Convoy HX 47


Convoy HX 47 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
It was the 47th of the numbered series of merchant convoys run by the Allies from HalifaX to Liverpool.
The convoy was attacked by German U-boats and lost three of its 58 ships.

Background

HX 47 was formed of two sections sailing from the Americas.
The main body, of 37 ships departed Halifax on 2 June 1940 with ships gathered from the US eastern seaboard; it was led by convoy commodore Adm. BS Thesiger RN in the steamship Pacific Pioneer. It was accompanied by its ocean escort, the armed merchant cruiser Esperance Bay, and a local escort, a Royal Canadian Navy destroyer.
Two ships dropped out early in the voyage; Randsfjord was damaged in collision with a Greek steamer and returned for repairs, and another returned to port for degaussing.
On 8 June the convoy was joined by BHX 47, 21 ships from the Caribbean and South America, that had gathered at Bermuda, departing there on 31 May escorted by the AMC Ascania and a local escort.
Ranged against HX 47 were U-boats of the German Navy's U-boat Arm, on patrol in Britain’s sea lanes. The UBW had just two U-boats in Southwest Approaches, and, with another,, further west.

Action

On 14 June HX 47’s Western Approaches escort arrived. These were the sloops, from escorting the outbound convoy OA 164, and from port following a refit.
During the crossing three ships had dropped out of convoy; of these, Balmoralwood, was sighted on 14 June by U-47 and sunk, 70 miles from Cape Clear Island.
That evening U-38 had attacked the Greek freighter Mount Myrto, on independent passage; sighting HX 47 the U-boat left the freighter in a sinking condition and stalked the convoy. Attacking after midnight fo 14/15 June U-38 sank two ships, the tanker Italia and the freighter Erik Boye. The U-boat escaped and HX 47 continued without further loss.
The main body of the convoy reached Liverpool on 17 June.

Conclusion

Of the 58 ships that set out, two turned back and three were sunk. 53 ships made a safe and timely arrival. HX 47 was one of two trans-Atlantic convoys attacked during June, the other, HX 49, also losing three ships. During the month as a whole the UBW sank 63 ships in the Atlantic; most of these were unescorted vessels sailing independently. June 1940 was the beginning of a marked increase in successes by the U-boat Arm, referred to by them as "The Happy Time".

Ships in the convoy

Merchant ships

Convoy information is from Arnold Hague's Convoyweb
NameFlagTonnage Notes
Aegeon 5,285Aluminium and pulp
Andreas 6,566Wheat
Anna Mazaraki 5,411Grain
Annavore 3,324Copper and General Cargo
Argos Hill 7,178Steel
Ashby 4,868Grain
Askeladden 2,496Pitprops
Diverted to Portland, Maine for degaussing
Balmoralwood 5,834Wheat and 4 aircraft
Straggled 6 June
Sunk by : 41 survivors on 14 June
Beaverbrae 9,956General cargo
Beaverhill 10,041General cargo
Blairspey 4,155Steel and timber
Boston City 2,870General cargo
Briarwood 4,019Pitprops
British Captain 6,968Petrol
British Faith 6,955Benzine
British Prince 4,879General cargo
Cairnvalona 4,929General cargo
Vice-commodore: Adm Sir A J Davies KBE CB
Capsa 8,229Crude oil
Clydebank 5,156Steel and coke
Comedian 5,122Cotton and lumber
Diplomat 8,240General cargo
Dornach 5,186Wheat
Egda 10,050Petrol
El Aleto 7,203Crude oil
Elax 7,403Fuel oil
Erik Boye 2,238Grain
Sunk by : 22 survivors
F J Wolfe 12,190Crude oil
Ferncastle 9,940Fuel oil
Georgios G 4,289General cargo
Georgios Potamianos 4,044General cargo
Germanic 5,352Grain
Harborough 5,415Grain
Hartbridge 5,080Wheat
Hellen 5,289Scrap iron
Hoyanger 4,624Pulp and lumber
Italia 9,97313,000 tons aviation spirit
Sunk by : 19 dead, 16 survivors
Kenbane Head 5,225General cargo
Loke 2,421Copper
Manchester Citizen 5,343General cargo
Masunda 5,250Iron ore
Nailsea Manor 4,926Grain
Northumberland 11,558General cargo
Octavian 1,345Wood pulp
Pacific Pioneer 6,734General cargo
Convoy Commodore: Adm Sir B S Thesiger KBE CB CMG
Randsfjord 3,999Wheat and general cargo
Collision with Georgios Potamianos, returned to port
Regent Panther 9,556Petrol
Saimaa 2,001General cargo
Salacia 5,495Lumber
San Adolfo 7,365Fuel Furnace Oil
Saturnus 9,965Petrol
Southgate 4,862Steel and timber
Storanger 9,223Fuel oil
Temple Inn 5,218Sugar
Theodoros Coumantaros 5,709Sugar; straggled 11 June
Thiara 10,364Fuel and lub oil
Ulysses 2,666General cargo
Vinemoor 4,359Wheat and lumber
Zurichmoor 4,455Steel and timber; straggled 6 June

Escort

Escort information is from Arnold Hague's Convoyweb
NameFlagShip TypeNotes
HMS AscaniaArmed merchant cruiserOcean Escort: 31 May-8 June
HMS Esperance BayArmed merchant cruiserOcean Escort: 2-15 June
Shoreham-class sloopWestern Approaches Escort: 14-17 June
Hastings-class sloopBermuda Local Escort: 31 May - ?
Canadian River-class destroyerHalifax Local Escort: 2-3 June
Bridgewater-class sloopWestern Approaches Escort: 14-17 June

Axis forces

U-boat information is from Guðmundur Helgason's uboat.net
NumberTypeNavyContact dateNotes
IXAKriegsmarine14 June 1940sank Italia, Erik Boye
VIIBKriegsmarineno contactsank straggler Balmoralwood 14 June 1940