Convoy HX 65

Convoy HX.65
Part of World War II
Date12–27 August 1940
LocationNorth Atlantic
Belligerents
Germany  Royal Canadian Navy
United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Vice-Admiral B G Washington CMG DSO (Commodore)
Rear-Admiral E W Leir DSO (Vice-Commodore)
Strength
10 U-boats 51 merchant ships
9 escorts
Casualties and losses
9 ships sunk

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

  1. Hague, p.126
  2. Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp.31&32
  3. "Convoy HX.65". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  4. "Athelcrest – British steam tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  5. "mv Cape York". Clydebuilt database. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  6. "Empire Merlin – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  7. "Fircrest – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  8. "Harpalyce – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  9. "La Brea – British steam tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  10. "Pecten – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  11. "RMS Remuera [+1940]". www.wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  12. "Stakesby – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2013.

Bibliography

External links

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