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CONVOY MKS 28

Left Gibraltar on Oct. 23-1943, joined up with Convoy SL 138 from Freetown the next day and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 5.

Arnold Hague indicates that MKS 28 had started out in Alexandria on Oct. 14-1943, arriving Gibraltar on Oct. 23, having lost 2 ships to aircraft attack on the 21st - ref. second table on this page.

Transcribed from documents (Advance Sailing Telegram) received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Station numbers were obtained from a list of ships in Convoy MKS 28 received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research.

Ships in the combined convoy SL 138 / MKS 28 are named at this external website.

This first table shows the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy. As can be seen in the second table on this page, some of these ships had previously arrived with the Alexandria convoy.

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Station
Remarks
Empire Flame
British
iron ore
Middlesbrough
11
(See also MKS 27 - Alexandria convoy)
Kerma
"
pyrites
Garston
43
Hallfried
Norwegian
pyrites
Ardrossan
24
Sunk - see Hallfried
Kingsborough
British
iron ore
Barrow-in-Furness
Returned to Gibraltar
Joined MKS 29 - put into Casablanca
Kiruna
Swedish
iron ore
Dagenham
12
Empire Torridge
British
iron ore
Cardiff
23
Lisbeth
Norwegian
iron ore
Barrow-in-Furness
13
Becheville
British
pyrites
Hull
Listed in MKS 29
British Courage
"
ballast
Clyde
22
From MKS 27
Sutlej
"
general
Liverpool
33
From MKS 27
Fort Augustus
"
ballast
Cardiff
41
Sandown Castle
"
none given
Liverpool
31
City of Adelaide
"
none given
Hull
21
Ocean Vesper
"
none given
Barry Roads f. o.
Listed in MKS 29
Levernbank
"
none given
Manchester
42
Empire Jessica
"
iron ore
Sunderland
14
Spurt
Norwegian
general
Preston
32
Fort Maurepas
British
none given
Barry Roads f. o.
Manchester Commerce
"
none given
Manchester
51
Clan Macbrayne
"
none given
London
52
Tactician
"
none given
Liverpool
34
PLM 17
"
none given
Middlesbrough
54
Govert Flinck
Dutch
none given
Tyne
61
Empire Garrick
British
none given
Clyde
53
(See also MKS 27 - Alexandria convoy)
Baron Scott
"
none given
Middlesbrough
63
Elisabeth Dal
"
none given
Tyne
62


Escorts (received from Don Kindell, whose own work, covering "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website):
Oct. 23-Oct. 24:
Anthony, Barle, Bergamot, Bluebell, Bryony, La Malouine, Velox.


Malta, Oct. 18-1943

As mentioned, A. Hague says in his "The Allied Convoy System" that MKS 28 left Alexandria on Oct. 14-1943 and arrived Gibraltar on Oct. 23

Transcribed from the list of ships in MKS 28 received from Don Kindell - Source: A. Hague's own research.

Additional details have been added with the help of:
"Loyds War Losses", Vol I
"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan

As can be seen in the first table on this page, some of these ships subsequently proceeded to the U.K. with the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy.

Ship
Nationality
Voyage
Afghanistan
British
Malta to Philippeville
Anticline
American
Malta to Bizerta
Arthur Dobbs
"
Ary Lensen
British
Bizerta to Bougie
(Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Baltyk
Polish
Alexandria for U.K.
(Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Baron Scott
British
Algiers to U.K.
Belnor
Norwegian
Bizerta to Gibraltar
(Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
British Diligence
British
Alexandria to Malta
British Vigour
"
Alexandria to Bizerta
Chloris
"
Malta to Bizerta
Clan Macbrayne
"
Alexandria for U.K.
David L. Swain
American
Malta to Bizerta for U.S.A.
Dean Emery
Panamanian
Bone to Gibraltar
Elisabeth Dal
British
Oran to U.K.
Empire Garrick
"
Algiers to Gibraltar
Empire Sapphire
"
Alexandria to Malta
Empire Scout
"
Malta to Bizerta
Erinna
Dutch
Alexandria to Malta
Esso Charleston
American
Alexandria to Malta
Fort Frobisher
British
Malta to Algiers
Fort Grahame
"
Malta to Philippeville
Fort Mingan
"
Joined from Naples, possibly at Augusta
(A. Hague's own note)
Gleniffer
"
Alexandria to Malta for Taranto
Govert Flinck
Dutch
Bougie to U.K.
Harmattan
British
Algiers to Gibraltar
(Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
John P. Mitchell
American
Oran to Gibraltar
Lars Kruse
British (Ex Danish)
Malta to Algiers
Macoma
Dutch
unknown to Gibraltar
(Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Manchester Commerce
British
Alexandria to U.K.
Ocean Glory
"
Malta to Gibraltar
(Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Ocean Vulcan
"
Malta to Gibraltar
(Listed in MKS 30 to U.K.)
PLM 17
"
Oran to U.K.
Ronan
"
Malta to Bizerta
Salawati
Dutch
Alexandria to Malta for Taranto
Saltwick
British
Algiers to Gibraltar
(Sunk - See Notes below)
Schiaffino
French
Algiers to Oran
Sirehei
Norwegian
Oran to Gibraltar
(Listed in MKS 29 to U.K.)
Tactician
British
Algiers to Gibraltar
Temple Yard
"
Malta to Bizerta / Bizerta to Algiers
(Listed in MKS 30 to U.K.)
Tivives
American
Algiers to Oran
(Sunk - See Notes below)
William Wilkins
"
Bone to Algiers

Notes:
The British Saltwick, on a voyage from Algiers to Gibraltar in ballast, carrying 900 Red Cross parcels, was torpedoed and sunk by German aircraft on Oct. 21-1943. She had a crew of 41 and 10 gunners, all of whom were saved, according to "Lloyd's War Losses", while R. W. Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" says 1 was killed, 51 survived.

The American Tivives, on a voyage from Algiers to Oran with 1750 tons of refrigerated cargo, was also sunk by aircraft that day. She had a crew of 80, 2 of whom were killed.

Note that Belnor is said to have shot down one of the aircraft that attacked the convoy - see my page about Belnor. The dates are a little different, but this could simply be a matter of different time zones used in the report.

Escorts:
Oct. 14-Oct. 21: Bergamot.
Oct. 14-Oct. 23: Bluebell, Bryony, La Malouine.
Oct. 20-Oct. 23: Barle.


Related external links:
SL, HG and MKS and MKF convoys - In Chronological order. The MKS and MKF convoys start on this page for 1942, while the 1943 convoys are listed on this page.

SL & SL / MKS convoys - SL 138 / MKS 28 is included.

Liberty Ships - Alphabetical list.
This site has more details on the "Fort" and "Ocean" ships sailing this convoy.
Empire Ships - Listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section covering the Liberty ships.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next MKS convoy in my list MKS 29


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