|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1942 SAILINGS (concluded)
WS 21
The
convoy sailed from the Clyde 29.7.42 in the following order:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
|
