Transcribed from several original documents received from Tony Cooper, England (Advance Sailing Telegram) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Station numbers and sequence of departure were received from Ted Agar - His source: A diary. Stations are pendants flown on departure Halifax, and may have changed as the voyage progressed.
Names of escorts have been extracted from a document recived from Don Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database - see also his listing for SC 73 at ships in all SC convoys. It'll be noticed that in some cases, he has given different station numbers than those provided in the diary and these have been added in parenthesis below.

Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned to port, except those that are linked, which will automatically be underlined.

MoWT = Ministry of War Transport

* The diary also lists Gyda (station 93), Askild (14 - Norwegian), Sarnolite (24) and Royalite (34) among the ships going out to form this convoy, but as can be seen these ships are not included in the Advance Sailing Telegram. Gyda is probably just a misspelling of Guido. The other ships probably went out that day for other reasons than to join Convoy SC 73. According to Askild's Voyage Record for this period, she did leave Halifax on March 6-1942, but was bound for St. John's, N.F., where she arrived March 9. See also * in Notes.

Note that Empire Opossum is listed as American Western Ocean in some previous convoys on this website.

The Dutch Mamura had been torpedoed and sunk on Febr. 26-1942 by U-504. There were no survivors - ref. external link provided below for more on this attack.

The American Independence Hall struck a reef off Sable Island on March 7-1942, broke in two and sank the following day.

The ships left port in the following order (according to the diary):
At 11:04 the British freighter Empire Cromwell went out followed at 11:10 by Baron Cochrane and with a few minutes between each ship: Benalder, Empire Bunting (Flagship), Fylingdale, Castilian, Toward, Vinga, Wichita Falls, Ramava, Peter Helms, New York City, Uranienborg, Heimgar, Gyda (should probably be Guido), Inger Elisabeth, Margarita Chandris, Aeas, Askild, Empire Woodcock, Anna N. Goulandris, Maud, Chagres, Empire Planet, Milcrest, Dunav, Gerassimos Vergottis, Condylis, Sarnolite, Royalite, Empire Albatross, Empire Opossum, Danby, Independence Hall - no times are given for the last 8 ships.

* The Canadian Sarnolite and Royalite are also listed among the ships that went out to form Convoy SC 71 on Febr. 22, and are also mentioned in connection with SC 75 on March 18. It's possible they were en route to other ports when they went out with one or the other of the first 2 convoys, or went out to test gunnery. As already mentioned, they are not included in the Advance Sailing Telegram for SC 73; the author of the diary who saw them leave with the other ships probably assumed that they too were intended for this convoy.

The convoy arrived rendezvous on March 18.

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):
Annapolis - From 06/03/42 to 10/03/42
Bodo - From 23/03/42 to 24/03/42
Calgary - From 06/03/42 to 07/03/42
Dauphin - From 10/03/42 to 23/03/42
Lethbridge - From 10/03/42 to 23/03/42
Mahone - From 06/03/42 to 10/03/42
Minas - From 10/03/42 to 10/03/42
Primrose - From 10/03/42 to 23/03/42
Reading - From 10/03/42 to 23/03/42
Saskatoon - From 06/03/42 to 10/03/42
Shawnigan - From 10/03/42 to 23/03/42
USS Babbitt - 17/03/42
USS Schenck - 17/03/42
Vanov - From 06/03/42 to 10/03/42

Related external links:
The attack on Mamura

Empire Ships

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