- Convoy HX 300
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Convoy HX-300 was the 300th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax to Liverpool. These HX convoys had been established shortly after declaration of war; and the first sailed on 16 September 1939.[1] Ships in convoy were less vulnerable to submarine attack than ships sailing independently, but the Allies had difficulty providing an adequate number of escorting warships to establish a protective perimeter for detecting and defeating approaching submarines. British Admiralty operations research scientists evaluating convoy battles of 1941 and 1942 determined losses of ships in convoy were independent of convoy size, but varied with the number of attacking submarines and, when patrol aircraft were unavailable, with the number of escorting warships. They suggested convoy losses could be reduced by 64 percent by decreasing the frequency of convoys to increase the average number of merchant ships in each convoy from 32 to 54 and the number of escorting warships from 6 to 9.[2] Additional reduction of losses was theoretically possible with even larger convoys, but difficulties maneuvering large formations of ships and providing port services for simultaneous arrival of so many ships discouraged very large convoys until trade convoy escort warships were required to support the Invasion of Normandy. More than one hundred ships sailed in each of 7 ON convoys and 9 HX convoys during the summer of 1944. HX 300 was the largest of these with 166 merchant ships arranged in 19 parallel columns to produce a formation approximately 9 miles (14 km) wide and 4 miles (6.4 km) long.[3] Ships sailing from New York City on 17 July 1944 were joined by 30 merchant ships sailing from Halifax Harbour on 19 July, 24 sailing from Sydney, Nova Scotia on 20 July, and 3 from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to form the largest trade convoy of the war.[4]
Canadian corvette Pictou had survived three North Atlantic winters of U-boat wolf packs before being entrusted with the safety of the largest trade convoy of the second world war.
Contents
Escorting warships
Ships sailing from New York were escorted by United States Navy submarine chasers SC 1338 and SC 1340, and by Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) Algerine class minesweeper Portage and Flower class corvettes Isles class trawlers Baffin and Mid-Ocean Escort Force group C5 River class frigate Naval trawlers HMS Cape Mariato and HMS Southern Spray assumed responsibility for the convoy in the Western Approaches on 2 August. The convoy was not attacked by submarines and arrived in United Kingdom ports by 3 August 1944.[5]
Results
After the seven Canadian warships of escort group C5 brought the largest convoy of the battle of the Atlantic safely across the mid-ocean, many of the convoy's ships began offloading food, fuel, and materials to support the civilian population of the British Isles. One ship from the convoy waited in Loch Ewe to carry supplies to the United States garrison in Iceland; nine ships waited in the Firth of Clyde until convoy JW 59 formed to carry war materials to the Soviet Union; and 46 waited at Oban until channel ports were ready for them to offload food, fuel, and ammunition for Allied armies moving east from France, and trucks, jeeps, half-tracks, and locomotives to move those supplies to the front. HX 300 was one of six hundred World War II trade convoys from North America to the British Isles. The following list describes the British, American, Norwegian, Greek, Dutch, Panamanian, Polish, Yugoslavian, French, and Swedish ships of this convoy and the cargoes they were transporting.[4]
Merchant ships in convoy
Name[5] Flag[5] Destination[4] Tonnage[5] Cargo[5] Notes[5] Agia Marina (1912) 
Avonmouth 4,151 gross register tons (GRT) grain & armoured fighting vehicles joined from Sydney Europe 7,244 GRT general cargo Liberty ship fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Aleksandar I (1927) 
Liverpool 5,948 GRT sugar Immingham 7,181 GRT general cargo including explosives Liberty ship joined from Halifax Amelia Earhart (1942) 
Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship American Press (1920) Port of Hull 5,131 GRT general cargo including explosives joined from Halifax Ancylus (1935) 
Clyde 8,017 GRT USN fuels Merchant aircraft carrier tanker ferrying a deck-load of non-operational aircraft joined from St. Johns Europe 7,240 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Anna N Goulandris (1921) Thames 4,358 GRT grain joined from Sydney Europe 7,176 GRT explosives Liberty ship Liverpool 7,181 GRT landing craft and locomotives Liberty ship Athelduke (1929) Bromborough 8,966 GRT molasses Athelprince (1926) Salt End 8,782 GRT molasses joined from Sydney Athelregent (1930) Greenock 8,881 GRT molasses carried 59 spare depth charges for escorting warships Thames 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Baxtergate (1925) Thames 5,531 GRT wheat joined from Sydney Europe 7,182 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Bente Maersk (1928) Firth of Clyde 5,722 GRT gas oil serving as escort oiler Bernhard (1924) 
Liverpool 3,563 GRT sugar Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Bonita (1918) 
Thames 4,929 GRT lumber joined from Sydney British Colonel (1921) Leith 6,999 GRT gas oil serving as escort oiler carrying 70 spare depth charges for escorting warships British Promise (1942) Soviet Union 8,443 GRT alcohol cargo loaded at Philadelphia Cairnvalona (1918) Tyne 4,929 GRT refrigerated general cargo joined from Sydney fitted with HF/DF Calobre (1919) Belfast 6,891 GRT motor vehicles Cataraqui Park (1944) Bristol 2,877 GRT lumber joined from Sydney Newport 7,176 GRT explosives and poison gas Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Soviet Union 7,176 GRT general cargo including locomotives Liberty ship Immingham 7,194 GRT general cargo including explosives Liberty ship joined from Halifax Chesapeake (1928) Firth of Clyde 8,955 GRT diesel oil and aircraft serving as escort oiler carrying 58 spare depth charges for escorting warships Christine Marie (1919) Rochester 3,895 GRT woodpulp joined from St. Johns Europe 7,177 GRT general cargo Liberty ship joined from Halifax City of Lancaster (1924) Thames 3,041 GRT asphalt, sugar & rum City of Leicester (1926) Manchester 3,351 GRT flour & general cargo joined from Sydney Clan MacInnes (1920) Avonmouth 4,672 GRT flour & general cargo joined from Halifax Soviet Union 7,198 GRT general cargo including locomotives Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Clydefield (1928) Scapa Flow 7,365 GRT fuel oil Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Dalhanna (1930) Liverpool 5,571 GRT lard & general cargo Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Liverpool 7,181 GRT explosives Liberty ship Daylight (1931) Heysham 9,180 GRT petrol, oil & barges Dimitrios Chandris (1910) Thames 4,643 GRT general cargo joined form Sydney Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including explosives Liberty ship Dramatist (1920) Liverpool 5,443 GRT general cargo Eastern Guide (1918) Loch Ewe 3,704 GRT General cargo including lumber and 300 depth charges bound for Iceland Europe 7,240 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Soviet Union 7,176 GRT general cargo including locomotives Liberty ship Elg (1930) Greenock 4,014 GRT sugar & rum Soviet Union 7,176 GRT locomotives & machinery Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship joined from Halifax Elisabeth Dal (1910) Manchester 4,258 GRT wheat joined from Sydney; constructive total loss following collision Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including pontoons Liberty ship Empire MacCallum (1943) Liverpool 8,252 GRT grain Merchant aircraft carrier joined from Halifax Avonmouth 6,327 GRT ore concentrates Hartlepool 3,234 GRT general cargo including explosives joined from Sydney Liverpool 7,046 GRT refrigerated general cargo carried convoy commodore RADM Sir A T Tillard KBE DSO Liverpool 7,022 GRT meat, flour & general cargo joined from Halifax fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Evanger (1920) Tyne 3,869 GRT general cargo including barges Exilona (1919) Europe 4,971 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Ferncourt (1938) Manchester 9,918 