From HX 56
Listed in HX 58
Bengore Head
"
general
Belfast
From HX 56
Vancouver
"
Tanker W
River Medway
From HX 56
Innerton
"
grain
Avonmouth
From HX 56
Listed in HX 58
City of Oxford
"
general
Avonmouth
From HX 56
Norwegian
pig iron
Swansea
From HX 56
To HX 58 - did not sail
To HX 59 - did not sail
To HX 60 - did not sail
Listed in HX 61
"
timber
Firth of Forth
From HX 56
Listed in HX 58
Daldorch
British
steel - explosives
Clyde
From HX 56
Hercules
Dutch
general - explosives
London
Gypsum Queen
British
steel - aircraft
Liverpool
From HX 56
Granicos
Greek
pulp
Gravesend
Zeus
"
grain
Barry
From HX 56
Delftdijk
Dutch
general
London
Everoja
Latvian/MoWT 1940
sugar
Dublin
Norwegian
general
London
Listed in HX 58
Ruperra
British
pig iron
Newport
San Emiliano
"
Tanker B
Grangemouth
From HX 56
Vice Commodore
Sedgepool
"
steel - timber
Cardiff
See note in A 1 form above
Agia Marina
Greek
grain
Glasgow
Bereby
British
general
Liverpool
Delilian
"
general
Glasgow
Norwegian
general
Manchester
Hartismere
British
pit props
Hull
Manchester Division
"
general
Manchester
Commodore Vessel
Milcrest
"
ore
Ardrossan
Norman Prince
"
pit props
Medway
White Crest
"
scrap iron
Belfast / Middlesbrough
Photinia
"
iron ore
Glasgow
Listed in HX 58
Lowther Castle
"
none given
Liverpool
Listed in HX 58
Norwegian
scrap steel
Middlesbrough
To HX 58 - did not sail
To HX 59 - did not sail
Listed in HX 60
Horn Shell
British
Tanker B
Liverpool
From HX 56
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
Kars
British
Tanker W
Clyde
B
Salvestria
"
Tanker B
Grangemouth
See alo HX 53
B
Sunk - See * in Notes below
Athelviking
"
Adm. tanker B
Clyde
From HX 56
B
Eglantine
American / MoWT 1940
general - scrap iron
Milford Haven
(Became Br. Empire Buffalo)
See also HX 53
B
Tuscan Star
British
refrig.
Liverpool
B
Ronin
Panamanian
general
Mersey f. o.
B
Norwegian
timber
Grimsby
See note in A 1 form
Harlesden
British
pit props - steel
Immingham
Norwegian
Tanker B
Clyde
From HX 56
Vingaland
Swedish
general
Glasgow
Norwegian
general
Liverpool
From HX 56
Rio Blanco
British
timber - metal
Garston
Joining from Bermuda - Sailed July 10
Carperby
British
sugar
London
From HX 56
Norwegian
Adm. tanker B
Clyde
From HX 56
"
Tanker B
Liverpool
Rio Azul
British
scrap iron
Ardrossan
From HX 56
El Grillo
"
Tanker
Stanlow
From HX 56
Ashore
(does not show up until HX 85)
San Arcadio
"
Tanker B

Manchester

From HX 56
Norwegian
Tanker W
Dublin
"
Tanker W
"To be sent to Halifax to await orders"
Listed in HX 63
Patrick Henry
American/MoWT 1940
steel
Liverpool
(Became Br. Empire Steelhead)
Listed in HX 58
Norwegian
Tanker B
Manchester
Opalia
British
Tanker B
"To be sent to Halifax to await orders"
Listed in HX 61
Sulev
Estonian/MoWT 1940
sugar
London
Diloma
British
Tanker W
"To be sent to Halifax to await orders"
Listed in HX 58
Custodian
"
general - explosives
Liverpool
To HX 58 - did not sail
To HX 59 - did not sail
Listed in HX 60
La Cordillera
"
lead - lumber
London
Vilk
Estonian
sugar
Liverpool
Norwegian
Adm. tanker B
Clyde
El Ciervo
British
Adm. tanker B
Invergordon
Inverilen
"
Tanker W
Avonmouth
Atlantian
"
steel - cotton
Liverpool
Goodleigh
"
grain - lumber
Grangemouth
Port Darwin
"
refrig.
London
Clearwater
American/MoWT 1940
steel - cotton
Liverpool
Became Br. Empire Shearwater
Hopecrest
British
lumber - lead
Hull
Listed in HX 58
Invershannon
"
Adm. tanker B
Scapa
Anglo Peruvian
"
lumber - grain
London
To HX 58 - did not sail
To HX 59 - did not sail
Listed in HX 60
Oiltrader
"
Tanker B
London
Listed in HX 58
Derrymore
"
grain - lead - lumber
Belfast f. o.
Listed in HX 58
Vernon City
"
lumber - lead
Liverpool
Listed in HX 58
Again, note that several more ships than those listed here were in the Bermuda portion - see A 1 form above.


Notes:
Commodore was in Manchester Division, Vice Commodore in San Emiliano, and Rear Commodore in Port Darwin (joining from the Bermuda section).
Clyde Commodore: In Delilian.

51 ships sailed, 49 were present at rendezvous with local escort, the Norwegian Bjørkhaug and British Sedgepool having parted company.

* Salvestria, on a voyage from Aruba for Grangemouth with 9201 tons of fuel oil, struck an acoustic mine on July 27-1940, 2.8 miles from Inchkeith Lighthouse, Firth of Forth. She had a crew of 57, 10 of whom perished ("Lloyd's War losses", Vol I).

Ocean Escort: HMS Ascania (Armed Merchant Cruiser).

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):
Ascania - From 11/07/40 to 23/07/40
Assiniboine - From 11/07/40 to 12/07/40
Deptford - From 23/07/40 to 26/07/40
Periwinkle - From 23/07/40 to 26/07/40
Saguenay - From 11/07/40 to 12/07/40
Sandwich - From 23/07/40 to 26/07/40
Wanderer - From 23/07/40 to 26/07/40

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