You got my description right. Thanks
I did not install icedove or Tor, whonix or torbirdy myself.
I diligently wrote down the settings of same onion accounts frrom TAILS icedove & duplicated in Whonix anon-whonixVM icedove. Did not work.
I also created a Debian-8 based AppVM. Put icedove in there and added torbirdy extension. I had had success a few years ago with Thunderbird/Windows doing so. But did not work in Qubes either. I think something is messing with ports socks and proxies. But those are beyond me. I just try to use what is available.
Thanks