Convoy HX 106
Convoy HX 106 was the 106th of the numbered series of Allied HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool, England. Forty-one ships departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 30 January 1941, eastbound to Liverpool, England.[1] The use of convoys was a standard tactic throughout the Battle of the Atlantic as a defence against U-boats and German commerce raiders.
| Convoy HX.106 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
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 | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Admiral Karl Dönitz | Capt W H Poole Rd RNR | ||||
| Strength | |||||
|
41 merchant ships 11 escorts (1 when attacked) | |||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 2 merchants sunk | |||||
On 8 February 1941 the two German battleships, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, appeared over the horizon.[2] The German squadron was under the command of Admiral Günther Lütjens. The captain of Scharnhorst offered to draw off the escorting Royal Navy battleship HMS Ramillies, so that Gneisenau could sink the merchant ships. This strategy, if successful, would have entailed little risk to Scharnhorst as she was 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) faster than Ramillies, and her newer 11-inch (279 mm) guns outranged the 1915 era 15-inch (381 mm) guns of the British ship. However, Lutjens strictly followed Hitler's directive not to engage enemy capital ships, and withdrew.[2]
Later, two of the convoy's merchant ships were sunk by the submarine U-96, including MV Arthur F. Corwin loaded with 14,500 tons of aviation fuel. She went down on 13 February, taking all 59 crew with her.
Ships in the convoy
Allied merchant ships
A total of 41 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Halifax or later in the voyage.[3]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abercos (1920) |  |
6,076 | Straggled |
| Arthur F Corwin (1938) | |
10,516 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 Sunk by U-96[4] |
| Athelbeach (1931) | |
6,568 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Botavon (1912) | |
5,848 | Straggled 10 Feb 41 Vice-Commodore |
| British Fortune (1930) | |
4,696 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Capsa (1931) | |
8,229 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Cardium (1931) | |
8,236 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Chama (1938) | |
8,077 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Charlton Hall (1940) | |
5,200 | Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Clea (1938) | |
8,028 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 Sunk by U-96[5] |
| Cliona (1931) | |
8,375 | |
| Contractor (1930) | |
6,004 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Dover Hill (1918) | |
5,815 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Edward F Johnson (1937) | |
10,452 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Esturia (1914) | |
6,968 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Evanger (1920) |  |
3,869 | |
| Ganges (1930) | |
6,246 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Garonne (1921) | |
7,113 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Geo W McKnight (1933) | |
12,502 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Harpagus (1940) | |
5,173 | |
| Hopemount (1929) | |
7,434 | Straggled 3 Feb 41 |
| Horda (1920) | |
4,301 | Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Kheti (1927) | |
2,734 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Laguna (1923) | |
6,466 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Leiesten (1930) | |
6,118 | Joined ex-BHX 106. Straggled 10 Feb |
| Lodestone (1938) | |
4,877 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Mactra (1936) | |
6,193 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Malmanger (1920) | |
7,078 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Miralda (1936) | |
8,013 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Mirza (1929) |  |
7,991 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Nurtureton (1929) | |
6,272 | |
| Oilfield (1938) | |
8,516 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Opalia (1938) | |
6,195 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| R J Cullen (1919) | |
6,993 | |
| San Eliseo (1939) | |
8,042 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| San Fabian (1922) | |
13,031 | |
| Silveray (1925) | |
4,535 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Temple Arch (1940) | |
5,138 | Joined ex-BHX 106. Straggled 10 Feb |
| Topdalsfjord (1921) | |
4,271 | Capt W H Poole Rd RNR (Commodore) |
| Torborg (1921) | |
6,042 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Trelissick (1919) | |
5,265 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
Convoy escorts
A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[3]
| Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Burnham (H82) | |
Town-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 15 Feb 1941 |
| HMCS Collingwood (K180) | |
Flower-class corvette | 30 Jan 1941 | 31 Jan 1941 |
| HMS Kingcup (K33) | |
Flower-class corvette | 15 Feb 1941 | 17 Feb 1941 |
| HMS La Malouine (K46) | |
Flower-class corvette | 12 Feb 1941 | 17 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Malcolm (D19) | |
Admiralty-type destroyer leader | 12 Feb 1941 | 15 Feb 1941 |
| HMS/HMT Northern Pride (FY105) | |
ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) trawler | 15 Feb 1941 | 18 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Ramillies (07) | |
Revenge-class battleship | 30 Jan 1941 | 10 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Saladin (H54) | |
Admiralty S-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 14 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Sardonyx (H26) | |
Admiralty S-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 17 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Skate (1917) | |
R-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 18 Feb 1941 |
| HMT Vizalma (FY286) | |
ASW trawler | 15 Feb 1941 | 18 Feb 1941 |
References
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. p. 127. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- Miller, Nathan (1996). War at sea : a naval history of World War II. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 147. ISBN 0-19-511038-2.
- "Convoy HX.106". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- "Arthur F. Corwin – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Clea – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.