Convoy HX 47

Last updated

Convoy HX.47
Part of World War II
Date14/15 June 1940
Location
Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Germany Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
V.Adm. Karl Dönitz Adm. B S Thesiger
Strength
2 U-boats 58 merchant ships
2 escorts
Casualties and losses
3 ships sunk

Convoy HX 47 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 47th of the numbered series of merchant convoys run by the Allies from Halifax to Liverpool. The convoy was attacked by German U-boats and lost three of its 58 ships.

Contents

Background

HX 47 was formed of two sections sailing from the Americas. The main body, of 37 ships departed Halifax on 2 June 1940 [1] with ships gathered from the US eastern seaboard; it was led by convoy commodore Adm. BS Thesiger RN in the steamship Pacific Pioneer. It was accompanied by its ocean escort, the armed merchant cruiser HMS Esperance Bay, and a local escort, a Royal Canadian Navy destroyer. Two ships dropped out early in the voyage; Randsfjord was damaged in collision with a Greek steamer and returned for repairs, and another returned to port for degaussing.

On 8 June the convoy was joined by BHX 47, 21 ships from the Caribbean and South America, that had gathered at Bermuda, departing there on 31 May escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Ascania and a local escort. [2]

Ranged against HX 47 were U-boats of the German Navy's U-boat Arm (UBW), on patrol in Britain's sea lanes. The UBW had just two U-boats in Southwest Approaches, U-38 and U-47, with another, U-32, further west. [3]

Action

On 14 June HX 47’s Western Approaches escort arrived. These were the sloops HMS Sandwich, from escorting the outbound convoy OA 164, and HMS Fowey from port following a refit. During the crossing three ships had dropped out of convoy; of these, Balmoralwood, was sighted on 14 June by U-47 and sunk, 70 miles from Cape Clear Island. [4]

That evening U-38 had attacked the Greek freighter Mount Myrto, on independent passage; [5] sighting HX 47 the U-boat left the freighter in a sinking condition and stalked the convoy. Attacking after midnight of 14/15 June U-38 sank two ships, the tanker Italia [6] [7] and the freighter Erik Boye. [8] The U-boat escaped and HX 47 continued without further loss.

The main body of the convoy reached Liverpool on 17 June. [1]

Conclusion

Of the 58 ships that set out, two turned back and three were sunk. 53 ships made a safe and timely arrival. HX 47 was one of two trans-Atlantic convoys attacked during June, the other, HX 49, also losing three ships. During the month as a whole the UBW sank 63 ships in the Atlantic; most of these were unescorted vessels sailing independently. [9] June 1940 was the beginning of a marked increase in successes by the U-boat Arm, referred to by them as "The Happy Time". [10]

Ships in the convoy

Merchant ships

Convoy information is from Arnold Hague's Convoyweb [11]

