Convoy HX 231 was the 231st of the numbered series of Second World War HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. The ships departed New York City on 25 March 1943 and were met on 31 March by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-7. The convoy was found on 4 April and attacked by eleven U-boats of the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 10th U-boat flotillas, from Brest, La Rochelle, St Nazaire and Lorient, respectively. These U-boats formed wolfpack Löwenherz' (Lionheart). The U-boats sank six ships before losing contact on 7 April. Two U-boats, U-632 and U-635, were sunk. The convoy reached Liverpool on 10 April.
| Convoy HX.231 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second World War | |||||
 North Atlantic Ocean map | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Germany |
 Canada United Kingdom | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Karl Dönitz | Charles Ramsay (Commodore) | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| 11 U-boats |
67 merchant ships 19 escorts | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 2 U-boats sunk | 6 ships sunk | ||||
Ships in the convoy
edit| Name[1] | Flag | (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Alisma | Royal Navy
|
Escort 31 March – 9 April Corvette | |
| Amastra (1935) |  United Kingdom
|
8,031 | |
| Ancylus (1935) | United Kingdom
|
8,017 | |
| Aruba (1929) |  Netherlands
|
3,979 | Arrived with rudder damage |
| Asbjorn (1935) | United Kingdom
|
4,387 | |
| Athelregent (1930) | United Kingdom
|
8,881 | |
| Athos (1937) |  Norway
|
8,267 | |
| Atlantida (1924) |  Honduras
|
4,191 | |
| Beaverhill (1928) | United Kingdom
|
10,041 | |
| Blitar (1923) | Netherlands
|
7,065 | Romped and sunk by U-632 on 6 April after attack the previous day by U-229, 26 dead[2] |
| British Ardour (1928) | United Kingdom
|
7,124 | Escort Oiler. Sunk by U-706 on 5 April, no casualties[3] |
| British Confidence (1936) | United Kingdom
|
8,494 | |
| HMS Buxton (H96) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 27–31 March, Destroyer | |
| HMCS Chicoutimi | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 27–31 March, Corvette | |
| City of Lyons (1926) | United Kingdom
|
7,063 | |
| Clan Cameron (1937) | United Kingdom
|
7,243 | |
| HMS Eclipse | Royal Navy
|
Escort 6–8 April Destroyer | |
| Eli Whitney (1942) |  United States
|
7,181 | |
| Empire Chief (1897) | United Kingdom
|
8,040 | Tanker carrying fuel oil |
| Empire Coleridge (1942) | United Kingdom
|
9,798 | Tanker carrying petrol. Fitted with AND |
| Empire Dickens (1942) | United Kingdom
|
9,819 | Tanker carrying petrol |
| Empire Marvell (1941) | United Kingdom
|
9,812 | Tanker carrying petrol & paraffin |
| Erin (1932) | United Kingdom
|
5,841 | |
| Esso Dover (1921) | United States
|
8,880 | |
| F J Wolfe (1932) | United Kingdom
|
12,190 | Escort Oiler. Returned |
| Fort Finlay (1942) | United Kingdom
|
7,134 | |
| Fort Jemseg (1943) | United Kingdom
|
7,134 | |
| Fort Thompson (1942) | United Kingdom
|
7,134 | |
| HMS Fury | Royal Navy
|
Escort 6–8 April, Destroyer | |
| Geo W McKnight (1933) | United Kingdom
|
12,502 | |
| Georgian (1920) | United States
|
5,825 | |
| HMS Icarus | Royal Navy
|
Escort 6–8 April Destroyer | |
| HMS Inglefield | Royal Navy
|
Escort 6–8 April Destroyer | |
| Jamaica Planter (1936) | United Kingdom
|
4,098 | Vice-Commodore |
| Joel R Poinsett (1943) | United States
|
7,176 | |
| Katy (1931) | Norway
|
6,825 | |
| HMCS Kenora | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25–28 March Minesweeper | |
| Kent (1918) | United Kingdom
|
8,697 | |
| Lady Rodney (1929) | United Kingdom
|
8,194 | Halifax to St John's, Newfoundland |
| Laurelwood (1929) | United Kingdom
|
7,347 | |
| Lochmonar (1924) | United Kingdom
|
9,412 | Returned |
| HMS Loosestrife | Royal Navy
|
Escort 31 March – 9 April Corvette; landed 72 Survivors from Waroonga at Londonderry Port on 9 April 1943 | |
