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CONVOY SC 27

HMS Salopian's report is available on Page 2

Convoy SC 27 Cruising Order
Departed Halifax at 10:00 on March 30-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 18 (Arnold Hague agrees w/29 ships).
Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (his source: Public Records Office, Kew).

Crossed out ships did not sail.

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Gr=Greek, Po=Polish, Du=Dutch, Am=American

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Antonio
wheat
Loch Ewe
(Br)
21
Starstone
steel - general
Loch Ewe
(Br)
31
Flaminian
sugar - rum
Loch Ewe
(Br)
41
Blairdevon
steel - lumber
London
(Br)
51
Pacific Grove
general
Liverpool
(Br)
61
Clam
fuel oil
Scapa
(Br)
71
Cape Race
steel
Clyde
(Br)
81
Dimitrios Inglessis
grain
Barry Roads
(Gr)
91
Anna Bulgari
grain
Barry Roads
(Gr)
12
Alex
grain
Loch Ewe
(Br)
22
Caspia
gasoline
Loch Ewe
(Br)
32
Karlander
pit props
Loch Ewe
(Norw)
42
Manatee
steel - scrap
Loch Ewe
(Am / Br 1941)
52
Marit
oil fuel
Clyde
(Norw)
62
Spinanger
fuel oil
Liverpool
(Norw)
72
Wisla
general
Liverpool
(Po)
82
Berto
pit wood
Barry Roads
(Norw)
92
Rokos Vergottis
steel - lumber
Barry Roads
(Gr)
13
Empire Scout
bauxite
Loch Ewe
(Br)
23
Icarion
steel - scrap iron
Loch Ewe
(Gr)
33
Favorit
steel - scrap
Loch Ewe
sunk
(Norw)
43
Campus
steel - lumber
Hull
(Br)
53
Sildra
fuel oil
Clyde
(Norw)
63
Joannis
phosphates
Glasgow
(Gr)
73
Panaghis
wheat
Manchester
(Gr)
83
Theoskepasti
grain
Barry Roads
(Gr)
93
Groenlo
lumber
U.K.
(Du)
14
Frumenton
grain
Loch Ewe
(Br)
24
Elisabeth Lensen
wheat
Loch Ewe
(Br)
34 44
Finnanger
Adm. fuel
Clyde
(Norw)
54
Dimitrios G. Thermiotis
steel
Clyde
(Gr)
64
Buccinum
diesel oil
Manchester
(Norw)
74
Kalypso Vergotti
phosphate
Avonmouth
(Gr)
84 94
15 25 35 45 55 65
Avra
grain
Manchester
(Gr)
75 85 95
Note that the Advance Sailing Telegram lists additional ships as scheduled, that are not included in this A 1 form.
Groenlo is not mentioned in the AST - also cancelled from SC 28, joined SC 29 (returned to Halifax).

The Rescue Vessel Copeland was also with this convoy for a while. She was on her 4th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with Convoy OB 306 on Apr. 4-1941, detached Apr. 9, then joined SC 27 from Reykjavik on Apr 13, to Clyde Apr. 18. She had landed 46 survivers from the British Dunstan in Reykjavik, this ship having been sunk by aircraft while in OB 306 on Apr. 6. ("Convoy Rescue Ships", Arnold Hague).


Cruising Order - Apr. 12
The convoy was reorganised several times (by Commodore). This table shows formation before departure of Ocean Escort at 09:30 Zone+2 on Apr. 12.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Antonio
21
Starstone
31
Campus
41
Blairdevon
51
Pacific Grove
61
Clam
71
Wisla
81
Cape Race
91
Rokos Vergottis
12
Alex
22
Caspia
32
Karlander
42
Flaminian
52
62
Finnanger
72
Dimitrios Inglessis
82
Dimitrios G. Thermiotis
92
Kalypso Vergotti
13
Empire Scout
23
Icarion
33
Elisabeth Lensen
43
Spinanger
53 63
Joannis
73
Panaghis
83
Berto
93
Avra
14 24 34 44
Frumenton
54 64
Marit
74
Theoskepasti
84 94
The Norwegian Favorit had parted company - see report on Page 2.

