Transcribed from several original documents received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Station numbers, cargoes for the tankers 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 81 at ships in all SC convoys.

Additional 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.
"Convoys to Russia 1941-1945", Bob Ruegg & Arnold Hague.
"Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague.

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

*According to A. Hague, Bruarfoss was detached on May 6 and arrived Reykjavik on the 9th. Lagarfoss (cargo of grain and lumber) was also detached on May 6, her arrival Reykjavik is given as May 8. Again, see his listing for SC 81 at ships in all SC convoys.

The Rescue Vessel Copeland was also with this convoy, sailing in station 76 (requisitioned Dec. 20-1940, entered service Jan 31-1941). She was on her 17th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde with the westbound Convoy ON 83 on Apr. 4 (to Halifax Apr. 17), returning with SC 81 from Halifax on Apr. 23, her voyage ending at Clyde May 10-1942.

The stations given here are the pendants flown on departure, these may have changed as the voyage progressed.

** The ship in station 93 is listed as Solanis in the diary, but this is probably a simple mis-spelling of Salinas.

Exford***, Colorado, Macbeth***, Jobshaven, Richard Henry Lee*, Empire Marlowe and Westmoor are not included in the diary and, therefore, they are not named on this form.

The Norwegian Benwood is listed as sunk on Apr. 9-1942 following a collision with Robert C. Tuttle. Follow the link for more details.

The Swedish Korsholm, on a voyage from Fernandine and Tampa for Halifax and Liverpool with 4593 tons of phosphates, had been shelled and sunk on Apr. 13-1942 by U-123. She had a crew of 26, 9 of whom perished. See also the external link at the end of this page.

According to the diary, the ships left Halifax in the following order (some may not have sailed - again, see the notes in the tables above):
The first to leave at 09:13 was the British Radchurch, followed at 09:40 by Sahale. The Commodore Vessel, Empire Hartbeeste went out at 10:14, then with a few minutes between each ship:
Empire Zephyr ("B" flag, which I believe means that she carried explosives on board), Drakepool, Rajahstan (GKBX), Exford, Fjordheim, Empire Rhodes, Almenara, James Hawson, Cantal, Uranienborg, Vimeira, Despina, Copeland, Empire Dabchick, Radhurst, Stal, Daleby, Ilissos, Venus, Kingman, Daghild, Carter Braxton, Lagarfoss, El Capitan, Bruarfoss, McKeesport, City of Omaha, Africander, Charles R. McCormick, Delsud, Christopher Newport, Ozark, Becheville, Pan York, Olopana, Ingerfem, Hollywood, Katvaldis, City of Dallas, Heffron (tanks on deck), Schoharie (bombers), Solanis (Salinas), Pleiades (U.S. Army transport), Royalite, Executive (bombers), Gemini, Washington, Alcoa Ranger, Oremar, Liverpool Packet (lumber), Michigan, Jefferson Myers, Alcor, Pan Kraft (bombers), Lucerna, Ark Light, Nemaha ("B" flag), Robert E. Lee (did not sail), James McKay, Arizpa, Bellingham, Mount Pindus, Polarbjørn, Fort Townshend, Norwalk, Benjamin Harrison. The last ship to go out at 15:48 was Empire Lightning.

As already mentioned, some of the ships sailing in Convoy SC 81 joined Convoy PQ 16 to Russia which sailed from Reykjavik on May 21, denoted *, while others sailed in PQ 17 which left Reykjavik on June 27 - denoted **. See also SC 77 and SC 79 for the names of some of other ships in PQ 16, as well as this posting to my Ship Forum, listing all the ships in this convoy. SC 83 has the names of some more ships in PQ 17. The ships denoted *** later joined Convoy PQ 18, which assembled at Loch Ewe and sailed from there for Iceland on Sept. 2-1942 (some joined this convoy from Iceland). The Rescue Vessel Copeland was also with this convoy. Since these convoys had no Norwegian ships in them, they are not included in my own Arctic Convoys section, but the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page has more information on them.

The convoy arrived rendezvous on May 5.

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):
Clematis - From 27/04/42 to 09/05/42
Cowichan - From 27/04/42 to 27/04/42
Fredericton - From 23/04/42 to 27/04/42
Gananoque - From 23/04/42 to 27/04/42
Gentian - From 27/04/42 to 09/05/42
Hesperus - From 27/04/42 to 09/05/42
Niagara - From 23/04/42 to 27/04/42
Piorun - 27/04/42
Saskatoon - From 23/04/42 to 27/04/42
Sweetbriar - From 27/04/42 to 09/05/42
The Pas - From 23/04/42 to 27/04/42
USCGC Bibb - 05/05/42
USCGC Duane - 05/05/42
USS Babbitt - 05/05/42
USS Badger - 05/05/42
USS Leary - 05/05/42
USS Schenck - 05/05/42
Vervain - From 27/04/42 to 09/05/42
Witch - From 23/04/42 to 27/04/42

Related external links:
The attack on Korsholm

Russian Convoys - All the convoys mentioned in my tables above are included (also "Operation FB"). See also this page to find A. Hague's listings for the same convoys.

Empire Ships

Liberty Ships - Some of the ships listed as American in Convoy SC 81 were Liberty Ships. This website lists them alphabetically.

See also:
List of Liberty Ships by Hull No. - Includes info on some of the men and women for whom the ships were named (from Wikipedia).

Back to Convoy Index