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CONVOY HG 29

Convoy HG 29 Cruising Order
Departed Gibraltar on May 7-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 17th (Arnold Hague says 45 ships).
Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper, England - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Br=British, Norw=Norwegian, Eg=Egyptian, Pa=Panamanian.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
Kyleglen
Glasgow
(Br)
21
Star of Ramleh
Liverpool
(Eg)
31
Hartington
Liverpool
(Br)
41
Planter
Liverpool
(Br)
51
Wentworth
Cardiff
(Br)
61
City of Cairo
Portland
(Br)
71
Malda
Portland
(Br)
81
Clan Mackinlay
London
(Br)
91
Durenda
London
(Br)
12
Kavak
Liverpool
(Br)
22
Katy
Mersey
(Norw)
32
British Fusilier
Swansea
(Br)
42
British Resolution
Avonmouth
(Br)
52
Finnanger
Avonmouth
(Norw)
62
King James
Portland
(Br)
72
Ariosto
London
(Br)
82
Benvannoch
London
(Br)
92
Thala
Middlesbrough
(Br)
13
Auk
Liverpool
(Br)
23
Cydonia
Workington
(Br)
33
Bellerock
Liverpool
(Br)
43
British Motorist
Swansea
(Br)
53
Fendris
Bristol
(Br)
63
Tunisia
Portland
(Br)
73
Baltrader
London
(Br)
83
Joseph Seep
Havre
(Pa)
93
Forresbank
Portland
(Br)
14
Southern Shore
Falmouth
(Br)
24
Southern Breeze
Falmouth
(Br)
34
Southern Wave
Falmouth
(Br)
44
Southern Spray
moved to 15

Buesten
Swansea
(Norw)

54
Loanda
moved to 84

Dromus
Manchester
(Br)

64
Antiope
Tyne Dock
(Br)
74
Southern Flower
Falmouth
(Br)
84
Terje I
moved to 95

Loanda
Portland
(Br?)

94
Terje II
Falmouth
(Br?)
15
Southern Chief
moved to 85

Southern Spray
Falmouth
(Br)

25
Southern Star
Falmouth
(Br)
35
Southern Foam
Falmouth
(Br)
45
Southern Field
Falmouth
(Br)
55
Terje III
Falmouth
(Br?)
65
Terje IV
Falmouth
(Br?)
75
Terje V
Falmouth
(Br?)
85
Southern Chief
Falmouth
(Br)
95
Terje I
Falmouth
(Br?)
For more info on the "Southern" vessels, see this message in my Guestbook.

Advance Sailing Telegram

Crossed out ships did not sail.

Ship
Nationality
Cargo
Destination
Remarks
Star of Ramleh
Egyptian
general
Liverpool
From HG 28
Salvus
British
general
Hull
Listed in HGF 30
British Motorist
"
Tanker
Swansea
Antiope
"
iron ore - esparto
Middlesbrough
King James
"
general - seeds- cake
Portland / Hull
Hartington
"
general - seeds
Liverpool
British Power
"
tanker
Clyde
Had already sailed w/HGF 29
Forresbank
"
sugar - onions
Portland / Hull
Listed in HGF 30
British Fusilier
"
tanker
Swansea
Joseph Seep
Panamanian
tanker
Havre
Tunisia
British
ore
Portland / Tyne
Katy
Norwegian
tanker
Mersey
Wentworth
British
minerals
Port Talbot
From HGF 29
City of Cairo
"
Indian general
Portland / London
Loanda
"(?)
iron pyrites
Poole
British Resolution
"
tanker
Avonmouth
Britannic
"
iron ore
Birkenhead
Benvannoch
"
Eastern general
London
Clan Mackinlay
"
Indian general
London
Planter
"
Indian general
Liverpool
Vice Commodore
Kavak
"
general
Liverpool
Thelma
"
Cardiff
Kyleglen
"
minerals - iron ore
Glasgow
Harpathian
"
iron ore
Middlesbrough
From HGF 29
Listed in HGF 30
Auk
"
general
Liverpool
From HGF 29
Baltrader
"
general
London
From HGF 29
Finnanger
Norwegian
tanker (diesel)
Avonmouth
From HGF 29
Thala
British
iron ore
Middlesbrough
Bellerock
"
oranges
Liverpool
Cydonia
"
iron ore
Workington
Clarissa Radcliffe
"
iron ore
Middlesbrough
Listed in HG 30
Buesten
Norwegian
tanker
Swansea
Fendris
British
general
Bristol
Malda
"
copper - zinc - general
Portland / London
Commodore
Ariosto
"
general
London
Dromus
"
tanker
Manchester
Durenda
"
general
Portland / London
Southern Breeze
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Field
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Flower
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Chief
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Shore
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Spray
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Star
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Wave
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Southern Foam
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Terje I
"(?)
whale catcher
Falmouth
Terje II
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Terje III
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Terje IV
"
whale catcher
Falmouth
Terje V
"
whale catcher
Falmouth