Merchant ships
NameFlagTonnage (GRT) Notes
Aegeon (1919)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 5,285Aluminium and pulp
Andreas (1919)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 6,566Wheat
Anna Mazaraki (1913)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 5,411Grain
Annavore (1921)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,324Copper and General Cargo
Argos Hill (1922)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,178Steel
Ashby (1927)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,868Grain
Askeladden (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,496Pitprops
Diverted to Portland, Maine for degaussing
Balmoralwood (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,834Wheat and 4 aircraft (deck cargo)
Straggled 6 June
Sunk by U-47: 41 survivors [4] on 14 June
Beaverbrae (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,956General cargo
Beaverhill (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 10,041General cargo
Blairspey (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,155Steel and timber
Boston City (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,870General cargo
Briarwood (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,019Pitprops
British Captain (1923)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,968Petrol
British Faith (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,955Benzine
British Prince (1935)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,879General cargo
Cairnvalona (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,929General cargo
Vice-commodore: Adm Sir A J Davies KBE CB
Capsa (1931)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,229Crude oil
Clydebank (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,156Steel and coke
Comedian (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,122Cotton and lumber
Diplomat (1921)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,240General cargo
Dornach (1939)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,186Wheat
Egda (1939)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 10,050Petrol
El Aleto (1927)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,203Crude oil
Elax (1927)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,403Fuel oil
Erik Boye (1924)Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada 2,238Grain
Sunk by U-38: 22 survivors [8]
F J Wolfe (1932)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 12,190Crude oil
Ferncastle (1936)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,940Fuel oil
Georgios G (1918)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 4,289General cargo
Georgios Potamianos (1913)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 4,044General cargo
Germanic (1936)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,352Grain
Harborough (1932)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,415Grain
Hartbridge (1927)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,080Wheat
Hellen (1921)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 5,289Scrap iron
Hoyanger (1926)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,624Pulp and lumber
Italia (1939)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,97313,000 tons aviation spirit
Sunk by U-38: 19 dead, 16 survivors [6]
Kenbane Head (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,225General cargo
Loke (1915)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,421Copper
Manchester Citizen (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,343General cargo
Masunda (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,250Iron ore
Nailsea Manor (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,926Grain
Northumberland (1915)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 11,558General cargo
Octavian (1938)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,345Wood pulp
Pacific Pioneer (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,734General cargo
Convoy Commodore: Adm Sir B S Thesiger KBE CB CMG
Randsfjord (1937)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,999Wheat and general cargo
Collision with Georgios Potamianos, returned to port
Regent Panther (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,556Petrol
Saimaa (1922)Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 2,001General cargo
Salacia (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,495Lumber
San Adolfo (1935)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,365Fuel Furnace Oil (FFO)
Saturnus (1940)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 9,965Petrol
Southgate (1926)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,862Steel and timber
Storanger (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,223Fuel oil
Temple Inn (1940)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,218Sugar
Theodoros Coumantaros (1917)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 5,709Sugar; straggled 11 June
Thiara (1939)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 10,364Fuel and lub oil
Ulysses (1918)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 2,666General cargo
Vinemoor (1924)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,359Wheat and lumber
Zurichmoor (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,455Steel and timber; straggled 6 June

Escort

Escort information is from Arnold Hague's Convoyweb [12]

NameFlagShip TypeNotes
Escorts
HMS AscaniaNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Armed merchant cruiser Ocean Escort: 31 May-8 June
HMS Esperance BayNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Armed merchant cruiserOcean Escort: 2–15 June
HMS Fowey Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Shoreham-class sloop Western Approaches Escort: 14–17 June
HMS Penzance Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Hastings-class sloop Bermuda Local Escort: 31 May - ?
HMCS Saguenay Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Canadian Navy Canadian River-class destroyer Halifax Local Escort: 2–3 June
HMS Sandwich Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Bridgewater-class sloop Western Approaches Escort: 14–17 June

Axis forces

U-boat information is from Guðmundur Helgason's uboat.net [13]

NumberTypeNavyContact dateNotes
U-38 IXA Kriegsmarine 14 June 1940sank Italia, Erik Boye
U-47 VIIB Kriegsmarine no contactsank straggler Balmoralwood 14 June 1940

References

  1. 1 2 Hague, Arnold; HX 47 at convoyweb.org.uk
  2. Hague, Arnold; BHX 47 at convoyweb.org.uk
  3. U-boats on patrol, 12 June 1940 at uboat.net
  4. 1 2 "Balmoralwood – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. Mount Myrto—Greek steam merchant www.uboat.net. Retrieved 22 April 2020
  6. 1 2 "Italia – Norwegian motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  7. Blair p167
  8. 1 2 "Erik Boye – Canadian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  9. Tarrant p.149
  10. Tarrant p.89
  11. "Convoy HX.47". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  12. Arnold Hague, HX Convoys at convoyweb.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2020
  13. U-boats attacking HX 47 www.uboat.net. Retrieved 22 April 2020

Bibliography