Convoy HX 106
| Convoy HX.106 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Germany |
 United Kingdom | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
 Germany Admiral Karl Dönitz GermanyAdmiral Günther Lütjens |
 Captain W. H. Poole Rd RNR | ||||
| Strength | |||||
|
41 merchant ships 11 escorts (1 when attacked) | |||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 2 merchants sunk | |||||
Convoy HX 106 was the 106th of the numbered series of Allied HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool, England. Forty-one ships departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 30 January 1941, eastbound to Liverpool, England.[1] The use of convoys was a standard tactic throughout the Battle of the Atlantic as a defence against U-boats and German commerce raiders.
On 8 February 1941 the two German battleships, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, found the convoy.[2] The German squadron was under the command of Admiral Günther Lütjens. The captain of Scharnhorst offered to draw off the escorting Royal Navy battleship HMS Ramillies, so that Gneisenau could sink the merchant ships. This strategy, if successful, would have entailed little risk to Scharnhorst as she was 11 knots (20 km/h) faster than Ramillies, and her newer 280 mm (11 in) guns outranged the 1915 era 15-inch (381 mm) guns of the British ship. However, Lutjens strictly followed Hitler's directive not to engage enemy capital ships, and withdrew.[2]
Later, two of the convoy's merchant ships were sunk by the submarine U-96, including Arthur F. Corwin loaded with 14,500 tons of aviation fuel. She went down on 13 February, taking all 59 crew with her.
Ships in the convoy
Allied merchant ships
A total of 41 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Halifax or later in the voyage.[3]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abercos (1920) |  United Kingdom
|
6,076 | Straggled |
| Arthur F Corwin (1938) | United Kingdom
|
10,516 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 Sunk by U-96[4] |
| Athelbeach (1931) | United Kingdom
|
6,568 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Botavon (1912) | United Kingdom
|
5,848 | Straggled 10 Feb 41 Vice-Commodore |
| British Fortune (1930) | United Kingdom
|
4,696 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Capsa (1931) | United Kingdom
|
8,229 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Cardium (1931) | United Kingdom
|
8,236 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Chama (1938) | United Kingdom
|
8,077 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Charlton Hall (1940) | United Kingdom
|
5,200 | Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Clea (1938) | United Kingdom
|
8,028 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 Sunk by U-96[5] |
| Cliona (1931) | United Kingdom
|
8,375 | |
| Contractor (1930) | United Kingdom
|
6,004 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Dover Hill (1918) | United Kingdom
|
5,815 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Edward F Johnson (1937) | United Kingdom
|
10,452 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Esturia (1914) | United Kingdom
|
6,968 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Evanger (1920) |  Norway
|
3,869 | |
| Ganges (1930) | United Kingdom
|
6,246 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Garonne (1921) | Norway
|
7,113 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Geo W McKnight (1933) | United Kingdom
|
12,502 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Harpagus (1940) | United Kingdom
|
5,173 | |
| Hopemount (1929) | United Kingdom
|
7,434 | Straggled 3 Feb 41 |
| Horda (1920) | Norway
|
4,301 | Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Kheti (1927) | United Kingdom
|
2,734 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Laguna (1923) | United Kingdom
|
6,466 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Leiesten (1930) | Norway
|
6,118 | Joined ex-BHX 106. Straggled 10 Feb |
| Lodestone (1938) | United Kingdom
|
4,877 | Joined ex-BHX 106, Straggled 10 Feb 41 |
| Mactra (1936) | United Kingdom
|
6,193 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Malmanger (1920) | Norway
|
7,078 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Miralda (1936) | United Kingdom
|
8,013 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Mirza (1929) |  Netherlands
|
7,991 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Nurtureton (1929) | United Kingdom
|
6,272 | |
| Oilfield (1938) | United Kingdom
|
8,516 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Opalia (1938) | United Kingdom
|
6,195 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| R J Cullen (1919) | United Kingdom
|
6,993 | |
| San Eliseo (1939) | United Kingdom
|
8,042 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| San Fabian (1922) | United Kingdom
|
13,031 | |
| Silveray (1925) | United Kingdom
|
4,535 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Temple Arch (1940) | United Kingdom
|
5,138 | Joined ex-BHX 106. Straggled 10 Feb |
| Topdalsfjord (1921) | Norway
|
4,271 | Capt W H Poole Rd RNR (Commodore) |
| Torborg (1921) | Norway
|
6,042 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
| Trelissick (1919) | United Kingdom
|
5,265 | Joined ex-BHX 106 |
Convoy escorts
A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[3]
| Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Burnham | Royal Navy
|
Town-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 15 Feb 1941 |
| HMCS Collingwood | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Flower-class corvette | 30 Jan 1941 | 31 Jan 1941 |
| HMS Kingcup | Royal Navy
|
Flower-class corvette | 15 Feb 1941 | 17 Feb 1941 |
| HMS La Malouine | Royal Navy
|
Flower-class corvette | 12 Feb 1941 | 17 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Malcolm | Royal Navy
|
Admiralty-type destroyer leader | 12 Feb 1941 | 15 Feb 1941 |
| HMS/HMT Northern Pride | Royal Navy
|
ASW (anti-submarine warfare) trawler | 15 Feb 1941 | 18 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Ramillies | Royal Navy
|
Revenge-class battleship | 30 Jan 1941 | 10 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Saladin | Royal Navy
|
Admiralty S-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 14 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Sardonyx | Royal Navy
|
Admiralty S-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 17 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Skate | Royal Navy
|
R-class destroyer | 12 Feb 1941 | 18 Feb 1941 |
| HMT Vizalma | Royal Navy
|
ASW trawler | 15 Feb 1941 | 18 Feb 1941 |
References
- ^ Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. p. 127. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- ^ a b Miller, Nathan (1996). War at sea : a naval history of World War II. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 147. ISBN 0-19-511038-2.
- ^ a b "Convoy HX.106". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ^ "Arthur F. Corwin – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ "Clea – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.