APPENDIX F

Principal Allied Convoys during 1942 and 1943

 

Type Code
Letters
Route Date of
Starting
Remarks
Indian Ocean AB Aden-Bombay Nov. '42  
East African Coastal AKD Aden-Kilindini-Durban Sept. '43 Replaced all previous southward East African coastal convoys.
Military AS U.S.A.-Freetown March '42  
Military AT U.S.A.-U.K. Jan. '42 Monster Liners
Military BA Bombay-Red Sea Ports May '41  
Military BT Sydney (N.S.W.)-U.S.A. Jan. '42  
East African Coastal CD Cape Town-Durban Nov. '42 Ceased Sept. '43.
U.K. Coastal CE St. Helen's (Isle of Wight)-Southend Sept. '40  
Ocean Homeward CF Cape Town-West Africa-U.K. May '41  
N.W. African Coastal CG Casablanca-Gibraltar Jan. '43 Originally FT.
Military CM The Cape, Durban or Kilindini-Red Sea Ports June '40  
Military CT U.K.-North America Aug. '41  
Ocean Homeward CU Caribbean-U.K. Feb. '43 Tankers
U.K. Coastal CW Southend-St. Helen's (Isle of Wight) Sept. '40  
Indian Ocean CX Colombo-Maldives and Chagos April '43  
East African Coastal DC Durban-Cape Town Dec. '42 Ceased Sept. '43.
East African Coastal DKA Durban-Kilindini-Aden Sept. '43 Replaced all previous northward East African coastal convoys.
U.K. Coastal EN Methil-Loch Ewe Aug. '40 Originally to Clyde.
North African Coastal ET North African Ports-Gibraltar Nov. '42  
U.K. Coastal FN Southend-Methil Sept. '39  
U.K. Coastal FS Methil-Southend Sept. '39  
Central Atlantic FT Freetown (Sierra Leone)-Trinidad July '43  
Caribbean GAT Guantanamo-Trinidad Aug. '42 Originally WAT July '42.

 

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Type Code
Letters
Route Date of
Starting
Remarks
N.W. African Coastal GC Gibraltar-Casablanca Nov. '42 Originally TF
Caribbean GK Guantanamo-Key West Sept. '42  
Military GM Gibraltar-Malta July '41  
U.S.A. Coastal GN Guantanamo-New York Aug. '42  
Mediterranean GTX Gibraltar-Tripoli-Egypt May '43  
Primarily Military GU North Africa-U.S.A. Nov. '42  
Ocean Homeward HG Gibraltar-U.K. Sept. '39 Ended Sept. '42. Thereafter homeward bound ships from Gibraltar were included in MK convoys.
Ocean Homeward HX Halifax-U.K. Sept. '39 Started from New York Sept. '42.
South American Coastal JT Rio de Janeiro-Trinidad July '43 Originally BT Nov. '42.
Africa to N. Russia JW Loch Ewe-North Russia Dec. '42 Originally PQ q.v.
Caribbean KG Key West-Guantanamo Sept. '43  
Military 'Torch' KMF U.K.-North Africa Oct. '42 Eventually extended to Egypt.
Ocean Homeward KMS U.K.-North Africa Oct. '42 Primarily military. From April '43 left in company with OS convoys from July '43) and sailed with them as far as Gibraltar area.
U.S.A. Coastal KN Key West-New York May '42  
Special 'Torch' KX U.K.-North Africa Oct. '42  
Local Mediterranean LE Port Said or Alexandria-Famagusta-Haifa or Beirut July '41  
From Malta East-bound ME Malta-Alexandria July '40 Interrupted when Malta was besieged. Resumed Nov. '42.
Military MG Malta-Gibraltar Dec. '40  
Military ex-'Torch' MKF North Africa-U.K. Nov. '42 Primarily military. From April '43, MKS and SL convoys sailed from the Gibraltar area in company.
Ocean Homeward MKS North Africa-U.K. Nov. '42  

 

