1941 SAILINGS
(concluded)
WS 10
Sailing
from Avonmouth 30.7.41, Liverpool 31.7 and the Clyde
2.8 the convoy assembled
off Oversay 3.8 in the following formation:
|
11
PHEMIUS
|
21
INDRAPOERA
|
31
ORCADES
(Commodore)
|
41
STRATHALLAN
(Vice Commodore)
|
51
REINA DEL PACIFICO
|
61
WINDSOR CASTLE
|
|
12
DIOMED
|
22
ANDES
|
32
BRITANNIC
|
42
VOLENDAM
|
52
NEA HELLAS
|
62
WARWICK CASTLE
|
|
13
INDIAN PRINCE
|
23
RANGITIKI
|
33
HIGHLAND MONARCH
|
43
CAMERONIA
|
53
STIRLING CASTLE
|
63
NIGERSTROOM
|
|
|
|
34
MANCHESTER PORT
|
|
|
|
WARWICK
CASTLE and WINDSOR CASTLE were in collision 6.8 and
the former detached to
Halifax NS escorted by the armed merchant cruiser
WARWICKSHIRE.
Escorts
from the UK for varying dates were:
AA
cruiser CAIRO
and destroyers WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and WITCH 2 to
5.8; armed
merchant cruiser WORCESTERSHIRE and destroyers
BROADWAY, GURKHA, ISAAC SWEERS,
LANCE, LEGION and PIORUN 2 to 6.8; cruiser
LONDON as ocean escort relieved on
10.8 by the cruiser EDINBURGH
for the remainder of the passage. The destroyer
JUPITER
was in company throughout the passage to Freetown from
the UK.
Local
Freetown based escorts destroyers VELOX and WRESTLER
and corvette BERGAMOT
joined 14.8 and corvette CYCLAMEN 15.8, the convoy
arriving at Freetown 17.8.
The
convoy sailed from Freetown 21.8 in the same order as
before, but with the Vice
Commodore shifting into BRITANNIC. The local A/S
escort is unknown but
certainly included four corvettes; the cruiser
EDINBURGH and destroyer JUPITER
accompanied the convoy to Capetown where it arrived
2.9.
The
following ships entered Capetown BRITANNIC,
INDRAPOERA, NIGERSTROOM, PHEMIUS,
REINA DEL PACIFICO, STIRLING CASTLE, STRATHALLAN,
VOLENDAM and WINDSOR CASTLE,
the remaining ships proceeding to Durban. The escort
for this passage was the
cruiser HAWKINS.
In South
Africa the convoy divided, the Indian portion
proceeding as WS 10B, while the
ships for Aden, DIOMED, INDIAN PRINCE, INDRAPOERA,
MANCHESTER PORT, NEA HELLAS,
NIGERSTROOM, PHEMIUS and VOLENDAM went north under the
designation CM 17. MANCHESTER
PORT detached to Mombasa on 15.9, the rest of the
convoy dispersed off Aden on
23.9.
WS 10B
Sailing
from Capetown 6.9 under the escort of the armed
merchant cruiser CARNARVON
CASTLE a degree of shuffling of ships took place.
Initially BRITANNIC,
INDRAPOERA, NIGERSTROOM, PHEMIUS, STIRLING CASTLE,
STRATHALLAN, VOLENDAM, and
WINDSOR CASTLE sailed with BRITANNIC detaching
independently on 8.9 to enter
Durban and embark passengers from the CAMERONIA and
rejoin. From Durban on 9.9
the ARONDA sailed escorted by the cruiser
HAWKINS; on junction with the
Capetown body CARNARVON CASTLE detached escorting
INDRAPOERA, NIGERSTROOM,
PHEMIUS and VOLENDAM which accompanied her to Durban.
The convoy, now under
escort by HAWKINS was formed as follows:
|
11
STRATHALLAN
|
21
ARONDA
(Commodore)
|
31
BRITANNIC
(Vice Commodore)
|
|
|
22
STIRLING CASTLE
|
32
WINDSOR CASTLE
|
The
cruiser EMERALD
relieved HAWKINS on 15.9 in 3.32S 51.12E, and the
convoy
arrived at Bombay 20.9.41.
WS 10X
This
small convoy sailed from Avonmouth 14.8.41, Liverpool
15.8 and the Clyde 16.8,
making its juncture late on 16.8:
|
11L
STRATHNAVER
(Vice Commodore)
|
21C
STRATHMORE
(Commodore)
|
31A
ORION
|
|
12L
PALMA
|
22L
BRISBANE STAR
|
32A
PORT JACKSON
|
BRISBANE
STAR lost the convoy 19.8 and did not rejoin until
22.8.
Local
escorts were the Dutch AA cruiser HEEMSKERK and
destroyers WHITEHALL and WITCH
from Liverpool 15 to 17.8, destroyers GURKHA, ISAAC
SWEERS, LANCE and PIORUN
from the Clyde 17 to 19.8; DORSETSHIRE
as ocean escort to Freetown from the
Clyde.
