APPENDIX G

British Escort Vessel Strength and Dispositions

1st January, 1942, 1st August, 1942
and 1st January, 1943

 


1. WESTERN APPROACHES

A. Londonderry

 

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/42 3 'Special Escort Groups' Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 12 --- --- ---
3 Groups (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 9 --- 15 ---
5 Groups (Sloops and Cutters) South Atlantic Convoys 2 16 --- 10 Cutters
Unallocated Miscellaneous 1 --- 3 ---
TOTAL  24 16 18 10
1/8/42 1 'Special Escort Group' Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 7 --- --- ---
1 'Special Escort Division' 7 --- 3 ---
3 Groups (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 8 --- 16 ---
6 Groups (Sloops and Cutters) South Atlantic Convoys 2 19 4 8 Cutters
Unallocated Miscellaneous --- --- 1 ---
TOTAL  24 19 24 8

 

--457--

1. WESTERN APPROACHES (contd.)

A. Londonderry (contd.)

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/43 2 'Special Escort Groups' Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 6 --- 4 ---
1 'Special Escort Division' 4 --- --- ---
3 Groups (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 8 --- 18 ---
7 Groups (Sloops and Cutters) South Atlantic Convoys 2 11 25 7 Cutters
Unallocated Miscellaneous --- 3 --- ---
TOTAL  20 14 47 7

 

B. Liverpool

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/42 3 'Special Escort Groups' Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 13 --- --- ---
3 Groups (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 8 --- 15 ---
1 Group (Sloops and Cutters) South Atlantic Convoys --- 2 17 ---
Unallocated Miscellaneous 1 --- 4 ---
TOTAL  22 2 36 ---
1/8/42 1 'Special Escort Division' Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 7 --- 4 ---
3 Groups (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 9 --- 17 ---
2 Groups (Sloops and Cutters) South Atlantic Convoys --- 4 12 ---
Unallocated Miscellaneous 2 --- --- ---
TOTAL  18 4 33 ---

 

--458--

1. WESTERN APPROACHES (contd.)

B. Liverpool (Contd.)

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/43 1 'Special Escort Division' Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 12 --- --- ---
1 'Special Escort Group' --- --- 4 ---
3 Groups (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 9 --- 18 ---
1 Group (Sloops and Cutters) South Atlantic Convoys --- 2 9 ---
Unallocated Miscellaneous 4 --- --- ---
TOTAL  25 2 31 ---

 

C. Greenock

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/42 5 'Special Escort Groups' Arctic, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 16 --- --- ---
2 Groups (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 6 --- 10 ---
Unallocated Miscellaneous 2 --- 3 ---
TOTAL  24 --- 13 ---
1/8/42 1 'Special Escort Division' Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 9 --- 4 ---
1 Group (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 3 --- 6 ---
TOTAL  18 --- 10 ---

 

--459--

C. Greenock (Contd.)

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/43 1 'Special Escort Division' Arctic, Atlantic Troop Convoys, etc. 7 --- --- ---
1 Group (Destroyers and Corvettes) North Atlantic Convoys 3 --- 3 ---
2 Groups (Corvettes) Miscellaneous --- --- 8 ---
TOTAL  10 --- 11 ---

D. Irish Sea Escort Force (Belfast and Milford Haven)

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/42 A.A. Escorts Local Irish Sea Convoys --- --- 3 4 A.A. Ships, 3 Misc.
1/8/42 3 A.A. Groups Ditto --- --- --- 6 A.A. Ships, 3 Misc.
1/1/43 A.A. Groups Ditto --- --- --- 3 A.A. Ships, 3 Misc.

 

2. ROSYTH

Date Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others TOTAL
1/1/42 20 5 --- --- 25
1/8/42 21 2 --- 1 A.A. Ship 24
1/1/43 22 --- --- 1 A.A. Ship 23

 

3. NORE

Date Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others TOTAL
1/1/42 21 --- 7 --- 28
1/8/42 23 --- 7 --- 30
1/1/43 24 --- 7 --- 31

 

4. PORTSMOUTH

Date Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others TOTAL
1/1/42 4 --- --- --- 4
1/8/42 7 --- --- --- 7
1/1/43 4 --- --- --- 4

 

--460--

 

5. PLYMOUTH

Date Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others TOTAL
1/1/42 6 --- --- --- 6
1/8/42 5 --- --- --- 5
1/1/43 9 --- --- --- 9
NOTE: Rosyth and Nore ships escorted East Coast Convoys, Portsmouth and Plymouth Ships Channel Convoys.

