Convoy HX 156

Convoy HX.156
Part of World War II
Date22 October 1941-5 November 1941
LocationNorth 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

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. 1 2 3 Hague 2000 p.127
  2. 1 2 Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.94
  3. 1 2 3 Morison 1975 p.94
  4. ↑ Silverstone 1968 p.9
  5. ↑ "Convoy HX.156". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

References

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