Local
Freetown escort of the destroyers BRILLIANT, VELOX
(for one day only) and
WRESTLER and corvettes CLEMATIS and CROCUS joined 27.8
and the convoy arrived
at Freetown 28.8.41.
From
Freetown the convoy sailed on 1.9 in the same cruising
order with the
battleship REVENGE
as ocean escort. Corvettes AMARANTHUS (to 2.9) and
ARMERIA,
MIGNONETTE
and WOODRUFF escorted to 3.9.
During
the passage, REVENGE's Officer of the Watch chose to
exercise a steering
breakdown while in close company with the convoy; the
resultant violent sheer
towards ORION was potentially disastrous but,
fortunately, the liner struck the
battleship on the starboard bulge with only minor
damage to both ships. Had the
reverse been the case, the loss of ORION would have
been almost inevitable with
the possibility of heavy loss of life. The OOW was
subsequently court
martialled, and disciplined for having endangered both
his ship and the
transport.
Convoy
arrived at Capetown on 11.9, and sailed once more on
14.9, still escorted by
REVENGE, and in the same formation. The battleship was
relieved by the cruiser
CERES on 22.9
who took the convoy on to dispersal off Aden on 27.9,
thereafter
ships proceeded independently to Suez, arriving at
varying dates between 1 and 4.10.41.
WS 11
Sailing
from Bristol Channel ports (Swansea and Newport),
Liverpool 30.8.41 and the
Clyde 31.8, the convoy formed off Oversay in the order
below:
|
11C
KINA II
|
21C
MOOLTAN
|
31C
ORONTES
(Commodore)
|
41L
OTRANTO
|
51C
CITY OF EDINBURGH
|
|
12S
BHUTAN
|
22L
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
32C
SCYTHIA
|
42
HMS GUARDIAN
|
52L
GLENORCHY
|
|
13S
BARRISTER
|
23L
NORTHUMBERLAND
(Vice Commodore)
|
33L
VICEROY OF INDIA
|
43L
DUCHESS OF YORK
|
53N
CITY OF MANCHESTER
|
|
14L
GLAUCUS
|
24L
ABOSSO
|
|
44C
LARGS BAY
|
54N
MANCHESTER PROGRESS
|
Escort
locally was provided by the AA cruiser CAIRO
and destroyers COSSACK, GARLAND,
HIGHLANDER, ISAAC SWEERS, LEGION, LIVELY, PIORUN,
WINCHELSEA and ZULU.
Ocean
escort from sailing comprised the battlecruiser REPULSE,
and destroyers ENCOUNTER
and NESTOR, armed merchant cruiser DERBYSHIRE, sloop
SUTLEJ and cutters SENNEN
and TOTLAND. The aircraft carrier FURIOUS (to 4.9) and
cruiser SHEFFIELD
(to
2.9) were also present in the initial stage of the
passage.
The
convoy split into Fast and Slow portions on 4.9 to
proceed separately to
Freetown, the resultant formations being:
WS 11
Fast
|
11
MOOLTAN
|
21
ORONTES
(Commodore)
|
31
LARGS BAY
|
41
CITY OF EDINBURGH
|
|
12
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
12
OTRANTO
(same position number
|
22
SCYTHIA
|
32
GLENORCHY
32
HMS GUARDIAN
(same position number)
|
|
|
13
KINA II
|
23
VICEROY OF INDIA
|
33
DUCHESS OF YORK
|
|
|
|
|
34
BHUTAN
|
|
The
revised convoy was escorted by the battlecruiser REPULSE
and destroyers
ENCOUNTER and NESTOR, joined off Freetown by VELOX and
WRESTLER and the
corvette STARWORT, arriving at Freetown 13.9.
WS 11
Slow
The slow convoy reformed as shown:
|
11
GLAUCUS
|
21
NORTHUMBERLAND
(ex-Vice Commodore, now Commodore)
|
31
HMS DERBYSHIRE
|
41
CITY OF MANCHESTER
|
|
12
BARRISTER
|
22
ABOSSO
(Master as Vice Commodore)
|
32
RAPIDOL
|
42
MANCHESTER PROGRESS
|
HMS
DERBYSHIRE escorted the slow convoy, leading column 3
of the convoy, which was
joined by the RFA RAPIDOL on 8.9, an early Escort
Oiler which joined the convoy
for that purpose and for passage to Freetown. The
cutters SENNEN and TOTLAND
and the sloop SUTLEJ accompanied the convoy as A/S
escort, and the convoy
arrived at Freetown 15.9.41.
The re‑united
convoy sailed from Freetown 18.9, leaving ABOSSO, HMS
GUARDIAN and
NORTHUMBERLAND behind but adding NIEUW ZEELAND to the
convoy. Unfortunately, a
sailing order for this leg of the passage is not
available.
