Ex USS HARADEN (Type C NEWPORT-Class) built by Newport
News Shipbuilders. The ship was laid down on
30th March 1918 and launched on
4th July that year. Commissioned on 6th June 1919 for US Naval Service this
ship was deployed in Adriatic until 1920 when she was used as
a training ship at Norfolk before reduction to
Reserve in Philadelphia. Brought forward for US Navy
use in December 1939 she was deployed for Neutrality Patrol duties until transferred to the Royal Navy
under the UK/US Lend/Lease Agreement on 3rd September 1940. On 24th September that year this destroyer was
selected for service with the Royal Canadian Navy and
renamed HMCS COLUMBIA at Halifax. The name like those of other
destroyers provided under this Agreement
was common to places in Britain or Canada and in the USA.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None are recorded in the
Admiralty records but RCN Honours will be available in RCN records
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Similarly this will be held in
RCN records
D e t a
i l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e a s H M C S C O L U M B I A
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 0
September
24th - Transferred to Royal Navy at Halifax and manned by Canadian crew.
Commissioned as HMCS HARADEN. (Note: This name was later
changed to HMCS COLUMBIA.)
October to December
Deployed at Halifax for Local Escort duties.
1 9 4 1
January
Halifax deployment in continuation. Nominated for refit in UK.
15th - Took passage to UK (Note: Ship probably joined escort of Atlantic convoy to Clyde.)
Passage to Plymouth.
February
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport. (Note: Refit included
modifications to suit RCN convoy defence requirements which were not as extensive as those required for
ships of this Class under RN
control.)
March
On completion of refit work joined Western Approaches Command for convoy escort duties and attached to
4th Escort Group.
April to May
Deployed for convoy defence with Group.
Nominated for return to Canada for duty with
Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF) on formation at St. Johns.
June
Passage to join NEF.
July to December
Deployed for convoy defence with NEF.
1 9 4 2
January
Convoy escort duties with NEF in continuation.
February
Under repair at Halifax.
March
Transferred to Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) and deployed for convoy
defence between
Canadian ports.
April to September
WLEF deployment in continuation.
October
24th - Deployed in support of eastbound Convoy SL107 under attack by
several U-Boats south
of Iceland escorted by ships of Canadian EG C4. (See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR BY C Blair for details.)
November to December
WLEF deployment in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January
Local Escort duties in continuation. Assisted sister ship HMCS CALDWELL which was adrift
after breaking away from tow
during passage between St Johns and Boston. Towed disabled destroyer to Halifax for repair.
February
1st - Taken in hand for refit at St John, NB.
March to April
Under refit.
May
On completion of post refit trials, rejoined WLEF at St Johns for Local Escort duties.
June
Joined Canadian Escort Group W4 for convoy defence.
July to November
Convoy escort duties with W4 in continuation.
December
Transferred to Canadian Escort Group W10 in continuation of escort
duties.
1 9 4 4
January
Deployment with W10 in continuation.
February
25th - Struck cliff at Moreton
Bay, Newfoundland and sustained major damage to bow structure (Note: Weather was foggy and radar
may not have been serviceable.)
March to April
Awaiting repair to bow structure to allow tow.
May to August
Under temporary repair at Bay Bulls.
Ship to be withdrawn from
operational service.
September
Taken in tow to Liverpool, NS for use as a storeship.
October to December
Hulk used for storage of ammunition from ships being refitted.
1 9 4 5
January to May
Store ship use in continuation at Liverpool, NS.
June
12th - Paid-off at Sydney and placed on Disposal List.
Sold to International Iron and
Steel for demolition.
August
Taken in tow to Hamilton.
9th - Arrived at Breaker's Yard at Hamilton.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMCS
COLUMBIA
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date Convoy Sailed
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Joined Convoy as Escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date Convoy Arrived
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16/10/40
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16/10/40
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HX 081
|
17/10/40
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02/11/40
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24/10/40
|
24/10/40
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HX 083
|
25/10/40
|
07/11/40
|
|
28/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
HX 084
|
29/10/40
|
05/11/40
|
|
14/11/40
|
14/11/40
|
HX 087
|
15/11/40
|
29/11/40
|
|
17/11/40
|
17/11/40
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HX 089
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18/11/40
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01/12/40
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|
26/12/40
|
26/12/40
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HX 099
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27/12/40
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11/01/41
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|
11/03/41
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24/03/41
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HX 114
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unknown
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30/03/41
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|
03/04/41
|
03/04/41
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OB 306
|
08/04/41
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09/04/41
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|
27/03/41
|
10/04/41
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HX 117
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15/04/41
|
15/04/41
|
|
15/04/41
|
15/04/41
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OG 059
|
20/04/41
|
28/04/41
|
|
30/04/41
|
02/05/41
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OB 317
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
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|
17/04/41
|
10/05/41
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SL 072
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13/05/41
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13/05/41
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27/04/41
|
19/05/41
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SL 073
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25/05/41
|
25/05/41
|
|
29/05/41
|
30/05/41
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OB 328
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02/06/41
|
02/06/41
|
|
10/06/41
|
16/06/41
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HX 132
|
18/06/41
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28/06/41
|
|
10/06/41
|
16/06/41
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SC 034
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18/06/41
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29/06/41
|
|
21/07/41
|
21/07/41
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TC 012
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26/07/41
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29/07/41
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|
22/07/41
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25/07/41
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HX 140
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01/08/41
|
06/08/41
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|
22/07/41
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25/07/41
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SC 038
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01/08/41
|
08/08/41
|
|
31/07/41
|
05/08/41
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ON 003
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13/08/41
|
14/08/41
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|
10/08/41
|
13/08/41
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HX 144
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13/08/41
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30/08/41
|
|
29/08/41
|
29/08/41
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HX 147
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08/09/41
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12/09/41
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|
30/08/41
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12/09/41
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SC 042
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16/09/41
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20/09/41
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|
13/09/41
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19/09/41
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ON 016
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24/09/41
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27/09/41
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|
05/10/41
|
10/10/41
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SC 048
|
17/10/41
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22/10/41
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|
16/10/41
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23/10/41
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ON 027
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02/11/41
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02/11/41
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|
10/11/41
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12/11/41
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SC 054
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22/11/41
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26/11/41
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|
25/11/41
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30/11/41
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ON 040
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04/12/41
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04/12/41
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|
30/03/42
|
30/03/42
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SC 077
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03/04/42
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16/04/42
|
|
17/04/42
|
17/04/42
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SC 080
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22/04/42
|
03/05/42
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|
10/05/42
|
10/05/42
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HX 189
|
13/05/42
|
20/05/42
|
|
06/05/42
|
17/05/42
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ON 092
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19/05/42
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21/05/42
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|
21/05/42
|
21/05/42
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XB 021
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22/05/42
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23/05/42
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|
05/06/42
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05/06/42
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SC 086
|
08/06/42
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20/06/42
