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CONVOY ON 202 & ONS 18
Convoy ON 202 departed Liverpool at 11:00 on Sept. 15-1943 and arrived New York on Oct. 1
(Reports give 42 ships).
Commodore's Report is available on next page
See also several other reports on passage
as well as Page 4
This list of ships in Convoy ON 202 was received from Olaf Evertse, Holland (whose father served on the Dutch Curacao) - His Source: National Archives and Records Administration, Washington. Some of the station numbers were extracted from a list of ships received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database. See the section listing Ships in all ON convoys. Olaf's information has been supplemented by Report of Proceedings by Commodore, received from Doug McLean, Canada - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. Other sources used for the information on this page: As can be seen from the station numbers, this convoy had 10 columns and 5 rows. By going to one of the convoys for which I have given a cruising order (for instance, ON 20) it's possible to see what this convoy looked like (except for the number of rows). Also, a blank convoy form is available for download from Mike's Holdoway's website; just take away 2 columns and 1 row, then place the ships in their appropriate stations. For info, some of the ships in this convoy had previously arrived the U.K. with Convoy HX 251, others with HX 252 and HX 253. See also HX 254 and SC convoys from the same time period. |
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Ship
|
Nationality
|
Station
|
Destination
|
Remarks
|
Theodore Dwight Weld
|
American
|
21
|
New York
|
Sunk - details below
|
Eugene Field
|
"
|
13
|
New York
|
|
James Smith
|
"
|
31
|
New York
|
See * in Notes
|
Frederick Douglass
|
"
|
11
|
New York
|
Sunk - details below
|
Alcoa Leader
|
"
|
22
|
New York
|
|
James Gordon Bennett
|
"
|
34
|
New York
|
Damaged - details below
|
Edmund Fanning
|
"
|
81
|
New York
|
|
Daniel Drake
|
"
|
23
|
New York
|
|
Casimir Pulaski
|
"
|
14
|
Boston
|
Arrived Sept. 30
|
Alcoa Cutter
|
"
|
54
|
Boston
|
See also Convoy RU 89
|
Esso Concord
|
"
|
83
|
Point Breeze, Del.
|
|
G. Harrison Smith
|
"
|
43
|
New York
|
Joined at 08:00 Sept. 16
|
Wallace E. Pratt
|
"
|
72
|
New York
|
|
Axtell J. Byles
|
"
|
73
|
New York
|
|
Esso Montpelier
|
"
|
64
|
New York
|
|
Cavina
|
British
|
82
|
Halifax
|
Arrived Sept. 28
|
Empire Mist
|
"
|
12
|
Halifax
|
Arrived Sept. 28
|
Rathlin
|
"
|
44
|
Halifax
|
Rescue Vessel - Arrived Sept. 28
|
Fort Jemseg
|
"
|
94
|
New York
|
Sunk - details below
|
Cairnvalona
|
"
|
101
|
St. John's
|
Arrived Halifax Sept. 28
|
Tilapa
|
"
|
41
|
Halifax
|
Arrived Sept. 28
|
Dorelian
|
"
|
84
|
St. John's
|
Arrived Halifax Sept. 28
|
San Cirilo
|
"
|
62
|
New York
|
|
Empire Cavalier
|
"
|
32
|
Marcus Hook, Del Capes
|
Oct. 1
Vice Commodore |
San Adolfo
|
"
|
42
|
New York
|
Escort oiler
|
Norwegian
|
84
later 103 |
Halifax
|
Sunk - follow link
|
|
Leerdam
|
Dutch
|
92
|
Halifax
|
Arrived Sept. 28
|
Waterland
|
"
|
51
|
New York
|
|
Westland
|
"
|
61
|
New York
|
Commodore Vessel
|
Curacao
|
"
|
33
|
New York
|
|
Norwegian
|
91
|
New York
|
|
|
"
|
71
|
New York
|
Joined at sea Sept. 17
See report |
|
Godafoss
|
Icelandic
|
24
|
New York
|
See also Convoy RU 89
|
Fjallfoss
|
"
|
93
|
New York
|
See also Convoy RU 89
|
Norwegian
|
102
|
New York
|
Sunk - follow link
|
|
"
|
63
|
Wilmington
|
Escort oiler
|
|
"
|
74
|
Claymont
|
|
|
"
|
52
|
New York
|
|
|
"
|
53
|
Baltimore
|
|
|
Clam
|
British
|
45
|
|
Unable to keep up - returned to port, Sept. 17
|
Additionally, the Commodore mentions the Norwegian Lista and the British Empire Marvell in his notes (bringing the total number of ships to 42). The former, in station 55, cracked a circulator pump cylinder and returned to port, the latter, in station 35, returned to Clyde, reason unknown. |
Convoy ON 202 made contact with Convoy ONS 18 on Sept. 20
(Estimated time of arrival splitting point: 15:00Z Sept. 25)
Convoy ONS 18
Departed Liverpool on Sept. 12-1943 |
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Names of ships have been picked out from misc. reports, as well as from a list of ships received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database - see Ships in all ONS convoys. |
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Ship
|
Nationality
|
Station
|
Destination
|
Remarks
|
Steel Voyager
|
American
|
11
|
New York
|
Sunk - details below
|
Norwegian
|
62
|
New York
|
||
Wisla
|
Polish
|
21
|
New York
|
Rescued survivors from Itchen
|
West Nilus
|
American
|
51
|
New York
|
Commodore Vessel
|
Empire Macalpine
|
British (MAC)
|
43
|
Halifax
|
|
Beaconstreet
|
British
|
52
|
Halifax
|
Escort Oiler
|
Kingman
|
Panamanian
|
63
|
Halifax
|
Rescued survivors from Oregon Express
See link above |
Floridian
|
American
|
31
|
New York
|
Mentioned in Appendix II
|
Alabaman
|
"
|
22
|
New York
|
|
Antietam
|
"
|
54
|
Halifax
|
|
Atlantic
|
Panamanian
|
73
|
New York
|
|
Bayou Chico
|
American
|
41
|
New York
|
|
Beauregard
|
"
|
24
|
New York
|
|
Bonaire
|
Dutch
|
81
|
Sydney, C.B.
