Transcribed from A 1 form received from Robert Martin, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

For info, there was also a faster convoy, MKF 9, which had left Algiers on Febr. 17-1943, arrived Clyde on the 24th.

The date given on the A 1 form is March 6-1943. Additional ships are named at the end of this table.

Br=British, Am=American, Norw=Norwegian, Fr=French, Bel=Belgian,

* Just for info, Ashantian joined Convoy ONS 3 the following month and was sunk (Ingerfire was sunk after having lost touch with Convoy ONS 2 - see Ingerfire).

Comparing the above with a list of ships in Convoy MKS 9 received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research, I find that A. Hague does not mention the following:
Serula, Shuna, Prometheus, Lewis Luckenbach, Ville de Djidjelli, Penshurst, Turkistan and Finistere, nor the 3 ships that are crossed out on the form above.

On the other hand, A. Hague has added the following ships (station numbers are not given):
Dutch Antonia (Bone to Algiers)
British Ary Lensen
British Avristan
British Benledi
British British Chivalry
British Carlton
American Carter Braxton
American Charles Carroll
British Cochrane
British Coombe Hill
British David Livingstone
British Empire Buckler
British Empire Elaine
British Empire Foam (Bone to Algiers)
British Empire Gale (CAM ship)
British Empire Guinevere
British Empire Haven
British Empire Heywood
British Empire Shearwater
British Ernebank
Greek Evinos
British Fort Gibraltar
British Fort Reliance
British Glenogle
British Glenstrae
British Incomati
French Jamaique (see also MKS 8)
American John Hathorn (Oran to Gibraltar)
British Manchester Citizen
British Manchester Commerce
Norwegian Norelg
British Ocean Angel
British Ocean Fame
British Ocean Pilgrim
British Ocean Stranger
British Orient City
Belgian Prince de Liege
British Rhesus
Norwegian Selvik (Philippeville to Algiers)
British Thistledale
Norwegian Torfinn Jarl (Bone to Oran)
British Troilus
Norwegian Troubadour
British Urlana
American Winston Salem (Oran to Gibraltar)

A doucment received from T. Cooper (from the Public Records Office, Kew) states the following:
"The sailing of MKS 9 was immediately known to the Germans from radio intercepts and the message was passed on the evening of 8 March to U-boats in the area. On the following day four boats (U-410, U-103, U-107, U-445) of Group Robbe were ordered to form a scouting line athwart the convoy's anticipated rout at about latitude 41 30N. On 12 March the convoy was reported by reconnaisance aircraft to the west of Portugal. At 18:52 GMT that day U-410 picked up the convoy on her hydrophones. The U-boat surfaced at 19:31 and an hour later sighted the silhouette of an escort destroyer, which turned towards U-410, forcing her to dive. No depth charge attack followed, however, and the U-boat resurfaced at 01:52 on 13 March when the coast was clear. She was then ordered to operate with U-107 against OS 44 (external link), which had also been reported on 12 March by reconnaisance aircraft". (U-107 went on to sink several ships from Convoy OS 44).

Escorts (also received from Don Kindell, whose own work, which covers "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website):
March 4: Acute.
March 4- March 8: Atherstone, Brocklesby, Kathiawar, Kumaon Man o'War, Moosejaw, Quantock.
March 6: Lady Hogarth.
March 8-March 18: Battleford, Kenogami, Napanee, Shediac, St. Croix.
March 9-March 18: Baddeck, Fort York, Prescott, Qualicum, Regina, Wedgeport.

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.

Liberty Ships - Alphabetical list (some of the ships listed as American in this convoy, were Liberty Ships).

This site has more on the the "Fort" and "Ocean" ships mentioned in this convoy.
Empire Ships - Also listed in alphabetical order. The site also has a section listing the Liberty ships.

Back to Convoy Index