Convoy HX 156

Convoy HX 156 was the 156th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool.^[1] Forty-three ships departed Halifax on 22 October 1941,^[1] and were met two days later by United States Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 consisting of Gleaves-class destroyer Niblack, Clemson-class destroyer Reuben James, Wickes-class destroyer Tarbell, and Benson-class destroyers Benson and Hilary P. Jones.^[2]

The Action

USS *Reuben James* was the only loss from convoy HX 156

31 October 1941

The German submarine U-552 sighted the convoy at dawn on 31 October 1941, and torpedoed Reuben James as the destroyer approached to investigate the Huff-Duff bearing of the sighting report.^[3] A torpedo struck the port side and detonated the forward magazine.^[3] The hull aft of the third stack remained afloat for 5 minutes; and 44 men were rescued from the crew of 159.^[3]

Reuben James was the first United States warship sunk during World War II.^[4] U-552 was driven off by the escort; but U-567 found the convoy that afternoon.

1 November 1941

Task Unit 4.1.3 handed the convoy off to the British 6th Escort Group on 1 November 1941.
U-552 and U-567 made two unsuccessful torpedo attacks on 1 November and maintained contact with the convoy through 3 November.^[2] Empire Foam launched her Hawker Sea Hurricane to intercept a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft, which it chased off. The Hurricane pilot was rescued by HMS Broke after ditching his aircraft.^[5]^[6] The convoy reached Liverpool on 5 November.^[1]

Ships in the convoy

These ships were members of Convoy HX 156.^[7]

Notes

^ a b c Hague 2000 p.127
^ a b Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.94
^ a b c Morison 1975 p.94
^ Silverstone 1968 p.9
^ Wise, James E. Jr. (1974). "Catapult Off – Parachute Back". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. pp. 70–77.
^ Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. p. 79. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
^ "Convoy HX.156". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

References

Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943. Little, Brown and Company.
Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.