Convoy HX 133
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]
| Convoy HX.133 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Germany |
 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 | |||||
Ships in the Convoy
| Name[2] | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anadara (1935) |  United Kingdom |
8,009 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| HMCS Annapolis (I04) | 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) | 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) | 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) | Royal Canadian Navy |
Escort 20 Jun – 27 Jun Corvette | |
| HMCS Ottawa (H60) | 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) | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} 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) | 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
- Hague p.127
- "Convoy HX.133". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "Brockley Hill – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "Grayburn – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "Kongsgaard – Norwegian motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "Maasdam – Dutch steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "Malaya II – British motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "Soløy – Norwegian motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- "Vigrid – Norwegian motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
Bibliography
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
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