Convoy SC 97 - warsailors.com
CONVOY SC 97
Advance Sailing Telegram & Cruising Order
(Will be updated - please compare with A. Hague's listing for this convoy at ships in all SC convoys. See also SC escorts).
Departed Halifax on Aug. 22-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 7
(Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives 59 ships)
|
Advance Sailing Telegram Transcribed from several documents received from Tony Cooper, England (his source: Public Records Office, Kew). Additional details have been added with the help of: Crossed out ships did not sail, underlined returned to port. MOWT = Ministry of War Transport |
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|
Ship |
Nationality |
Cargo |
Destination |
Remarks |
|
Scottish Heather |
British |
Adm. tanker B |
Londonderry |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Berto |
Norwegian |
lumber |
Boston |
– |
|
(U.S.S.) Pegasus |
American |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
Malantic |
" |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
Wichita Falls |
" |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
Katla |
Icelandic |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
Oliver Ellsworth |
American |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
Empire Toiler |
British |
steel - lumber |
London |
– |
|
Pacific |
Swedish |
general - 10 passengers |
Cardiff |
|
|
Dunsley |
British |
steel - general |
Avonmouth |
From SC 96 |
|
Hjalmar Wessel |
Norwegian |
lumber |
Sharpness |
– |
|
Akabahra |
" |
lumber |
Bristol |
From SC 96 |
|
Bruse Jarl |
" |
lumber |
London |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Keila |
Estonian |
steel - general |
Milford Haven f. o. (Southampton) |
– |
|
Richard Bassett |
American |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
(U.S.S.) Aquila |
" |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
Blairdevon |
British |
paper pulp |
London |
– |
|
Barrwhin |
" |
general |
Cardiff |
– |
|
E. G. Seubert |
American |
Tanker B |
Mersey |
– |
|
Flowergate |
British |
general |
Swansea (Southampton) |
– |
|
Blairnevis |
" |
steel - lumber |
Milford Haven f. o. (Southampton) |
– |
|
City of Fort Worth |
American |
general |
Iceland |
From HX 203 |
|
Beacon |
" |
Adm. tanker B |
Clyde |
– |
|
Empire Moon |
British |
steel - general |
Newport |
– |
|
Stornest |
" |
general |
Barry Dock |
– |
|
Henrik Ibsen |
Norwegian |
steel - general |
Mersey |
Returned to Halifax |
|
Uranienborg |
Danish / MOWT 1940 |
sugar |
Greenock |
– |
|
Arizpa |
American |
general |
Milford Haven f. o. (Plymouth) |
– |
|
Dunav |
Yugoslavian |
steel - general |
Milford Haven f. o. (Southampton) |
– |
|
Albert le Borgne |
French / MOWT 1940 |
general |
Liverpool |
– |
|
Lord Byron |
British |
sugar |
London |
– |
|
Radport |
" |
general |
Manchester |
From HX 203 |
|
Medina |
American |
gas oil - general |
Iceland |
From HX 203 |
|
Empire Nightingale |
British |
steel - general |
Hull |
From HX 203 |
|
Bronxville |
Norwegian |
general |
Liverpool |
From HX 203 |
|
Evviva |
" |
lumber |
Kings Lynn |
– |
|
Tore Jarl |
" |
lumber |
London |
To SC 98 - did not sail |
|
Kathariotisa |
Greek |
lumber |
Methil d. g. / Boston |
From SC 96 |
|
Texas |
American |
general |
Mersey |
– |
|
Pendeen |
British |
steel - general |
Hull |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Empire Merganser |
" |
refrig. - general |
Liverpool |
To SC 98 - did not sail |
|
Empire Steelhead |
" |
cotton |
Belfast f. o. |
Returned to Halifax |
|
Empire Gareth |
" |
steel - lumber |
London |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Empire Norse |
" |
Tanker B |
Avonmouth |
Returned to Halifax |
|
Capira |
Panamanian |
general |
Glasgow |
Sunk - See Notes |
|
Ampteco |
Belgian |
Tanker B |
Belfast for Heysham |
Returned to Halifax |
|
Empire Flame |
British |
steel - general |
Glasgow |
– |
|
Zouave |
" |
phosphates |
Avonmouth |
– |
|
Aquarius |
American |
general - mail 25 |
Newport |
Joined HX 204 at sea (Aug. 25) |