Local
escort on sailing was the destroyers VELOX and
WRESTLER to 20.9, destroyer
ENCOUNTER, sloop SUTLEJ and corvette WOODRUFF to 21.9
and the battlecruiser
REPULSE and
armed merchant cruiser DERBYSHIRE; the former went to
Durban
arriving 3.10, while DERBYSHIRE took in the Capetown
section which arrived
30.9.41.
BHUTAN,
CITY OF EDINBURGH, CITY OF MANCHESTER, DUCHESS OF
YORK, GLAUCUS, GLENORCHY,
KINA II, LARGS BAY, NIEUW ZEELAND, ORONTES and VICEROY
OF INDIA entered
Capetown.
The
convoy underwent a considerable re‑organisation while
in South Africa, so
that on 3.10 the Capetown section sailed in the
initial formation shown below:
|
11
GLENORCHY
|
21
ORONTES
(Commodore)
|
31
DUCHESS OF YORK
|
|
12
BHUTAN
|
22
VICEROY OF INDIA
|
32
KINA II
|
|
13
CITY OF MANCHESTER
|
23
LARGS BAY
|
33
GLAUCUS
|
|
14
CITY OF EDINBURGH
|
|
34
NIEUW ZEELAND
|
GLAUCUS
sailed a day late to overtake, having been delayed
with a wire round her screw,
but joined the convoy on 5.10.
Escort
was provided by the armed merchant cruiser DERBYSHIRE
until the juncture with
the Durban section, when she returned to Capetown.
The
Durban ships, plus those joining at that port, sailed
7.10, and after the
rendezvous on 8.10 the sailing order became:
|
11
DILWARA
|
21
MOOLTAN
|
31
LLANDAFF CASTLE
(Vice Commodore)
|
41
ORONTES
(Commodore)
|
51
GLENORCHY
(Rear Commodore)
|
61
OTRANTO
|
|
12
CITY OF CANTERBURY
|
22
EASTERN PRINCE
|
32
NIEUW HOLLAND
|
42
CITY OF EDINBURGH
|
52
VICEROY OF INDIA
|
62
DUCHESS OF YORK
|
|
13
PULASKI
|
23
MANCHESTER PROGRESS
|
33
CITY OF MANCHESTER
|
43
NIEUW ZEELAND
|
53
LARGS BAY
|
63
KINA II
|
|
|
|
34
BHUTAN
|
44
BARRISTER
|
54
JOHAN DE WITT
|
64
GLAUCUS
|
Escort
was provided by the battlecruiser REPULSE from Durban
until 13.10 when the
cruiser CERES
relieved her until the convoy dispersed off Aden
19.10.41.
WS 11X
The
following ships detached from the main body of WS 11
on 17.10 in position 10N
52.30E to form WS 11X,
BARRISTER,
(detached independent to Basra on 21.10) CITY OF
EDINBURGH, DUCHESS OF YORK,
GLAUCUS, GLENORCHY, JOHAN DE WITT, KINA II, LARGS BAY,
NIEUW ZEELAND, ORONTES,
OTRANTO and VICEROY OF INDIA under the escort of the
cruiser GLASGOW,
for
Bombay.
CITY OF
EDINBURGH and GLENORCHY detached 19.10 as independents
for Basra, the remaining
ships arrived at Bombay 22.10. No sailing plan is
available for this leg of the
passage.
From
Bombay, a depleted convoy sailed 27.10 in this
formation:
|
11
GLAUCUS
(Vice Commodore)
|
21
ORION
(Commodore)
|
|
|
|
22
NIEUW ZEELAND
|
32
KINA II
|
|
13
JOHAN DE WITT
|
23
LARGS BAY
|
|
The
convoy, escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HECTOR,
arrived at Colombo
31.10, less KINA II which detached to Trincomalee
29.10 as an independent.
From
Colombo the convoy, excluding KINA II and plus
RANGITIKI in position 12,
escorted by the cruiser MAURITIUS,
sailed on 31.10 and arrived in Singapore
6.11.41. ELLENGA joined from Madras as an independent
ship 1.11.
WS 11X
IMPORTANT
- Do not confuse this totally separate convoy from the
UK to Gibraltar for
Operation Halberd (a relief convoy to Malta) with the
previously noted Indian
Ocean detachment from WS 11.
Sailing
from Liverpool 16.9.41 and the Clyde 17.9, this convoy
consisted principally of
warships and merchantmen destined for Operation
Halberd, a relief convoy for
Malta.
