The escort was formed from the destroyers BADSWORTH, GEORGETOWN, LANCASTER, LAUDERDALE and ST MARYS (15th to 19th April); BOADICEA and VOLUNTEER (15th to 20th April) and SALISBURY (15th to 22nd April). Ocean escort was the cruisers FROBISHER and GAMBIA and destroyers TETCOTT and VAN GALEN (15th to 29th April). Local escort off Freetown was provided by the destroyers BOREAS and WILD SWAN and corvette PETUNIA (26th to 29th April).
The convoy arrived at Freetown 29th April 1942. Sailing from Freetown on 3rd May, convoy composition was as from the UK plus RIMUTAKA. The American AGWILEON joined at sea later being detached to Walvis Bay 6th May. Escorts were the destroyers BOREAS and WIVERN (3rd to 4th May), the cruiser FROBISHER and destroyer VAN GALEN (3rd to 6th May) and the corvette HYDRANGEA (4th to 5th May). Ocean escort was the cruiser GAMBIA, seaplane carrier ALBATROSS and destroyer TETCOTT (3rd to 15 May). Off Capetown the whalers SOUTHERN GEM and SOUTHERN PRIDE joined on 14th May as local escort to Capetown.
The convoy arrived off Capetown on 15th May and, while crossing the shallow waters of the Agulhas Bank between Capetown and Durban, encountered a minefield laid by the raider DOGGERBANK. As a result HMS HECLA was damaged and towed in to Simonstown by the cruiser GAMBIA, while the freighter SOUDAN, also mined, sank later that day. SOUDAN was fortunate in suffering no casualties: her Master reported that on examining his ship after the explosion he found "No 2 Hold empty, the bottom having apparently been blown out and the stores loaded in that hold having fallen out of the hole. This was fortunate as the stores included 400 tons of TNT....". TETCOTT left the convoy at this stage, proceeding with all speed to the Mediterranean.
Ships which arrived at Capetown were DEMPO, EMPRESS OF CANADA, MARNIX VAN ST ALDEGONDE, NIEUW ZEELAND, ORBITA, ORDUNA, PHEMIUS, REINA DEL PACIFICO, RIMUTAKA and WAIPAWA, while the remaining ships went on to Durban where they arrived on 18th May being escorted from Capetown by the cruiser CARLISLE.
There was considerable re‑organisation during the South African lay over, some ships unloading and returning in due course to the UK, and some, such as the two HIGHLANDs and AORANGI going on as independents to the Plate. Those that did sail as part of the convoy left Capetown on 19th May escorted by the armed merchant cruiser WORCESTERSHIRE and rendezvoused off Durban to proceed northwards, C and D suffix to the convoy position numbers indicate the port of departure. The convoy from the Durban rendezvous, numbers are suffixed C and D to indicate sailing port, sailed from Capetown on 19th May and Durban on 22nd May and comprised:
