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
Date14/15 June 1940
Location
Belligerents
Germany United Kingdom
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 HMS 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]

Merchant ships
Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Aegeon (1919)  Greece 5,285 Aluminium and pulp
Andreas (1919)  Greece 6,566 Wheat
Anna Mazaraki (1913)  Greece 5,411 Grain
Annavore (1921)  Norway 3,324 Copper and General Cargo
Argos Hill (1922)  United Kingdom 7,178 Steel
Ashby (1927)  United Kingdom 4,868 Grain
Askeladden (1920)  Norway 2,496 Pitprops
Diverted to Portland, Maine for degaussing
Balmoralwood (1937)  United Kingdom 5,834 Wheat and 4 aircraft (deck cargo)
Straggled 6 June
Sunk by U-47: 41 survivors[4] on 14 June
Beaverbrae (1928)  United Kingdom 9,956 General cargo
Beaverhill (1928)  United Kingdom 10,041 General cargo
Blairspey (1929)  United Kingdom 4,155 Steel and timber
Boston City (1920)  United Kingdom 2,870 General cargo
Briarwood (1930)  United Kingdom 4,019 Pitprops
British Captain (1923)  United Kingdom 6,968 Petrol
British Faith (1928)  United Kingdom 6,955 Benzine
British Prince (1935)  United Kingdom 4,879 General cargo
Cairnvalona (1918)  United Kingdom 4,929 General cargo
Vice-commodore: Adm Sir A J Davies KBE CB
Capsa (1931)  United Kingdom 8,229 Crude oil
Clydebank (1925)  United Kingdom 5,156 Steel and coke
Comedian (1929)  United Kingdom 5,122 Cotton and lumber
Diplomat (1921)  United Kingdom 8,240 General cargo
Dornach (1939)  United Kingdom 5,186 Wheat
Egda (1939)  Norway 10,050 Petrol
El Aleto (1927)  United Kingdom 7,203 Crude oil
Elax (1927)  United Kingdom 7,403 Fuel oil
Erik Boye (1924)  Canada 2,238 Grain
Sunk by U-38: 22 survivors[8]
F J Wolfe (1932)  Panama 12,190 Crude oil
Ferncastle (1936)  Norway 9,940 Fuel oil
Georgios G (1918)  Greece 4,289 General cargo
Georgios Potamianos (1913)  Greece 4,044 General cargo
Germanic (1936)  United Kingdom 5,352 Grain
Harborough (1932)  United Kingdom 5,415 Grain
Hartbridge (1927)  United Kingdom 5,080 Wheat
Hellen (1921)  Norway 5,289 Scrap iron
Hoyanger (1926)  Norway 4,624 Pulp and lumber
Italia (1939)  Norway 9,973 13,000 tons aviation spirit
Sunk by U-38: 19 dead, 16 survivors [6]
Kenbane Head (1919)  United Kingdom 5,225 General cargo
Loke (1915)  Norway 2,421 Copper
Manchester Citizen (1925)  United Kingdom 5,343 General cargo
Masunda (1929)  United Kingdom 5,250 Iron ore
Nailsea Manor (1937)  United Kingdom 4,926 Grain
Northumberland (1915)  United Kingdom 11,558 General cargo
Octavian (1938)  Norway 1,345 Wood pulp
Pacific Pioneer (1928)  United Kingdom 6,734 General cargo
Convoy Commodore: Adm Sir B S Thesiger KBE CB CMG
Randsfjord (1937)  Norway 3,999 Wheat and general cargo
Collision with Georgios Potamianos, returned to port
Regent Panther (1937)  United Kingdom 9,556 Petrol
Saimaa (1922)  Finland 2,001 General cargo
Salacia (1937)  United Kingdom 5,495 Lumber
San Adolfo (1935)  United Kingdom 7,365 Fuel Furnace Oil (FFO)
Saturnus (1940)  Sweden 9,965 Petrol
Southgate (1926)  United Kingdom 4,862 Steel and timber
Storanger (1930)  Norway 9,223 Fuel oil
Temple Inn (1940)  United Kingdom 5,218 Sugar
Theodoros Coumantaros (1917)  Greece 5,709 Sugar; straggled 11 June
Thiara (1939)  United Kingdom 10,364 Fuel and lub oil
Ulysses (1918)  Netherlands 2,666 General cargo
Vinemoor (1924)  United Kingdom 4,359 Wheat and lumber
Zurichmoor (1925)  United Kingdom 4,455 Steel and timber; straggled 6 June

Escort

Escort information is from Arnold Hague's Convoyweb[12]

Name Flag Ship Type Notes
Escorts
HMS Ascania  Royal Navy Armed merchant cruiser Ocean Escort: 31 May-8 June
HMS Esperance Bay  Royal Navy Armed merchant cruiser Ocean Escort: 2–15 June
HMS Fowey  Royal Navy Shoreham-class sloop Western Approaches Escort: 14–17 June
HMS Penzance  Royal Navy Hastings-class sloop Bermuda Local Escort: 31 May - ?
HMCS Saguenay  Royal Canadian Navy Canadian River-class destroyer Halifax Local Escort: 2–3 June
HMS Sandwich  Royal Navy 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-38IXAKriegsmarine14 June 1940sank Italia, Erik Boye
U-47VIIBKriegsmarineno contactsank straggler Balmoralwood 14 June 1940

See also

References

  1. Hague, , Arnold; HX 47 at convoyweb.org.uk
  2. Hague, Arnold; BHX 47 at convoyweb.org.uk
  3. U-boats on patrol, 12 June 1940 at uboat.net
  4. "Balmoralwood – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. Mount Myrto—Greek steam merchant www.uboat.net. Retrieved 22 April 2020
  6. "Italia – Norwegian motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  7. Blair p167
  8. "Erik Boye – Canadian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  9. Tarrant p.149
  10. Tarrant p.89
  11. "Convoy HX.47". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  12. Arnold Hague, HX Convoys at convoyweb.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2020
  13. 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
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