| Manchester Port (1935) | United Kingdom
|
7,071 | |
| HMCS Milltown | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 27–31 March, Minesweeper | |
| Mobilgas (1937) | United States
|
9,925 | |
| Mosdale (1939) | Norway
|
3,022 | |
| Narvik | Escort 9–10 April | ||
| Nassa (1942) | United Kingdom
|
8,134 | Fitted with AND |
| Noah Webster (1943) | United States
|
7,176 | Returned |
| Norheim (1941) | Norway
|
9,816 | |
| Norvinn (1930) |  Panama
|
6,322 | |
| Ocean Volunteer (1942) | United Kingdom
|
7,174 | |
| Ornefjell (1937) | Norway
|
1,334 | Bound for Halifax |
| Pandorian (1941) | United Kingdom
|
4,159 | |
| Pierre Soule (1943) | United States
|
7,191 | |
| HMS Pink | Royal Navy
|
Escort 29 March – 9 April, Corvette | |
| Pleiades (1939) | United States
|
3,600 | |
| Port Sydney (1914) | United Kingdom
|
9,129 | |
| HMCS Quesnel | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25–31 March, Corvette | |
| Raphael Semmes (1942) | United States
|
6,165 | |
| Reinholt (1939) | Norway
|
4,799 | |
| Salland (1920) | Netherlands
|
6,447 | |
| Saluta (1906) | United Kingdom
|
6,261 | Returned |
| San Adolfo (1935) | United Kingdom
|
7,365 | |
| San Ambrosio (1935) | United Kingdom
|
7,410 | |
| Santa Maria (1942) | United States
|
6,507 | |
| HMCS Saskatoon | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25–28 March, Corvette | |
| Scebeli (1937) | Norway
|
3,025 | Detached and independent 1 April |
| Shillong (1939) | United Kingdom
|
5,529 | Sunk by U-630 on 5 April, after being damaged by U-635 in an earlier attack, 71 dead[4] |
| Slemmestad (1928) | Norway
|
4,258 | |
| HMS Snowflake | Royal Navy
|
Escort 31 March – 9 April, corvette, landed 54 Survivors from British Ardour at Londonderry Port | |
| Sovac (1938) | United Kingdom
|
6,724 | |
| Stephen C Foster (1943) | United States
|
7,106 | |
| Sunoil (1927) | United States
|
9,005 | Straggler zig-zagging on 4 April due to engine trouble. Sunk by U-530 on 5 April, after being damaged by U-563 in an earlier attack; lost with all 69 hands[5] |
| HMS Tay | Royal Navy
|
Escort 31 March – 9 April, Frigate | |
| Thomas Sumter (1942) | United States
|
7,177 | Romped |
| Tjibadak (1929) | Netherlands
|
7,083 | |
| Torr Head (1937) | United Kingdom
|
5,021 | |
| Tulsa (1919) | United States
|
5,083 | |
| Tyndareus (1916) | United Kingdom
|
11,361 | Admiral Sir Charles Ramsey (Commodore) |
| USS Merak | United States Navy
|
6,982 | Stores and passenger ship. 138 passengers |
| Vaalaren (1936) |  Sweden
|
3,406 | Romped 4 April, sunk by U-229 on 5 April, lost with all 38 hands[6] |
| HMS Vidette | Royal Navy
|
Escort 31 March – 9 April, Destroyer | |
| Waroonga (1914) | United Kingdom
|
9,365 | Sunk by U-630 on 5 April, after being damaged by U-635 in an earlier attack. 19 dead[7] |
| William Mulholland (1942) | United States
|
7,176 | |
| William Whipple (1942) | United States
|
7,181 |
References
edit- ^ "Convoy HX.231". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Blitar – Dutch Steam Merchant". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "British Ardour – British Steam Tanker". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Shillong – British Motor Merchant". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Sunoil – American Motor Tanker". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Vaalaren – Swedish Motor Merchant". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Waroonga – British Steam Merchant". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
Bibliography
edit- Gretton, Peter (1974). Crisis Convoy. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-925-1.
Further reading
edit- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (2005) [1972]. Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (3rd rev. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 978-1-86176-257-3.
External links
edit- Hague, Arnold. "Convoy HX.231". HX Convoy Series. Don Kindell, Convoyweb.