Transcribed from original documents received from Tony Cooper (Advance Sailing Telegram) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
The station numbers and names of escorts have been extracted from documents recived from Don Kindell, based on Arnold Hague's database - see ships in all SC convoys.

Further details have been added with the help of:
"The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague
"Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer
"The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan.
"Lloyd's War Losses", Vol I.

On the documents, there's a note saying:
"Consequent holding of convoys at assembly ports owing to ocean raider, following will sail together and rendezvous on Nov. 22.

Former rendezvous dates:
SC 11 - Nov. 18
HX 85 - Nov. 12 (final destination fixed but not communicated)
HX 86 (Halifax) - Nov. 16
HX 86 (Sydney) - Nov. 16
HX 87 (Bermuda) - Nov. 20" (see also BHX 87, external link)

The "raider" in question was Admiral Scheer - see Convoy HX 84.

Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned to port (except those that are linked, which will automatically be underlined - the Norwegian Gulhaug, however, did return).

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

Notes:
Commodore was Vice Admiral F. M. Austin in Llandilo, Vice Commodore was in Yearby.

Ships sunk (dates are according to German time):
Justitia, on a voyage from Savannah, GA for London with 5161 tons of lumber, 2248 tons steel, 40 tons turps, and 300 tons sundries, was sunk shortly after midnight, Nov. 23 by U-100. She had a crew of 38 and 1 gunner - 13 crew died.

Bradfyne, on a voyage from Montreal for Belfast with 7900 tons of grain, was sunk later that morning, also by U-100 - she had a crew of 43 - 39 died; the survivors were rescued by the Norwegian Norse King on Nov. 25.

Bruse, on a voyage from Nelson N.B. for Ipswich with 1550 tons of lumber, was also torpedoed by U-100 that morning - see my page about Bruse.

The Dutch Ootmarsum, on a voyage for Newport with a cargo of iron ore, was sunk by the same U-boat that morning. All 25 on board perished.

U-100 also sank the Norwegian Salonica, on a voyage from Pugwash for Newcastle with 3400 tons of pit props. My page about Salonica has more details.

Leise Mærsk, on a voyage from Three Rivers for Sharpness with 4500 tons of grain and general, was sunk later that morning by the same U-boat. She had a crew of 24 - 17 died.

That evening, U-100 sank the Dutch Bussum, on a voyage from Montreal for Belfast with 5200 tons of grain. All 29 on board survived.

Alma Dawson, on a voyage from Montreal for Ipswich with 5900 tons of general cargo, struck a British mine on Nov. 24 - all 35 on board survived and were picked up by the Norwegian Spurt.

The convoy arrived rendezvous on Nov. 22.

Escorts (extracted from this list of SC convoy escorts, based on Arnold Hague's database, received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Enchantress - From 09/11/40 to 26/11/40
Ottawa - From 21/11/40 to 26/11/40
Rodney - From 12/11/40 to 15/11/40
Saguenay - From 21/11/40 to 26/11/40
Skeena - From 21/11/40 to 26/11/40
St. Laurent - From 21/11/40 to 24/11/40

Related external link:
Allied ships hit by U-boats - By entering the name of each ship sunk, more information on the attacks is available.

Back to Convoy Index