The
following ships sailed:
|
AJAX
HMS BRECONSHIRE (Commodore)
CITY OF CALCUTTA
CITY OF LINCOLN
CLAN FERGUSON
CLAN MACDONALD
DUNEDIN STAR
IMPERIAL STAR
|
LEINSTER
HMS
PRINCESS BEATRIX
HMS
QUEEN EMMA
ROWALLAN
CASTLE
HMS
ROYAL SCOTSMAN
STRATHEDEN
HMS ULSTER MONARCH
|
The
destroyers HARVESTER and HAVELOCK escorted from the
Clyde, detaching with
STRATHEDEN to Halifax NS on 19.9 (under the
designation CT 3) arriving there
24.9. The remaining escort, to Gibraltar and then
Operation Halberd, consisted
of the battleship PRINCE
OF WALES, cruisers EURYALUS
and KENYA,
and destroyers
BLANKNEY, GARLAND, ISAAC SWEERS, LAFOREY, LIGHTNING,
ORIBI, PIORUN, WHITEHALL
and WITCH.
Force H
sortied from Gibraltar, joined the convoy on 24.9 to
the westward and escorted
it during Operation Halberd.
HM Ships
PRINCESS BEATRIX, QUEEN EMMA, ROYAL SCOTSMAN, ULSTER
MONARCH and LEINSTER
detached to Gibraltar 25.9.41 and did not join
Operation Halberd.
WS 12
The convoy
sailed from Liverpool (9 ships) 29.9.41 and the Clyde
(15 ships), and formed
off Oversay on 1.10.41 in the following formation
(numbers of personnel
embarked appear in brackets after the ship's name*):
|
11C
CLAN CAMPBELL
|
21C
PERSEUS
|
31C
STRATHAIRD
(3070*)
(Commodore)
|
41C
CITY OF PARIS
(1590*)
|
51L
MENDOZA
(1369*)
|
61C
HMS PRINCE BAUDOUIN
|
|
12C
EMPIRE TRUST
|
22C
ALMANZORA
(2034*)
|
32C
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
(2544*)
|
42C
ORMONDE
(2464*)
|
52L
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
(3045*)
(Vice Commodore)
|
62C
HMS ROYAL ULSTERMAN
|
|
13C
HIGHLAND BRIGADE
(1225*)
|
23C
EMPIRE PRIDE
(2015*)
|
33C
EMPRESS OF CANADA
(1968*)
|
43L
SAMARIA
(3062*)
|
53L
DOMINION MONARCH
(1732*)
|
63L
CLAN LAMONT
|
|
14L
SARPEDON
|
24C
LEOPOLDVILLE
(1528*)
|
34C
NARKUNDA
(1836*)
|
44L FRANCONIA
(3094*)
(Rear Commodore)
|
54L
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
|
64L
PERTHSHIRE
|
ROYAL
ULSTERMAN and PRINCE BAUDOUIN detached and fuelled at
Ponta Delgada 5 to 10.10.
Local
escort from the Clyde was the destroyers ASSINIBOINE
and SAGUENAY, with armed
merchant cruiser CATHAY and minelayer
AGAMEMNON in company, all from 30.9 to
4.10. The destroyer SIKH escorted 30.9 to 5.10,
destroyers BADSWORTH, BRADFORD,
BRIGHTON, LANCASTER and NEWARK 1 to 3.10; the AA
cruiser CAIRO
and destroyers
VERITY, WHITEHALL and WITCH 1 to 4.10, destroyer
BEVERLEY 2 to 3.10 and the
destroyers BLANKNEY and STANLEY 1 to 7.10; destroyer
ISAAC SWEERS was present
on 7.10 and GURKHA on 8.10.
The
aircraft carrier ARGUS,
ferrying aircraft to Gibraltar, was with the convoy
30.9 to 5.10 and then detached with SIKH; while
HIGHLAND PRINCESS detached to
Halifax on 4.10 with AGAMEMNON and CATHAY escorted by
ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY.
The
cruiser DEVONSHIRE
provided ocean escort from 1.10 until relieved on
12.10 by
the cruiser DORSETSHIRE
which escorted the convoy to Freetown.
Local
escort from Freetown, destroyers VELOX and WRESTLER
joined 11.10 and the convoy
arrived at Freetown 14.10.41.
The
convoy sailed from Freetown 19.10, without the
NARKUNDA, but with ULSTER
MONARCH added; Vice Commodore becoming the Master of
EMPRESS OF CANADA and the
Rear Commodore in FRANCONIA.
Local
escorts were the destroyers VELOX and WRESTLER and
corvettes ANCHUSA, CALENDULA
and MIGNONETTE
19 to 22.10. The cruisers DEVONSHIRE and DORSETSHIRE
provided
ocean escort, the former detaching 30.10 and the
latter proceeding with the
convoy to Durban, the armed merchant cruiser
DERBYSHIRE joined the escort 30.10
and also proceeded with the convoy to Durban.
ROYAL
ULSTERMAN and ULSTER MONARCH detached from the convoy
21.10 to Takoradi, from
where they eventually returned to Freetown and then
Gibraltar. PRINCE BAUDOUIN
detached to St Helena, arriving there 24.10, sailing
the same day, she made
contact with DERBYSHIRE, and rejoined the convoy with
the armed merchant
cruiser on 30.10.
