Convoy HX 47
Convoy HX 47 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 47th of the numbered series of merchant convoys run by the Allies from HalifaX to Liverpool. The convoy was attacked by German U-boats and lost three of its 58 ships.
| Convoy HX.47 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
.svg.png){kind=small} |
 | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| V.Adm. Karl Dönitz | Adm. B S Thesiger | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| 2 U-Boats |
58 merchant ships 2 escorts | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 3 ships sunk | |||||
Background
HX 47 was formed of two sections sailing from the Americas. The main body, of 37 ships departed Halifax on 2 June 1940[1] with ships gathered from the US eastern seaboard; it was led by convoy commodore Adm. BS Thesiger RN in the steamship Pacific Pioneer. It was accompanied by its ocean escort, the armed merchant cruiser Esperance Bay, and a local escort, a Royal Canadian Navy destroyer. Two ships dropped out early in the voyage; Randsfjord was damaged in collision with a Greek steamer and returned for repairs, and another returned to port for degaussing.
On 8 June the convoy was joined by BHX 47, 21 ships from the Caribbean and South America, that had gathered at Bermuda, departing there on 31 May escorted by the AMC Ascania and a local escort.[2]
Ranged against HX 47 were U-boats of the German Navy's U-boat Arm (UBW), on patrol in Britain’s sea lanes. The UBW had just two U-boats in Southwest Approaches, U-38 and U-47, with another, U-32, further west.[3]
Action
On 14 June HX 47’s Western Approaches escort arrived. These were the sloops HMS Sandwich, from escorting the outbound convoy OA 164, and HMS Fowey from port following a refit. During the crossing three ships had dropped out of convoy; of these, Balmoralwood, was sighted on 14 June by U-47 and sunk, 70 miles from Cape Clear Island.[4]
That evening U-38 had attacked the Greek freighter Mount Myrto, on independent passage;[5] sighting HX 47 the U-boat left the freighter in a sinking condition and stalked the convoy. Attacking after midnight fo 14/15 June U-38 sank two ships, the tanker Italia[6][7] and the freighter Erik Boye[8]. The U-boat escaped and HX 47 continued without further loss.
The main body of the convoy reached Liverpool on 17 June.[1]
Conclusion
Of the 58 ships that set out, two turned back and three were sunk. 53 ships made a safe and timely arrival. HX 47 was one of two trans-Atlantic convoys attacked during June, the other, HX 49, also losing three ships. During the month as a whole the UBW sank 63 ships in the Atlantic; most of these were unescorted vessels sailing independently.[9] June 1940 was the beginning of a marked increase in successes by the U-boat Arm, referred to by them as "The Happy Time".[10]
Ships in the convoy
Merchant ships
Convoy information is from Arnold Hague's Convoyweb[11]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aegeon (1919) | .svg.png){kind=small} |
5,285 | Aluminium and pulp |
| Andreas (1919) | |
6,566 | Wheat |
| Anna Mazaraki (1913) | |
5,411 | Grain |
| Annavore (1921) |  |
3,324 | Copper and General Cargo |
| Argos Hill (1922) |  |
7,178 | Steel |
| Ashby (1927) | |
4,868 | Grain |
| Askeladden (1920) | |
2,496 | Pitprops Diverted to Portland, Maine for degaussing |
| Balmoralwood (1937) | |
5,834 | Wheat and 4 aircraft (deck cargo) Straggled 6 June Sunk by U-47: 41 survivors[4] on 14 June |
| Beaverbrae (1928) | |
9,956 | General cargo |
| Beaverhill (1928) | |
10,041 | General cargo |
| Blairspey (1929) | |
4,155 | Steel and timber |
| Boston City (1920) | |
2,870 | General cargo |
| Briarwood (1930) | |
4,019 | Pitprops |
| British Captain (1923) | |
6,968 | Petrol |
| British Faith (1928) | |
6,955 | Benzine |
| British Prince (1935) | |
4,879 | General cargo |
| Cairnvalona (1918) | |
4,929 | General cargo Vice-commodore: Adm Sir A J Davies KBE CB |
| Capsa (1931) | |
8,229 | Crude oil |
| Clydebank (1925) | |
