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CONVOY UGS 45
Departed Hampton Roads on June 12-1944 and arrived Port Said on July 7.
Arnold Hague gives 74 ships.
Info on joining and departing ships was received from David Weaver, Hong Kong, who has written a book about HMS Queen.
List of ships on arrival Port Said was received from Mike Holdoway.
(For info, Mike has plotted the convoy's course, his chart can be reached through this page of his website).
According to Arnold Hauge's "The Allied Convoy System", the UG series commenced as a result of Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa, and was the responsibility of the USN. The convoys usually formed in Hampton Roads, though some ships departed from New York City and joined them directly after they had already sailed, in which case Hampton Roads would not appear in their voyage records. Escorts in the Atlantic were the USN's responsibility, with British escorts provided from the Mediterranean.
At first, Casablanca was the terminal port for the UG convoys, but as the land forces progressed eastwards, the eastern terminal port of the slow UG convoys became Port Said until the end of 1944, at which time UGS 60 reverted to Oran as its terminal. PLEASE NOTE that both original documents appear to have a number of spelling errors in them. I've endeavoured to put it right, but my guesses may not be 100 % correct. From David's document: Commodore: Rear Admiral C.H.G. Benson DSO in the British Samfreedom. According to the Commodore, she was a suitable ship, but "Magnetic compass not reliable. Maiden voyage. Undermanned and inexperienced". He adds, "Samfreedom fitted with topmast. Excellent for flag signalling. Recommend general adoption in Sam & Liberty ships" and "With the increasing number of Sam Ships, suggest they are particularly suitable for British Commodore in GUS and UGS convoys. The company running them to be noted and a list kept by NCSO". US Vice Commodore was in the Liberty Ship Carlos Carrillo. 86 ships, convoy speed: 8.5 knots.
HMS Colombo was with the convoy when taken over from US Commodore 301600B June '44. Parted company 010630B off Bizerta. HMS Sharpshooter (Senior Officer) Shiel , Gloxinia, Primula took over from US escort group 010800 July '44. USS Taney (Senior Officer), USS? Campbell, USS Chase, USS Lowe, USS Loy, USS Laning (probably*), USS Barber, USS Burrows, USS Mosley, USS Newell, USS Pride, USS Falgout, USS Fessenden, Coutelao?, USS Livermore, USS Madison with convoy when taken over from US Commodore 301600B July 44. Parted company off Bizerta 010815B. HMS Gloxinia & Primula parted company position 309 060745C, and Sharpshooter and Shiel parted company position 399.
Related external links: More details on many of the other American vessels escorting UGS 45 can be found on this page:
Ships joining and parting company en route:
(for info, some of these ships later returned with Convoy GUS 46, others with GUS 47) At Bone, a tug departed, while Ocean Trader joined. At Philipville Lucia departed (is this the Italian Lucia C? This ship was under Allied control from 1943 [ex Lucia] ). At Bizerta Cossatot (USS Cossatot - AO 77?), the Liberty Ships Crosby S. Noyes and William N. Pendleton, Nassarius and the British Empire Bombardier and Longwood left the convoy, while the Norwegian Hjalmar Wessel joined. At Malta the following joined: F.T. 13 and MCV Campidoglio. At Augusta the following joined: The British Vasco, Thistledale and Empire Baxter, and the Liberty Ship John Stagg. while these ships parted company: The Liberty Ships Asa Gray, Andrew Briscoc, Carrillo (this might be the Commodore's ship Carlos Carillo?), Charles Piez, Chatham C Lyon, Daniel Carroll, Francis Marion, George F Patten, Henry Jocelyn, James Jackson, Joseph H Martin, Joseph S Emery, Joseph Goldberger, Joseph McKenna, Justin S Morrill, Langdon Cheves, Louis D Brandeis, Moses Austin, Paine Wingate, Patrick Henry, Robert F Stockton, Robert T Hill, Theodore Foster, Tristram Dalton, Washington Irving, William G Fargo, Woodbridge N Ferris. Also, Cape Howe (British?), the British Dallington Court, Empire Rock, Valldemosa and Ocean Trader, Crackshot (nationality?), the American tanker Esso Baltimore, Frank Klasen (this is probably the Panamanian Franz Klasen), John Tay (should this be John Jay?), Kobad (French), Motia (Italian?), Norheim, Norholm, Hjalmar Wessel and Roald Amundsen, and the USS ATR 1, ATR 1 Class Rescue tug. At Alexandria, these ships parted company: The British Samouse, Samtruth, Samdak, and Vasco, as well as F.T. 13. Final summary:
Related external links: Liberty Ships - Alphabetical list. List of Liberty Ships by Hull No. - Includes info on the men for whom the ships were named (from Wikipedia). Empire Ships - Also has a listing of the "Sam"-ships, ex Liberty Ships that came under the British flag (and other Liberty ships). |
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