Notes:
Commodore was in Lindenhall (Captain Wainford)
Vice Commodore was in Imperial Monarch
Alex continued to Tyne, Nov. 1-1939
Carperby continued to Middlesbrough, Nov. 1
Starcross continued to Southend and Cardiff, Nov. 1
Creekirk continued to Middlesbrough, Nov. 1
Cree continued to Middlesbrough, Nov. 1.

All ships were for Methil, except Imperial Monarch and Albuera, which were routed to the west coast, escorted by HMS Fame.

Hetton and Thomas Walton had also been scheduled for this convoy, but had not finished loading in time to sail. They are both listed as sailing in Convoy HN 1, Nov. 4.

The ships, loaded with ore, had been told to await an escort in Narvik. Because of the absence in the Western Approaches of the Home Fleet flotillas, escort could not be provided until Oct. 26, when the 12 ships sailed, covered by Aurora and Edinburgh, and escorted by 4 destroyers of the 6th Flotilla. The Home Fleet went out to provide additional cover for the convoy on Oct. 28, as there was reason to believe its departure had been reported to the Germans.

All ships were in sight when escorts arrived at 10:00 on Oct. 26, but the convoy was not formed up and ready to sail until 12:00. Speed, according to Captain Wainford of Lindenhall, was 7 1/2 knots. However, the convoy proceeded at only 5 1/2 knots for the first night after having met the escorts, partly due to bad weather, partly owing to the low speed of Albuera, but 7 1/2 knots was maintained throughout the rest of the voyage.

Somali obtained a submarine* contact at 00:05 on Oct. 31 in 57 47N 1 22W, but no attacks occurred on the convoy. According to a report written by the captain of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla (name illegible), the sub was less fortunate, in that it was subsequently "hunted to destruction" (see also my text for Convoy ON 1). However, according to Uboat.net, the Uboat was not sunk - see this external page.

*Jan-Olof, Sweden has told me that this was almost certainly U-13 (Karl Daublebsky von Eichhain) whose KTB reports the following:

"31.10.39 AN 1863 0004- 16 + 7 Wabodetonationen, spürbar im Boot" (the boat felt the detonations).

AN 1863 equates to 57°51.00 N 1°24.00 W, i.e. very close to the position quoted by Somali.

As mentioned, 2 of the 12 ships were escorted to Cape Wrath by 1 of the destroyers, while the rest went to Methil, with arrival on Oct. 31.

Escorts:
HMS Somali, HMS Ashanti, HMS Tartar and HMS Fame arrived off Tranøy Light (off Narvik) at 10:00 (zone-1) on Oct. 26. When on passage up Vestfjord, a trawler (PG 459) had been seen passing inside territorial waters, heading seawards, flying a large Swastika flag. Ashanti was instructed to keep a lookout for this trawler, but rejoined the convoy before dusk as nothing further was seen of her. HMS Edinburgh formed a covering force outside the fjord. For additional info, see this document, listing escorts for all HN and ON convoys.

See also the text under Oct. 22 on this external page, which also has some escort information for this convoy (referred to as NV 1 at this site).

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