1942 SAILINGS
(concluded)
WS 21
The
convoy sailed from the Clyde 29.7.42 in the following
order:
|
11A
JAMES LYKES
|
21C
CIRCASSIA
|
31C
NARKUNDA
(Commodore)
|
41L
MALOJA
(Vice Commodore)
|
51L
ANTENOR
|
|
12A
CURACAO
|
22C
LARGS BAY
|
32C
TAMAROA
|
42L
RANGITIKI
|
52L
SAMARIA
|
|
|
23C
AORANGI
|
|
43L
VOLENDAM
|
|
Local
A/S escort was provided by the destroyers BRAMHAM and
WILTON to 2.8, BICESTER,
KEPPEL, LAMERTON, and SALISBURY to 4.8, while the
armed merchant cruiser RANPURA
and destroyers CATTERICK, LEDBURY and PETARD provided
the ocean escort to
Freetown where the convoy arrived 10.8. The destroyer
VELOX joined the convoy
on the day of arrival.
The
convoy sailed from Freetown 15.8 with a number of
additional ships, the
formation being:
|
11
CHINA MAIL
|
21
JAMES LYKES
|
31
MALOJA
(Vice Commodore)
|
41
NARKUNDA
(Commodore)
|
51
CIRCASSIA
|
61
AORANGI
|
|
12
AMERICAN PRESS
|
22
CURACAO
|
32
ANTENOR
|
42
TAMAROA
|
52
RANGITIKI
|
62
LARGS BAY
|
|
|
23
LOOKOUT
|
33
VOLENDAM
|
43
SILVERWALNUT
|
53
SAMARIA
|
63
ERRIA
|
Commodore
ships remained unchanged.
AMERICAN
PRESS joined at sea on 18.8, ERRIA detached to St
Helena 20.8.
Escort
was the cruiser
HAWKINS
and destroyers CATTERICK and PETARD to Capetown, the
armed merchant cruiser CORFU providing cover from
Capetown to Durban. The armed
merchant cruiser RANPURA joined 19.8 and also went to
Durban while the
corvettes AMARANTHUS and THYME provided cover off
Durban from 29.8.
AMERICAN
PRESS, ANTENOR, AORANGI, CHINA MAIL, CURACAO, JAMES
LYKES, LOOKOUT, MALOJA and
SILVERWALNUT entered Capetown 27.8, the remaining
ships arrived at Durban 30.8.
The
convoy sailed from Capetown 30.8 escorted by HAWKINS
and AMARANTHUS, THYME
joined 2.9 and the convoy re‑formed at the Durban
rendezvous 3.9, as follows,
SAMARIA and VOLENDAM joining from Durban:
|
11
AORANGI
|
21
JAMES LYKES
|
31
SAMARIA
(Commodore)
|
41
CHINA MAIL
|
|
12
LOOKOUT
|
22
SILVERWALNUT
|
32
MALOJA
(Vice Commodore)
|
42
AMERICAN PRESS
|
|
13
VOLENDAM
|
23
BANTAM
|
33
ANTENOR
|
43
CURACAO
|
The
convoy was escorted from Capetown by the cruiser
HAWKINS, from the meeting
point joined by the armed merchant cruiser RANPURA and
destroyer PETARD which
had escorted SAMARIA and VOLENDAM out of Durban.
WS 21A
On 10.9
the convoy divided with AORANGI, BANTAM, JAMES LYKES,
LOOKOUT, SAMARIA and
SILVERWALNUT proceeding to Aden there to disperse as
independents, escort being
provided by RANPURA and PETARD, with the destroyers
HERO and TETCOTT joining on
15.9. Dispersal took place on 16.9.
WS 21B
AMERICAN
PRESS, ANTENOR, CHINA MAIL, CURACAO, MALOJA and
VOLENDAM continued to Bombay
escorted by
HAWKINS.
HAWKINS detached escorting VOLENDAM on 11.9 to Mombasa
after being relieved by the cruiser
ENTERPRISE
that day. AMERICAN PRESS and
CHINA MAIL detached as independents for the Persian
Gulf during passage, the
remaining ships reached Bombay on 19.9.42.