The
convoy divided off Capetown, with CLAN CAMPBELL,
DOMINION MONARCH, EMPIRE
PRIDE, EMPIRE TRUST, EMPRESS OF CANADA, PRINCE
BAUDOUIN, LEOPOLDVILLE, MENDOZA,
PERTHSHIRE, SARPEDON and STRATHAIRD entering that port
on 29.10, the remaining
ships going on to Durban and arriving there 3.11, CITY
OF HONGKONG joining en
route on 2.11.
STRATHAIRD
sailed for Durban on 4.11, followed by DOMINION
MONARCH, EMPIRE PRIDE, EMPIRE
TRUST, EMPRESS OF CANADA, LEOPOLDVILLE, MENDOZA and
PERTHSHIRE from Capetown on
5.11 escorted by the armed merchant cruiser DUNNOTTAR
CASTLE, while the Durban
ships (including STRATHAIRD) left harbour on 8.11 to
form the convoy shown
below. NIEUW AMSTERDAM and NOVA SCOTIA joined from
Durban, ASCANIUS joined from
Mombasa on 14.11. SARPEDON remained at Capetown,
HIGHLAND BRIGADE and ORMONDE
remained at Durban:
|
11
SAMARIA
|
21
FRANCONIA
|
31
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
|
41
STRATHAIRD
|
51
EMPIRE PRIDE
|
61
EMPRESS OF CANADA
|
|
12
CITY OF PARIS
|
22
CLAN LAMONT
|
32
ALMANZORA
|
42
LEOPOLDVILLE
|
52
MENDOZA
|
62
DOMINION MONARCH
|
|
13
NIEUW AMSTERDAM
|
23
CLAN CAMPBELL
|
33
EMPIRE TRUST
|
43
PERTHSHIRE
|
53
PERSEUS
|
63
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
|
|
|
|
|
44
ASCANIUS
|
54
NOVA SCOTIA
|
|
On
combination of the two sections, the battlecruiser REPULSE
became ocean escort
until 14.11 when she was relieved in 5.10S 34E by the
battleship REVENGE
which
took the convoy on to the vicinity of Aden where all
ships dispersed on
20.11.41 and proceeded to Suez independently; CITY OF
PARIS entered Aden and
grounded in so doing, she sailed 22.11 for Suez as an
independent. See below
for previously detached ships.
WS 12J
DOMINION
MONARCH, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND and EMPRESS OF CANADA
formed this separate convoy
in 06.05N 52.30E on 17.11, escorted by the cruiser GLASGOW,
arriving Colombo
23.11.41.
WS 12V
From Colombo
DOMINION MONARCH and EMPRESS OF CANADA (Commodore)
sailed on 24.11 escorted by
the cruiser GLASGOW
for Singapore. In 6.14N 92E on 26.11 the convoy
rendezvoused with the cruiser DRAGON
which was escorting AWATEA, the cruisers
then exchanged charges with GLASGOW returning to
Colombo with AWATEA and DRAGON
taking on WS 12V to Singapore, arriving there
28.11.41.
WS 12X
This is
quite the most extraordinary convoy of the series, and
possibly of the whole
1939‑1945 period. British troops had been embarked in
personnel ships in
the UK and took passage to Halifax NS as convoy CT 5,
at which port a major
contingent of Canadian troops awaited passage to
Britain. The British troops
were therefore transferred to six American transports
lying in the port for
onward passage to India and, eventually, to Singapore.
It
should be noted that this transfer took place on 8 and
9.11.41, 30 days BEFORE
the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on 7.12.41, and
the German declaration of
war on the USA on 11.12.41; furthermore all the
American transports were
commissioned ships of the United States Navy!
The six
transports were:
|
JOSEPH T DICKMAN (AP 24)
LEONARD WOOD (AP 25)
MOUNT VERNON (AP 22) (Commodore)
|
ORIZABA
(AP 24)
WAKEFIELD
(AP 21)
WEST
POINT (AP 23)
|
Convoy
sailed from Halifax 10.11 and arrived at Port of Spain
17.11 to re‑fuel.
Escort
from Halifax was entirely U S Navy until arrival at
Capetown, and consisted of
aircraft
carrier RANGER, cruisers QUINCY and VINCENNES, and
destroyers MAYRANT,
MCDOUGALL, MOFFATT, RHIND, ROWAN, TRIPPE, WAINWRIGHT
and WINSLOW.
The
convoy sailed from Port of Spain 19.11, being joined
then by CIMARRON, and
proceeded direct to Capetown; RANGER and the
destroyers RHIND and TRIPPE
detached 27.11 in 17S 20W to return to Trinidad, the
convoy proceeded and
arrived at Capetown 9.12.41.
The
convoy sailed from Capetown 13.12 with the cruiser DORSETSHIRE
as ocean escort,
the US destroyers in company as A/S escorts until
14.12. The British Convoy
Commodore had embarked in WEST POINT.
