Convoy HX.156 | |||||
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Part of World War II | |||||
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Belligerents | |||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||
Admiral Karl Dönitz | Rear-Admiral E W Leir DSO | ||||
Strength | |||||
52 merchant ships 16 escorts | |||||
Casualties and losses | |||||
1 ship sunk |
Convoy HX 156 was the 156th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool.[1] Forty-three ships departed Halifax on 22 October 1941,[1] and were met two days later by United States Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 consisting of Gleaves-class destroyer Niblack, Clemson-class destroyer Reuben James, Wickes-class destroyer Tarbell, and Benson-class destroyers Benson and Hilary P. Jones.[2]
The Action
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Dd245reubenjames.jpg/170px-Dd245reubenjames.jpg)
31 October 1941
[edit]The German submarine U-552 sighted the convoy at dawn on 31 October 1941, and torpedoed Reuben James as the destroyer approached to investigate the Huff-Duff bearing of the sighting report.[3] A torpedo struck the port side and detonated the forward magazine.[3] The hull aft of the third stack remained afloat for 5 minutes; and 44 men were rescued from the crew of 159.[3]
Reuben James was the first United States warship sunk during World War II.[4] U-552 was driven off by the escort; but U-567 found the convoy that afternoon.
1 November 1941
[edit]Task Unit 4.1.3 handed the convoy off to the British 6th Escort Group on 1 November 1941.
U-552 and U-567 made two unsuccessful torpedo attacks on 1 November and maintained contact with the convoy through 3 November.[2] Empire Foam launched her Hawker Sea Hurricane to intercept a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft, which it chased off. The Hurricane pilot was rescued by HMS Broke after ditching his aircraft.[5][6] The convoy reached Liverpool on 5 November.[1]
Ships in the convoy
[edit]These ships were members of Convoy HX 156.[7]
Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Alchiba (1920) | ![]() |
4,427 | Iceland |
Ancylus (1935) | ![]() |
8,017 | Oil tanker. Onward To N Russia |
Anna Knudsen (1931) | ![]() |
9,057 | |
Arabian Prince (1936) | ![]() |
1,960 | 4 Passengers |
Athelvictor (1941) | ![]() |
8,410 | |
Benmacdhui (1911) | ![]() |
6,869 | |
Brabant (1938) | ![]() |
2,483 | 2 Passengers |
Bralanta (1936) | ![]() |
9,608 | |
British Governor (1926) | ![]() |
6,840 | Scapa Flow |
Cape Breton (1940) | ![]() |
6,044 | |
Charlbury (1940) | ![]() |
4,836 | |
Chepo (1919) | ![]() |
5,707 | Returned, See Convoy HX 158 |
Clan Macquarrie (1913) | ![]() |
6,471 | |
Comanchee (1936) | ![]() |
6,837 | |
Delilian (1923) | ![]() |
6,423 | |
Edam (1921) | ![]() |
8,871 | 27 Passengers |
Eidanger (1938) | ![]() |
9,432 | |
El Capitan (1917) | ![]() |
5,255 | Onward To N Russia |
El Estero (1920) | ![]() |
4,219 | |
Empire Confidence (1935) | ![]() |
5,023 | 12 Passengers |
Empire Day (1941) | ![]() |
7,242 | CAM ship |
Empire Foam (1941) | ![]() |
7,047 | CAM ship |
Empire Rainbow (1941) | ![]() |
6,942 | CAM ship |
Empire Tern (1919) | ![]() |
2,479 | |
Gallia (1939) | ![]() |
9,974 | |
Ganymedes (1917) | ![]() |
2,682 | |
Gudrun Maersk (1937) | ![]() |
2,294 | Iceland to Belfast |
K G Meldahl (1938) | ![]() |
3,799 | |
Kollbjorg (1937) | ![]() |
8,259 | |
Leiv Eiriksson I (1936) | ![]() |
9,952 | Ex-Iceland |
Leonatus (1938) | ![]() |
2,242 | |
Lewant (1930) | ![]() |
1,942 | 2 Passengers |
Maihar (1917) | ![]() |
7,563 | 1 Passenger |
Markhor (1929) | ![]() |
7,917 | |
Mergus (1906) | ![]() |
1,368 | Iceland to Clyde |
Munin (1899) | ![]() |
1,285 | Iceland To Clyde |
Nestor (1913) | ![]() |
14,629 | 197 Passengers |
Norefjord (1920) | ![]() |
3,082 | |
O A Knudsen (1938) | ![]() |
11,007 | |
Polar Chief (1897) | ![]() |
8,040 | |
Prince De Liege (1938) | ![]() |
2,588 | |
Prins Willem Van Oranje (1938) | ![]() |
1,303 | |
San Alvaro (1935) | ![]() |
7,385 | 4 Passengers |
San Arcadio (1935) | ![]() |
7,419 | 1 Passenger |
San Emiliano (1939) | ![]() |
8,071 | 4 Passengers |
Sandanger (1938) | ![]() |
9,432 | |
Skaraas (1936) | ![]() |
9,826 | |
Sourabaya (1915) | ![]() |
10,107 | 28 Passengers |
Stanlake (1923) | ![]() |
1,742 | Possibly joined this convoy |
Svanholm (1922) | ![]() |
1,321 | |
Troubadour (1920) | ![]() |
5,808 | 6 Passengers |
HMCS Annapolis (I04) | ![]() |
Escort 22 – 24 Oct, Destroyer | |
USS Alchiba (AKA-6) (1939) | ![]() |
6,198 | to Reykjavik, Armed 'Attack cargo ship' |
USS Benson (DD-421) | ![]() |
Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) | ![]() |
Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
USS Niblack (DD-424) | ![]() |
Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
USS Reuben James (DD-245) | ![]() |
Escort 24 Oct, sunk by U-552 on 31 Oct 41 (prior to US declaration of war) | |
USS Tarbell (DD-142) | ![]() |
Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Verity (D63) | ![]() |
Escort 31 Oct – 4 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Wolverine (D78) | ![]() |
Escort 31 Oct – 4 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Camellia (K31) | ![]() |
Escort 31 Oct – 4 Nov, Corvette | |
HMS Larkspur (K82) | ![]() |
Escort 31 Oct – 5 Nov, Corvette | |
HNoMS Montbretia | ![]() |
Escort 31 Oct – 5 Nov, Corvette | |
HNoMS Eglantine | ![]() |
Escort 1 – 5 Nov, Corvette | |
HMS Broke (D83) | ![]() |
Escort 1 – 4 Nov, Flotilla leader | |
HMS Buxton (H96) | ![]() |
Escort 1 – 4 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Begonia (K66) | ![]() |
Escort 1 – 4 Nov, Corvette | |
HMT King Sol | ![]() |
Escort 1 Nov, Trawler |
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c Hague 2000 p.127
- ^ a b Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.94
- ^ a b c Morison 1975 p.94
- ^ Silverstone 1968 p.9
- ^ Wise, James E. Jr. (1974). "Catapult Off – Parachute Back". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. pp. 70–77.
- ^ Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. p. 79. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- ^ "Convoy HX.156". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
References
[edit]- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943. Little, Brown and Company.
- Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
- Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.