Convoy HX 59 - warsailors.com

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CONVOY HX 59
Cruising Order & Advance Sailing Telegram
(Will be updated - please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all HX convoys. See also HX escorts).

Convoy HX 59 Cruising Order Departed Halifax on July 19-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Aug 3 (Arnold Hague also says 54 ships).
Transcribed from A 1 form received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew). Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Sw=Swedish, Du=Dutch, Am=American, Gr=Greek, Pa=Panmanian. B = Ships joining from Bermuda.
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
11 Invella steel - pit props Hull (Br)	21 Baron Stranraer pitwood Hull (Br)	31 Beaverbrae general London (Br)	41 Consuelo steel ingots Hull (Br)	51 Oilfield gas - parafin Belfast (Br)	61 Manchester Port general Manchester (Br)	71 Sicilian Prince general Liverpool (Br)	81 Antonios Chandris grain Milford Haven (Gr)	91 Hadleigh steel - pit props Milford Haven (Br)
12 Kingsland pit props Methil (Br)	22 Stagpool pit props West Hartlepool (Br)	32 Prins Willem van Oranje grain Methil (Du)	42 Inger Lise lumber Aberdeen (Norw)	52 Belinda gasoline Clyde (Norw)	62 Siremalm wood pulp Manchester (Norw)	72 ~~Justitia~~ See station 43 Temple Inn steel East West (Br)	82 Shakespear steel - general ev. Milford Haven (Br)	92 Hada County general Milford Haven (Norw)
13 Convallaria wood pulp Methil (Sw)	23 ~~Bollsta~~ See station 67	33 Soesterberg pit props Sunderland (Du)	43 ~~Temple Inn~~ See station 72 Justitia lumber Liverpool (Br)	53 Missourian steel scrap Glasgow (Am/Br)	63 Kathariotisa * wood pulp Manchester (Gr) B Modavia lumber Liverpool (Br)	73 Corner Brook newsprint Ellesmere Port (Br)	83 Middleton steel scrap Milford Haven (Br)	93 Gandia sugar Belfast ~~(Bel)~~ Ootmarsum iron ore Port Talbot (Du)
14 B Donax diesel oil Methil (Br)	24 Vestland * pulp Grimsby (Norw)	34 Achilles London (Du)	44	54 Henry Dundas gasoline Clyde (Br)	64 Leise Mærsk grain Manchester (Da/Br)	74 Empire Lotus wire rods Manchester (Br)	84 Ramsay grain Milford Haven (Br)	94 B Tredinnick scrap iron Milford Haven (Br)
15 ~~Donax~~ See station 14	25 B Mahia refrig. Methil (Br)	35 B Valldemosa aviation spirits Clyde (Br)	45 ~~Cambridge~~ See station 86	55 ~~Modavia~~ See station 63	65 B Loriga general Liverpool (Br)	75 ~~Simnia~~ See station 57	85 B ~~Auditor~~* general Manchester (Br) B Lady Glanely general Milford Haven (Br)	95 B Dan-y-Bryn lumber - wheat Belfast (Br)
16	26 ~~Clausina~~ See station 58 B Norvinn fuel oil Clyde (Pa)	36 B Finnanger Admiralty fuel Clyde (Norw)	46 B Morgenen aviation spirits Clyde (Norw)	56 B Circe Shell fuel - crude oil Manchester (Br)	66 ~~Lady Glanely~~ See station 85	76 ~~Tredinnick~~ See station 94 Heina general Liverpool (Norw)	86 B Cambridge refrig. Milford Haven (Br)	96 B Waziristan scrap iron Belfast (Br)
17	27	37	47 B San Francisco general Clyde (Sw)	57 B Simnia aviation spirits Manchester (Br)	67 ~~Norvinn~~ See station 26 Bollsta pit props Belfast (Norw)	77	87	97
18	28	38	48	58 B Clausina aviation spirit Manchester (Br)	68	78	88	98
I believe this form shows the formation after juncture with the Bermuda portion of the convoy; the 18 ships in this convoy being in the following stations of BHX 59 when they sailed: Donax - 15, Mahia - 25, Valldemosa - 35, Cambridge - 45, Modavia - 55, Loriga - 65, Simnia - 75, Auditor - 85, Dan-y-Bryn - 95, Clausina - 26, Finnanger - 36, Morgenen - 46, Circe Shell - 56, Lady Glanely - 66, Tredinnick - 76, Waziristan - 96, San Francisco - 47 and Norvinn - 67. The Bermuda portion was escorted by HMS Aurania (ocean escort) and HMS Penzance (local escort) and sailed on July 18-1940. Please note that some ships are missing from this form - see Advance Sailing Telegram below. * Auditor is crossed out on this form, but not in the Advance Sailing Telegram. * Vestland lost touch on the night of July 19/20, Norwegian Tautra (not listed on the form) and Greek Kathariotisa on the night of July 20/21 in 56 26N 10 55W, being unable to keep up with the convoy at 8 knots. Modavia subsequently moved to station 63, where the Greek ship had been.

