Convoy ON 1 (U.K.-Norway 1939)

The convoy consisted of the following ships, all British:

Warlaby - cargo of manganese ore for Sauda (convoy guide)
Folda - cargo of coal and general for Bergen
Majorca for Trondheim
Glen Tilt - cargo of coke for Aalvik
Treworlas - cargo and destination not known.

Convoy speed was 7 knots at first, but when the weather worsened in the afternoon of Nov. 5, developing into a SE gale during the night, the speed dropped to less than 5 knots. At 09:30 on Nov. 6 course was altered to 070° in order to reach Aspø fjord before nightfall on the 7th. However, the weather improved during the afternoon of Nov. 6, enabling ships to sail at 8 knots during the night, and the convoy dispersed at Aspø fjord at 07:30 on Nov. 7.

Warlaby lost a lifeboat during the night of Nov. 6/7, and had to heave to for a while during the following afternoon to secure a hatch. Escorts Tartar and Curlew also had boats damaged.

Large expanses of oil were observed in 57 47N 01 22W, where Somali reported the destruction of a Uboat on Oct. 31. However, this Uboat was apparently not sunk - see my text for this Narvik-Methil Convoy.
3 depth charges were dropped, following a contact obtained at 14:40 on Nov. 5, in approximate position 58 18N 01 20W, but was later believed to have been a wreck.

Escort Vessels (met off Methil at 17:00 Nov. 4).
HMS Somali, HMS Ashanti, HMS Tartar and HMS Fame provided close escort, Fame being relieved at 17:00 on Nov. 5 by HMS Punjabi, while Fame proceeded to Scapa. During the night, Somali was stationed ahead of the convoy as guide, with a destroyer on each flank and one astern.
HMS Curlew joined at 08:10 on Nov. 5, zig-zagging astern of convoy as A.A. escort.
HMS Edinburgh was sighted at 13:00 on Nov. 6, and acted as covering force. At 07:00 on that same day, Ashanti was detached to Sullom Voe, with a defect in her evaporator system. For additional info, see this document, listing escorts for all HN and ON convoys.

Aa–Al	An–Ar	As–Av	Ba	Be	Bi–Bl	Bo	Br–Bu	C	D
E	F	G	Ha	He	Hi–Hy	Hø	I	J	K
L	M	N	O	PQ	R	Sa–Sc	Se–Sj	Sk–Sn	So
Sp–St	Su–Sø	Ta–Te	Th–Ti	To	Tr–Tø	U	V	W	Ø