Convoy HX 65
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Convoy HX 65 was the 65th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. The convoy departed Halifax on 12 August 1940;[1] and was attacked on 25 August by U-boats of 1st, 2nd and 7th U-boat Flotillas, operating out of Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. Six ships were sunk by the U-boats, and two more were sunk by four Heinkel He 115 and eight Junkers Ju 88 bombers of Küstenfliegergruppe 506 based at Stavanger Airport, Sola.[2]
Ships in the convoy[3]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agapenor (1914) |  United Kingdom |
7,391 | |
| Alfred Olsen (1934) |  Norway |
8,817 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Anna Mazaraki (1913) |  Greece |
5,411 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Aspasia Nomikos (1938) | Greece |
4,855 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia, Dublin |
| HMCS Assiniboine (I18) |  Royal Canadian Navy |
Escort 12 Aug – 13 Aug Destroyer | |
| Athelcrest (1940) | United Kingdom |
6,825 | Joined ex-BHX 65, Sunk by U-48[4] |
| Atlantic (1939) | United Kingdom |
5,414 | |
| Axel Johnson (1925) |  Sweden |
4,915 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Blairatholl (1925) | United Kingdom |
3,319 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| British Lord (1922) | United Kingdom |
6,098 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Canford Chine (1917) | United Kingdom |
3,364 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia. Returned |
| Cape York (1926) | United Kingdom |
5,027 | Joined ex-BHX 65, Sunk by a Luftwaffe aircraft 10 nautical miles (19 km) off Kinnaird Head near Peterhead[5] |
| Cetus (1920) | Norway |
2,614 | |
| Chama (1938) | United Kingdom |
8,077 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| City of Hankow (1915) | United Kingdom |
7,360 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Conus (1931) | United Kingdom |
8,132 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Cymbula (1938) | United Kingdom |
8,082 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Eclipse (1931) | United Kingdom |
9,767 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Empire Merlin (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,763 | Joined ex-BHX 65, Straggled & sunk by U-48[6] |
| F J Wolfe (1932) | United Kingdom |
12,190 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Fernbank (1924) | Norway |
4,333 | |
| Fircrest (1907) | United Kingdom |
5,394 | Cargo of iron ore. Torpedoed amidships by U-124[7] and sank very rapidly. All 40 crew died |
| HMCS French | Royal Canadian Navy |
Escort 12 Aug – 13 Aug Auxiliary | |
| Gard (1938) | Norway |
8,259 | |
| Gitano (1921) | United Kingdom |
3,956 | |
| HMS Godetia (K72) |  Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Aug – 27 Aug Corvette | |
| Harpalyce (1940) | United Kingdom |
5,169 | Sunk by U-124.[8]
42 of 47 crew dead. Vice-Admiral B G Washington CMG DSO (Commodore) |
| Housatonic (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,559 | |
| Inverlee (1938) | United Kingdom |
9,158 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Juno (1908) |  Netherlands |
1,763 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| La Brea (1916) | United Kingdom |
6,665 | Joined ex-BHX 65, Straggled and sunk by U-48.[9] 2 dead, 31 survivors |
| HMCS Laurier | Royal Canadian Navy |
Escort 12 Aug – 14 Aug Auxiliary | |
| Lodestone (1938) | United Kingdom |
4,877 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| HMS Lowestoft (L59) | Royal Navy |
Escort 26 Aug – 27 Aug Sloop | |
| Manchester Merchant (1940) | United Kingdom |
7,264 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Rear-Admiral E W Leir DSO (Vice-Commodore) |
| Maplewood (1930) | United Kingdom |
4,566 | |
| Nellie (1913) | Greece |
4,826 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Nerissa (1926) | United Kingdom |
5,583 | Armed passenger/cargo steamer carrying 190 Canadian troops from Newfoundland. |
| Nikoklis (1921) | Greece |
3,576 | |
| Nordlys (1916) | United Kingdom |
3,726 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Pecten (1927) | United Kingdom |
7,468 | Joined ex-BHX 65, Straggled and sunk by U-57.[10] 48 dead with 8 survivors. |
| Prins Maurits (1936) | Netherlands |
1,287 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Rangitane (1929) | United Kingdom |
16,712 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Reedpool (1924) | United Kingdom |
4,848 | |
| Regent Panther (1937) | United Kingdom |
9,556 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Remuera (1911) | United Kingdom |
11,445 | Joined ex-BHX 65. She was spotted by Luftwaffe aircraft off Rattray Head.
Four Heinkel He 115 torpedo bombers from Küstenfliegergruppe I & II/506 based at Sola See, Stavanger and eight JU88´s from X-FliegerKorps Stab I & III/KG30 (Adler Geschwader) at Aalsborg in Denmark attacked. She suffered a sustained bombing and strafing attack by the JU88´s before being mortally damaged by a direct torpedo hit from one of the HE115´s. All 93 crew and one gunner took to their boats and were saved, some by Fraserburgh lifeboat.[11] |
| HMCS Saguenay (D79) | Royal Canadian Navy |
Escort 12 Aug – 14 Aug Destroyer | |
| Sitala (1937) | United Kingdom |
6,218 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| HMCS Skeena (D59) | Royal Canadian Navy |
Escort 24 Aug – 27 Aug Destroyer | |
| Solarium (1936) | United Kingdom |
6,239 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Stakesby (1930) | United Kingdom |
3,900 | Torpedoed 25 Aug by U-124[12] |
| Statesman (1923) | United Kingdom |
7,939 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Taria (1939) | Netherlands |
10,354 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
| Torr Head (1937) | United Kingdom |
5,021 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Torvanger (1920) | Norway |
6,568 | |
| Uskbridge (1940) | United Kingdom |
2,715 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia Returned |
| HMS Voltaire (F47) | Royal Navy |
Escort 12 Aug – 23 Aug Armed Merchant cruiser | |
| Welsh Prince (1940) | United Kingdom |
5,148 | |
| HMS Westcott (D47) | Royal Navy |
Escort 24 Aug – 27 Aug Destroyer | |
| Winkleigh (1940) | United Kingdom |
5,468 | Joined ex-BHX 65 |
References
- ↑ Hague, p.126
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp.31&32
- ↑ "Convoy HX.65". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "Athelcrest – British steam tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "mv Cape York". Clydebuilt database. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "Empire Merlin – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "Fircrest – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "Harpalyce – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "La Brea – British steam tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "Pecten – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "RMS Remuera [+1940]". www.wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ↑ "Stakesby – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
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Bibliography
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
External links
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