Convoy HX 79


HX 79 was an Allied North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
It suffered major losses from a U-boat attack, and, with the attack on convoy SC 7 the previous day, represents the worst two days shipping losses in the entire Atlantic campaign.

Prelude

HX 79 was an east-bound convoy of 50 ships which sailed from Halifax on 8 October 1940 making for Liverpool with war materials.
On 19 October, 4 days from landfall, HX 79 was entering the Western Approaches, and had caught up with the position of SC 7, which was under attack.
The escort for the crossing had been meagre, being provided by two armed merchant cruisers against the possibility of attack by a surface raider, but even these had departed when HX 79 was sighted by, commanded by submarine ace Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien.
At this point HX 79 was unescorted; Prien sent a sighting report and set to shadowing the convoy, while Konteradmiral Karl Dönitz ordered the pack to assemble. Those U-boats which had attacked SC 7 and were still able to fight were directed to the scene. Four did so, , , and joining U-47 during the day.
However the Admiralty, concerned by the fate of SC 7 and anticipating an attack, rushed reinforcements to the scene; throughout the day a large escort force of [|11 warships] also gathered to provide cover.

Action

Undeterred by their presence however, the pack attacked as night fell; using the darkness to cover an approach on the surface, Prien penetrated the escort screen from the south to attack from within the convoy, while Endrass, did the same from the north.
Over the next six hours, 13 ships were torpedoed; 6 by U-47 alone. 10 ships were sunk from the convoy, and 2 stragglers were lost later in the day. These were Shirak, which had been torpedoed in the night, and Loch Lomond, sailing with the convoy as a rescue ship. Another, Athelmonarch, was damaged but was able to make port.
HX 79 had lost 12 ships out of 49, a total tonnage of.
None of the attacking U-boats were damaged.

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 50 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Halifax or later in the voyage. The SS Erna Iii returned to Halifax before the convoy was attacked by the assembled German wolfpack.
NameFlagTonnage Notes
Athelmonarch 8,995Arrived with torpedo damage by
Atland Sweden5,203
Axel Johnson Sweden4,915Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Baron Carnegie 3,178Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Benwood Norway3,931Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Biafra 5,405
Bilderdijk Netherlands6,856Sunk by
Blairnevis 4,155Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Brittany 4,772Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Cadillac 12,062
Cairnvalona 4,929Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Campus 3,667Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Cape Corso 3,807
Caprella 8,230Sunk by
City Of Lancaster 3,041
Egda Norway10,050
Empire Swan 7,964
Empire Trader 9,990Joined Ex BHX 79
Enseigne Maurice Prehac 4,578Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Erna Iii 1,590Returned
Flowergate 5,161
Gunda Sweden1,770
Harbury 5,081
Harlesden 5,483
Hoyanger Norway4,624Joined Ex BHX 79
Induna 5,086Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Janus Sweden9,965Sunk by
Kiruna Sweden5,484Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
La Estancia 5,185Joined Ex BHX 79, Sunk by
Loch Lomond 5,452Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia. Sunk by
Marathon Greece7,926
Matheran 7,653Sunk by
Ravnefjell Norway1,339Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Rio Blanco 4,086Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Ruperra 4,548Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia. Sunk by
Rydboholm Sweden3,197
Salacia 5,495
San Roberto 5,890
Sandanger Norway9,432
Shirak 6,023Joined Ex BHX 79. Sunk by &
Sir Ernest Cassel Sweden7,739Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sitala 6,218Joined Ex BHX 79. Sunk by
Thyra Norway1,655Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Tiba Netherlands5,239Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Tribesman 6,242Joined Ex BHX 79
Triton Norway6,607Joined Ex BHX 79
4,966Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia. sunk by
Wandby 4,947Joined Ex BHX 79. Sunk by. Wreck sank 21 Oct
Wellington Court 4,979Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia
Whitford Point 5,026Sunk by

Convoy escorts

A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.
NameFlagTypeJoinedLeft
HMS/HMT Angle ASW trawler19 Oct 194019 Oct 1940
19 Oct 194023 Oct 1940
HMS/HMT Blackfly ASW trawler19 Oct 194019 Oct 1940
HMS Coreopsis 19 Oct 194022 Oct 1940
HMCS French Armed yacht08 Oct 194009 Oct 1940
19 Oct 194023 Oct 1940
HMS Hibiscus 19 Oct 194023 Oct 1940
HMCS Husky Armed yacht09 Oct 194010 Oct 1940
09 Oct 194009 Oct 1940
HMS/HMT Lady Elsa ASW trawler19 Oct 194019 Oct 1940
Armed merchant cruiser09 Oct 194018 Oct 1940
09 Oct 194018 Oct 1940
Armed yacht09 Oct 194010 Oct 1940
08 Oct 194009 Oct 1940
HMS Sardonyx Admiralty S-class destroyer20 Oct 194020 Oct 1940
HMS Sturdy Admiralty S-class destroyer19 Oct 194019 Oct 1940
Modified W-class destroyer19 Oct 194021 Oct 1940

Conclusion

Despite the strength of the escort, it was ineffective; the ships were uncoordinated, being unused to working together, and having no common battle plan or tactics.
The escorts had arrived singly, being dispatched as and when available, this being the common practice at the time. Command of the escort force fell to the senior officer present, and could change as each new ship arrived. Any tactical arrangements had to be made on the spot, and communicated by signal lamp to each ship in turn.
Finally, the presence of an Allied submarine was actually counterproductive; O 14 had no targets, and was twice attacked by mistake by other escorts.
The failure of such a substantial escort led to a number of changes in escort policy. The first to take effect was the formation of escort groups, collections of escort ships that would operate together, under defined leadership. This would allow the development of consistent tactics, and teamwork, and an increasing effectiveness.