WS 21P
This
convoy sailed from the Clyde 17.7.42. An unusual
feature is the juncture at sea
with an American convoy (AS 4) which had sailed from
the USA with supplies for
the 8th Army in North Africa. After the juncture the
following formation was
used, prior to that the ships from the UK had steamed
in their original
numbered positions. The ships joining from AS 4 are
indicated by A after their
convoy number, the rendezvous was made on 5.8.42 in
09.05S 011.07W:
|
11L
WINDSOR CASTLE
(Vice Commodore)
|
21C
ORONSAY
|
31C
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
(Commodore)
|
41C
DUCHESS OF ATHOLL
|
|
|
12A
EMPIRE ORIOLE
|
22A
TARN
|
32L
DUCHESS OF YORK
|
42A
ZAANDAM
|
52A
AMERICAN MANUFACTURER
52A
EXHIBITOR
|
|
|
23A
HAWAIIAN SHIPPER
|
33A
SANTA CRUZ
|
43A
MORMACDALE
|
|
Escort
was provided by the destroyers BUXTON to 20.7,
GEORGETOWN to 22.7 and VIMY from
25 to 27.7. The cruiser
ORION
and destroyers NEPAL and TJERK HIDDES escorted
throughout the passage to Freetown, where the convoy
arrived 27.7.42.
Sailing
from Freetown on 2.8 the escorts were the destroyer
BOREAS to 6.8, corvette
COMMANDANT DUBOC to 13.8 and the ORION, NEPAL and
TJERK HIDDES to Capetown
where the convoy arrived 13.8.42.
When the
convoy sailed from Capetown 16.8, only 10 ships were
present:
|
11
WINDSOR CASTLE
|
21
ORONSAY
|
31
EMPRESS OF JAPAN
|
41
DUCHESS OF ATHOLL
|
|
12
EMPIRE ORIOLE
|
22
EXHIBITOR
|
32
DUCHESS OF YORK
|
42
ZAANDAM
|
|
|
23
HAWAIIAN SHIPPER
|
33
TARN
|
|
EXHIBITOR,
with defects, detached to Mozambique 22.8.
The
cruiser
SHROPSHIRE
and destroyer DUNCAN escorted until 19.8, destroyers
NEPAL
and TJERK HIDDES 19 to 24.8 and the cruiser ORION 19
to 29.8 on which date
ships dispersed off Aden.
WS 21PG
This
convoy consisted of only three ships, the balance of
WS 21P, which were met off
Durban on 19.8 by the armed merchant cruiser ALAUNIA
and corvette THYME. It
would appear that the ships had, in fact, made the
passage from Capetown in
company with WS 21P. On 20.8 the cruiser
ENTERPRISE
with destroyer DUNCAN and
corvette CYCLAMEN joined, whereon THYME detached.
The
convoy, Commodore in SANTA CRUZ, steamed in line abeam
AMERICAN MANUFACTURER,
SANTA CRUZ, MORMACDALE reading from port to starboard.
CYCLAMEN
detached from the escort early on 25.8, ENTERPRISE and
DUNCAN later the same
day, ALAUNIA then took station between AMERICAN
MANUFACTURER and SANTA CRUZ.
SANTA CRUZ detached independent on 30.8, when
MORMACDALE became Commodore,
ALAUNIA then moving to the starboard wing of the two
ship convoy. The corvette
MARGUERITE joined on 1.9, ALAUNIA detached and the
convoy duly dispersed off
Hormuz later that day.
WS 21S
Not, in
fact, properly one of the convoys of this series as
the title was applied to
the ships destined for Operation Pedestal, a relief
convoy to Malta from the
UK. Prior to passing the Straits of Gibraltar on
10.8.42 however, the convoy
did bear the style shown and the convoy sailing order
is therefore included
from the Clyde from which it sailed on 2.8.42 until
passing the Straits on
10.8:
|
11
DEUCALION
|
21
PORT CHALMERS
|
31
EMPIRE HOPE
|
41
GLENORCHY
|
|
12
CLAN FERGUSON
|
22
MELBOURNE STAR
|
32
OHIO
|
42
SANTA ELISA
|
|
13
ROCHESTER CASTLE
|
23
DORSET
|
33
BRISBANE STAR
|
43
WAIRANGI
|
|
|
24
WAIMARAMA
|
34
ALMERIA LYKES
|
|
The
escort for the convoy was unusually strong, in that it
included ships of the
Home Fleet on passage for the operation as
reinforcements for the ships usually
based on Gibraltar. They included the battleships
NELSON,
RODNEY,
the
aircraft carriers
EAGLE,
FURIOUS,
INDOMITABLE,
VICTORIOUS,
cruisers
KENYA,
NIGERIA
and destroyers AMAZON, BICESTER, BLYSKAWICA, DERWENT,
ICARUS,
INTREPID, LAMERTON, LEDBURY, MALCOLM, PENN, SARDONYX,
VENOMOUS, WILTON, WISHART
and WOLVERINE and ZETLAND at various times during the
passage from the Clyde to
the Straits.
