Convoy commodore
Convoy commodore also known as commodore, convoys was the title of a civilian put in charge of the good order of the merchant ships in the British convoys used during World War II. Usually the convoy commodore was a retired naval officer or a senior merchant captain drawn from the Royal Naval Reserve. He was aboard one of the merchant ships.
| Office of the convoy commodore | |
|---|---|
 Ensign of the Royal Navy | |
| Admiralty | |
| Reports to | First Sea Lord |
| Nominator | First Sea Lord |
| Appointer | Prime minister Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council |
| Term length | Not fixed |
| Formation | 1939-1945 |
The convoy commodore was distinguished from the commander of the convoy's escort, always a naval officer.
Description
Convoy commodores were based at HMS Eaglet, the Royal Navy's shore establishment at Liverpool. Commodores had a peripatetic role, sailing with each convoy as assigned in a suitable ship. This ship would be the convoy flagship, but remained under the command of its master, the commodore and his team merely taking passage. The commodores were accompanied by a small team of ratings, usually a yeoman and two or three signalers; these teams would stay together and work with the same commodore throughout the campaign, allowing a pattern of co-operation to develop.[1] The commodores responsibilities were the management of the merchant ships of the convoy, its course and speed, and its defensive manoeuvers such as zigzag patterns and evasive actions. The commodore worked together with the senior escort officer (SOE), who was in command of the warships protecting the convoy. The SOE was ultimately responsible for the safe and timely arrival of the convoy. This situation could have been a source of friction; the SOE (usually a Lt Cdr or Commander) would invariably be junior to the commodore, often a retired Flag Officer with many years experience. In practice the two worked together pragmatically; Peter Gretton, an escort commander during the Battle of the Atlantic, describes how his instructions, which were couched in the form of suggestions, were always acted upon: He recalls only one instance where he had to "pull rank" on the commodore.[2]
Numbers
There were 181 ocean commodores listed with Eaglet in 1943; of these 102 were Royal Navy and 57 were RNR. Of the others, eight were from Dominion navies (Four Royal Canadian Navy, three Royal Indian Navy and one Royal New Zealand Navy officers) and four from Allied navies (two Norwegian and two Dutch). Of the RN officers, 11 were retired Admirals, 33 Vice- and 53 Rear-Admirals and 13 were Captains.[3]
During the Second World War the British ran 4,025 ocean and 10,025 coastal convoys; all had a commodore appointed, though the coastal convoys were generally led by the senior merchant captain present. Of the ocean convoys 1,480 were on the North Atlantic route, and of these 186 (12.5%) were attacked, losing one or more ships. Of the 78 Arctic convoys, 21 (27%) were attacked, losing one or more ships,[4]
There were 24 convoy commodores who lost their lives in the course of their duties, recorded on the Merchant Navy War Memorial in Liverpool.
Convoy commodores
- Noted commodores include:
- Captain Harry Charles Birnie, of the Cunard Line. Died commanding Convoy SC 121.[5]
- Admiral Sir Studholme Brownrigg who went down with his ship, SS Ville de Tamatave, on 24 January 1943 in a violent storm.
- Captain John Charles Keith Dowding, commanded the ill-fated PQ 17 and the returning QP 14. In both convoys his flagship was sunk and he had to be rescued from the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean.[6]
- Admiral Sir Reginald Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax.
- Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer.
- Admiral Lachlan Donald Ian Mackinnon. Survived his ship sinking and was rescued after a prolonged period in the cold waters of the North Atlantic; his health was damaged permanently.
- Admiral Eric Gascoigne Robinson, V.C. who served for three years. Retired exhausted.
- Vice Admiral Norman Atherton Wodehouse who went down with his ship when it was torpedoed en route to South Africa.
Cold War
The United States Navy maintained a training program for convoy commodores through the Cold War. Retired United States Navy officers with recent tactical command of a destroyer or frigate, and meeting age and health criteria, were invited to attend a two-week convoy commodore training course covering:
- U.S. civil direction and naval control of shipping
- merchant ship characteristics
- control of shipping communications systems
- convoy planning (organization, routing, forming, and sailing)
- anticipated military threats and escort protection
- communications, maneuvering, and emergency procedures during operations at sea
The courses were also open to British and Canadian students. About 20 percent of the graduates were given an opportunity to participate in NATO exercises simulating attack and defense of a convoy of merchant ships. While the courses emphasized experiences during the world wars, modern convoy formations employed wider separation between individual ships requiring communication with marine VHF radio rather than the historical use of flag signals and Morse signal lamps.[7]
The Royal Navy offered similar instruction compressed into three-and-one-half days at HMS Vernon in Portsmouth. The Royal Navy course was taught by the dedicated Maritime Trade Faculty of five instructors while the United States course was a collateral duty of Fleet Antisubmarine Warfare Training Center instructors aided by reserve officers and guest lecturers.[7]
Notes
- Burn p32
- Gretton p
- Burn p8
- Burn p7
- Harry Charles Birnie at Liverpool Naval Memorial
- Kemp p86, p109
- Landersman, Stuart D. (1986). "I am a ... Convoy Commodore". Proceedings. United States Naval Institute. 112 (6): 56–63.
Bibliography
- Burn, Alan (1996). The Fighting Commodores, Convoy Commanders in the Second World War. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 978-0850525045.
- Peter Gretton (1964) Convoy Escort Commander Cassell ISBN 978 05520 8703 2
- Paul Kemp (1993) Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters Arms and Armour ISBN 1-85409-130-1