GRT diesel oil & armoured fighting vehicles serving as escort oiler Fluor Spar (1919) Cardiff 5,055 GRT general cargo including explosives joined from Halifax Fort Nipagon (1942) Thames 7,132 GRT general cargo Europe 7,210 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT explosives Liberty ship fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Immingham 7,176 GRT general cargo including explosives Liberty ship Franka (1918) Liverpool 5,273 GRT sugar Frontenac (1928) Portsmouth 7,350 GRT USN fuel serving as escort oiler carrying 10 spare depth charges for escorting warships Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Gatineau Park (1942) Hull 7,128 GRT general cargo including ammunition joined from Sydney fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Europe 7,244 GRT general cargo Liberty ship joined from Halifax fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Georgian (1920) Europe 5,825 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Gerard Dou (1941) 
Thames 7,242 GRT sugar & general cargo carried convoy vice commodore VADM Sir R H O Lane-Poole KBE CB Gerassimos Vergottis (1920) Liverpool 6,343 GRT woodpulp joined from Halifax Glarona (1928) Manchester 9,912 GRT crude oil & aircraft Gylfe (1930) Grangemouth 6,129 GRT diesel fuel Europe 7,180 GRT military stores including motor vehicles Liberty ship Hartlepool (1932) Tyne 5,500 GRT lumber joined from Sydney Helder (1920) Liverpool 3,629 GRT sugar & rum joined from Halifax Henrik Ibsen (1906) Ipswich 4,671 GRT grain joined from Sydney Hoegh Hood (1936) Liverpool 9,351 GRT USN fuel & aircraft Scapa Flow 7,218 GRT USN fuel Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including explosives & motor vehicles Liberty ship Port of Hull 7,176 GRT general cargo including explosives Liberty ship joined from Halifax Immingham 7,200 GRT explosives & machinery Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship joined from Halifax fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Jan Van Goyen (1919) Thames 5,704 GRT sugar & powdered milk Firth of Clyde 7,218 GRT USN fuel Liberty ship Glasgow 7,247 GRT general cargo including tractors & sulfur Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including trailers Liberty ship fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Firth of Clyde 7,176 GRT locomotives & building materials Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Europe 7,191 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Junior Van Noy (1919) Europe 2,372 GRT military stores & explosives Army repair ship Kohistan (1933) Glasgow 5,884 GRT general cargo Kronprinsessen Margareta (1914) 
Swansea 3,746 GRT general cargo Lansdowne Park (1943) Manchester 2,861 GRT woodpulp joined from Halifax Soviet Union 7,176 GRT general cargo including explosives and locomotives Liberty ship Lista (1920) Manchester 3,671 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Lucerna (1930) Thames 6,556 GRT gas oil serving as escort oiler carrying 50 spare depth charges for escorting warships Macoma (1936) Firth of Clyde 8,069 GRT USN fuel Merchant aircraft carrier joined from Halifax Maliakos (1912) Thames 3,903 GRT woodpulp joined from Sydney Margarita Chandris (1920) Thames 5,401 GRT grain joined from Sydney Maud (1930) Liverpool 3,189 GRT sugar Merchant Royal (1928) Manchester 5,008 GRT newsprint joined from Sydney Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Mimosa (1905) Thames 3,071 GRT lumber joined from Sydney Minerva (1930) Liverpool 5,883 GRT general cargo including landing craft Mobile City (1920) Europe 6,157 GRT general cargo joined from Halifax Morska Wola (1924) 
Garston, Merseyside 3,208 GRT general cargo including explosives Mount Othrys (1919) Leith 6,527 GRT grain joined from Sydney Nacella (1943) Soviet Union 8,196 GRT aviation gasoline fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Nanceen (1929) 