Off
Mombasa on 23.12, MOUNT VERNON detached independently
(the cruiser COLOMBO
having failed to make the rendezvous) to Mombasa,
there to remain until sailing
to join convoy DM 1. ORIZABA also left the convoy, on
21.12.41 in 4S 43E, under
the escort of the cruiser CERES,
also for Mombasa.
The
remainder of the convoy continued to Bombay under the
escort of DORSETSHIRE,
arriving on 27.12.41.
WS 12Z
Sailing
from Liverpool and the Clyde 12.11.41, the convoy
formed off Oversay on
13.11.41 as below:
|
11L
ADRASTUS
|
21L
MATAROA
|
31C
NARKUNDA
(Commodore)
|
41L
ORDUNA
|
51C
DEUCALION
|
|
12L
EMPIRE STAR
|
22L
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
(Vice Commodore)
|
32C
AORANGI
32C
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
(same position number)
|
42L
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
|
52C
ABBEKERK
|
|
13L
SUSSEX
|
23L
EMPRESS OF ASIA
|
|
43L
CAPETOWN CASTLE
|
53C
RIMUTAKA
|
|
|
|
34C
ARUNDEL CASTLE
|
|
|
Escort
was provided by the destroyers BADSWORTH, EXMOOR,
VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL and
WITCH from 13 to 16.11, MAORI 13 to 17.11. The
destroyers FORESIGHT, FORESTER
and FURY joined the convoy 16 to 19.11. The battleship
ROYAL
SOVEREIGN
accompanied by the destroyers DULVERTON and SOUTHWOLD
escorted from 16 to
24.11.
Approaching
Freetown the destroyers VELOX and VIMY joined 21.11
and the corvette CLOVER
22.11, the convoy arriving at Freetown 25.11.
The
convoy sailed Freetown 28.11, in a varied sailing
order:
|
11
SUSSEX
|
21
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
|
31
NARKUNDA
|
41
MONARCH OF BERMUDA
|
51
DEUCALION
|
|
12
ADRASTUS
|
22
EMPRESS OF ASIA
|
32
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
|
42
CAPETOWN CASTLE
|
52
RIMUTAKA
|
|
13
EMPIRE STAR
|
23
MATAROA
|
33
ARUNDEL CASTLE
|
43
ORDUNA
|
53
ABBEKERK
|
|
|
|
34
AORANGI
|
|
|
The
escort consisted of the destroyers DULVERTON and
SOUTHWOLD 28.11 to 14.12,
sloop MILFORD and corvettes HOLLYHOCK
and VERBENA
28.11 to 15.12, corvettes
ASTER and MARGUERITE 15 to 18.12 and the battleship
ROYAL SOVEREIGN throughout
the passage to Durban where the convoy arrived
18.12.41.
The
convoy sailed from Durban 24.12, with some variations,
the sailing plan being:
|
11
ORDUNA
(Vice Commodore)
|
21
CAPETOWN CASTLE
(Commodore)
|
31
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
|
41
NARKUNDA
(Rear Commodore)
|
|
12
ARONDA
|
22
DEUCALION
|
32
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
|
42
AORANGI
|
|
13
EASTERN PRINCE
|
23
ADRASTUS
|
33
INDRAPOERA
|
43
ABBEKERK
|
|
14
NIEUW AMSTERDAM
|
|
34
EMPIRE STAR
|
44
SUSSEX
|
The
battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN escorted the convoy to the
vicinity of Mombasa
where, in position 1.26S 48.44E, fresh escorts made a
rendezvous and the convoy
separated into three detachments as follows:
WS 12ZA
For
Aden, escorted by the cruiser COLOMBO,
were:
|
ARONDA
EASTERN PRINCE
|
NIEUW
AMSTERDAM
ORDUNA
|
off Aden
the ships dispersed independently for Suez on 4.1.42.
WS 12ZB
For
Bombay, escorted by the cruiser CORNWALL,
were:
|
ADRASTUS
CAPETOWN CASTLE
DEUCALION
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD
|
EMPIRE
STAR
EMPRESS
OF JAPAN
INDRAPOERA
ORIZABA
|
ORIZABA
was brought out from Mombasa by the old cruiser COLOMBO.
The convoy arrived at
Bombay 6.1.42.
Introduction of the DM (Durban Military) Convoys
DM 1
This,
the first use of the designation, stood for "Durban
Malaya" and was
the first of a series of three convoys to reinforce
the Singapore garrison.
Escorted initially by the cruiser EMERALD,
which brought out the transport
MOUNT VERNON from Mombasa, the convoy was made up of:
|
AORANGI
MOUNT VERNON
|
NARKUNDA
SUSSEX
|
Escorted
by EMERALD, a rendezvous was made at the fuelling stop
"Port T" (Addu
Atoll) from where the escort was reinforced by the
cruisers
DURBAN
and
EXETER
and sloop JUMNA from 9.1. The Dutch cruiser DE RUYTER
was present on 10.1, and
again 11 to 12.1 while the destroyers ENCOUNTER,
JUPITER and VAMPIRE joined
10.1 until the convoy arrived at Singapore on 13.1.42.
