Convoy HX 120 - warsailors.com

Transcribed from several documents received from Roger Griffiths (Advance Sailing Telegrams and A 1 form) - His source: Public Records Office, Kew.

Like Convoy HX 119, the names of a few of the ships in this convoy are difficult to decipher, so some guessing has taken place.

The ships are listed in the order in which they appear on the various documents.

Ship

Nationality

Cargo

Station

Destination

Remarks

San Fabian

British

Tanker B
fuel oil

42

River Mersey

Empire Seal?

"

general

–

Glasgow

From HX 119

Dordrecht

Dutch

palmoil

73

Liverpool

Ex SL 68 (Freetown convoy)
Sailed in HX 121

illegible
looks like Eemland

"

manganese - general

–

London

Ex SL 68

New Columbia

British

W. A. produce

61

Liverpool

Ex SL 68

Saint Merriel

"

cased meats

11

Hull

Ex SL 68

Edward F. Johnson

"

Tanker W
gasoline

81

Avonmouth

From HX 119

Evgenia Chandri

Greek

general - wood pulp

–

Belfast

From HX 119

Glenshiel

British

general - copra - rubber

51

Liverpool

Ex SL 68

Mahana

"

refrig. (dairy produce)

53

Cardiff

–

Empire Bronze

"

grain

52

Liverpool

–

Kolsnaren

Swedish

phosphates

–

Mersey f. o.

Joined HX 121
(returned to port)

Lowther Castle

British

grain

21

Hull

–

illegible
possibly Ostende *

Belgian

steel

–

Clyde f. o.

Rembrandt

British

wheat - lumber

–

Mersey

Sailed in HX 121

Trojan Star

"

refrig. - general

–

Clyde f. o.

Caledonia

Norwegian

Tanker B

–

Clyde

Sailed in HX 121 - sunk
ref. text for Caledonia

Cardium

British

Adm. tanker B
fuel oil

55

Reykjavik

–

illegible
could be Denbydale

"?

Tanker W

–

Manchester

Sailed in HX 121 (if Denbydale)

Miralda

"

Tanker B
fuel oil

22

Clyde / Ardrossan

–

Tahchee

"

Tanker B

–

London

Sailed in HX 121

Tudor Prince

"

bauxite

–

London

Sailed in HX 121

Trehata

"

grain

–

London

Sailed in HX 121

Capulet

"

Adm. tanker B

–

Scapa

Sailed in HX 121 - sunk

Circe Shell

"

Adm. tanker B
fuel oil

45

Scapa

Returned to Halifax
see notes

Empire Puma

"

steel - general

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 121

Inverilen

"

Tanker W
gasoline

31

Belfast

–

Tremoda

"

grain

64

Hull

–

Bello

Norwegian

Tanker B

–

Manchester

–

Capsa

British

Adm. tanker B

–

Scapa

Sailed in HX 121

Empire Attendant

"

steel - 350 tons explosives

15

Clyde / Middlesbrough

–

Castilian

"

general

35

Hull

–

Tregarthen

"

grain - planes

41

Belfast / Manchester

–

Empire Activity

"

pig iron

–

Clyde f. o.

Empire Wildebeeste

"

scrap iron

–

Clyde f. o.

Sailed in HX 121

Gallia

Norwegian

Tanker W

–

Avonmouth

Also cancelled from HX 121

Grainton

British

wheat

25

London

–

Mary Kingsley

"

W. A. produce

–

Liverpool

Ex SL 68
Sailed in HX 121

Tibia

Dutch

Tanker B
fuel oil

43

Liverpool

From HX 119

Trecarrell

British

grain

12

Hull

From HX 119

Empire Cheetah?

"

steel

–

Belfast / Newport

Ulysses

Dutch

general - shells

93

Swansea / Avonmouth

From HX 119 *

Prins Willem van Oranje

"

bauxite

–

Burntisland

From HX 119 *
Listed in SC 28

illegibe
could be Indochinois

French

produce

–

Beflast / Liverpool

From HX 119 *
Sailed in HX 121 (if Indochinois)

Clan Macwhirter

British

sugar - iron

91

Liverpool

Ex SL 68

illegible
looks like Jaarstroom

Dutch

produce

–

Hull

Ex SL 68
Listed in HX 123 (if Jaarstroom)

illegible
looks like Rookley

British

grain

–

Liverpool

Sailed in HX 121 (if Rookley)

Gandia

Belgian

general - 4 bombers

62

Liverpool

From HX 119

Hilda Knudsen

Norwegian

Adm. tanker B

–

Clyde

From HX 119
Sailed in HX 121

Cliftonhall

British

grain

82

Avonmouth

–

Aldington Court

"

iron - carbide

–

Immingham

Ex SL 68
Listed in SC 28

Høegh Scout

Norwegian

Tanker W
gas - kerosene

63

Manchester

Ex SL 68

Strix

"

Tanker B

–

Avonmouth

Ex SL 68 - collided
see text for Strix
Listed in HX 122

Marken

Dutch

sugar

92

Greenock

From HX 119

Mount Kyllene

Greek

general - aircraft parts

83

Avonmouth

From HX 119

Talthybius

British

general - 500 tons T.N.T.

71

Liverpool

From HX 119

Woensdrecht

Dutch

benzine

14

Reykjavik

–

Stuart Prince

British

bauxite

23

Leith

From HX 119

Prince Rupert City

"

general

13

Hull

Riley

"

cotton

24

Leith

Ex SL 68 & SC 28
see also notes

Corbis

"

Tanker B
diesel oil

33

Manchester

–

Solarium

"

Tanker W
benzine

32

Manchester

–

Empire Hartebeeste

"

pig iron

34

Hull

Returned
see notes

Alpherat

Dutch

potash

44

London

From SC 28

Michael J. Goulandris

Greek

grain

54

Liverpool

From HX 119

Winkleigh

British

wheat

74

London

–

West Wauna

American / MOWT 1940

steel

72

Garston

(Renamed Empire Grebe 1941)
From HX 119

Cressdene

British

general

84

Avonmouth

Ex SL 68
Later joined SC 28

Also, "Convoy Rescue Ships" by Arnold Hague says that the Rescue Vessel Hontestroom was with the convoy from Apr. 21 until Apr. 28.

Notes:
Commodore was D. S. Robinson in Glenshiel, Vice Commodore was Captain H. Williams in Lowther Castle.
Commodore to Barry: In Edward F. Johnson
To Clyde: In Inverilen.

The convoy had 39 ships on departure.

Next to the ships denoted * above there's a notation saying "Ex HX 119", but I cannot see they are listed among the ships cancelled from that convoy, even taking into consideration the fact that some are illegible.

* The only Belgian ship I can find that matches the tonnage given for this illegible ship is Ostende, which did start out in HX 123, but was sent back to join a slower (SC) convoy.

Empire Hartebeeste dropped astern at 08:20 on Apr. 16, 46 12N 44 13W, having shown "not under command" light.
Circe Shell was instructed to return to Halifax (info on reason not available) at 16:00 on Apr. 16, 47 43N 42 58W.
The convoy was held back due to Riley being unable to maintain convoy speed.

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To the next HX convoy in my list HX 121