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CONVOY SC 52
Departed Sydney, C.B. on Oct. 29-1941, returned to Sydney with arrival Nov. 5.
Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 34 ships in this convoy

Transcribed from several 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 the late Arnold Hague's database - see his listing for SC 52 at
ships in all SC convoys.

Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned (the convoy suffered a heavy U-boat attack soon after sailing, and was therefore ordered to return to Sydney, C.B., after circumnavigating Newfoundland).

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

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Station
Destination
Remarks
Everoja
Latvian / MoWT 1940
wheat
93
Dublin
From SC 51
Sunk - See Notes
Llandaff
British
iron ore - calcium - carbide
13
Middlesbrough
From SC 51
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Elwood
Panamanian
general
Glasgow
From SC 51
Listed in SC 53
Norwegian
Tanker B
42
London
From SC 51
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Empire Snow
British
steel - scrap - special
91
Swansea
From SC 51
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Marylyn
"
general
82
Liverpool
From SC 51
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Circe Shell
"
Adm. tanker B
52
Loch Ewe f. o.
From SC 51
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Norwegian
sugar
Liverpool
To SC 53 - did not sail
Listed in SC 54
Empire Wildebeeste
British
steel
Hull
(See also HX 153)
Listed in SC 54
According to the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy SC 52, the above ship did not join. It'll be noticed, when going back to A. Hague's listing for SC 52 at ships in all SC convoys, that he has included her in this convoy, giving her station 31. He says she had started out in Convoy HX 153, but proceeded to St. John's with defects, later joining SC 50, but returned to port.
Marouko Pateras
Greek
sugar
14
London
From SC 51
Ashore - See Notes
Denpark
British
sugar
61
Greenock
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Eskdalegate
"
iron ore
41
Middlesbrough
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Empire Redshank
"
aviation gas - carbon block
Archangel
From SC 51
Listed in SC 60
Later joined Convoy PQ 7B to Murmansk
(returned w/QP 6)
Merchant
"
steel - general - foodstuffs - copper - special
71
Liverpool
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Flynderborg
Danish / MoWT 1940
lumber
12
London
Sunk - See Notes
British Progress
British
Tanker W
32
London
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Empire Energy
"
maize
92
Belfast
Ashore - See Notes
Norwegian
Tanker B
London
Listed in SC 53
Egton
British
sugar
London
Listed in SC 53
Gretavale
"
steel
11
Loch Ewe f. o.
Sunk - See Notes
Hedera
Swedish
lumber
63
London
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Ilissos
Greek
lumber
Mersey
To SC 53 - did not sail
Listed in SC 54
Photinia
British
sugar
London
Listed in SC 55
Stalowa Wola
Polish
general
53
Mersey
Returned (St. John's)
See * in Notes
To SC 57 - did not sail
Listed in SC 58
War Admiral
Panamanian
general
72
Liverpool
Listed in SC 54
Anna Mazaraki
Greek
grain
74
London
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Baron Yarborough
British
sugar
21
London
From SC 51
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Csarda
Panamanian
phosphates
64
London
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Empire Gemsbuck
British
general
84
Londonderry
Sunk - See Notes
Empire Hartebeeste
"
general
51
Hull
Commodore Vessel
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Empire Woodcock
"
steel - cotton
Mersey
Listed in SC 53
Empire Zephyr
"
steel - general
23
Loch Ewe f. o.
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Loreto
"
nitrate - metal
Liverpool
To SC 53 - did not sail
To SC 54 - did not sail
Listed in SC 55
Randa
Danish / Can. Govt. 1940
general
81
Preston
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Theomitor
Greek
general
Avonmouth
Listed in SC 53 (in collision)
Agia Marina
"
grain
Barry Dock
To SC 53 - returned
Listed in SC 54
Benedick
British
Adm. tanker B
Clyde
Listed in SC 53
Chulmleigh
"
wheat
54
Archangel
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Dalfram
"
general
22
Newcastle
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Empire Bruce
"
steel
24
Loch Ewe f.o.
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Michael Jebsen
Danish / MoWT 1940
flour
Leith
Listed in SC 53
Michael L. Embiricos
Greek
sugar
83
Liverpool
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Newton Ash
British
grain - general
62
Hull
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
West Neris
Irish (ex. Am. 9/41)
grain
Belfast f. o.
Renamed Irish Oak
To SC 53 - returned
Listed in SC 55
British Renown
British
Tanker W
Milford f.o.
Listed twice - see * in Notes
Listed in SC 54
Empire Dorado
"
Loch Ewe f.o.
To SC 53 - sank (collision)
Kathariotisa
Greek
lumber
Bristol
Listed in SC 53
Moscha D. Kydoniefs
"
grain
44
Hull
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Guido
British
general - mail 170
33
London
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
Norwalk
American
general
34
Reykjavik
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
City of Dallas
"
general - gasoline
43
Reykjavik
Returned to Sydney
Listed in SC 54
British Renown
British
Tanker W
73
Belfast
Returned to Sydney
See * in Notes
Listed in SC 54
Ships from Wabana (Convoy WSC 52)
These are not mentioned in A. Hague's listing
Norwegian
Tanker B
Loch Ewe f.o.
From SC 51
Proceeded to Sydney
To SC 53 - returned
Listed in SC 55
Barberrys
British
paper
London
From SC 51
Proceeded to Sydney
Listed in SC 53
Gudmundrå
Swedish
sugar
Liverpool
From SC 48
To SC 53 - did not sail
(had run aground)
British Industry
British
Tanker B
Belfast
From SC 50
(see Ships in all SC convoys)
To SC 53 - did not sail
Listed in SC 55
Empire Morn
"
wheat
Mersey
From SC 50
To SC 53 - did not sail
Listed in SC 54
Georgios P
Greek
zinc concentrates
Avonmouth
From SC 50
Proceeded to Sydney
Listed in SC 53
Mount Kitheron
Greek
iron ore
Barry Roads
To SC 53 - did not sail
Listed in SC 54