Thames 2,895 GRT woodpulp & motor vehicles joined from Halifax Europe 7,200 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Nathaniel Matthews (1944) Hartlepool 2,437 GRT general cargo Avonmouth 7,240 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Norma (1930) Liverpool 4,487 GRT sugar & general cargo Norsk Tank (1928) Manchester 9,720 GRT fuel oil Ocean Fame (1942) Thames 7,173 GRT sugar fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Odysseus (1913) Thames 4,577 GRT ammunition & general cargo Europe 7,244 GRT general cargo Liberty ship joined from Halifax Ovula (1938) Southampton 6,256 GRT diesel fuel and aircraft serving as escort oiler Peik (1930) Derry 6,099 GRT furnace fuel oil joined from Halifax Pencarrow (1921) Cardiff 4,841 GRT grain joined from Sydney Europe 7,176 GRT explosives Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles and explosives Liberty ship Pomona (1920) Europe 7,583 GRT general cargo joined from Halifax Prometheus (1925) Liverpool 6,095 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles joined from Halifax Rapana (1935) Firth of Clyde 8,017 GRT USN fuel Merchant aircraft carrier joined from Halifax Riley (1936) Manchester 4,993 GRT grain joined from Sydney Europe 7,191 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Rudby (1924) River Tyne 4,846 GRT grain joined from Halifax Saintonge (1936) Thames 9,386 GRT USN fuel serving as escort oiler carrying 60 spare depth charges for escorting warships Salando (1920) Thames 5,272 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Samfield (1943) Manchester 7,219 GRT steel & lumber fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Samsperrin (1944) Liverpool 7,219 GRT grain Europe 7,177 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Europe 7,191 GRT general cargo Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT motor vehicles Liberty ship Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo Liberty ship joined from Halifax San Valerio (1913) Isle of Grain 6,493 GRT furnace fuel oil serving as escort oiler Senga (1913) Glasgow 5,140 GRT steel & woodpulp joined from Sydney Firth of Clyde 7,176 GRT locomotives and explosives Liberty ship fitted with Anti-torpedo Net Device Skeldergate (1930) Manchester 4,251 GRT woodpulp joined from Sydney Solstad (1927) Birkenhead 5,952 GRT lubricating oil Stalowa Wola (1924) Sunderland 3,133 GRT general cargo including explosives Suerte (1910) 3,649 GRT Soviet Union 7,210 GRT general cargo including explosives Liberty ship Thorshov (1935) London 9,955 GRT diesel fuel and aircraft serving as escort oiler carrying 60 spare depth charges for escorting warships Tilapa (1928) Thames 5,392 GRT meat and general cargo joined from Halifax Torr Head (1937) Glasgow 5,021 GRT metal & general cargo veteran of convoy ON 67; joined from Halifax Trocas (1927) Thames 7,406 GRT furnace fuel oil Tynebank (1922) Liverpool 4,651 GRT sugar Voco (1925) Birkenhead 5,090 GRT lubricating oil carried 60 spare depth charges for escorting warships Soviet Union 7,210 GRT general cargo including locomotives Liberty ship Liverpool 7,177 GRT general cargo including explosives Liberty ship Wind Rush (1918) Cardiff 5,586 GRT motor vehicles and explosives veteran of convoy JW 51A and convoy ON 166 Winona (1919) Liverpool 6,197 GRT general cargo including ammunition and motor vehicles veteran of convoy SC 7 Wisla (1928) Bristol 3,106 GRT general cargo veteran of convoy ON 154; joined from Halifax Zamalek (1921) 1,567 GRT convoy rescue ship; veteran of convoy PQ 17 and convoy SC 130 Europe 7,176 GRT general cargo including motor vehicles Liberty ship Notes
- ^ Hague 2000 pp.126–129
- ^ Potter & Nimitz (1960) pp.557–558
- ^ Potter & Nimitz (1960) pp.543–545
- ^ a b c "Convoy HX 300". Warsailors.Com. http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hx300.html. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
- ^ a b c d e f "HX Convoy Series". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hx/index.html. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
References
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939–1943. Little, Brown and Company.
- Potter, E.B. & Nimitz, Chester W. (1960). Sea Power. Prentice-Hall.
- Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
- Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.
Categories:- North Atlantic convoys of World War II
- World War II Battle of the Atlantic
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