Convoy HX.133
Part of World War II
Date16 June 1941 – 3 July 1941
Location
North Atlantic
Belligerents
Nazi Germany Germany United Kingdom United Kingdom
United Kingdom Canada
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
~4 U-boats 64 merchant ships
20 escorts
Casualties and losses
6 ships sunk
7 damaged

Convoy HX 133 was the 133rd of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. The ships departed Halifax on 16 June 1941,[1] and were found on 23 June by U-boats of the 1st U-boat Flotilla, operating out of Brest, France. U-boats sank six ships before the convoy reached Liverpool on 3 July.[1] There was strong criticism of the RCN corvette's signalling capabilities as borne out by the number of collisions that occurred.[2]

Ships in the Convoy

Name[2] Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Anadara (1935)  United Kingdom 8,009 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
HMCS Annapolis (I04) Canada Royal Canadian Navy Escort 16 Jun – 20 Jun
HMS Arabis (K73)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun
Atlantic City (1941)  United Kingdom 5,133
Baltara (1918)  United Kingdom 3,292
Bello (1930)  Norway 6,125 Possibly via Convoy BB 41
British Progress (1927)  United Kingdom 4,581
British Workman (1922)  United Kingdom 6,994
Brockley Hill (1919)  United Kingdom 5,297 Sunk by U-651[3] SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland. All crew rescued.
HMS Celandine (K75)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun
Ceronia (1929)  United Kingdom 4,955 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
HMCS Chambly (K116) Canada Royal Canadian Navy Escort – 27 Jun
Corvette
City Of Oxford (1926)  United Kingdom 2,759 Joined ex convoy BHX 133, collision 19 Jun, returned
Cliona (1931)  United Kingdom 8,375 As station oiler at Reykjavík until April 1942
HMCS Collingwood (K180) Canada Royal Canadian Navy Escort 20 Jun – 27 Jun
Colytto (1926)  Netherlands 4,408
Corbis (1931)  United Kingdom 8,132 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
Dalhousie (1940)  United Kingdom 7,072
Debrett (1940)  United Kingdom 6,244 2 passengers
Dolabella (1939)  United Kingdom 8,142 Returned to Halifax after collision on 19 Jun
Dornoch (1939)  United Kingdom 5,186
Emma Bakke (1929)  Norway 4,721 Returned
Empire Granite (1941)  Royal Navy 8,028 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
Empire Oil (1941)  United Kingdom 8,029
Empire Salvage (1941) 10,746 Originally the Dutch Papendrecht, requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1941 and renamed Lothringen to support naval operations by the German battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen in the Atlantic. Captured the Allies in June 1941 and renamed Empire Salvage.
Erviken (1921)  Norway 6,595
Everleigh (1930)  United Kingdom 5,222
HMS Fleetwood (U47)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 27 Jun
Sloop
HMS Gladiolus (K34)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 27 Jun
Corvette
Glenpark (1939)  United Kingdom 5,136 Capt R Gill CBE RD RNR (Commodore)
Grayburn (1938)  United Kingdom 6,342 Sunk by U-651[4] S of Iceland. 35 of her 53 crew lost. Survivors rescued by HMS Arabis, HMT Northern Wave and HMS Violet
Hartlebury (1934)  United Kingdom 5,082
Havprins (1935)  Norway 8,066 Motor tanker
Henry Dundas (1937)  United Kingdom 10,448 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
HMS Icarus (D03)  Royal Navy Escort. Destroyer
Inverilen (1938)  United Kingdom 9,456 3 passengers
Inverlee (1938)  United Kingdom 9,158 Joined ex convoy BHX 133. Bound for Scapa Flow
Kongsgaard (1937)  Norway 9,467 Torpedoed amidships by U-564[5] and caught fire on 27 Jun. The crew partially abandoned her, but the remaining crew were able to extinguish the fire and she arrived safely into Belfast on 2 Jul
Loch Ranza (1934)  United Kingdom 4,958