WS 22
Sailing
from Liverpool 28.8.42 and the Clyde 29.8 with a final
junction off Oversay,
the convoy sailing order is shown below:
|
11L
SUFFOLK
|
21L
ORDUNA
|
31C
ALMANZORA
|
41C
CALIFORNIA
(Commodore)
|
51C
RANGITATA
|
|
71C
HIGHLAND BRIGADE
|
|
12L
NIEUW HOLLAND
|
22L
ORCADES
|
32L
ANDES
(Vice Commodore)
|
42C
NEA HELLAS
|
52C
DOMINION MONARCH
|
62C
FRANCONIA
62C
MATAROA
(same position number)
|
72C
HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN
|
|
|
23C
LEINSTER
|
33C
BOISSEVAIN
|
43C
JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT
|
53C
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
|
63C
RUYS
|
73C
CANARA
|
LEINSTER
detached to Gibraltar 4.9 escorted by LAFOREY and
LOOKOUT from that base.
Local
A/S escort was the destroyers BLYSKAWICA to 31.8,
BICESTER, BULLDOG, KEPPEL and
ZETLAND to 1.9, BEVERLEY and CHESTERFIELD to 2.9.
Ocean escort was the cruiser
AURORA,
armed merchant cruiser CARTHAGE and destroyers
PARTRIDGE and QUIBERON
to 9.9; with a local Freetown escort of the destroyers
ANTELOPE 6 to 9.9 and
PINDOS 7 to 9.9 when the convoy arrived at Freetown.
When the
convoy sailed from Freetown 13.9, the sailing order
had been re‑organised
and one ship (SIBAJAK) had joined in lieu of LEINSTER,
the new positions being
shown below:
|
11
NIEUW HOLLAND
|
21
ORDUNA
|
31
ALMANZORA
|
41
CALIFORNIA
|
51
RANGITATA
|
61
ANDES
|
71
HIGHLAND BRIGADE
|
|
12
SUFFOLK
|
22
DOMINION MONARCH
|
32
FRANCONIA
|
42
NEA HELLAS
|
52
ORCADES
|
62
MATAROA
|
72
HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN
|
|
13
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
|
23
RUYS
|
33
JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT
|
43
SIBAJAK
|
53
BOISSEVAIN
|
63
CANARA
|
|
HIGHLAND
BRIGADE and HIGHLAND PRINCESS detached to Takoradi
15.9 escorted by the
destroyer BOREAS, ANTELOPE was detached also to return
to Freetown while
DERWENT and PINDOS escorted until 18.9. AURORA, the
armed merchant cruiser
ALCANTARA and destroyers PARTRIDGE and QUIBERON went
through to Capetown with
the convoy.
The
convoy arrived off Capetown 25.9 and ALMANZORA, ANDES,
CALIFORNIA, CANARA,
DOMINION MONARCH, JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT, NEA
HELLAS, NIEUW HOLLAND, ORDUNA,
RUYS and SIBAJAK entered that port, the remaining
ships going to Durban under
the escort of the cruiser
SHROPSHIRE,
arriving there 29.9.
Sailing
from Capetown on 29.9 ALMANZORA, DOMINION MONARCH,
FRANCONIA, JOHAN VAN
OLDENBARNEVELT, NIEUW HOLLAND and ORDUNA were joined
from Durban on 3.10 by
BOISSEVAIN, CALIFORNIA, CANARA, EKMA, FELIX ROUSSEL,
INDRAPOERA, RANGITATA,
RUYS. Of these ships, ALMANZORA and RANGITATA arrived
at Mombasa 12.10, EKMA,
FELIX ROUSSEL and ORDUNA arrived at Aden 16.10; all
other ships went to Bombay
arriving 17.10.42, except CANARA detached to Karachi.