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Type Code
Letters
Route Date of
Starting
Remarks
To Malta Westbound MW Alexandria-Malta July '40 Interrupted when Malta was besieged. Resumed Nov. '42.
Military NA North America-U.K. Jan. '42  
Pacific Ocean NE New Zealand-Panama    
U.S.A. Coastal NG New York-Guantanamo Aug. '42  
U.S.A. Coastal NK New York-Key West Aug. '42  
Ocean Outward OG U.K.-Gibraltar Oct. '39 Stopped temporarily Aug. '42. Resumed in May '43. From July '43 sailed in company with KMS as far as Gibraltar area. Ceased in Oct. '43.
Ocean Outward ON U.K.-North America July '41 Replaced former OB convoys.
Ocean Outward OS U.K.-West Africa July '41 Stopped temporarily Sept. '42. Resumed in Feb. '43. From April '43 sailed in company with KMS convoys as far as Gibraltar area.
U.S.A. Coastal and Central Atlantic OT New York-Caribbean-N.W. Africa Feb. '43 Fast tankers for 'Torch'.
Arctic to N. Russia PQ Iceland-N. Russia Sept. '41 Replaced by JW q.v.
U.K. Coastal PW Portsmouth-Bristol Channel July '41  
Arctic from N. Russia QP N. Russia-Iceland and U.K. Sept. '41 Replaced by RA q.v.
Arctic from N. Russia RA North Russia-Loch Ewe Dec. '42 Originally QP q.v.
West African RS Gibraltar-Sierra Leone Feb. '43  
Ocean Homeward SC Halifax-U.K. Aug. '40 From Sept. '42 to Mar. '43 left from New York.
Ocean Homeward SL Sierra Leone-U.K. Sept. '39 Stopped temporarily in Oct. '42. Resumed Mar. '43. From May '43 SL and MKS sailed home in company from the Gibraltar area.
West African SR Sierra Leone-Gibraltar Feb. '43  

 

--455--

 

Type Code
Letters
Route Date of
Starting
Remarks
West African Coastal ST Sierra Leone-Takoradi Dec. '41  
Military SW Suez-Durban or Cape   Returning WS convoys q.v.
Military TA U.K.-U.S.A. Mar. '42 Monster liners.
Caribbean TAG Trinidad-Guantanamo Aug. '42 Originally TAW July '42.
Military TB U.S.A.-Sydney (Australia) Jan. '42  
Mediterranean Coastal TE Gibraltar-North African Ports Nov. '42  
Central Atlantic TF Trinidad-Sierra Leone Nov. '42  
South Atlantic TJ Trinidad-Rio de Janeiro July '43 Originally TB Oct. '42.
Central Atlantic TM Trinidad-Gibraltar Jan. '43 Special tanker convoys.
Central Atlantic TO N.W. Africa-Caribbean-New York '42 Fast tankers from 'Torch'.
West African Coastal TS Takoradi-Sierra Leone Aug. '42 Originally LS April '42.
U.S. Military TU U.K.-U.S.A. Sept. '43  
Mediterranean Local TX Tripoli (Libya)-Alexandria Feb. '43  
Ocean Outward UC U.K.-Caribbean Feb. '43 Special tanker convoys.
Military 'Torch' UG U.S.A.-North Africa Oct. '42  
Indian Ocean US Australia-Middle East Jan. '40  
U.S. Military UT U.S.A.-U.K. Aug. '43 U.S. troopers.
U.K. Coastal WN Loch Ewe-Methil July '40 Originally from Clyde.
Military WS U.K.-Middle East (via Cape of Good Hope) June '40 'Winston's Specials' ended Aug. '43.
U.K. Coastal WP Bristol Channel-Portsmouth July '41  
Indian Ocean XC Chagos and Maldives-Colombo May '43  
Special ex 'Torch' XK Gibraltar-U.K. Oct. '42  
Mediterranean Local XT Alexandria-Tripoli (Libya) Jan. '43  
Mediterranean XTG Alexandria-Tripoli (Libya)-Gibraltar June '43  

 

NOTE: In certain cases the speeds of different convoys between the same ports were not uniform and to distinguish them a letter was added as follows:
  Suffix 'F' indicated 'Fast'
Suffix 'M' indicated 'Medium'
Suffix 'S' indicated 'Slow'
 

 

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