|
Egba |
British |
general |
Manchester |
– |
|
Novasli |
Norwegian |
steel - general |
Loch Ewe f. o. |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Thorsholm |
" |
Adm. tanker B |
Scapa |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Bridgepool |
British |
general |
Liverpool |
– |
|
Dramatist |
" |
sugar |
Liverpool |
– |
|
El Almirante |
Panamanian |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
Zagloba |
Polish |
general - 1 passenger |
Manchester |
– |
|
Capulin |
American |
general |
Mersey |
Joined HX 204 |
|
Puerto Rican |
American |
general |
Belfast f. o. |
Listed in SC 99 |
|
Bonneville |
Norwegian |
general |
Avonmouth |
– |
|
Peter Helms |
American |
general |
Iceland |
– |
|
H. H. Rogers |
Panamanian |
Tanker B |
Clyde |
– |
|
Marga |
Norwegian |
lumber |
Sharpness |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Bjørkhaug |
" |
lumber |
Preston |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Jurko Topic |
Yugoslavian |
steel - lumber |
London |
– |
|
Ballot |
Panamanian |
general |
Iceland |
Listed in SC 99 |
|
American Robin |
American |
general |
Belfast f. o. |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Alcoa Scout |
" |
general |
Belfast f. o. |
Listed in HX 204 |
|
Exilona |
" |
general - mail |
Belfast f. o. |
Listed in HX 204 |
|
Shirvan |
British |
Tanker W |
Hull |
– |
|
Empire Cormorant |
" |
general |
Cardiff |
– |
|
President de Vogue |
Norwegian |
Adm. tanker B |
Clyde |
– |
|
West Maximus |
American |
general |
Manchester |
– |
|
British Dominion |
British |
Tanker W |
Avonmouth |
From HX 204 |
| * Ampetco is said to have gone out with the ships in Convoy HX 204, but she's also listed in the next SC convoy, SC 98 - she could not have sailed in both. My guess is that when she went out with the ships in Convoy HX 204, she may, for instance, have gone out to test gunnery, or for another reason than to join HX 204. | ||||
|
Included on a document listing ships joining from Sydney, C.B. (SSC 97 - sailed Aug. 23), but did they join from Halifax? |
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|
Star |
Norwegian |
flour |
Milford Haven f. o. (Southampton) |
– |
|
Agios Vlasios |
Greek |
steel - lumber |
London |
– |
|
Berkel |
Dutch |
steel - lumber |
Mersey |
– |
|
Norse King |
Norwegian |
general |
Liverpool |
|
|
Bur |
Swedish |
flour |
Glasgow |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Dimitrios Chandris |
Greek |
general |
Liverpool |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Rossum |
Dutch |
timber |
Preston |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Llandaff |
British |
grain - trucks |
London |
Returned to Halifax |
|
Loke |
Norwegian |
grain |
Swansea |
– |
|
Moscha D. Kydoniefs |
Greek |
grain |
London |
Returned to Halifax |
|
Newton Pine |
British |
grain |
Hull |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Ravnefjell |
Norwegian |
general |
Glasgow |
– |
|
Clarissa Radcliffe |
British |
steel - lumber |
Mersey |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Dinara |
Yugoslavian |
flour |
Bristol |
To SC 98 - did not sail |
|
Oropos |
Greek |
grain |
Cardiff |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Lisbeth |
Norwegian |
aluminium - pulp |
Mersey |
Listed in SC 98 |
|
Joining from Newfoundland (WSC 97) |
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|
Dago II |
Latvian / MOWT 1940 |
lumber - pulp |
Belfast Dock |
|
|
Kingman |
Panamanian |
general |
Iceland |
From SC 95 |
|
Facto |
Norwegian |
newsprint |
Ridham Dock |
Listed in WSC 98 |
|
Ashbury |
British |
iron ore |
Barry |
Listed in WSC 98 |
| The Rescue Vessel Perth was also with this convoy (requisitioned on Oct. 14-1940). She was on her 16th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Aug. 2 with the westbound Convoy ON 118 (to Halifax Aug. 18), then returned with SC 97 from Halifax on Aug. 22, to Clyde Sept. 6-1942. |
| Convoy SC 97 Cruising Order | ||||||||||||
| Form received from Ted Agar (Halifax ships only) - His source: A diary.