5,156 | Steel and coke |
| Comedian (1929) | |
5,122 | Cotton and lumber |
| Diplomat (1921) | |
8,240 | General cargo |
| Dornach (1939) | |
5,186 | Wheat |
| Egda (1939) | |
10,050 | Petrol |
| El Aleto (1927) | |
7,203 | Crude oil |
| Elax (1927) | |
7,403 | Fuel oil |
| Erik Boye (1924) | .svg.png){kind=small} |
2,238 | Grain Sunk by U-38: 22 survivors[8] |
| F J Wolfe (1932) |  |
12,190 | Crude oil |
| Ferncastle (1936) | |
9,940 | Fuel oil |
| Georgios G (1918) | |
4,289 | General cargo |
| Georgios Potamianos (1913) | |
4,044 | General cargo |
| Germanic (1936) | |
5,352 | Grain |
| Harborough (1932) | |
5,415 | Grain |
| Hartbridge (1927) | |
5,080 | Wheat |
| Hellen (1921) | |
5,289 | Scrap iron |
| Hoyanger (1926) | |
4,624 | Pulp and lumber |
| Italia (1939) | |
9,973 | 13,000 tons aviation spirit Sunk by U-38: 19 dead, 16 survivors [6] |
| Kenbane Head (1919) | |
5,225 | General cargo |
| Loke (1915) | |
2,421 | Copper |
| Manchester Citizen (1925) | |
5,343 | General cargo |
| Masunda (1929) | |
5,250 | Iron ore |
| Nailsea Manor (1937) | |
4,926 | Grain |
| Northumberland (1915) | |
11,558 | General cargo |
| Octavian (1938) | |
1,345 | Wood pulp |
| Pacific Pioneer (1928) | |
6,734 | General cargo Convoy Commodore: Adm Sir B S Thesiger KBE CB CMG |
| Randsfjord (1937) | |
3,999 | Wheat and general cargo Collision with Georgios Potamianos, returned to port |
| Regent Panther (1937) | |
9,556 | Petrol |
| Saimaa (1922) |  |
2,001 | General cargo |
| Salacia (1937) | |
5,495 | Lumber |
| San Adolfo (1935) | |
7,365 | Fuel Furnace Oil (FFO) |
| Saturnus (1940) |  |
9,965 | Petrol |
| Southgate (1926) | |
4,862 | Steel and timber |
| Storanger (1930) | |
9,223 | Fuel oil |
| Temple Inn (1940) | |
5,218 | Sugar |
| Theodoros Coumantaros (1917) | |
5,709 | Sugar; straggled 11 June |
| Thiara (1939) | |
10,364 | Fuel and lub oil |
| Ulysses (1918) |  |
2,666 | General cargo |
| Vinemoor (1924) | |
4,359 | Wheat and lumber |
| Zurichmoor (1925) | |
4,455 | Steel and timber; straggled 6 June |
Escort
Escort information is from Arnold Hague's Convoyweb[12]
| Name | Flag | Ship Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Ascania | |
Armed merchant cruiser | Ocean Escort: 31 May-8 June |
| HMS Esperance Bay | |
Armed merchant cruiser | Ocean Escort: 2-15 June |
| HMS Fowey | |
Shoreham-class sloop | Western Approaches Escort: 14-17 June |
| HMS Penzance | |
Hastings-class sloop | Bermuda Local Escort: 31 May - ? |
| HMCS Saguenay | .svg.png){kind=small} |
Canadian River-class destroyer | Halifax Local Escort: 2-3 June |
| HMS Sandwich | |
Bridgewater-class sloop | Western Approaches Escort: 14-17 June |
Axis forces
U-boat information is from Guðmundur Helgason's uboat.net[13]
| Number | Type | Navy | Contact date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-38 | IXA | Kriegsmarine | 14 June 1940 | sank Italia, Erik Boye |
| U-47 | VIIB | Kriegsmarine | no contact | sank straggler Balmoralwood 14 June 1940 |
See also
References
- Hague, , Arnold; HX 47 at convoyweb.org.uk
- Hague, Arnold; BHX 47 at convoyweb.org.uk
- U-boats on patrol, 12 June 1940 at uboat.net
- "Balmoralwood – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- Mount Myrto—Greek steam merchant www.uboat.net. Retrieved 22 April 2020
- "Italia – Norwegian motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- Blair p167
- "Erik Boye – Canadian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- Tarrant p.149
- Tarrant p.89
- "Convoy HX.47". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- Arnold Hague, HX Convoys at convoyweb.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2020
- U-boats attacking HX 47 www.uboat.net. Retrieved 22 April 2020
Bibliography
- Blair, Clay (1996) Hitler’s U-Boat War Vol I Cassell ISBN 0-304-35260-8
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
- Rohwer, J; Hummelchen, G (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
- Tarrant, VE (1989) The U-Boat Offensive: 1914-1945. Arms & Armour ISBN 0-85368-928-8