Operation MWF

'MWF' was the designation of Allied fast convoys (together with a numerical suffix) plying the route from Port Said, Egypt, to Sicily as part of 'Husky' (i) or, via Malta, to Bizerte or Algiers for subsequent operations (July/August 1943).

The first of these four convoys, on 5/10 July, was MWF.36 comprising 20 merchant or commissioned transport vessels and 19 escorting warships. The British transports were the 11,275-ton Devonshire, 11,080-ton Dilwara with 462 troops, 20,123-ton Duchess of Bedford with 2,837 troops, 11,162-ton Dunera with 1,629 troops, 1,445-ton auxiliary netlayer Brittany, 6,267-ton command/landing ship Bulolo, 9,690-ton large infantry landing ship Keren, 2,938-ton small infantry landing ship Prins Albert, 3,791-ton headquarters/infantry landing ship Ulster Monarch with 300 troops, 22,424-ton Monarch of Bermuda with 2,766 troops, 20,097-ton Orontes, 20,026-ton Otranto with 3,200 troops, 17,702-ton Reina del Pacifico, 22,283-ton Strathnaver with 3,275 troops, and 20,012-ton Winchester Castle. The Dutch transports were the 16,287-ton Christiaan Huygens, 14,155-ton Ruys, and 14,150-ton Tegelberg, the single Polish ship was the 11,030-ton Sobieski with 1,369 troops, and the single Norwegian ship was the 11,015-ton Bergensfjord with 871 troops.

The last of the convoys was MWF.39 of 3/10 August with two British ships in the form of the 3,791-ton Ulster Queen and 18,780-ton Wayland.