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CONVOY HX 72
(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 72 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Sept. 9-1940, dispersed Sept. 21 (Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" says 47 ships)
This convoy form was received from Alan Shard. See his own story at The Loss of the Putney Hill. Alan's story can also be found on Maureen Venzi's website. (Please note that the reference to the Norwegian whale factory Empire Alonzo is incorrect, it should be N. T. Nielsen-Alonso)
The information re ships joining from Bermuda (denoted B), which left on Sept. 8, was received from Tony Cooper, England (his source: Public Records Office, Kew)

Details on ships sunk and casualties have been added with the help of:
"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer.

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Du=Dutch, Pol=Polish, Gr=Greek, Am=American. s=sunk, dam=damaged, †=dead.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Snar
(Norw)
21
Harlingen
(Br)
31
Simla
s - 5†
(Norw)
41
Frederick S. Fales
s - 20†
(Br)
51
Tregarthen
(Br)
61
Leighton
(Br)
71
Tresilian
(Br)
 81
Gloucester City
(Br)
91
Empire Airman
s - 32†
(Br)
12
Soemba
(Du)
22
Urla
(Br)
32
Leadgate
(Br)
42 B
Torinia
Clyde
s - 5? 0?†
(Br)
52
Canonesa
s - 1†
(Br)
62
Dalcairn
s - 0†
(Br)
72
Zagloba
(Pol)
 82
Eastern Glade
(Am)
92
Morska Wola
(Pol)
13
Nyanza
(Br)
23
Selvistan
(Br)
 33
Ullapool
(Br)		 43 B
Venetia
Clyde (lay up)
(Br)		 53
Pacific Grove
(Br)		 63 B
Scholar
general
Manchester
s - 0†
(Br)		 73 B
Losada
beans - sugar - metal
Liverpool
(Br)		 83
Bur
(Norw)		 93 B
Elmbank
lumber - metal
Belfast
s - 1†
(Br)
14 B
Broompark
lumber - metal
Grangemouth
dam - 1†
(Br)		 24
Muneric
(Br)		 34
Janeta
(Br)		 44 B
Putney Hill
lead - lumber
Tyne
(Br)		 54 B
Collegian
cotton - steel - lumber
Belfast f. o.
dam
(Br)		 64
Oakcrest
(Br?)		 74 B
El Aleto
Manchester
(Br)		 84
Mount Kyllene
(Gr)		 94
Hardanger
(Norw)
15 B
Invershannon
Scapa
s - 16†
(Br)		 25
Mammy
(Norw)		 35
Tudor Prince
phospahtes
Aberdeen
(Br)		 45
Blairangus
s - 7†
(Br)		 55 B
Defender
general - steel
Belfast / Liverpool
(Br)		 65 75 85 95
Baron Blythswood?
s - 34†
Invershannon?
(Br)
Also listed in the Advance Sailing Telegram for the Bermuda portion (but not included on the A 1 form) are:
Adamas - bauxite for Newport. This Greek ship is also listed in the AST for Convoy SC 5, but with a note saying "Shown as sailed in HX 72, Bermuda"
Chesapeake - with a note saying "to return to Halifax".
Empire Unity - "to return to Halifax"
Geo. W. McKnight - "to return to Halifax"
Circe Shell is listed as cancelled from the Bermuda portion - sailed in HX 73

Additionally, according to the notes for Convoy SC 3, Nolisement, cancelled from that convoy, was sent to HX 72. She obviously did not sail, as she's also listed as cancelled from HX 73 - sailed in HX 74.
Also, notes for Convoy SC 4 state that Ingertre, Amicus, Lab, and Brask in that convoy had originally been scheduled for HX 72, and that the Norwegian Bolette (also listed in SC 4) also shows up in the AST for the Sydney, C.B. portion of HX 72.
Note also that Selvistan (in station 23 above) had originally been scheduled for SC 4 - steel and scrap for Hull.


Notes:
Commodore H.H. Rogers was in Tregarthen.

Blairangus, 1825 fathoms of pitprops, was sunk on Sept. 21 by U-48.
Baron Blythswood - sunk on Sept. 21 by U-99.
Canonesa, 7265 tons of refrigerated goods and general, sunk on Sept. 21 by U-100.
Dalcairn, 8000 tons wheat, sunk on Sept. 21 by U-100.
Elmbank, cargo of timber and metals, damaged Sept. 21 by U-47, shelled by U-99 and U-47, on fire, then torpedoed by U-99.
Invershannon, 13 241 tons FFO, sunk on Sept. 21 by U-99 (Rohwer says she was damaged on that date, sunk the next day by same U-boat).
Torinia, 13 815 tons tons FFO, sunk on Sept. 21 by U-100.
Broompark, damaged on Sept. 21 by U-48.
Empire Airman, damaged on Sept. 22 by U-100.
Scholar, torpedoed on Sept. 22 by U-100, sank on Sept. 24.
Frederick S. Fales, sunk on Sept. 22 by U-100.
Simla - sunk on Sept. 22 by U-100 (follow the link for more details).
Collegian, damaged on Sept. 22 by U-32.

Morska Wola was the formerly Norwegian Rio Negro, sold to Poland in 1939. Note that all the Norwegian ships listed in this convoy are discussed on this website - see the alphabet index at the bottom of this page.

Names of escorts for HX 72 are given at the first 2 external websites below.

Related external links:
Convoy HX 72 & U-100 - this website also has a section with more info on cargo, destination and number of crew of the Ships Lost and Damaged as well as post war fates of the ships that survived the war. Additionally, it lists the names of the 116 allied merchant seamen who were killed in the attack on HX 72 on the Memorial Page - The men who died.
HX 72 - Uboat.net's account of the battle.
Patrols of U-47
Allied Ships hit by U-boats - By entering the name of each ship attacked in this convoy, more details are available.

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