Convoy HX 126
Convoy HX 126 was the 126th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. The ships departed Halifax on 10 May 1941[1] and were escorted across the North Atlantic by the armed merchant cruiser Aurania intended to provide protection against merchant raiders. Aurania was poorly equipped to defend the convoy from attacks beginning on 19 May by U-boats of the 1st, 2nd and 7th Flotillas, operating out of Brest, Lorient and St Nazaire, respectively.[2] U-boats sank nine ships prior to arrival of the 12th Escort Group on 21 May. Surviving ships reached Liverpool on 28 May.[1]
| Convoy HX.126 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
.svg.png){kind=small} |
 | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Admiral Karl Dönitz | Rear-Admiral F B Watson | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| 9 U-boats |
33 merchant ships 22 escorts (1 during attacks) | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 9 merchant ships sunk | |||||
Ships in the convoy
Allied merchant ships
A total of 33 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Halifax or later in the voyage.[3]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athelprincess (1929) |  |
8,882 | |
| Barnby (1940) | |
4,813 | Straggled and sunk by U-111[4] |
| Baron Carnegie (1925) | |
3,178 | |
| Baron Elgin (1933) | |
3,942 | |
| Bente Maersk (1928) | |
5,722 | |
| British Freedom (1928) | |
6,985 | Straggled 20 May |
| British Security (1937) | |
8,470 | Sunk by U-556[5] |
| British Splendour (1931) | |
7,138 | |
| Cockaponset (1919) | |
5,995 | Sunk By U-556[6] |
| Darlington Court (1936) | |
4,974 | Sunk By U-566[7] |
| Dorelian (1923) | |
6,431 | |
| Eemland (1906) |  |
4,188 | Straggled 20 May |
| Elusa (1936) | |
6,235 | Sunk By U-93[8] |
| Empire Kudu (1919) | |
6,622 | |
| Gretavale (1928) | |
4,586 | |
| Hada County (1921) |  |
4,853 | |
| Harpagus (1940) | |
5,173 | Sunk By U-109.[9] Rescue Ship |
| Havsten (1930) | |
6,161 | |
| Hindustan (1940) | |
5,245 | Rear-Admiral F B Watson DSO (Commodore) |
| John P Pedersen (1930) | |
6,128 | Sunk By U-94[10] |
| Karabagh (1932) | |
6,427 | |
| Morgenen (1930) | |
7,093 | |
| Nicoya (1929) | |
5,364 | |
| Norman Monarch (1937) | |
4,718 | Sunk By U-94[11] |
| Regent Panther (1937) | |
9,556 | |
| Ribera (1940) | |
5,559 | Straggled 20 May |
| Rosewood (1931) | |
5,989 | Iceland |
| Rothermere (1938) | |
5,356 | Sunk By U-98[12] |
| Salando (1920) | |
5,272 | Returned |
| Tongariro (1925) | |
8,720 | |
| Toward (1923) | |
1,571 | Rescue Ship |
| Westport (1918) | |
5,665 | Joined Ex Convoy SC 31 |
| Winona County (1919) | |
6,159 | Returned |
Convoy escorts
A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[3] Only one escort was present during the German attacks.
| Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Arabis (K73) | |
Flower-class corvette | 21 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 |
| HMS Artifex (F28) | |
Armed merchant cruiser | 10 May 1941 | 21 May 1941 |
| HMS Burnham (H82) | |
Town-class destroyer | 21 May 1941 | 22 May 1941 |
| HMS Burwell (H94) | |
Town-class destroyer | 21 May 1941 | 26 May 1941 |
| HMCS Chambly (K116) | |
Flower-class corvette | n/a | n/a |
| HMS Dianella (K07) | |
Flower-class corvette | 23 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 |
| HMS Gladiolus (K34) | |
Flower-class corvette | 23 May 1941 | 26 May 1941 |
| HMS Heliotrope (K03) | |
Flower-class corvette | 21 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 |
| HMS Keppel (D84) | |
Shakespeare-class destroyer leader | 23 May 1941 | 26 May 1941 |
| HMS Kingcup (K33) | |
Flower-class corvette | 23 May 1941 | 28 May 1941 |
| HMT Lady Elsa | |
ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) trawler | 23 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 |
| HMS Malcolm (D19) | |
Scott-class destroyer leader | 20 May 1941 | 22 May 1941 |
| HMS Mallow (K81) | |
Flower-class corvette | 21 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 |
| HMT Northern Gem | |
ASW trawler | n/a | n/a |
| HMT Northern Wave | |
ASW trawler | n/a | n/a |
| HMCS Orillia (K119) | |
Flower-class corvette | n/a | n/a |
| HMS Sabre (1918) | |
Admiralty S-class destroyer | 23 May 1941 | 27 May 1941 |
| HMS Scimitar (H21) | |
Admiralty S-class destroyer | 22 May 1941 | 24 May 1941 |
| HMS Springbank | |
Seaplane tender/prototype fighter catapult ship | 23 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 |
| HMS Tribune (N76) | |
T-class submarine | 10 May 1941 | 10 May 1941 |
| HMS Venomous (D75) | |
Modified W-class destroyer | 26 May 1941 | 28 May 1941 |
| HMS Verbena (K85) | |
Flower-class corvette | 21 May 1941 | 23 May 1941 |
References
- Hague p.127
- Rohwer &Hummelchen, p.62
- "Convoy HX.126". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Barnby – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "British Security – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Cockaponset – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Darlington Court – British motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Elusa – Dutch motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Harpagus – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "John P Pedersen – Norwegian motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Norman Monarch – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Rothermere – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
Bibliography
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.