Hello all;

My apologies if this is slightly off-topic, but I have been trying to find how merchant ships were assigned to the convoys that started in 1917.

As mentioned in another thread, I am researching the loss with all hands of the small Swedish composite steamer HAMMAR II in September '17, by UB 62. She obviously sailed alone, and I am trying to figure out why.

She was very small, and presumably slow, which could be a reason that she was not accepted. That was my first assumption, but I imagine that quite a number of vessels even after the start of convoys chose to go it alone, for different reasons - be it long waiting lists, taking the chance, or whatever.

I have not found any mention of "convoy fee" or equivalent in the books I have read so far. Was there a fee, and did HAMMAR II try to shirk that cost?

Still a newcomer here, so please inform me if this is outside of the forum's accepted topics.


Jan Ström
Stockholm