| Convoy HX.133 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofWorld War II | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Germany |  United KingdomCanada | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| AdmiralKarl Dönitz | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~4U-boats | 64 merchant ships 20 escorts | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 6 ships sunk 7 damaged 107 killed | |||||||
Convoy HX 133 was the 133rd of the numbered series ofWorld War IIHX convoys of merchant ships fromHalifaX toLiverpool. The ships departed Halifax on 16 June 1941,[1] and were found on 23 June byU-boats of the1st U-boat Flotilla, operating out ofBrest, France.U-boats sank six ships before the convoy reached Liverpool on 3 July.[1] There was strong criticism of the RCN corvette's signalling capabilities as borne out by the number of collisions that occurred.[2]
| Name[2] | Flag | Tonnage(GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anadara (1935) |  United Kingdom | 8,009 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| HMCS Annapolis (I04) | Royal Canadian Navy | Escort 16 Jun – 20 Jun | |
| HMS Arabis (K73) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun | |
| Atlantic City (1941) | United Kingdom | 5,133 | |
| Baltara (1918) | United Kingdom | 3,292 | |
| Bello (1930) |  Norway | 6,125 | Possibly viaConvoy BB 41 |
| British Progress (1927) | United Kingdom | 4,581 | |
| British Workman (1922) | United Kingdom | 6,994 | |
| Brockley Hill (1919) | United Kingdom | 5,297 | Sunk byU-651[3] SE ofCape Farewell, Greenland. All crew rescued. |
| HMSCelandine (K75) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun | |
| Ceronia (1929) | United Kingdom | 4,955 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| HMCS Chambly (K116) | Royal Canadian Navy | Escort – 27 Jun Corvette | |
| City Of Oxford (1926) | United Kingdom | 2,759 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133, collision 19 Jun, returned |
| Cliona (1931) | United Kingdom | 8,375 | As station oiler atReykjavík until April 1942 |
| HMCS Collingwood (K180) | Royal Canadian Navy | Escort 20 Jun – 27 Jun | |
| Colytto (1926) |  Netherlands | 4,408 | |
| Corbis (1931) | United Kingdom | 8,132 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| Dalhousie (1940) | United Kingdom | 7,072 | |
| Debrett (1940) | United Kingdom | 6,244 | 2 passengers |
| Dolabella (1939) | United Kingdom | 8,142 | Returned toHalifax after collision on 19 Jun |
| Dornoch (1939) | United Kingdom | 5,186 | |
| Emma Bakke (1929) | Norway | 4,721 | Returned |
| Empire Granite (1941) |  Royal Navy | 8,028 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| Empire Oil (1941) | United Kingdom | 8,029 | |
| Empire Salvage (1941) | 10,746 | Originally the DutchPapendrecht, requisitioned by theKriegsmarine in 1941 and renamedLothringen to support naval operations by the German battleshipBismarck and cruiserPrinz Eugen in the Atlantic. Captured the Allies in June 1941 and renamedEmpire Salvage. | |
| Erviken (1921) | Norway | 6,595 | |
| Everleigh (1930) | United Kingdom | 5,222 | |
| HMS Fleetwood (U47) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 27 Jun Sloop | |
| HMS Gladiolus (K34) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 27 Jun Corvette | |
| Glenpark (1939) | United Kingdom | 5,136 | Capt R Gill CBE RD RNR (Commodore) |
| Grayburn (1938) | United Kingdom | 6,342 | Sunk byU-651[4] S ofIceland. 35 of her 53 crew lost. Survivors rescued by HMSArabis, HMTNorthern Wave and HMSViolet |
| Hartlebury (1934) | United Kingdom | 5,082 | |
| Havprins (1935) | Norway | 8,066 | Motor tanker |
| Henry Dundas (1937) | United Kingdom | 10,448 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| HMS Icarus (D03) | Royal Navy | Escort. Destroyer | |
| Inverilen (1938) | United Kingdom | 9,456 | 3 passengers |
