Merchant Convoy Reports during Operation Neptune June 1944

Good morning Hugh MacLean and Michel Sabarly, can you assist me with this. Thanks.

Does anyone know the TNA ref for Merchant shipping Convoy Reports during Operation Neptune in June 1944. I can't seem to find any reference to them at TNA. I'm familiar with other Convoy Reports.

Through a researcher I obtained a copy of Survivors' Report: Merchant Vessels per ADM 199/2147 for Jan - Dec 1944, which is a very interesting record and a provides detailed casualty report on a merchant ship in the convoy I'm researching (E.B.C.7 - 12/13 June 1944).

 

Hi John,

Sorry, I'm not qualified on this subject. The only references I found are as follows:
Composition of Operation "Neptune" convoys: early personnel convoys | The National Archives
Shipping and convoy arrangements | The National Archives

Michel

 

Hello John,
You will also find convoy reports throughout the ADM 199 series at TNA.

Hugh

 

You may also be able to find some leads in this thread John: Q. about research on Logistics D-Day / Normandy

 

What are you trying to find out? Do you mean the mining of the British Engineer? She was the only vessel I know of in that buildup convoy that was damaged.

The only notation under NEPTUNE in the Admiralty War Diary is for 12 June, which is a notation that the convoy had sailed and listing the ships and where they were sent.

 

I have obtained the Casualty Report from the Master of the ss BRITISH ENGINEER which is helpful. What I was looking for was the Commodore Report from this Merchant Convoy. It is not listed in TNA index.

 

Just putting this out there and stand ready to be corrected, but would a coastal convoy have a designated Commodore? I've seen multiple references to Atlantic convoy Commodores, but can't recall seeing a reference to a coastal convoy having one.

Regards,

Steve

 

I found reference to the Commodore for Convoy E.B.C.7 in the Casualty Report from the Master of the ss BRITISH ENGINEER. Which I've attached for reference. Source TNA ADM 199/2147 (page 143).

This led me to wonder if there were Commodore reports for these convoys.

 

Steve,
Coastal convoys did indeed have designated Commodores especially on the East Coast Convoys, Methil - Southend.

Survivor's Reports, such as you have quoted, were made to the Admiralty Trade Divison usually by the senior survivor. They were made only if the ship was sunk or badly damaged.

Not all convoys had Commodores. We know about the Ocean convoys and the Coastal convoys which did have Commodores but Normandy convoys being very much shorter were heavily scheduled and naval-controlled. I don't think they had them to be honest.

Regards
Hugh

 

Indeed, there is a distinct lack of reporting for the preloaded and buildup assault convoys. Most of them lasted 48 hours or less, and many of them split up when they approached the beaches as individual ships often went to different beaches in the eastern and western areas for unloading. Even the Admiralty War Diary entries are brief for them, so I suspect that any reporting was pretty brief.

 

Fold3 has some files that may be useful. The last one is titled: Rep of ops in the invasion of Normandy, France, 10/20/43 - 8/1/44

https://www.fold3.com/image/290391869/493
https://www.fold3.com/image/290392127/493a
https://www.fold3.com/image/290392272/493b
https://www.fold3.com/image/290392500/493c
https://www.fold3.com/image/290392560/493d
https://www.fold3.com/image/287553160/493e
https://www.fold3.com/image/287553358/493f
https://www.fold3.com/image/279775214/
https://www.fold3.com/image/295917578/

 

Thanks for the links, unfortunately I can't view as I don't have a subscription to Fold3 at present.

 

The same records should be available for viewing/downloading from NARA, without the need for a subscription. The problem is to find them via the rather peculiar NARA search engine...

 

Unfortunately, none of those provide details on the loading of the preloaded and build-up convoys. The units embarked are only known in a broad general sense. For example, for the preloaded convoy EBP-1, I know pretty good details about the elements of the 90th Infantry Division aboard the Susan B. Anthony and that there were also the Personnel Detachments, 321st and 907th Glider FA Bn (101st A/B Div) aboard, but I do not know specifics. For the other three ships of that personnel convoy there are even fewer details:

USAT G. W. Goethals (2,143 P) – 15th FA, 2d Inf Div, USAT George S. Simonds (2,003 P) – 2d Inf Div, USAT Borinquin (1,602 P) – 2d Inf Div

It seems likely there were other than just a Field Artillery Battalion on Goethals, but details are elusive and the same for the five personnel transports of EBP-2.

Loaded at Swansea:
SS Exchequer (2,582 P) – 2d Inf Div
SS Marine Raven (2,169 P)– HQ Co, 2d QM Co, 2d Rcn Tp, & other elements 2d Inf Div

Loaded at Newport:
USAT Excelsior (1,953 P) – 1/2 90th Inf Div HQ Co and 358th Inf (- 3d Bn)

Loaded at Cardiff:
SS Explorer (1,928 P) – 357th Inf (-3 Bn)
SS Bienville (1,925 P) – 1/2 Div HQ Co, Division Trps, 3d Bn, 357th Inf, and 3d Bn, 358th Inf

Even more mysterious is the identity of the troops on the Motor Transport Vessels. I have the personnel and vehicle counts for each for EBM-2 and EBM-3, but only a very sketchy idea as to what units were represented.

