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CONVOY HX 78
(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 78 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax on Oct. 4-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th (Arnold Hague says 32 ships).
Received, with thanks, from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

Nationalities have been added with the help of "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan.

Br=British, Du=Dutch, Gr=Greek, Sw=Swedish

B = Ships joining from Bermuda (sailed Oct. 2)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Framlington Court
steel - pit props
West Hartlepool
(Br)
21
Daldorch
steel
Methil
(Br)
31
Ruperra *

Goolistan
flour
Middlesbrough
(Br)
41
Standella
benzine
Manchester
(Br)
51
Nerissa
general
Liverpool
(Br)
61
Temple Inn
steel - general ev.
U.K.
(Br)
71
Holmbury
pig iron - steel
Liverpool
(Br)
81
Robert F. Hand
gas - kerosene
Avonmouth
(Br)
91
Ottinge
lumber
Barry Roads
(Br)
12
Llanover
steel
Hull
(Br)
22
Favorit *

Empire Progress
iron ore
Methil
(Br)
32
Manchester Explorer

Olynthus B
Adm. fuel
Clyde
(Br)
42
Whitford Point

Rothermere
steel - newsprint
U.K.
(Br)
52
Dakotian
general - general ev.
Clyde
(Br)
62
Caprella

King Robert
steel
Liverpool
(Br)
72
San Francisco
general
Liverpool
(Sw)
82
Kalani *

Boston City
general - general ev.
Swansea
(Br)
92
Pachesham?
paper
Avonmouth
13
Grainton
grain
Methil
(Br)
23 B
Hylton
sugar
Methil
(Br)
 33 43 B
Cape Breton
lumber - metal
Mersey
(Br)		 53
Silverpine
general
Liverpool
(Br)		 63
Carras
wheat
Manchester
(Gr)		 73
Manchester Merchant
general
(Br)		 83
Melmore Head
general
Belfast
(Br)		 93
Prins Willem II
general
Avonmouth
(Du)
14
Alcor
lumber
London
(Du)		 24 B
Nailsea Moor
lead - lumber
Methil
(Br)		 34 44 54 B
Shirvan
aviation spirits -
chloroform
Manchester
(Br)		 64 B
Tremoda
timber - lead
Manchester
(Br)		 74 84 94
Also in the Bermuda portion were the tankers James J. Maguire and San Roberto, but they did not join the main portion. San Roberto is listed in the next convoy (James J. Maguire shows up again in HX 84).
Additionally, Rushpool (wheat and lead for Clyde) was scheduled, but returnd to Halifax. Listed in SC 8.


Notes:
Commodore (name illegible) was in Nerissa, Vice Commodore (Captain D. I. Jenkins?) was in Daldorch.

The convoy had 30 ships in all, including ships from Bermuda and Sydney.

Shirvan and Standella had been cancelled from HX 76.

Ruperra, scrap iron for Glasgow is crossed out in station 31 - Goolistan has been moved from station 33 to replace her. Ruperra sailed in the next convoy, HX 79 (ref. link below) - sunk.
Favorit, Norwegian, lumber for Methil, is crossed out from station 22 - Empire Progress has been moved from station 23 to replace her, and the ships behind her moved up one station accordingly.
Kalani, pig iron for Barry Roads, is crossed out in station 82 - Boston City has been moved up from station 83 to replace her, and the ship behind her (Melmore Head) moved up one station (from 84 to 83) accordingly.
Note that Favorit and Kalani are both listed as sailing in Convoy SC 8.

* The commodore says about the above 3 ships:
Sent to Sydney on 5th Oct. - unable to keep up 8 knots. He adds: Shekatika, Sydney portion (not included in table above) sent back on 7th Oct. for the same reason - listed in the slow convoy, SC 7 - sunk. Beatus, sailing in Convoy SC 7, is also said to have come from HX 78.

Manchester Explorer, British, general cargo for Clyde, is crossed out in station 32 - Olynthus has been moved from station 34 to replace her.
Whitford Point, steel for Liverpool, is crossed out from station 42 - Rothermere has been moved from station 43 to replace her, and the ship behind her moved up one station accordingly. Whitford Point sailed in the next convoy - sunk.
A Dutch ship (name ellegible - looks like Bilderdijk, which sailed in HX 79 - sunk), general cargo for Liverpool, is crossed out from station 52 - Dakotian has been moved from station 53 to replace her, and the ships behind her moved up one station accordingly.
Caprella, fuel oil for Mersey, is crossed out in station 62 - King Robert has been moved from station 61 to replace her, and Temple Inn has been moved from station 63 to station 61. The 2 ships behind the latter (in 64 and 65) have been moved up one station accordingly. Caprella sailed in the next convoy - sunk.

Escorts: HMS Jervis Bay, from Halifax until 14:15 on Oct. 14 at which time the destroyers HMS Anthony and HMS Verity joined.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HX convoy in my list HX 79


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