| Inverlee (1938) | United Kingdom | 9,158 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133. Bound forScapa Flow |
| Kongsgaard (1937) | Norway | 9,467 | Torpedoed amidships byU-564[5] and caught fire on 27 Jun. The crew partially abandoned her, but the remaining crew were able to extinguish the fire and she arrived safely intoBelfast on 2 Jul |
| Loch Ranza (1934) | United Kingdom | 4,958 | |
| Lowther Castle (1937) | United Kingdom | 5,171 | |
| Maasdam (1921) | Netherlands | 8,812 | Sunk byU-564[6] 300 nautical miles (560 km) S ofIceland. 32 passengers. Only 2 people were lost of the 80 persons on board; rescued byHavprins |
| Malaya II (1921) | United Kingdom | 8,651 | Sunk byU-564[7] E ofCape Farewell, Greenland. 41 of 49 crew lost. Survivors rescued by HMSCollingwood |
| HMS Malcolm (D19) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun Destroyer | |
| HMSMaplin | Royal Navy | Escort | |
| Mooncrest (1941) | United Kingdom | 5,202 | Vice Commodore |
| Nailsea Manor (1937) | United Kingdom | 4,926 | Returned toSt John's, Newfoundland after collision |
| HMSNasturtium (K107) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 29 Jun Corvette | |
| HMS Niger (J73) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun Minesweeper | |
| HMSNorthern Gem (FY194) | Royal Navy | Escort ASW trawler | |
| HMSNorthern Pride (FY105) | Royal Navy | Escort ASW trawler | |
| HMSNorthern Wave (FY153) | Royal Navy | Escort ASW trawler | |
| Oakworth (1925) | United Kingdom | 4,968 | |
| HMCS Orillia (K119) | Royal Canadian Navy | Escort 20 Jun – 27 Jun Corvette | |
| HMCSOttawa (H60) | Royal Canadian Navy | Escort 20 Jun – 27 Jun Destroyer | |
| HMS Polyanthus (K47) | Royal Navy | Escort 23 Jun – 27 Jun Corvette | |
| Primero (1925) | Norway | 4,414 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133, collision 19 Jun, returned |
| Randa (1930) |  Canada | 1,555 | Straggled 27 Jun, toReykjavík |
| HMS Ripley (G79) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 29 Jun Destroyer | |
| Salamis (1939) | Norway | 8,286 | |
| San Delfino (1938) | United Kingdom | 8,072 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| Saugor (1928) | United Kingdom | 6,303 | 2 passengers |
| HMSScimitar (H21) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun | |
| Scottish Trader (1938) | United Kingdom | 4,016 | |
| Skeldergate (1930) | United Kingdom | 4,251 | Returned toHalifax after collision on 19 Jun |
| Soløy (1929) | Norway | 4,402 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133. Sunk byU-203.[8] All 32 crew rescued byTraveller. |
| Southgate (1926) | United Kingdom | 4,862 | |
| HMSSpeedwell (J87) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun Minesweeper | |
| HMCS St. Croix (I81) | Royal Canadian Navy | Escort 17 Jun – 20 Jun Destroyer | |
| St Rosario (1937) | United Kingdom | 4,312 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| Stylianos Chandris (1919) |  Greece | 6,059 | Returned |
| Tibia (1939) | Netherlands | 10,356 | Damaged by torpedo |
| Tornus (1936) | United Kingdom | 8,054 | Joined ex convoy BHX 133 |
| Traveller (1922) | United Kingdom | 3,963 | |
| Trefusis (1918) | United Kingdom | 5,299 | |
| Treworlas (1922) | United Kingdom | 4,692 | |
| Tricula (1936) | United Kingdom | 6,221 | |
| Ulysses (1918) | Netherlands | 2,666 | |
| Vigrid (1923) | Norway | 4,765 | 10 passengers. Straggler; Sunk byU-371[9] 400 nautical miles (740 km) SE ofCape Farewell, Greenland. 28 of 49 people lost. |
| HMSViolet (K35) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun Corvette | |
| Voco (1925) | United Kingdom | 5,090 | |
| HMS Watchman (D26) | Royal Navy | Escort 27 Jun – 30 Jun Destroyer | |
| Winkleigh (1940) | United Kingdom | 5,468 | |
| Winsum (1921) | Netherlands | 3,224 | |
| HMSWolfe (F37) | Royal Navy | Escort 16 Jun – 27 Jun | |
| Zaafaran (1921) | United Kingdom | 1,559 | Rescue ship |