Convoy HX 156
Convoy HX.156 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
Belligerents | |||||
![]() | ![]() ![]() | ||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||
Admiral Karl Dönitz | Rear-Admiral E W Leir DSO | ||||
Strength | |||||
52 merchant ships 16 escorts | |||||
Casualties and losses | |||||
1 ship sunk |
- v
- t
- e
- Americas
- Northern Barrage
- Blockade of Germany
- Gibraltar
1939
1940
1941
- SC 19
- SC 20
- Berlin
- HG 53
- OB 293
- HX 112
- 4 April
- OB 318
- HX 126
- Rheinübung
- Denmark Strait
- Bismarck
- HX 133
- OG 69
- OG 71
- SC 42
- HG 73
- SC 48
- HX 156
- HG 76
1942
- Postmaster
- 2nd Happy Time
- Torpedo Alley
- SC 67
- Neuland
- ON 67
- 27 March
- OG 82
- Connecticut
- ON 92
- 6 June
- HG 84
- SL 78
- QS 15
- ON 113
- ON 115
- SC 94
- ON 122
- Bell Island
- QS 33
- ON 127
- Laconia
- SQ 36
- SC 100
- 27 September
- SG 6/LN 6
- SC 104
- HX 212
- SL 125
- SC 107
- ON 144
- ON 153
- ON 154
1943
- TM 1
- SG 19
- SC 118
- ON 166
- UC 1
- SC 121
- HX 228
- UGS 6
- HX 229/SC 122
- HX 231
- Black May
- Faith
- ONS 18/ON 202
- SC 143
- ONS 20/ON 206
- Sept-Îles
- ON 207
- SL 138/MKS 28
- SL 139/MKS 30
- SL 140/MKS 31
- Stonewall
1944
- Lyme Bay
- 26 April 1944
- Capture of U-505
- HX 300
- WEP 3
- BX 141
1945
- Teardrop
- Point Judith
- 5–6 May 1945
- 7–8 May 1945
Convoy HX 156 was the 156th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool.[1] Forty-three ships departed Halifax on 22 October 1941,[1] and were met two days later by United States Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 consisting of Gleaves-class destroyer Niblack, Clemson-class destroyer Reuben James, Wickes-class destroyer Tarbell, and Benson-class destroyers Benson and Hilary P. Jones.[2]
The Action
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Dd245reubenjames.jpg/170px-Dd245reubenjames.jpg)
31 October 1941
The German submarine U-552 sighted the convoy at dawn on 31 October 1941, and torpedoed Reuben James as the destroyer approached to investigate the Huff-Duff bearing of the sighting report.[3] A torpedo struck the port side and detonated the forward magazine.[3] The hull aft of the third stack remained afloat for 5 minutes; and 44 men were rescued from the crew of 159.[3]
Reuben James was the first United States warship sunk during World War II.[4] U-552 was driven off by the escort; but U-567 found the convoy that afternoon.
1 November 1941
Task Unit 4.1.3 handed the convoy off to the British 6th Escort Group on 1 November 1941.
U-552 and U-567 made two unsuccessful torpedo attacks on 1 November and maintained contact with the convoy through 3 November.[2] Empire Foam launched her Hawker Sea Hurricane to intercept a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft, which it chased off. The Hurricane pilot was rescued by HMS Broke after ditching his aircraft.[5][6] The convoy reached Liverpool on 5 November.[1]
Ships in the convoy
These ships were members of Convoy HX 156.[7]
Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Alchiba (1920) | ![]() | 4,427 | Iceland |
Ancylus (1935) | ![]() | 8,017 | Oil tanker. Onward To N Russia |
Anna Knudsen (1931) | ![]() | 9,057 | |
Arabian Prince (1936) | ![]() | 1,960 | 4 Passengers |
Athelvictor (1941) | ![]() | 8,410 | |
Benmacdhui (1911) | ![]() | 6,869 | |
Brabant (1938) | ![]() | 2,483 | 2 Passengers |
Bralanta (1936) | ![]() | 9,608 | |
British Governor (1926) | ![]() | 6,840 | Scapa Flow |
Cape Breton (1940) | ![]() | 6,044 | |
Charlbury (1940) | ![]() | 4,836 | |
Chepo (1919) | ![]() | 5,707 | Returned, See Convoy HX 158 |
Clan Macquarrie (1913) | ![]() | 6,471 | |