Notes:
* Stalowa Wola and British Renown show up twice in the Advance Sailing Telegram. The second time they both have the notation "re-instated by 2337Z/20". British Renown is crossed out the first time, then listed as returned to Sydney the second time, as can be seen in the above table.

Ships sunk - all on Nov. 3-1941 (number of casualties varies according to source):

Gretavale, on a voyage from Baltimore for Loch Ewe (via Sydney, C.B.) with a cargo of 6700 tons of steel and 17 trucks, was sunk early in the morning hours by U-202. She had a crew of 42 and 5 gunners, 1 crew died, 36 missing, 5 saved, 5 gunners missing.

Flynderborg, on a voyage from Parrsboro, N.S. for London (via Sydney) with 2125 tons of lumber, was also sunk by U-202 that morning. She had a crew of 22 and 2 gunners, 3 crew died.

That afternoon, Everoja, on a voyage from St. John, N.B. for Dublin with 6401 tons of wheat, was sunk by U-203 - She had a crew of 39 and 2 gunners, all of whom survived.

Empire Gemsbuck, on a voyage from Philadelphia for Londonderry (via Sydney, C.B.) with 6200 tons of general cargo, which included machinery, was also sunk by U-203 in this attack. Forepart blew up, after part was not seen to sink. She had a crew of 37 and 6 gunners, all of whom survived.

Other losses:
Marouko Pateras, stranded in fog at Double Is., Labrador on Nov. 3. There were no casualties. Refloated Nov. 5, sank 2 miles southwest of Double Is.

Empire Energy, ran ashore at Big Brook on Nov. 4, 11 miles west of Cape Norman, Belle Isle Straits, N.S, total loss - there were no casualties.

A. Hague names the following escorts (extracted from this list of SC convoy escorts, received from D. Kindell; dates are European style, day/month/year):
Battleford - From 29/10/41 to 01/11/41
Broadway - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41
Buctouche - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41
Burwell - From 02/11/41 to 03/11/41
Cobalt - From 02/11/41 to 03/11/41
Dunvegan - From 29/10/41 to 01/11/41
FS Aconit - From 01/11/41 to 04/11/41
Galt - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41
Nasturtium - From 01/11/41 to 05/11/41
Sorel - From 29/10/41 to 01/11/41
Windflower - From 01/11/41 to 03/11/41

Related external links:
The attack on Gretavale (w/picture of ship)
The attack on Flynderborg (w/picture of ship)
The attack on Everoja
The attack on Empire Gemsbuck

The Empire Ships - Provides more information on the Empire Ships sailing in this convoy.

Russian Convoy Series - PQ 7B is included (and as can be seen, Empire Redshank is listed).

Back to Convoy Index

To the next SC convoy in my list SC 53


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