Ship Movements MS "Rotterdam" in Convoy, during WW 2

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Rotterdam (2) - (1925-1942)

Special thanks to Arnold Hague Ports Database

MS "ROTTERDAM" (Dutch) 8,968 tons, built 1925

Departure	Convoy	Arrival
Halifax, Feb 8, 1941	SC.22 (Halifax - Liverpool)	Came from SC.21, Liverpool, Feb 28, 1941, for Galsgow.
Halifax, May 6, 1941	HX.125 (Halifax - Liverpool)	Did not sail, sailed in HX.127
Halifax, May 16, 1941	HX.127 (Halifax - Liverpool)	Lagged astern on the night of May 27/28, for Avonmouth.
Belfast Lough, Jun 1, 1941	BB.28 (Belfast Lough - Milford Haven)	Avonmouth, Jun 2, 1941
Milford Haven, Jun 19, 1941	OB.337 (Liverpool - Halifax)	Dispersed
Halifax, Aug 1, 1941	HX.142 (Halifax - Liverpool)	Liverpool, Aug 18, 1941
Milford Haven, Sep 12, 1941	ON.16 (Liverpool - Halifax)	Dispersed
Sydney CB, Nov 4, 1941	SC.53 (Sydney CB - Liverpool)	Did not sail, sailed in SC.54
Sydney CB, Nov 10, 1941	SC.54 (Sydney CB - Liverpool)	Belfast Lough, Nov 26, 1941
Liverpool, Dec 3, 1941	ON.43 (Liverpool - Halifax)	Dispersed
Halifax, Jan 8, 1942	HX.168 (Halifax - Liverpool)	Returned - joined HX 169, but returned again, joined SC 66.
Halifax, Jan 8, 1942	HX.169 (Halifax - Liverpool)	Returned to port, then joined the slow Convoy SC 66 on Jan. 23.
Halifax, Jan 23, 1942	SC.66 (Halifax - Liverpool)	Liverpool, Feb 9, 1942, for Avomouth
Belfast Lough, Feb 9, 1942	BB.135 (Belfast Lough - Milford Haven)	Avonmouth, Feb 11, 1942
Milford Haven, Feb 21, 1942	OS.20M (Milford Haven - Belfast Lough)	Belfast Lough, Feb 22, 1942
Belfast Lough, Feb 22, 1942	OS.20 (Liverpool - Freetown)	Freetown, Mar 12, 1942, for Galverston.
Freetown, May 4, 1942	SL.109 (Freetown - Liverpool)	Liverpool, May 28, 1942, for Manchester.
Liverpool, Jun 9, 1942	ON.102 (Liverpool - Halifax)	Halifax, Jun 25, 1942
Hampton Roads, Jul 31, 1942	KS.526 (Hampton Roads - Key West)	Key West, Aug 8, 1942
Key West, Aug 9, 1942	WAT.13 (Key West - Trinidad)	Curacao, Aug 16, 1942
Curacao, Aug 25, 1942	TAW.15C ( - )	Key West, Aug 31, 1942
Rotterdam (II) was lost in the West Indies on Aug 27, 1942 whilst sailing in convoy TAW 15 C.	Cause of loss: U 511 / TORPEDOED.	Torpedoed and lost on 27.08.1942

Convoys codes during the Battle of the Atlantic ( July 1940 )

BB - Belfast to Bristol Channel (The BB series of convoy ran from Belfast Lough to Milford Haven.)

BHX - Bermuda Joiner to HX (The BHX series carried traffic from Bermuda to join the HX convoy of the same number at sea which was sailing from Halifax to the UK.)

EC - Southend to Oban via Firth of Forth (The EC series sailed from Southampton to the Clyde.)

EN - Methil to Oban via Loch Ewe (The EN series ran from Methil, on the east coast of Scotland, to Oban (later Loch Ewe) on the west coast.)

FS - Forth South, Firth of Forth to Thames (The FS series of convoy ran from Methil or the Tyne (mainly Nov. 1939 - Aug. 1940) to the Thames (Southend).)

FN - Forth North, Thames to Firth of Forth (The FN series of convoy ran from the Thames (Southend) to the Firth of Forth (Methil).)

HN - Norway to United Kingdom (The HN series sailed from Norwegian waters to Methil from October 1939 to April 1940 when it ceased due to the occupation of Norway.)

HX - Halifax to United Kingdom (From September 1939 until September 1942, the HX series carried traffic from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool. Subsequent to September 1942, and until the end of the war, this series departed from New York. Slower vessels were routed in the SC series while faster vessels sailed in the short lived HXF series. Additionally, the BHX series sailed from Bermuda and rendezvoused with the HX convoy of the same number. )

KS - Hampton Roads - Key West (The first KS series sailed from Casablanca mainly to various French ports until June 1940. The second series started at KS.500 sailing from Hampton Roads to Key West between May and September 1942.

OB - Liverpool outward (The OB series of convoy sailed from Liverpool and catered for vessels sailing transatlantic to North and South America; for the South Atlantic to Freetown, the Cape and beyond together with coastal traffic. En route, vessels sailing from the Bristol Channel ports (Avonmouth, Barry, Newport and Cardiff) would join the convoy at a designated position, usually a few miles south of the Smalls Lighthouse (51.43N, 5.40W). The OB series ran from September 7, 1939 (OB.1) to July 21, 1941 (OB.349) when two new convoy series were formed. The OS series to Freetown, Sierra Leone, for ships bound for the South Atlantic (later sailing with the KMS series to Gibraltar) and the ON series sailing west to Halifax although initially these were still dispersed before reaching their destination. The OA series ceased on October 24, 1940 (OA.234).

ON - Liverpool to New York Fast (The ON series of mercantile convoy replaced the OB series in July 1941 and continued until May 1945. Initially it sailed from Liverpool and was dispersed about 750 nautical miles west of Lands End as the OB convoys were. Later, as escorts became available (March 1942), it was escorted all the way to ports in Canada or the USA. From October 1944 sailings also started from Southend with the Liverpool section joining at sea.)

OS - Liverpool Freetown (Outward Southbound, Liverpool etc. to Freetown 1941 onwards.)

SC - Halifax Slow to United Kingdom (The SC series of convoy sailed from Sydney CB (later Halifax or New York, depending on the season) to the UK and accomodated older and slower vessels. The series ran from August 1940 until May 1945.)

SL - Freetown - Liverpool (The SL series of convoy catered for vessels returning to the UK from the South Atlantic commencing from the collection point of Freetown in Sierra Leone. The first SL convoy was in September 1939 and some forty SL convoys had been escorted before the complementary OS series (UK - Freetown) began in July 1941. Initially, the series alternated between fast (SLF) and slow (SL) convoys and from January 1940 (SL.15) the fast convoys would rendezvous with the preceding slow convoy, somewhere within European waters, in order to economise on escort vessels. This practice was in force intermittently until January 1941 (SL.65) when the fast and slow sections were combined. Initially, the fast convoy was designated SLF (SL being SLOW) and later the slow convoy was designated SLS (SL being FAST).)

WN - Clyde, Oban & Loch Ewe to Firth of Forth (The WN series of coastal convoy carried local traffic from the Clyde to Methil on the Firth of Forth. The series ran from July 1940 until the end of the war.)

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