Advance Sailing Telegram Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Ship	Nationality	Cargo	Destination	Remarks
Halifax section
Henry Dundas	British	Tanker W	Clyde to lay up	–
~~Gandia~~	Belgian	sugar	Belfast f. o.	See HX 66
Oilfield	British	Tanker W	Belfast	–
Belinda	Norwegian	Tanker W	Clyde	See also HX 54
~~Mabriton~~	British	steel - lumber	Belfast / West Hartlepool	To HX 60 - straggled Listed in HX 61
Convallaria	Swedish	wood pulp	Ridham Dock	From HX 58
Sicilian Prince	British	general	Liverpool	–
~~Heron~~	"	ballast (trawler)	East-West	Listed in HX 60
~~Olaf Bergh~~	Norwegian	steel scrap	Manchester	From HX 58 Listed in HX 60
Justitia	British	lumber	Glasgow	–
Baron Stranraer	"	pit props	Hull	–
Prins Willem van Oranje	Dutch	grain	London	From HX 58
Invella	British	steel - lumber	Hull	–
Inger Lise	Norwegian	lumber	Aberdeen	From HX 58
Middleton	British	steel scrap	Swansea	From HX 58
~~San Marcos~~	American / MOWT 1940	general - ammunition	Liverpool	(Became British Empire Ocelot) Listed in HX 60
Corner Brook	British	newsprint	Ellesmere Port	–
Hada County	Norwegian	aluminium	Avonmouth	–
Kathariotisa	Greek	wood pulp	Manchester	–
Kingsland	British	pit props	Tyne	–
Antonios Chandris	Greek	grain	Avonmouth	From HX 58
Leise Mærsk	Danish / MOWT 1940	grain	Manchester	–
Manchester Port	British	general	Manchester	Commodore Vessel
Shakespear	"	steel - explosives	Newport	–
~~Tolosa~~	American / MOWT 1940	pig iron	Glasgow	(Became Br. Empire Dorado) To HX 60 - did not sail Joined HX 61 - returned To HX 63 - did not sail To HX 64 - did not sail See also HX 65 & HX 66 (Sailed in HX 67)
Beaverbrae	British	general	London	Vice Commodore
Hadleigh	"	pit props	Barry	–
~~Ringstad~~	Norwegian	general	Glasgow	Listed in HX 60
Stagpool	British	pit props	West Hartlepool	–
Empire Lotus	"	wire rods	Manchester	–
Missourian	American / MOWT 1940	steel scrap - special	Glasgow	(Became Br. Empire Swan)
Ramsay	British	grain	Sharpness	–
~~American Oriole~~	American / MOWT 1940	newsprint	Manchester	(Became British Barberrys) Listed in HX 60
~~King Idwal~~	British	pig iron	Swansea	Listed in HX 60
~~Erviken~~	Norwegian	pig iron	Swansea	From HX 58 To HX 60 - did not sail Listed in HX 61
Siremalm	"	wood pulp	Manchester	–
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
Clausina	British	Tanker W	Manchester	B
San Francisco	Swedish	general - nitrate	Greenock	B
Ootmarsum	Dutch	iron ore	Port Talbot	–
Heina	Norwegian	general	Liverpool	–
Tautra	"	lumber	Taymont(?)	–
Temple Inn	British	steel	Newport	–
Consuelo	"	general - steel ingots	Hull	–
Achilles	Dutch	pulp wood	River Medway	–
Schie	"	lumber	Belfast / London	–
Bollsta	Norwegian	pit props	Belfast / Immingham	–
Vestland	"	pulp	Grimsby	–
Soesterberg	Dutch	pit props	Sunderland	–
Joining from Bermuda - Sailed July 18
~~Anglo Peruvian~~	British	lumber - wheat	London	From HX 58 Listed in HX 60
Auditor	"	general	Manchester	Crossed out on A 1 form
~~Adula~~	"	Tanker W	–	"To remain at Halifax" Listed in HX 62
Cambridge	"	refrig.	Cardiff	–
~~Custodian~~	"	general - explosives	Liverpool	From HX 58 Listed in HX 60
~~Chesapeake~~	"	Tanker W	Clyde f. o.	To HX 60 - did not sail See also HX 64
Circe Shell	"	Tanker B	Manchester	–
~~Daphnella~~	"	Tanker W	–	"To remain at Halifax" Listed in HX 60
Donax	"	Tanker B	Hull	–
Dan-y-Bryn	"	lumber - wheat	Belfast / Tyne	–
~~Dalfonn~~	Norwegian	Adm. tanker B	Devonport	Listed in HX 60
~~Edward F. Johnson~~	British	Tanker W	–	"To remain at Halifax" Listed in HX 64
Finnanger	Norwegian	Adm. tanker B	Clyde	–
~~Harpoon~~	American / MOWT 1940	lumber	Tyne	(Became Br. Empire Tarpon) To HX 60 - did not sail See also HX 65 (listed in SC 2)
Lady Glanely	British	lumber	Cardiff	–
Loriga	"	general	Liverpool	From HX 58
Mahia	"	refrig. - general	London	From HX 58
Modavia	"	lumber - special	Liverpool	–
~~Rosewood~~	"	Adm. tanker B	Clyde	Listed in HX 60
Simnia	"	Tanker W	Manchester	–
Tredinnick	"	scrap iron	Swansea	–
Waziristan	"	scrap iron	Belfast / Hull	–
Norvinn	Panamanian / Norw. mngrs.	Adm. tanker B	Clyde	See also HX 56
Valldemosa	British	Tanker W	Clyde to lay up	–
Morgenen	Norwegian	Tanker W	Clyde to lay up	See also HX 52
Again, note that 2 more ships were in the Bermuda portion - see A 1 form above.