WS 14
Sailing
from the Bristol Channel, Liverpool and the Clyde, the
convoy assembled off
Oversay on 9.12.41 as follows:
|
11L
TROILUS
|
21C
WARWICK CASTLE
(Rear Commodore)
|
31L
ORESTES
(Vice Commodore)
|
41C
ABOSSO
|
51C
DUCHESS OF ATHOLL
(Commodore)
|
61C
DURBAN CASTLE
|
71A
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
|
81C
EMPIRE
PINTAIL
|
|
12C
CITY OF PRETORIA
|
22C
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
32C
SCYTHIA
|
42C
ESPERANCE BAY
|
52C
STRATHALLAN
|
62C
ATHLONE CASTLE
|
72A
HIGHLAND MONARCH
|
82C
CLAN
CAMERON
|
|
13C
EMPIRE CURLEW
|
23C
EMPIRE ORIOLE
|
33L
ORONSAY
|
43C
REINA DEL PACIFICO
|
53C
CAMERONIA
|
63C
EMPIRE PEREGRINE
|
73A
EMPIRE EGRET
|
83C
HMS
CILICIA
|
|
|
24C
EMPIRE CONDOR
|
34L
ANDES
|
44L
ORCADES
|
54C
HMS ENGADINE
|
|
74A
EMPIRE WIDGEON
|
|
Escort
was provided as follows:
destroyers
BEVERLEY, CROOME, LANCASTER, NEWARK, SHERWOOD,
WESTCOTT and WITHERINGTON and
auxiliary AA ship ULSTER QUEEN 9 to 12.12, FOXHOUND,
GURKHA and NESTOR 9 to
13.12, VANQUISHER 13 to 14.12 and VOLUNTEER and WITCH
13 to 15.12. The
battleship
RAMILLIES,
and destroyers BADSWORTH and BEAUFORT 13 to 21.12. The
armed merchant cruiser CILICIA was with the convoy
throughout the passage to
Freetown.
Local
Freetown escort of the destroyers BRILLIANT and
HURWORTH joined 18.12 and
VANSITTART and WILD SWAN 19.12 until the arrival of
the convoy at Freetown on
21.12.41.
The
convoy sailed from Freetown 25.12 in a different
order:
|
11
EMPIRE PINTAIL
|
21
TROILUS
|
31
ORESTES
(Vice Commodore)
|
41
WARWICK CASTLE
(Rear Commodore)
|
51
DUCHESS OF ATHOLL
(Commodore)
|
61
ORONSAY
|
71
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
|
81
ATHLONE CASTLE
|
|
12
CLAN CAMERON
|
22
EMPIRE PEREGRINE
|
32
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
42
ORCADES
|
52
STRATHALLAN
|
62
ESPERANCE BAY
|
72
ABOSSO
|
82
DURBAN CASTLE
|
|
13
EMPIRE WIDGEON
|
23
EMPIRE CONDOR
|
33
EMPIRE EGRET
|
43
EMPIRE CURLEW
|
53
CAMERONIA
|
63
SCYTHIA
|
73
REINA DEL PACIFICO
|
83
ANDES
|
|
|
24
CITY OF PRETORIA
|
34
EMPIRE ORIOLE
|
44
HIGHLAND MONARCH
|
|
|
|
|
ABOSSO
detached to Takoradi on 26.12, ORESTES fell out with
engine defects 27.12 and
thereafter proceeded independently to Durban, ANDES
was sent ahead on 3.1.42 to
Capetown subsequently rejoining the convoy on 5.1.42.
Escort
on sailing was the battleship
RAMILLIES,
destroyers BEAUFORT and HURWORTH and
sloop BRIDGEWATER until 4.1.42 off Capetown where they
were relieved by the
armed merchant cruiser DERBYSHIRE, while the old
cruiser CERES
joined on
6.1.42. The destroyer BRILLIANT also sailed from
Freetown and detached with ABOSSO while the destroyer
VIMY was present from sailing until 27.12; the
convoy arrived at Capetown 5.1 and Durban 8.1.42.
ANDES,
ATHLONE CASTLE, CAMERONIA, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, DURBAN
CASTLE, ESPERANCE BAY,
HIGHLAND PRINCESS, ORONSAY, REINA DEL PACIFICO,
SCYTHIA and STRATHALLAN formed
the Durban contingent.