The
sailing order was:
|
11
ORDUNA
|
21
DOMINION MONARCH
|
31
CALIFORNIA
|
41
FRANCONIA
|
|
12
EKMA
|
22
JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT
|
32
NIEUW HOLLAND
|
42
RUYS
|
|
13
FELIX ROUSSEL
|
23
BOISSEVAIN
|
33
CANARA
|
43
ALMANZORA
|
|
|
24
RANGITATA
|
34
INDRAPOERA
|
|
Escorts
were the armed merchant cruisers ALCANTARA and RANCHI
from Capetown to Durban
where ALCANTARA detached and was replaced by the
cruiser
DEVONSHIRE.
WS22A
The
convoy divided on 11.10 with RANCHI taking onward the
Aden portion arriving at
that port 16.10.42 being met by BEAUFORT and TETCOTT
on 14.10 as additional
escorts.
WS 22B
After
the division, the Bombay section proceeded escorted by
the cruiser
HAWKINS,
which had joined from Mombasa on 10.10; the convoy
arrived at Bombay 17.10 less CANARA, detached to
Karachi on 15.10.
WS 23
A small
convoy which was somewhat delayed in its final
departure, so that ships had to
water at Belfast Lough prior to final rendezvous on
4.10.42. The convoy
formation on final sailing was:
|
11
SILVERSANDAL
|
21
KINA II
|
31
CAPETOWN CASTLE
(Commodore)
|
41
MORETON BAY
|
|
12
PORT JACKSON
|
22
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
(Vice Commodore)
|
32
HIGHLAND MONARCH
|
42
STRAAT MALAKKA
|
Escorts
were the destroyers BEAGLE 4 to 8.10, BICESTER,
WRESTLER and ZETLAND 4 to
10.10, cruisers
DESPATCH
and
DURBAN,
armed merchant cruiser QUEEN OF BERMUDA
and destroyers KANARIS and PUCKERIDGE 4 to 15.10,
destroyers ANTELOPE 13 to
16.10 and VELOX 14 to 16.10, on which date the convoy
arrived at Freetown.
On 20.10
the convoy sailed, formation unchanged, escorted by
DURBAN, the armed merchant
cruiser CARTHAGE, and KANARIS 20.10 to 5.11. DESPATCH
and the sloop MILFORD
overtook the convoy 23.10 and stayed until 31.10,
destroyer AVON VALE was
present 20 to 23.10, corvettes
TAMARISK
20 to 25.10 and AMARANTHUS 25 to 26.10,
while the destroyer NORMAN and corvettes ROCKROSE and
THYME joined 30.10 to
continue to escort to Durban, which was reached on
5.11.
RIMUTAKA
sailed from Capetown and joined the convoy for the
passage to Durban.
Sailing
from Durban 9.11, MORETON BAY and RIMUTAKA remained
behind. The convoy was
escorted by the cruiser
DAUNTLESS
to 11.11, armed merchant cruiser CARTHAGE to
17.11, cruiser
HAWKINS
from 11 to 16.11 and cruiser
MAURITIUS
16 to 17.11.
HAWKINS
detached from the convoy 16.11 taking with her EMPRESS
OF RUSSIA to Mombasa
arriving there on 18.11; on 17.11 the remaining ships
divided into Aden and
Bombay sections.
WS 23A
From
17.11, HIGHLAND MONARCH, KINA II, PORT JACKSON and
STRAAT MALAKKA were escorted
by CARTHAGE to Aden where they arrived 21.11.42.
WS 23B
From 17.11
MAURITIUS
escorted the remaining
ships of WS 23 to Bombay, where they arrived 24.11.42,
other than SILVERSANDAL
which detached to Karachi on 22.11.
WS 24
This was
one of the more unusual WS convoys, in that it
departed greatly from the normal
route. At the end of October 1942 the first great
amphibious invasion convoys
were at sea heading for North Africa from both the UK
and USA; hence it was
highly undesirable to have an additional troop convoy
crossing their routes
and, indeed, the focal point of Operation TORCH. Hence
WS 24, which sailed from
Liverpool 30.10.42 and the Clyde 31.10, was routed far
to the west in the
Atlantic and was obliged to use the port of Bahia in
Brazil, who had declared
war on the Germany and Italy on 22.8.42, as a fuelling
stop rather than
Freetown.
