PRINCIPAL NORTH ATLANTIC CARGO CONVOYS INBOUND TO THE BRITISH ISLES
SEPTEMBER 1, 1942-DECEMBER 31, 1944
1. Sources: The numbers of ships arriving in convoys are derived from British Monthly Antisubmarine Reports, January 1942 to December 1944. The ship loss figures in those reports closely match those of Rohwer’s Axis Submarine Successes. The Rohwer figures are used here. Note well that these figures do not include independent sailings and losses. For earlier years, see Vol. I, Plate 10 and Plate 13, pp. 424 and 698, respectively.
2. Tanker convoys (CU) sailed from the Caribbean and New York to the U.K. in 1943 and via New York in 1944. From August 1943, troop convoys (UT) for Overlord sailed from New York, sometimes merged with CU convoys. Note that tanker convoys from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean battle zone (TM, OT) are not included in this table.
3. From 9/18/42, onward, HX convoys sailed from New York. SC convoys also sailed from New York from September 1942 to April 1943.
4. Plus three 143-ton LCTs.
5. Plus one 143-ton LCT
6. Plus two 143-ton LCTs.
7. From June 17, 1943, to the end of the war, SC convoys sailed from Halifax.
8. Includes Polish destroyer Orkan in convoy SC 143.
9. Beginning 3/23/43, CU 1, 2, 3, and 4 sailed at 14.5 knots from the Caribbean; CU 5 from New York; CU 10. from the Caribbean; CU 7, 8, and 9 from New York. Beginning on 8/21/43, UT 1 to 6 sailed at 15 knots from New York. The total, 179 vessels, includes 159 tankers and 20 troopships in UT 1 to UT 6.
10. American destroyer escort Leopold in CU 16 and American tanker Seakay in CU 17.
11. From May to September 1944, HX convoys from New York were subdivided into fast, medium, and slow.
12. Ships of SC convoys sailed in HX convoys June-September 1944.
13. American tanker Jacksonville in CU 36.
14. Eight other tankers of CU convoys sailed directly to France in November.
15. Fast tanker convoys CU 10 to CU 51 sailed about every twelve days from New York, as did the fast troop convoys UT 7 onward. Beginning on 5/3/44, CU 23, 24, 24B, 28, 33, 34. and 35 merged with UT troop convoys 12 to 18, and were temporarily redesignated TCU convoys. After July 1944, the troopship convoys resumed separate status, sailing from New York again as UT.
16. Ship losses amounted to 1 percent of total.