The
Capetown convoy sailed on 9.1.42 as follows:
|
11
HIGHLAND MONARCH
(Vice Commodore)
|
21
CLAN CAMERON
|
31
WARWICK CASTLE
(Commodore)
|
41
ORCADES
|
51
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
|
12
EMPIRE EGRET
|
22
EMPIRE ORIOLE
|
32
EMPIRE WIDGEON
|
42
CITY OF PRETORIA
|
52
EMPIRE CONDOR
|
|
13
EMPIRE PINTAIL
|
23
EMPIRE PEREGRINE
|
33
EMPIRE CURLEW
|
43
TROILUS
|
53
MALANCHA
|
Local
escort was provided until 10.1 by the corvettes HOLLYHOCK
and VERBENA,
the
battleship RAMILLIES sailed to the Durban rendezvous.
At the Durban rendezvous on 13.1.42 a
considerable re-organisation of the
convoy took place, ORCADES leaving the convoy for
Durban and the sailing
positions becoming:
|
11
ORESTES
(Rear Commodore)
|
21
HIGHLAND MONARCH
|
31
NOVA SCOTIA
|
41
DUNERA
(Commodore)
|
51
DILWARA
(Vice Commodore)
|
61
WARWICK CASTLE
|
71
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
|
12
EMPIRE ORIOLE
|
22
EMPIRE EGRET
|
32
ESPERANCE BAY
|
42
EMPIRE CONDOR
|
52
EMPIRE PEREGRINE
|
62
TROILUS
|
72
CITY OF PRETORIA
|
|
13
EMPIRE PINTAIL
|
23
ANDES
23
THYSVILLE
(same position number)
|
33
CLAN CAMERON
|
43
EMPIRE CURLEW
|
53
EMPIRE WIDGEON
|
63
MALANCHA
|
73
CITY OF CANTERBURY
|
|
|
24
DUCHESS OF ATHOLL
|
|
|
|
|
|
DUCHESS
OF ATHOLL broke down, returned to Durban and
transferred her troops to ANDES
which joined the convoy 16.1 taking the position of
THYSVILLE which straggled
on the first night out of Durban.
The
cruising order of the convoy was so organised that
columns 1 and 2 formed the
Aden detachment, columns 3,4 and 5 (less DUNERA) the
Bombay section, and
columns 6 and 7 convoy DM 2 for Singapore.
Escort
from Durban was the battleship RAMILLIES to 20.1,
cruisers CERES 16 to 22.1 and
COLOMBO
20 to 22.1.
WS 14A
The
original convoy split into three sub convoys on 19.1,
that for Aden being
designated WS 14A and formed from the two port hand
columns of the original
convoy. Escorted by the cruiser CERES,
the convoy dispersed off Aden 22.1.42.
The straggler THYSVILLE also arrived off Aden in due
course.
WS 14B
The
Bombay section was formed from the centre three
columns of the original convoy
on 19.1 (excluding DUNERA) and, escorted by the armed
merchant cruiser CORFU,
arrived at Bombay 28.1.42. Prior to arrival, on 25.1,
CLAN CAMERON, EMPIRE CURLEW,
EMPIRE PEREGRINE and EMPIRE WIDGEON detached as
independents for Basra.
DM 2
This
convoy, carrying reinforcements for Singapore, was to
make junction in due
course with ships from Bombay in convoy BM 12.
Detaching
from the original WS convoy on 19.1.42 under the
escort of the battleship ROYAL
SOVEREIGN, it headed for Addu Atoll where the
rendezvous with BM 12 was to take
place on 28.1.42. The sailing order on detachment was
as follows:
|
11
TROILUS
|
21
MALANCHA
|
31
DUNERA
(Commodore)
|
41
CITY OF PRETORIA
|
|
12
WARWICK CASTLE
|
22
CITY OF CANTERBURY
|
32
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
|
|
On
approaching Addu Atoll 26.1 the convoy's orders were
altered and only ROYAL
SOVEREIGN and EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (the latter short
of fuel) entered, EMPRESS
OF AUSTRALIA duly rejoining after fuelling. The convoy
was then escorted by the
armed merchant cruiser RANCHI until 28.1, when the
convoy made the arranged
rendezvous with BM 12 from Bombay, with
DEVONSHIRE, the Vice Commodore taking
position 13, PLANCIUS 23, EMPRESS OF ASIA 33 and FELIX
ROUSSEL 42.
The
escort then consisted of the cruiser EMERALD
which was relieved on 31.1. by the
cruisers
DANAE
and JAVA joined by the sloops SUTLEJ and YARRA the
following
day. The cruiser
EXETER
and destroyers JUPITER and VAMPIRE joined on 2.2 and
the whole convoy arrived at Batavia 3.2.42 where the
ships which originally
formed BM 12 together with CITY OF CANTERBURY detached
under the original
designation for Singapore.
It is
pertinent to note here that this re‑formed BM 12, less
EMPRESS OF ASIA
which was bombed and burnt out in the approaches,
arrived at Singapore only
days before the surrender to the Japanese, with the
consequent loss of all the
troops embarked, many of whom had sailed to Bombay in
previous WS convoys.