Comanchee (1936) | ![]() | 6,837 | |
Delilian (1923) | ![]() | 6,423 | |
Edam (1921) | ![]() | 8,871 | 27 Passengers |
Eidanger (1938) | ![]() | 9,432 | |
El Capitan (1917) | ![]() | 5,255 | Onward To N Russia |
El Estero (1920) | ![]() | 4,219 | |
Empire Confidence (1935) | ![]() | 5,023 | 12 Passengers |
Empire Day (1941) | ![]() | 7,242 | CAM ship |
Empire Foam (1941) | ![]() | 7,047 | CAM ship |
Empire Rainbow (1941) | ![]() | 6,942 | CAM ship |
Empire Tern (1919) | ![]() | 2,479 | |
Gallia (1939) | ![]() | 9,974 | |
Ganymedes (1917) | ![]() | 2,682 | |
Gudrun Maersk (1937) | ![]() | 2,294 | Iceland to Belfast |
K G Meldahl (1938) | ![]() | 3,799 | |
Kollbjorg (1937) | ![]() | 8,259 | |
Leiv Eiriksson I (1936) | ![]() | 9,952 | Ex-Iceland |
Leonatus (1938) | ![]() | 2,242 | |
Lewant (1930) | ![]() | 1,942 | 2 Passengers |
Maihar (1917) | ![]() | 7,563 | 1 Passenger |
Markhor (1929) | ![]() | 7,917 | |
Mergus (1906) | ![]() | 1,368 | Iceland to Clyde |
Munin (1899) | ![]() | 1,285 | Iceland To Clyde |
Nestor (1913) | ![]() | 14,629 | 197 Passengers |
Norefjord (1920) | ![]() | 3,082 | |
O A Knudsen (1938) | ![]() | 11,007 | |
Polar Chief (1897) | ![]() | 8,040 | |
Prince De Liege (1938) | ![]() | 2,588 | |
Prins Willem Van Oranje (1938) | ![]() | 1,303 | |
San Alvaro (1935) | ![]() | 7,385 | 4 Passengers |
San Arcadio (1935) | ![]() | 7,419 | 1 Passenger |
San Emiliano (1939) | ![]() | 8,071 | 4 Passengers |
Sandanger (1938) | ![]() | 9,432 | |
Skaraas (1936) | ![]() | 9,826 | |
Sourabaya (1915) | ![]() | 10,107 | 28 Passengers |
Stanlake (1923) | ![]() | 1,742 | Possibly joined this convoy |
Svanholm (1922) | ![]() | 1,321 | |
Troubadour (1920) | ![]() | 5,808 | 6 Passengers |
HMCS Annapolis (I04) | ![]() | Escort 22 – 24 Oct, Destroyer | |
USS Alchiba (AKA-6) (1939) | ![]() | 6,198 | to Reykjavik, Armed 'Attack cargo ship' |
USS Benson (DD-421) | ![]() | Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) | ![]() | Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
USS Niblack (DD-424) | ![]() | Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
USS Reuben James (DD-245) | ![]() | Escort 24 Oct, sunk by U-552 on 31 Oct 41 (prior to US declaration of war) | |
USS Tarbell (DD-142) | ![]() | Escort 24 Oct – 1 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Verity (D63) | ![]() | Escort 31 Oct – 4 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Wolverine (D78) | ![]() | Escort 31 Oct – 4 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Camellia (K31) | ![]() | Escort 31 Oct – 4 Nov, Corvette | |
HMS Larkspur (K82) | ![]() | Escort 31 Oct – 5 Nov, Corvette | |
HNoMS Montbretia | ![]() | Escort 31 Oct – 5 Nov, Corvette | |
HNoMS Eglantine | ![]() | Escort 1 – 5 Nov, Corvette | |
HMS Broke (D83) | ![]() | Escort 1 – 4 Nov, Flotilla leader | |
HMS Buxton (H96) | ![]() | Escort 1 – 4 Nov, Destroyer | |
HMS Begonia (K66) | ![]() | Escort 1 – 4 Nov, Corvette | |
HMT King Sol | ![]() | Escort 1 Nov, Trawler |
Notes
- ^ a b c Hague 2000 p.127
- ^ a b Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.94
- ^ a b c Morison 1975 p.94
- ^ Silverstone 1968 p.9
- ^ Wise, James E. Jr. (1974). "Catapult Off – Parachute Back". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. pp. 70–77.
- ^ Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. p. 79. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- ^ "Convoy HX.156". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
References
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943. Little, Brown and Company.
- Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
- Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.