Notes:
Commodore, Vice Admiral B. Fairbairn, C.B.E. was in Malda, Vice Commodore, Rear Admiral B. W. Barrow was in Planter. Rear Commodore was W. Milne, the captain of Benvannoch (later Commodore for 7 ships from Portland to Downs).

The convoy had 44 ships, all of which were present at rendezvous.

Average speed: 6.69 knots.

The B portion parted company at 01:00 on May 15 in 48 44N 8 30W, consisting of the following (their destinations are given in the table above):
Kyleglen, Kavak, Auk, Star of Ramleh, Katy, Cydonia, Hartington, British Fusilier, Bellerock, Planter, British Resolution, British Motorist, Buesten, Wentworth, Finnanger, Fendris and Dromus.

The escorting HMS Sandwich proceeded with the B section on May 15, leaving the A section unescorted until HMS Clarkia joined at 18:50 on May 15 in 49 20N 5 23W (this meeting was not pre-arranged, and it was not known whether there would be any local escort until the vessel was asked).

These proceeded to Falmouth at 19:00 on May 15 in 49 20N 5 23W:
Southern Shore, Southern Spray, Southern Breeze, Southern Star, Southern Wave, Southern Foam, Southern Field, Southern Flower, Southern Chief, Terge I, II, III, IV and V.

The following proceeded to the destinations given in table above at 13:50 on May 16 in 50 2N 2 9W:
Benvannoch*, Ariosto, Baltrader, Thala, Antiope, Clan Mackinlay and Joseph Seep. (Joseph Seep, voyage from Haifa for Havre with crude oil, later struck a mine and sank in Havre Roads on May 25-1940, crew was saved - source: Lloyd's War Losses, Vol. I).

* The Commodore's ship, Malda, initially bound for London, was diverted to Portland en route (for degaussing), and the captain of Benvannoch, W. Milne, was given charge of the 7 ships proceeding up channel after parting company south of Portland.

From the Commodore's notes:
Station keeping was average except for 3 ships, which were below average.
Wentworth, Captain R. Phillips, was a very bad station keeper, but reported boiler trouble at 09:20 on May 12. (The other 2 bad station keepers are not named).

Visual signalling was above average.

There were no incidents of importance.

Escorts:
Ocean Escort (from Gibraltar): HMS Sandwich and HMS Bideford. As mentioned, Sandwich proceeded with B portion of convoy at 01:00 on May 15, while Bideford parted company at 14:30 on May 10 in 38 13N 12 26W.
Local: HMS Clarkia joined at 18:50 on May 15 in 49 20N 5 23W.

Air Escort:
Accompanied convoy from Gibraltar - until dusk.
French escort met at 09:10 on May 8 in 35 40N 7 16W - left at dusk.
From 11:30 on May 14 in 47 30N 9 52W (Western Approaches), then daily, parting company at dusk.

Related external link:
HG (& SL) Convoys - In chronological order.

Back to Convoy Index

To the next HG convoy in my list HGF 30


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