Notes:
Commodore A. T. Tillard was in Manchester Port, Vice Commodore B. L. Laslie was in Beaverbrae, and Rear Commodore in Cambridge (originally in station 45).

Average speed: 8.3 knots.

Upon leaving Halifax the convoy had 36 ships; 18 joined in the BHX feeder convoy from Bermuda at 16:00 on July 23 for a total of 54 ships, 51 of which were still present on arrival at local escort rendezvous (Vestland, Tautra and Kathariotisa having lost touch, as mentioned in A 1 form).

Commodore's Comments on Station Keeping:
"Fair. The station keeping of convoy seems to be deteriorating. This may be due to the increase in number of foreign ships (22 in convoy)."

In the column for suggestions for improvement of the convoy system, the Commodore suggests that "Consigs be amplified. Such signals as SK, VL etc. would be very useful. Owing to large number of foreign ships in convoy signals have sometimes to be made by International Code." He also suggests that "all except one receiver set in foreign ships should be sealed and examined on arrival in port."

Ocean Escort: HMS Voltaire (Armed Merchant Cruiser) was with the convoy from Halifax until 12:00 on July 30, parting company in 56 06N 22 30W.
Local Escorts: Sloop HMS Fowey, Corvettes HMS Hibiscus and HMS Heartsease, joining at 11:35 on July 31 in 56 19N 16 45W. The commodore says: "Fresh easterly head winds and sea were met with during first six days, which reduced speed of small ships (3 under 2000 tons) to 7 knots. Convoy was consequently 5 hours late at R.V. with local escort. Voyage uneventful."
Air Escort from 06:00 on Aug. 1 in 56 24N 12 28W.

More details on all the Norwegian ships named in this table can be found in the alphabetical lists of this website.

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