|
|
05/06/42
|
14/06/42
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ON 101
|
18/06/42
|
18/06/42
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|
26/06/42
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26/06/42
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SC 089
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29/06/42
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11/07/42
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26/06/42
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05/07/42
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ON 107
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09/07/42
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09/07/42
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|
10/07/42
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10/07/42
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BX 028B
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12/07/42
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12/07/42
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|
17/07/42
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17/07/42
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SC 092
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19/07/42
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31/07/42
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|
17/07/42
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26/07/42
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ON 113
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31/07/42
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31/07/42
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|
09/08/42
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09/08/42
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HX 202
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12/08/42
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21/08/42
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|
02/08/42
|
14/08/42
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ON 118
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unknown
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20/08/42
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21/08/42
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21/08/42
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BX 034C
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23/08/42
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23/08/42
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|
29/08/42
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29/08/42
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SC 098
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02/09/42
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13/09/42
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|
28/08/42
|
07/09/42
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ON 125
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10/09/42
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12/09/42
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|
29/08/42
|
16/09/42
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ON 126
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18/09/42
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18/09/42
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|
17/09/42
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17/09/42
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HX 208
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20/09/42
|
02/10/42
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|
11/09/42
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22/09/42
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ON 129
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25/09/42
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25/09/42
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|
01/10/42
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01/10/42
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HX 210
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04/10/42
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16/10/42
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|
26/09/42
|
14/10/42
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ON 134
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17/10/42
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17/10/42
|
|
18/10/42
|
18/10/42
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HX 212
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21/10/42
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02/11/42
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|
17/10/42
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21/10/42
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TA 025
|
22/10/42
|
22/10/42
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|
24/10/42
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27/10/42
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SC 107
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01/11/42
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10/11/42
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|
25/10/42
|
03/11/42
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ON 141
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07/11/42
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10/11/42
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|
19/11/42
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19/11/42
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HX 216
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22/11/42
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06/12/42
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|
25/11/42
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28/11/42
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SC 111
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30/11/42
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17/12/42
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|
26/11/42
|
06/12/42
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ON 149
|
10/12/42
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12/12/42
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|
19/12/42
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22/12/42
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SC 114
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26/12/42
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07/01/43
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|
19/12/42
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30/12/42
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ON 155
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02/01/43
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06/01/43
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|
04/01/43
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07/01/43
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SC 116
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12/01/43
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29/01/43
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|
04/01/43
|
14/01/43
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ON 159
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17/01/43
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20/01/43
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|
24/06/43
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06/07/43
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ON 190
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08/07/43
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09/07/43
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|
15/07/43
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15/07/43
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HX 248
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21/07/43
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29/07/43
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|
14/07/43
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25/07/43
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ONS 013
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29/07/43
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29/07/43
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|
30/07/43
|
01/08/43
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HX 250
|
05/08/43
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12/08/43
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|
31/07/43
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08/08/43
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ON 195
|
11/08/43
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13/08/43
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|
14/08/43
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24/08/43
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ON 197
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27/08/43
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28/08/43
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|
02/09/43
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02/09/43
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HX 255
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08/09/43
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16/09/43
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|
15/09/43
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28/09/43
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ON 202
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01/10/43
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01/10/43
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|
05/10/43
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05/10/43
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HX 260
|
11/10/43
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20/10/43
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|
05/10/43
|
16/10/43
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ON 205
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20/10/43
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23/10/43
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|
18/10/43
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31/10/43
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ON 207
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03/11/43
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04/11/43
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|
13/11/43
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13/11/43
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HX 266
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16/11/43
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27/11/43
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|
26/11/43
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28/11/43
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HX 268
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29/11/43
|
11/12/43
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|
17/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
ONS 023
|
02/12/43
|
02/12/43
|
|
15/12/43
|
15/12/43
|
SC 149
|
19/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
|
29/12/43
|
15/01/44
|
ONS 026
|
15/01/44
|
18/01/44
|
|
30/01/44
|
10/02/44
|
ON 222
|
13/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
|
20/02/44
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22/02/44
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HX 280
|
25/02/44
|
09/03/44
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(Note on Convoys)
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