The stations given here are the initial convoy stations on departure Halifax; these may have changed as the voyage progressed. † = casualties. |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|
11 |
21 |
31 |
41 Llandaff |
51 |
61 |
71 |
81 |
91 |
101 Bonneville? or a Catapult freighter? |
111 Empire Steelhead |
121 Empire Moon |
131 Stornest |
|
12 |
22 |
32 |
42 |
52 |
62 |
72 |
82 |
92 |
102 Barrwhin |
112 Zagloba |
122 Empire Norse |
132 Hjalmar Wessel |
|
13 |
23 |
33 Star |
43 Berto |
53 Beacon |
63 Capira sunk - 5† |
73 H. H. Rogers |
83 E. G. Seubert |
93 Texas |
103 Bridgepool |
113 Dimitrios Chandris British Dominion |
123 Ampetco |
133 Arizpa |
| 14 Wichita Falls |
24 Katla |
34 Peter Helms |
44 Moscha D. Kydoniefs |
54 Agios Vlasios |
64 President de Vogue |
74 West Maximus |
84 Uranienborg |
94 Aquarius |
104 Flowergate |
114 Albert le Borgne |
124 Zouave |
134 Keila |
| 15 El Almirante |
25 City of Fort Worth |
35 Ballot |
45 Blairdevon |
55 Evviva |
65 Blairnevis |
75 Perth (Br) RV |
85 Empire Toiler |
95 Henrik Ibsen |
105 Berkel |
115 Empire Flame |
125 Loke |
135 Akabahra |
| As can be seen, Star, Berkel, Llandaff, Loke, Ravnefjell, Agios Vlasios, and Moscha D. Kydoniefs are listed among the Halifax ships here, while they're included on a document showing the Sydney portion in the Advance Sailing Telegram. |
Notes:
Commodore was in Dramatist, Vice Commodore in Bonneville, Rear Commodore in Empire Steelhead.
Bronxville was sunk by U-609 on Aug. 31-1942 - more details are available on my page about this ship.
Capira, on a voyage from New York for Glasgow (via Halifax) with general cargo, was also sunk by U-609 that day. She had a crew of 41 and 13 U.S. gunners - 5 perished.
There were no casualties from Bronxville, all 39 being picked up by the Rescue Vessel Perth, which then turned her attention to Capira, saving 33, while other survivors were picked up by an escorting corvette.
The ships left Halifax in the following order (as mentioned, some later returned to port):
The first to leave at 13:21 was Texas, followed at 15:01 by Dramatist, then with just a few minutes between each ship:
Empire Nightingale, Katla, Bonneville, Lord Byron, Radport, Wichita Falls, Malantic, Medina, Oliver Ellsworth, USS Aquila (K 47), Barrwhin, Hjalmar Wessel, City of Fort Worth, Richard Bassett, Bronxville, Beacon, Flowergate, the unnamed Catapult freighter (Z4863 on Hurricane), E. G. Seubert, Dunsley, Keila, Capira, Blairdevon, Empire Toiler, Kathariotisa, Empire Norse (whale oil factory), Blairnevis, Empire Moon (Catapult freighter), Arizpa, Dunav, Albert le Borgne, Star, El Almirante, Empire Cormorant, Zagloba, Llandaff, Jurko Topic, Dimitrios Chandris, Uranienborg, Akabahra, West Maximus, Shirvan, Peter Helms, Empire Flame (Catapult fr.), Berkel, Berto, Zouave, Agios Vlasios, Egba, Henrik Ibsen, Bridgepool, President de Vogue, Evviva, Loke, Aquarius, Empire Steelhead, British Dominion, H. H. Rogers, Ampetco, Stornest, Perth (by then the time was 18:55) and Ravnefjell (no time given).
More details on all the Norwegian ships in this convoy can be found with the help of the alphabet index below, or via the Ship Index.
Related external links:
The attack on Capira
To the next SC convoy in my list SC 98
