Convoy HX 156

Convoy HX.156

Date	22 October 1941-5 November 1941
Location	North Atlantic

Belligerents

Germany

United Kingdom

United States Navy

Commanders and leaders

Admiral Karl Dönitz

Rear-Admiral E W Leir DSO

Strength

52 merchant ships
16 escorts

Casualties and losses

1 ship sunk

Atlantic Campaign

Timeline

Convoy HX-156 was the 156th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax to Liverpool.^[1] Forty-three ships departed Halifax on 22 October 1941,^[1] and were met two days later by United States Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 consisting of Gleaves class destroyer Niblack, Clemson class destroyer Reuben James, Wickes class destroyer Tarbell, and Benson class destroyers Benson and Hilary P. Jones.^[2]

The Action

31 October 1941

U-552 sighted the convoy at dawn on 31 October 1941, and torpedoed Reuben James as the destroyer approached to investigate the Huff-Duff bearing of the sighting report.^[3] A torpedo struck the port side and detonated the forward magazine.^[3] The hull aft of the third stack remained afloat for 5 minutes; and 44 men were rescued from the crew of 159.^[3]

Reuben James was the first United States warship sunk during World War II.^[4] U-552 was driven off by the escort; but U-567 found the convoy that afternoon.

USS Reuben James was the only loss from convoy HX-156

1 November 1941

Task Unit 4.1.3 handed the convoy off to the British 6th Escort Group on 1 November 1941.
U-552 and U-567 made two unsuccessful torpedo attacks on 1 November and maintained contact with the convoy through 3 November.^[2] The convoy reached Liverpool on 5 November.^[1]

Ships in the Convoy^[5]

Name	Flag	Tonnage (GRT)	Notes
Alchiba (1920)	Netherlands	4,427	Iceland
Ancylus (1935)	United Kingdom	8,017	Oil tanker. Onward To N Russia
Anna Knudsen (1931)	Norway	9,057
HMCS Annapolis (I04)	Royal Canadian Navy		Escort 22 Oct - 24 Oct Destroyer
Arabian Prince (1936)	United Kingdom	1,960	4 Passengers
Athelvictor (1941)	United Kingdom	8,410
HMS Begonia (K66)	Royal Navy		Escort 01 Nov - 04 Nov Corvette
Benmacdhui (1911)	United Kingdom	6,869
Brabant (1938)	Belgium	2,483	2 Passengers
Bralanta (1936)	Norway	9,608
British Governor (1926)	United Kingdom	6,840	Scapa Flow
HMS Broke (D83)	Royal Navy		Escort 01 Nov - 04 Nov Flotilla leader
HMS Buxton (H96)	Royal Navy		Escort 01 Nov - 04 Nov Destroyer
HMS Camellia (K31)	Royal Navy		Escort 31 Oct - 04 Nov Corvette
Cape Breton (1940)	United Kingdom	6,044
Charlbury (1940)	United Kingdom	4,836
Chepo (1919)	Panama	5,707	Returned, See Convoy HX 158
Clan Macquarrie (1913)	United Kingdom	6,471
Comanchee (1936)	United Kingdom	6,837
Delilian (1923)	United Kingdom	6,423
Edam (1921)	Netherlands	8,871	27 Passengers
HNoMS Eglantine	Royal Norwegian Navy		Escort 01 Nov - 05 Nov
Eidanger (1938)	Norway	9,432
El Capitan (1917)	Panama	5,255	Onward To N Russia
El Estero (1920)	Panama	4,219
Empire Confidence (1935)	United Kingdom	5,023	12 Passengers
Empire Day (1941)	United Kingdom	7,242	CAM ship
Empire Foam (1941)	United Kingdom	7,047	CAM ship
Empire Rainbow (1941)	United Kingdom	6,942	CAM ship
Empire Tern (1919)	United Kingdom	2,479
Gallia (1939)	Norway	9,974
Ganymedes (1917)	Netherlands	2,682
Gudrun Maersk (1937)	United Kingdom	2,294	Iceland to Belfast
K G Meldahl (1938)	Norway	3,799
HMS King Sol (FY235)	Royal Navy		Escort 01 Nov
Kollbjorg (1937)	Norway	8,259
HMS Larkpsur (K82)	Royal Navy		Escort 31 Oct - 05 Nov
Leiv Eiriksson I (1936)	Norway	9,952	Ex-Iceland
Leonatus (1938)	Panama	2,242
Lewant (1930)	Poland	1,942	2 Passengers
Maihar (1917)	United Kingdom	7,563	1 Passenger
Markhor (1929)	United Kingdom	7,917
Mergus (1906)	Sweden	1,368	Iceland to Clyde
HNoMS Montbretia	Royal Norwegian Navy		Escort 31 Oct - 05 Nov
Munin (1899)	Norway	1,285	Iceland To Clyde
Nestor (1913)	United Kingdom	14,629	197 Passengers
Norefjord (1920)	Norway	3,082
O A Knudsen (1938)	Norway	11,007
Polar Chief (1897)	United Kingdom	8,040
Prince De Liege (1938)	Belgium	2,588
Prins Willem Van Oranje (1938)	Netherlands	1,303
San Alvaro (1935)	United Kingdom	7,385	4 Passengers
San Arcadio (1935)	United Kingdom	7,419	1 Passenger
San Emiliano (1939)	United Kingdom	8,071	4 Passengers
Sandanger (1938)	Norway	9,432
Skaraas (1936)	Norway	9,826
Sourabaya (1915)	United Kingdom	10,107	28 Passengers
Stanlake (1923)	United Kingdom	1,742	Possibly joined this convoy
Svanholm (1922)	United Kingdom	1,321
Troubadour (1920)	Norway	5,808	6 Passengers
USS Alchiba (AKA-6) (1939)	United States	6,198	Reykjavik Armed 'Attack cargo ship'
USS Benson (DD-421)	United States Navy		Escort 24 Oct - 01 Nov Destroyer
USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427)	United States Navy		Escort 24 Oct - 01 Nov Destroyer
USS Niblack (DD-424)	United States Navy		Escort 24 Oct - 01 Nov Destroyer
USS Reuben James (DD-245)	United States Navy		Escort 24 Oct - 03 Nov Sunk by U-552 on 31 Oct 41 (prior to US declaration of war)
USS Tarbell (DD-142)	United States Navy		Escort 24 Oct - 01 Nov Destroyer
HMS Verity (D63)	Royal Navy		Escort 31 Oct - 04 Nov Destroyer
HMS Wolverine (D78)	Royal Navy		Escort 31 Oct - 04 Nov WW1-era Destroyer

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hague 2000 p.127
↑ 2.0 2.1 Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.94
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Morison 1975 p.94
↑ Silverstone 1968 p.9
↑ "Convoy HX.156". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

References

Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943. Little, Brown and Company.
Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.