Lowther Castle (1937)  United Kingdom 5,171
Maasdam (1921)  Netherlands 8,812 Sunk by U-564[6] 300 nautical miles (560 km) S of Iceland. 32 passengers. Only 2 people lost of the 80 persons on board; rescued by Havprins
Malaya II (1921)  United Kingdom 8,651 Sunk by U-564[7] E of Cape Farewell, Greenland. 41 of 49 crew lost. Survivors rescued by HMS Collingwood
HMS Malcolm (D19)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun
Destroyer
HMS Maplin  Royal Navy Escort
Mooncrest (1941)  United Kingdom 5,202 Vice Commodore
Nailsea Manor (1937)  United Kingdom 4,926 Returned to St John's, Newfoundland after collision
HMS Nasturtium (K107)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 29 Jun
Corvette
HMS Niger (J73)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun
Minesweeper
HMS Northern Gem (FY194)  Royal Navy Escort
ASW trawler
HMS Northern Pride (FY105)  Royal Navy Escort
ASW trawler
HMS Northern Wave (FY153)  Royal Navy Escort
ASW trawler
Oakworth (1925)  United Kingdom 4,968
HMCS Orillia (K119) Canada Royal Canadian Navy Escort 20 Jun – 27 Jun
Corvette
HMCS Ottawa (H60) Canada Royal Canadian Navy Escort 20 Jun – 27 Jun
Destroyer
HMS Polyanthus (K47)  Royal Navy Escort 23 Jun – 27 Jun
Corvette
Primero (1925)  Norway 4,414 Joined ex convoy BHX 133, collision 19 Jun, returned
Randa (1930) Canada Canada 1,555 Straggled 27 Jun, to Reykjavík
HMS Ripley (G79)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 29 Jun
Destroyer
Salamis (1939)  Norway 8,286
San Delfino (1938)  United Kingdom 8,072 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
Saugor (1928)  United Kingdom 6,303 2 passengers
HMS Scimitar (H21)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun
Scottish Trader (1938)  United Kingdom 4,016
Skeldergate (1930)  United Kingdom 4,251 Returned to Halifax after collision on 19 Jun
Soløy (1929)  Norway 4,402 Joined ex convoy BHX 133. Sunk by U-203.[8] All 32 crew rescued by Traveller.
Southgate (1926)  United Kingdom 4,862
HMS Speedwell (J87)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun
Minesweeper
HMCS St. Croix (I81) Canada Royal Canadian Navy Escort 17 Jun – 20 Jun
Destroyer
St Rosario (1937)  United Kingdom 4,312 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
Stylianos Chandris (1919)  Greece 6,059 Returned
Tibia (1939)  Netherlands 10,356 Damaged by torpedo
Tornus (1936)  United Kingdom 8,054 Joined ex convoy BHX 133
Traveller (1922)  United Kingdom 3,963
Trefusis (1918)  United Kingdom 5,299
Treworlas (1922)  United Kingdom 4,692
Tricula (1936)  United Kingdom 6,221
Ulysses (1918)  Netherlands 2,666
Vigrid (1923)  Norway 4,765 10 passengers. Straggler; Sunk by U-371[9] 400 nautical miles (740 km) SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland. 28 of 49 people lost.
HMS Violet (K35)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun
Corvette
Voco (1925)  United Kingdom 5,090
HMS Watchman (D26)  Royal Navy Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun
Destroyer
Winkleigh (1940)  United Kingdom 5,468
Winsum (1921)  Netherlands 3,224
HMS Wolfe (F37)  Royal Navy Escort 16 Jun – 27 Jun
Zaafaran (1921)  United Kingdom 1,559 Rescue ship

References

  1. ^ a b Hague p.127
  2. ^ a b "Convoy HX.133". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Brockley Hill – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Grayburn – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Kongsgaard – Norwegian motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Maasdam – Dutch steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Malaya II – British motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  8. ^ "Soløy – Norwegian motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Vigrid – Norwegian motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.

Bibliography

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