Advance Sailing Telegram

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Flaminian
British
sugar - rum
Newcastle
From SC 24
Manatee
American / MoWT 1941
steel - scrap iron
Methil d.g. / Middlesbrough
(Renamed Empire Waterhen)
From SC 26
Listed in SC 28
Norwegian
Tanker B
River Mersey
From SC 26
Listed in SC 28
Empire Scout
British
bauxite
Burntisland
From SC 25
Joannis
Greek
phosphates
Glasgow
Elisabeth Lensen
British
grain
Newcastle
From SC 26
Icarion
Greek
steel - scrap iron
Ardrossan
From SC 26
Antonio
British
grain
Hull
Dimitrios Inglessis
Greek
grain
Avonmouth
From HX 117
Frumenton
British
grain
London
Blairdevon
"
steel - lumber
London
From SC 26
Theoskepasti
Greek
grain
Avonmouth
Alex
British
grain
Leith
Panaghis
Greek
grain
Manchester
Norwegian
Tanker B
Clyde
"
Adm tanker B
Liverpool
From SC 26
"
Adm. tanker B
Clyde
Listed in SC 28
Campus
British
steel - lumber
Hull
Anna Bulgari
Greek
grain
Barry Docks
Listed in SC 28
Rokos Vergottis
"
steel - lumber
Barry Docks / Swansea
Clam
British
Adm. Tanker B
Scapa
From HX 117
Starstone
"
general
London
From HX 117
Vice Commodore
Matronna
Greek
grain
Sharpness
Listed in SC 28
Cape Race
British
steel - explosives - special
Manchester
Wisla
Polish
general
Liverpool
Norwegian
pit props
Barry Docks
"
pit props
Hull
From SC 23
Caspia
British
Tanker W
London
Dimitrios G. Thermiotis
Greek
steel
Newport
Navarino
British
phosphates - expl. - special
Avonmouth
Listed in SC 28
Avra
Greek
grain
Liverpool
West Saginaw
American / MoWT 2/1941
phosphates - expl. - special
Birkenhead
(Renamed Empire Cougar)
See also SC 30
Norwegian
steel - scrap
Hull
From SC 26
Sunk - Follow link to Favorit
"
Adm tanker B.D.
Milford Haven / Devonport
From HX 115
Pacific Grove
British
general - special
Liverpool
From HX 118
Commodore Vessel
Kalypso Vergotti
Greek
phosphates
Avonmouth
From SC 24

Notes:
Commodore, C. D. Burke was in Pacific Grove, Vice Commodore was the captain of Starstone.
Clyde Commodore: Cape Race.

The convoy had 29 ships, 28 of which were present at rendezvous, the Norwegian Favorit having dropped out at 14:20 on Apr. 7 with disabled steering gear, 48 29N 40 58W - time and position according to the Commodore's notes. Salopian's report gives 12:00 in position 48 27N 41 04W. Favorit was later sunk - follow the link to my page about this ship for further details.

Average speed: 7 knots.

Several alterations in the composition of the columns were made by the Commodore during the passage of this convoy, and the Ocean Escort, HMS Salopian, took station astern of Pacific Grove between the 5th and 6th columns.

The convoy arrived rendezvous on Apr. 14 (according to Advance Sailing Telegram).

Escorts:
HMS Salopian, Keppel, Venomous, Lincoln, Kingcup, Sunflower, Man o' War, Northern Dawn, Lady Elsa, Philante, Dianella.
Ocean Escort parted company at 09:30 on Apr. 12.
Local Escort joined at 08:30 on Apr. 13 in 61 38N ?W.

From the Commodore's notes:
"Convoy 8 hours early. Fresh R/V given too far in advance of old R/V for any reduction of speed to be effective - dangerous as convoy had just been rerouted round an U-boat. Apparently operations had convoy's speed wrong".

Air escort:
Air patrols encountered from 12:30 Apr. 13 in 61 36N 24 ?W.
From 13:00 Apr. 16 in 60 21N 10 26W

Arnold Hague names the following 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):
Buxton - From 30/03/41 to 31/03/41
Dianella - From 13/04/41 to 18/04/41
Keppel - From 13/04/41 to 17/04/41
Kingcup - From 13/04/41 to 17/04/41
Lincoln - From 15/04/41 to 18/04/41
Philante - From 13/04/41 to 18/04/41
Salopian - From 30/03/41 to 12/04/41
St. Croix - From 30/03/41 to 31/03/41
Sunflower - From 13/04/41 to 18/04/41
Venomous - From 23/04/41 to 18/04/41

HMS Salopian's report is available on Page 2

Back to Convoy Index

To the next SC convoy in my list SC 28


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