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CONVOY BHX 68 and HX 68
BHX 68 departed Bermuda on Aug. 23-1940

HX 68 left Halifax on Aug. 24-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 8.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 47 ships in the combined convoy.

Transcribed from Advane Sailing Telegram received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Crossed out ships did not sail, except (possibly) Anten and Patella.

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Bermuda Section of Convoy HX 68
(joined HX 68 on Aug. 28)
Norwegian
none given
Liverpool
Anten
Swedish
Copra - zinc
Liverpool
To BHX 69 - but crossed out
See * below
Appalachee
British
Tanker W
Avonmouth
Athelbeach
"
sugar (Tanker)
Hull
Athelqueen
"
molasses (Tanker)
Birkenhead
British Governor
"
Admiralty tanker B
Clyde
Californian
American / MoWT 1940
steel - iron - motor boats
Glasgow
(Renamed Empire Kite, later Empire Seal)
From BHX 67
Chesapeake
British
Tanker W
Clyde f. o.
From BHX 67
Joined (B)HX 72 (to Halifax)
Joined HX 80
Condor
American / MoWT 1940
lead bunker - pulp
Liverpool
(Renamed Empire Elk
later Norw. Norvarg)
Sailed in HX 69
Diplomat
British
steel - general - explosives - motor boats
Liverpool
From BHX 67
Germanic
"
scrap
Barrow
Kavak
"
bauxite
Newport
Norwegian
Tanker B
To Halifax to await orders
See ** below
Oakfield
British
Admiralty tanker
Liverpool
Olympos
Greek
sulphur
Garston
Sailed in HX 69
Patella
British
Admiralty tanker
Clyde
To BHX 69 - but crossed out
See * below
Politician
"
steel - copper - general - explosives
Holyhead / Liverpool
Robert F. Hand
"
Tanker W
To Halifax to await orders
See ** below
Norwegian
lead - lumber
Manchester
Silveray
British
general - aeroplanes - motorboats
Liverpool
* In the document for the Bermuda portion of the next convoy, HX 69, there's a note next to Anten and Patella saying simply "HX 68", which might indicate they both had sailed in HX 68 afterall(?) - see also A. Hague's listing below. Additionally, Varand is crossed out from that form, with the same note, and Tricula and Winamac, sailing in HX 69, are said to have come from HX 68.

** As can be seen from A. Hague's listing for this convoy below, he has not included Kongsgaard and Robert F. Hand; it's possible they proceeded to Halifax independently. According to this document showing Kongsgaard's voyages in this period, she sailed from Bermuda on Aug. 22, arriving Halifax on the 25th, and did not leave again until Sept. 26, joining Convoy HX 76. (She had been scheduled for the earlier Convoy HX 70, but again there's a note in the convoy document saying that she was to be held back in Halifax). Robert F. Hand does not show up again until HX 78.


Convoy HX 68 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Aug. 24-1940 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 8
(Arnold Hague gives 47 ships for the combined convoy in his "The Allied Convoy System").
Transcribed from a document received from Don Kindell, based on Arnold Hague's database (see ships in all HX convoys).

B = Ships joining from Bermuda
S = Ships joining from Sydney, C.B.

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Sw=Swedish, Am=American, Du=Dutch, Gr=Greek

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Anglo Indian
grain
(Br)
21
Silverfir
general
(Br)
31
Varand
petrol
(Br)
41
Ethel Radcliffe
grain
(Br)
51
Cornish City
steel
(Br)
61
Baron Newlands
timber
(Br)
71
Harbledown*
steel
(Br)
81
Tilsington Court
grain
(Br)
91
Sveve
dieso
(Norw)*
12
Kelso
general
(Br)
22
Baron Ogilvy
lumber
(Br)
32
Para
pig iron
(Norw)
42
Sovac
lub. oil
(Br)
52
Eleni
steel
(Gr)
62
Philipp M
pit props
(Br)
72
Mount Kitheron
pit props
(Gr)
82
Anten**
ore - copra
(Sw)
92 S
Photinia
iron ore
(Br)
13 S
Empire Mermaid*
steel - scrap metal
(Br)
23
Patella**
FFO
(Br)
33
Meandros
steel - scrap metal
(Gr)
43 S
Baron Haig
pit props
(Br)
53 S
Dorelian
general
(Br)
63 S
Annavore
lumber
(Norw)
73 S
Kenbane Head
general
(Br)
83 S
Mount Kassion
general
(Gr)
93 B
Athelbeach
molasses
(Br)
14 S
Nurturetown
steel - paper
(Br)
24 S
Mansepool
steel - lumber
(Br)
34 S
Batna
iron ore
(Br)
44 S
Varøy
lumber
(Norw)
54 S
Baltonhall
steel - paper
(Br)
64 S
Sulairia
general
(Br)
74 S
Manchester Progress
general
(Br)
84 B
Germanic
scrap iron
(Br)
94
15 B
British Governor
FFO
(Br)
25 B
Oakfield
FFO
(Br)
35 B
Abraham Lincoln
general
(Norw)
45 B
Politician
steel
(Br)
55 B
Silveray
general
(Br)
65 B
Kavak
bauxite
(Br)
75 B
Appalachee
aviation gas
(Br)
85 95
16 26 B
Clavella***
FFO
(Du)
36 B
Samuel Bakke
lead - lumber
(Norw)
46 B
Diplomat
steel - pulp - paper
(Br)
56 B
Athelqueen
molasses
(Br)
66 B
Californian
steel - scrap metal
(Am/MoWT 1940)
76 86 96
* Harbledown later joined up with the slow Convoy SC 2. Empire Mermaid had originally been scheduled for that convoy. Note also that there's a statement in connection with Convoy SC 2 saying that the Norwegian Balla and Havtor, which both sailed in SC 2, originally came from HX 68. (Adding Tricula and Winamac mentioned further up on this page, that's 4 ships we know of that were shceduled for this convoy but did not sail, in addition to those crossed out from the Bermuda portion - there may have been more).

** As can be seen, A. Hague has included both Anten and Patella, which are crossed out on the Advance Sailing Telegram. (A. Hague adds that Anten was chartered to the British Government on Nov. 9-1940).

*** Clavella is not listed in the Advance Sailing Telegram for the Bermuda portion.

* See Advance Sailing Telegram for HX 63,

Baron Ogilvy had been scheduled for HX 66 and possibly HX 67.


Notes:
The convoy arrived rendezvous on Sept. 5.

A. Hague names the following escorts for Convoy HX 68 (extracted from this list of HX convoy escorts received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Assiniboine - From 24/08/40 to 25/08/40
Aurania - From 24/08/40 to 04/09/40
Cairo - From 07/09/40 to 08/09/40
Fleur de Lys - From 07/09/40 to 08/09/40
French - From 24/08/40 to 25/08/40
Sageuenay - From 24/08/40 to 26/08/40
St. Laurent - From 07/09/40 to 08/09/40

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