|
|
Chester Valley
|
American
|
13
|
New York
|
|
Delmar
|
"
|
23
|
Halifax
|
|
Eleni
|
Greek
|
71
|
Halifax
|
|
Empire Activity
|
British
|
74
|
Botwood
|
|
Gulf of Mexico
|
American
|
32
|
New York
|
|
H. M. Flagler
|
Panamanian
|
53
|
New York
|
|
Leonidas N. Condylis
|
Greek
|
82
|
Halifax
|
|
Nashaba
|
American
|
61
|
New York
|
|
Norwegian
|
83
|
Sydney, C.B.
|
|
|
"
|
12
|
New York
|
|
|
Van de Velde
|
Dutch
|
72
|
Halifax
|
|
Wanderer
|
British
|
33
|
New York
|
|
Winkleigh
|
"
|
14
|
New York
|
|
Commodore for ONS 18 was H.C. Forsyth R.D., R.N.R., in West Nilus. Escorts: A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of ONS convoy escorts, received from Don Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year. Don's own work, covering "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website): |
Notes - Convoy ON 202: The Commodore says about his ship Westland that she was a "Very good ship. Signalling arrangements excellent. No echo-sounding machine and no D/F were disadvantages". Cavina, Dorelian, Empire Mist, Rathlin, Tilapa, Cairnvalona, and Leerdam parted company for Halifax at 08:30 on Sept. 28 in 42 51N 61 07W. Alcoa Cutter and Casimir Pulaski left for Boston at midnight Sept. 28/29. Empire Cavalier - signal mast requires lengthening at least 10 ?, can only just hoist a 4-flag hoist. Escorts (from misc. reports): From the Commodore's Notes: From A. Hague's database, for comparison (extracted from this list of ON convoy escorts, received from Don Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year): Ships sunk Sept. 20 - incl. escort vessels: Frederick Douglass, on a voyage from Avonmouth for NewYork in ballast, was sunk by U-645 (Ferro), damaged earlier by U-238 (Hepp). She had a crew of 40, 29 gunners and 1 female stowaway - There were no casualties, survivors were picked up by Rescue Vessel Rathlin, see reports on subsequent pages. Theodore Dwight Weld, on a voyage from Manchester for New York in ballast, was sunk by U-238. She had a crew of 70 and 28 gunners - 20 crew and 13 gunners killed. Some survivors were picked up by Rathlin - see subsequent pages. HMS Polyanthus (built 1940, 925 tons) was sunk by U-952 (Hocking says 84 were lost, incl. Lt. J. G. Aitken [picked up by Itchen, died when that ship was sunk] 6 other officers and 77 ratings). See also external link provided below. Ships sunk on the 23rd: M/S Skjelbred was also sunk by U-238. See Skjelbred. Fort Jemseg, on a voyage from Hull and Loch Ewe for New York in ballast, was also sunk by U-238. She had a crew of 54, 1 of whom was killed. Survivors were picked up by Northern Foam and the Norwegian Romulus. Itchen was sunk by U-666 (Engel). According to Charles Hocking 14 officers were lost, including Commander C. E. Bridgman.134 ratings died, as did 5 officers and 75 ratings rescued from St. Croix. (3 survivors were picked up by Polish Wisla*, 1 of whom was from St. Croix). Steel Voyager (Convoy ONS 18), on a voyage from Liverpool for New York in ballast, was sunk by U-952 (Curio). She had a crew of 39 and 27 armed guard, all of whom survived and were picked up by Renoncule and Morden.
Ships damaged: The American James Gordon Bennett was damaged by U-952, Sept. 23. The combined convoy was turned over to HMCS Richmond, Senior Officer of Groups WI and W6 at WESTOMP at 11.00 on Sept. 25-1943. Related external links: HMCS St. Croix - includes link to a downloadable casualty list (PDF file), a survivor account, and an account on the loss of the ship. Excerpts from "In Peril on the Sea" Commodore's report is available on next page To the next ON convoy in my list ON 203 For details on the next ONS convoy, ONS 19, |
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