Sailed from Gibraltar about 1600 as escort to Convoy HG75 on passage to the UK.
Other ships in attendance: ARIGUANI, BLUEBELL, CAMPION, CARNATION, DUNCAN, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, LAMERTON, MALLOW, ROCHESTER, VIDETTE, The Real Cruel Sea (Richard Woodman) Page 392 mentions also Free French COMMANDANT DUBOC.
Sailing had been delayed due the report presence of U-boats. Betchley Park had decoded a message that showed a pack of 6 U-boats were being assembled to attack the convoy as it passed Tarifa west bound. U-206 (Herbert Optiz), U-563 (Klaus Bargsten), U-564 (Reinhard Suhren), U-204 (Walter Kell) sunk with all hands by depth charges from ROCHESTER and MALLOW of Tangers on 19 October 1941, U-71 (Waalter Flachsenberg), U-83 (Hans-Werner Kraus) were laying submerged at periscope depth during the day and surfaced at night, no more than 5 miles apart to form a barrier. U-71 made the first contact – sighting the convoy when they were abeam of Espartel
CONVOY HG 75
Departed Gibraltar on 22 October1941 and arrived Liverpool on 3 November 1941.
Arnold Hague’s “The Allied Convoy System” agrees with 17 ships.
| Transcribed from documents received from Tony Cooper, England – His source: Public Records Office, Kew.
Information on ships sunk has been added with the help of |
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| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Remarks |
| Ruth I | Norwegian | iron pyrites | Mersey | – |
| Blairdevon | British | iron ore | Ardrossan | From HG 74 |
| Empire Brook | “ | iron ore | Tyne | – |
| Wallsend | “ | pyrites | Mersey | – |
| Cara | “ | iron pyrites | London | – |
| Ulea | “ | pyrites | Aberdeen | Sunk Oct. 28 by U-432 19† – 9 survived |
| Tadorna | “ | general – onions | Liverpool | From HG 74 |
| Empire Bay | “ | iron ore | Barrow | – |
| Ariosto* | “ | general | Liverpool | Commodore Sunk Oct. 24 by U-564 6† – 42 (45?) survived |
| Empire Snipe | “ | none given | Glasgow | – |
| Merkland | “ | none given | Liverpool | – |
| Como | “ | none given | Belfast | – |
| Carsbreck* | “ | iron ore | Barrow | Sunk Oct. 24 by U-564 23 (24?)† – 19 (18?) survived |
| Harperley | “ | iron ore | Mersey | – |
| Alhama* | “ | cork – onions | Belfast | Sunk Oct. 24 by U-564 no casualties – 33 survived |
| Marian | “ | scrap | Belfast | – |
| Pacific | “ | iron ore | Barrow | – |
| Empire Wolfe | “ | iron ore | Barrow | – |
| Notes: * Ariosto, Carsbreck and Alhama have all been crossed out with the word “NOT” next to them, which is usually the way of indicating the ship did not sail. In this case, however, they must have sailed, since they were sunk when in HG 75. |
Carsbreck, on a voyage from Almeria for Barrow with about 6000 tons iron ore, was sunk on Oct. 24 by U-564. According to “Lloyd’s War Losses”, she had a crew of 36 and 6 gunners, 19 crew and 4 gunners missing.
Alhama, on a voyage from Seville and Valencia for Belfast with a cargo of 180 tons tartaric acid, 1730 tons onions, wines and cork, and 27 tons general, was sunk at the same time by the same U-boat. She had a crew of 26 and 7 gunners, all of whom were saved. (Arnold Hague gives U-563 as the culprit in Alhama‘s case).
Ariosto was also sunk by U-564 at the same time. She was on a voyage from Lisbon to Liverpool with 495 tons cork, 51 tons ore, 26 tons diatonite and 10 tons general, and a crew of 37 plus 4 gunners, 4 Commodore’s staff and 3 passengers. 5 crew and 1 gunner were lost.
Ulea, voyaging from Huelva, cargo of 2393 tons copper pyrites, was sunk on Oct. 28 by U-432. She had a crew of 21, as well as 4 gunners and 3 passengers on board – 13 crew, 3 gunners and all the passengers were lost.
In addition to the 4 merchant ships, HMS Cossack (U-563 – Oct. 24) and HMS Ariguani were also torpedoed (damaged by U-83 – Oct. 26). Commodore’s notes are not available.
At about 2250 VIDETTE, which was stationed about 4 miles ahead on the port bow of the convoy, got an RDF contact ahead, range 7,000 yards. Speed was increased to 24 knots and course was altered to keep the contact ahead. When the range had had decreased to 3,000 yards a U-boat was sighted 10° on the starboard bow. An alarm report was made to Captain (D) IV in COSSACK and starshell fired. As soon as fire was opened the U-boat submerged, altering course to port as she did so. VIDETTE altered course and when slightly ahead of the U-boats diving position the Commanding Officer ordered a 14-charge pattern, set to shallow, to be fired. Unfortunately only six charges were dropped. This was caused by the fact that when U-boat Action Stations were ordered the Officer of the Watch had pressed the bell to the Captain’s Cabin instead of the alarm bell. The Bo’sun’s mate, thinking the alarm bells were not working piped “Action Stations”; consequently the full crew were not closed up at the depth charges and only six charges could be fired.
It is believed that at 2315 the convoy altered course from 254° to 262°