EBM-2 Clyde/Bristol Channel-Seine Bay 2-7 June 1944
Loading at Barry:
SS Eleazer Wheelock – accommodation ship OMAHA (POL Unit #1, 146th NCB)
SS Bernard Carter – reserve accommodation ship OMAHA
SS Charles Willson Peale, MT 205 (506 P, 148 V)
SS Charles Sumner, MT 206 (558 P, 156 V) – 15th FA, 2d Inf Div
SS John Steele, MT 207 (527 P, 164 V)
SS Henry W. Grady, MT 208 (413 P, 84 V)
SS Edwin Abbey, MT 225 (487 P, 96 V)

Loading at Cardiff:
SS Oliver Wolcott, MT 214 (613 P, 203 V)
SS Ezra Weston, MT 215 (481 P, 119 V)
SS Robert E. Peary, MT 216 (579 P, 166 V)
SS John S. Mosby, MT 217 (679 P, 154 V) – 321st and 907th Glider FA Bn
SS Benjamin Hawkins, MT 218 (543 P, 177 V) – elms 82d A/B Div

Loading at Newport:
SS Frank R. Stockton, MT 226 (503 P, 112 V) – HQ & HQ Btry, 915th FA – Group B
SS George E. Pickett, MT 227 (561 P, 191 V) – Cn Co, 359th Inf – 4 O & 116 EM (incl 3 Med), Attached to Cn Co, 359th Inf – 2 O & 61 EM (23 EM HQ Co, 359th Inf, 3 EM HQ & HQ Btry, 90th Div Arty, 1 O & 2 EM 315th Med Bn, 10 EM HQ Co, 90th Inf Div, 2 EM Sv Co, 359th Inf, 4 EM Co D, 357th Inf, 4 EM Co H, 357th Inf, 6 EM Co M, 357th Inf, 3 EM 90th MP Plat, 1 O & 2 EM MIS PWI Det, FUSA) – Group B
SS Jedediah S. Smith, MT 228 (522 P, 192 V) – Group B
SS Josiah Nelson Cushing, MT 229 (547 P, 154 V) – AT Co, 359th Inf (-) – 6 O & 130 EM (incl 3 Med)
Attached to AT Co, 359th Inf – 1 O & 14 EM (1 O & 7 EM 90th Inf Sig Co, 4 EM HQ Co, 90th Inf Div, 1 EM HQ Co, 357th Inf, 1 EM HQ Co, 358th Inf, 1 EM HQ Co 315th Engr) – Group B

SS Edward W. Scripps, MT 230 (595 P, 135 V)
SS Ephraim Brevard, MT 231 (529 P, 87 V)
SS Robert L. Vann, MT 232 (426 P, 63 V)
SS Francis Harrington, MT 233 (417 P, 89 V)
SS Charles M. Hall, MT 234 (475 P, 120 V)
SS Walter Hines Page, MT 235 (598 P, 124 V)
SS Horace Gray, MT 236 (514 P, 134 V)
SS Stephen B. Elkins, MT 237 (623 P, 144 V)

EBM-3 Clyde/Bristol Channel 3-7 June 1944
Loaded at Cardiff:
SS George W. Woodward LCT accommodation ship for JUNO

Loaded at Barry:
SS Thomas B. Robertson – accommodation ship UTAH
SS Clinton Kelly, MT 201 (477 P, 137 V)
SS Hellas, MT 202 (462 P, 181 V)
SS John Hay, MT 203 (557 P, 166 V) – two Navy CB Battalions?
SS Louis Kossuth, MT 204 (537 P, 137 V) – elements 2d Inf Div

Loaded at Cardiff:
SS Charles C. Jones, MT 209 (564 P, 163 V) – HQ, A, B, and Sv Btry, 345th FA
SS Charles D. Poston, MT 210 (533 P, 160 V) – C Btry, 345th FA
SS Collis P. Huntington, MT 211 (516 P, 173 V)
SS Eugene E. O’Donnell, MT 212 (480 P, 137 V)
SS Webb Miller, MT 213(531P, 98 V – 82d Airborne Division MP Platoon, Hq & Sv Co,
Med Det, and Co A, 307th AEB

Loaded at Newport:
SS Abiel Foster, MT 219 (531 P, 197 V)
SS Enoch Train, MT 220 (502 P, 176 V)
SS Joshua Lippincott, MT 221 (516 P, 206 V)
SS Amos G. Throop, MT 222 (521 P, 190)
SS Charles Morgan, MT 223 (530 P, 162 V – bombed and sunk 8 June, 357th Infantry
SS Clara Barton, MT 224 (552 P, 205 V) – 357th Infantry, seaborne elements of four
Parachute infantry regiments also aboard MT 223 and 224

Sadly, the British preloaded and build-up convoy compositions are an even greater mystery to me. Any help is welcomed.

 

Richard,

Thanks for this listing. I found it to be a great help.

Not to nitpick, but if anyone out these is having trouble finding information on USAT Borinquin, try using this spelling: Borinquen. That's how it's listed in 'Troopships of WWII' by Roland W. Charles. It's a good source for summaries on many of the more obscure ships in the above list that aren't otherwise readily available from an internet search.

Thanks again, Richard.

- Chuck H

 

I can give you some information about the British pre-loaded convoys, please give me a few days. In general the British convoys were of two types coasters and Liberty sized ships. The 'Liberties' were generally loaded to the same cargo plan. The coasters were similar, but as they varied more in size and layout their cargoes had to differ.

 

While I am getting things together you might like to search for Convoyweb, you will find the buildup convoys listed in the Shorter convoy section.

 

I see that I have already posted the chapter about D Day Merchant Ships in Resources