 

6. NORTH ATLANTIC

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/42 1 Destroyer Flotilla Local Convoys 3 --- 6 ---
1 Escort Group (Lent from Liverpool) --- 2 9 ---
A/S Trawlers --- --- --- 8
TOTAL  3 2 15 8
1/8/42 2 Destroyer Flotillas Local Convoys 7 --- 6 ---
A/S Trawlers --- --- --- 9
TOTAL  7 --- 6 9
1/1/43 (1) Gibraltar Escort Force:          
1 Destroyer Flotilla Local and 'Torch' Convoys 5 --- --- ---
4 Escort Groups 4 9 7 ---
A/S Trawlers --- --- --- 12
(2) Western Mediterranean Escort Force (under A.N.C.X.F. at Algiers)          
2 Destroyer Flotillas 'Torch' Convoys 14 --- --- ---
4 Escort Divisions --- --- 16 ---
TOTAL  23 9 23 12

 

--461--

 

7. SOUTH ATLANTIC (Freetown)

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/42 1 Destroyer Flotilla South Atlantic Convoys 8 --- --- ---
Freetown Escort Force --- 5 24 ---
Ocean Escorts WS and Ocean Convoys --- --- --- 12 A.M.Cs
3 Groups A/S Trawlers Local Escorts --- --- --- 16 A/S Trawlers, etc.
TOTAL  8 5 24 28
1/8/42 1 Destroyer Flotilla South Atlantic Convoys 7 --- --- ---
Freetown Escort Force --- 3 20 ---
Ocean Escorts WS and Ocean Convoys --- --- --- 7 A.M.Cs
3 Groups A/S Trawlers Local Escorts --- --- --- 16 A/S Trawlers, etc.
TOTAL  7 3 20 23
1/1/43 Freetown Escort Force South Atlantic Convoys --- --- --- 12 A/S Trawlers, etc.
Ocean Escorts WS and Ocean Convoys --- --- --- 6 A.M.Cs
West African Command Escorts

Local Escorts

--- 4 15 7 A/S Trawlers
TOTAL  --- 4 15 25

 

8. WESTERN ATLANTIC

(Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy Only)

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/1/42 R.C.N. (or lent R.N.) Western Local Escorts 2 --- 17 ---
Newfoundland Escort Force (R.C.N. or lent R.N.)

Mid-Ocean Escorts

14 --- 43 ---
TOTAL  16 --- 60 ---

 

--462--

 

8. WESTERN ATLANTIC (Contd.)

Date Organisation General
Function
STRENGTH
Destroyers Sloops Corvettes Others
1/8/42 R.C.N. (or lent R.N.) Western Local Escorts 18 --- 29 ---
Tanker Escort Force (R.C.N.)

Special Tanker Convoys

--- --- 4 ---
Gulf Escort Force (R.C.N.)

Gulf of Mexico Convoys

--- --- --- 5 Minesweepers
Newfoundland Escort Force (R.C.N. or lent R.N.)

Mid-Ocean Escorts

11 --- 41 ---
Lent to U.S. Navy

U.S. Coastal Convoys

--- --- --- 19 A/S Trawlers
TOTAL  29 --- 74 24
1/1/43 Bermuda Western Local Escorts --- 2 1 ---
Atlantic Coast Command, St. John's (R.C.N. or lent R.N.)

Special Tanker Convoys

18 --- 20 ---
Under U.S.N. Eastern Sea Frontier Command (R.C.N.)

Gulf of Mexico Convoys

--- --- 6 ---
Halifax Force (R.C.N.)

Mid-Ocean Escorts

--- --- 4 ---
Newfoundland Command (R.C.N. or lent R.N.)

U.S. Coastal Convoys

12 --- 29 14 A/S Trawlers
TOTAL  30 2 60 14

 

--463--

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