The
relatively small convoy consisted of the following
ships:
|
11
TAMAROA
|
21
ATHLONE CASTLE
(Vice Commodore)
|
31
STIRLING CASTLE
(Commodore)
|
41
INDOCHINOIS
|
51
LARGS BAY
|
|
|
22
ARAWA
|
|
42
EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND
|
|
During
the passage INDOCHINOIS lost the convoy on 7.11 and
proceeded independently; to
the anxiety of the Commodore and Senior Officer of the
Escort who had no idea
as to her fate or whereabouts. She eventually rejoined
the convoy, at sea, on
30.11.42! TAMAROA made a more decorous exit, being
detached to Freetown on 8.11
escorted by the whaler SOUTHERN PRIDE.
Escorts
were, from Liverpool to the Clyde, the destroyers
SARDONYX and SKATE, from the
Clyde HOLCOMBE, OFFA, ONSLOW, ORIBI and ROTHERHAM to
3.11, the US seaplane
tender BARNEGAT 31.10 to 2.11.
Ocean
escort was provided by the armed merchant cruiser
QUEEN OF BERMUDA joining 3.11
to 17.11, destroyer ILEX 9 to 17.11 and cruiser
DESPATCH
and destroyer ROTHERHAM 11 to 17.11.
The
convoy arrived at Bahia 17.11 to fuel and water and,
while there, took the rare
opportunity to land troops (at the insistence of the
Brazilian authorities) for
a route march which turned into something of a Victory
Parade for the
inhabitants excited by the Allied landings in North
Africa ten days previously.
Sailing
from Bahia 20.11 the convoy was escorted by the armed
merchant cruisers QUEEN
OF BERMUDA joined by ALCANTARA and destroyer ROTHERHAM
to Durban, arriving 4.12
while the cruiser DESPATCH was present until 23.11 and
destroyer ILEX until
25.11. The destroyer NORMAN joined 29.11, corvette
ROCKROSE 30.11 and destroyer
NEPAL 1.12, all to Durban. Corvette THYME was present
30.11 to 2.12.
WS 24A
Sailing
from Durban 13.12.42 in company with convoy CM 36,
ARAWA went north to Aden,
arriving 28.12.42.
WS 24B
Sailing
from Durban 6.12.42, ATHLONE CASTLE and STIRLING
CASTLE were escorted by the
cruiser
FROBISHER
to 12.12 and then by the cruiser
MAURITIUS
to arrive at
Bombay on 17.12.42.
WS 25
Sailed
from Avonmouth, Liverpool and finally the Clyde
18.12.42 in the following
formation:
|
11L
TARIFA
|
21L
RANGITIKI
|
31C
BRITANNIC
(Commodore)
|
41L
ESPERANCE BAY
|
51A
HIGHLAND BRIGADE
|
|
|
22L
CITY OF LINCOLN
|
32L
ORION
(Vice Commodore)
|
42A
MATAROA
|
52A
HIGHLAND PRINCESS
|
Escort
was provided by the destroyers BADSWORTH, HAYDON and
WOLVERINE 18 to 24.12,
armed merchant cruisers CARNARVON CASTLE, CHESHIRE and
destroyers QUILLIAM and
ROCKWOOD 18 to 31.12, destroyer ILEX 27 to 31.12 and
corvettes CROCUS and
WOODRUFF 30 to 31.12, the convoy arriving at Freetown
31.12.42.
The
convoy sailed with the same ships and formation from
Freetown 3.1.43, with
HIGHLAND BRIGADE detaching to Takoradi en route
escorted by the corvette
COMMANDANT D'ESTIENNE D'ORVES and minesweeper
BALUCHISTAN.
Escort
from Freetown was the corvettes CROCUS 3 to 9.1,
CYCLAMEN 6 to 7.1, armed
merchant cruiser CHESHIRE and destroyers QUILLIAM and
ROCKWOOD 3 to 18.1, armed
merchant cruiser ALCANTARA 4 to 9.1 and destroyer
EXPRESS 16 to 18.1, the
convoy arriving at Durban 18.1.43.
Durban
was the ultimate destination of this convoy, ships
then dispersed as
independents to either South America, the UK or New
York City via Freetown.
WS 25W
Despite
the use of a convoy designation this was, in fact, an
unescorted passage by
QUEEN MARY from the Clyde to Suez sailing on 23.12.42
via Freetown and
Capetown, arriving at Suez 18.1.43. An AA and A/S
escort was provided on
sailing for the initial twenty four hours only,
details are unknown.
