Convoy HX 212 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Battle of the Atlantic | |||||||
![]() A depth charge being loaded onto a depth-charge thrower aboard the corvette HMS Dianthus | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
VADM W de M Egerton CDR T. L. Lewis USCG [1] | Admiral Karl Dönitz | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
43 freighters 1 destroyer 1 cutter 6 corvettes | 17 submarines | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
6 freighters sunk (51,997 GRT) 243 killed/drowned |
Convoy HX 212 was the 212th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. [2] The ships departed New York City on 18 October 1942 [3] and were met on 23 October by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3 consisting of the United States Coast Guard Treasury-class cutter USCGC Campbell, the destroyer Badger and the Flower-class corvettes Dianthus, Rosthern, Trillium, Dauphin, Alberni, Summerside and Ville de Quebec. The first five escorts had worked together previously, but the last three corvettes were attached to the convoy only for passage to the eastern Atlantic in preparation for assignments on Operation Torch. Summerside was the only escort equipped with modern Type 271 centimeter-wavelength radar. [4]
As western Atlantic coastal convoys brought an end to the second happy time, Admiral Karl Dönitz, the Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) or commander in chief of U-Boats, shifted focus to the mid-Atlantic to avoid aircraft patrols. Although convoy routing was less predictable in the mid-ocean, Dönitz anticipated that the increased numbers of U-boats being produced would be able to effectively search for convoys with the advantage of intelligence gained through B-Dienst decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3. [5] However, only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys sailing from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943 lost ships to U-boat attack. [6]
U-436 reported the convoy and shadowed it without being detected by the convoy escort. [7]
U-436 launched five torpedoes at 2110Z hitting Sourabaya, Gurney Newlin and Frontenac. Alberni and Summerside dropped back to rescue survivors from the torpedoed ships. [4]
U-606 torpedoed Kosmos II on the starboard side at 0345Z. Barrwhin dropped back to rescue survivors, and both ships were sunk while the convoy proceeded ahead. A patrolling Consolidated B-24 Liberator from No. 120 Squadron RAF in Iceland prevented five U-boats from reaching attack positions during daylight hours but Bic Island and Pan-New York were torpedoed after sunset. [4]
Northern routing enabled the convoy to pass through the narrowest portion of the air gap, and continuous daylight air patrols forced the U-boats to lose contact with the convoy. [4] The Naval trawlers Bodo and Molde escorted the convoy through the Western Approaches on 1 November; and the convoy reached Liverpool on 2 November. [8]
Name [8] | Flag [8] | Dead [9] | Tonnage (GRT) [8] | Cargo [9] | Notes [8] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abraham Lincoln (1929) | ![]() | 5,740 | General Cargo | Carried convoy vice-commodore CAPT B B Grant RNR; survived this convoy and convoy HX 229 | |
Arc Light (1906) | ![]() | 2,949 | |||
Barrwhin (1929) | ![]() | 24 | 4,998 | 8,200 tons grain & stores | Veteran of convoy PQ 11; sunk 29 October by U-436 |
USS Beaver (AS-5) (1909) | ![]() | 4,670 | Explosives | ||
Belgian Gulf (1929) | ![]() | 8,237 | Petrol | Survived this convoy and convoy HX 229 | |
Bic Island (1917) | ![]() | 4,000 | General Cargo | Straggled and sunk by U-224 | |
British Vigilance (1942) | ![]() | 8,093 | Benzine & 130 passengers | Survived this convoy to be sunk 3 months later in convoy TM 1 | |
C.J.Barkdull (1917) | ![]() | 6,773 | Diesel oil | Survived this convoy to be sunk 1/10/1943 [10] by U 632 [11] | |
Cairnesk (1926) | ![]() | 5,007 | General Cargo | ||
Cape Breton (1940) | ![]() | 6,044 | Phosphates | ||
City of Lille (1928) | ![]() | 6,588 | Wheat | ||
Coptic (1928) | ![]() | 10,629 | Refrigerated & General Cargo | ||
Cymbula (1938) | ![]() | 8,082 | Petrol | ||
Dorchester (1926) | ![]() | 5,649 | From Newfoundland to Greenland; survived this convoy to be sunk 3 months later in convoy SG 19 | ||
Empire Bronze (1940) | ![]() | 8,142 | Paraffin & Aviation Gasoline | ||
Empire Dickens (1942) | ![]() | 9,819 | Petrol | ||
Empire Fletcher (1942) | ![]() | 8,194 | Petrol | ||
Esso Bayway (1937) | ![]() | 7,699 | Furnace Fuel Oil | ||
Exchester (1919) | ![]() | 4,999 | Stores | ||
Exilona (1919) | ![]() | 4,971 | Steel | Survived this convoy, convoy ON 166 and convoy HX 300 | |
Fairfax (1926) | ![]() | 5,649 | From Newfoundland to Greenland | ||
Fort a la Corne (1942) | ![]() | 7,133 | General Cargo | ||
Fort Amherst (1936) | ![]() | 3,489 | |||
Francis Parkman (1942) | ![]() | 7,176 | Stores | Liberty ship | |
Frontenac (1928) | ![]() | 7,350 | Fuel Oil | Damaged 27 October by U-436 , but survived to sail with convoy HX 300 | |
Gdynia (1934) | ![]() | 1,636 | General Cargo | ||
Gulfgem (1920) | ![]() | 6,917 | Furnace Fuel Oil for Scapa Flow | ||
Gurney E Newlin (1942) | ![]() | 60 | 8,225 | 12,000 tons petrol & paraffin | Sunk 27 October by U-436 & U-606 |
Helgoy (1920) | ![]() | 5,614 | General Cargo | ||
Jamaica Planter (1936) | ![]() | 4,098 | Refrigerated & General Cargo | Carried convoy commodore VADM W DE M Egerton | |
Katy (1931) | ![]() | 6,825 | Petrol | ||
Kosmos II (1931) | ![]() | 40 | 16,966 | 21,000 tons crude oil | Damaged 27 October by U-436 and sunk on 28 October by U-606 & U-624 |
Lancastrian Prince (1940) | ![]() | 1,914 | General Cargo | Veteran of convoy ON 67 | |
Laurelwood (1929) | ![]() | 7,347 | furnace fuel oil | ||
Mahia (1917) | ![]() | 10,014 | Refrigerated | ||
Matthew Luckenbach (1918) | ![]() | 5,848 | Steel & General Cargo | Returned to Canada; sunk 5 months later in convoy HX 229 | |
Ocean Courier (1942) | ![]() | 7,178 | General Cargo | Liberty ship | |
Pacific Shipper (1924) | ![]() | 6,290 | General Cargo | ||
Pan-New York (1938) | ![]() | 42 | 7,701 | 12,500 tons petrol | Sunk 29 October by U-624 |
Pan-Rhode Island (1941) | ![]() | 7,742 | Aviation Gasoline | Survived this convoy and convoy HX 229 | |
Paul H Harwood (1918) | ![]() | 6,610 | Diesel Oil | ||
R.G.Stewart (1917) | ![]() | 9,229 | |||
Saint Bertrand (1929) | ![]() | 5,522 | General Cargo | ||
Salinas (1920) | ![]() | 5,422 | |||
Sarpedon (1923) | ![]() | 11,321 | Refrigerated | ||
Skaraas (1936) | ![]() | 9,826 | Oil | ||
Snar (1920) | ![]() | 3,176 | |||
Sourabaya (1915) | ![]() | 77 | 10,107 | 7,800 tons furnace fuel oil | Sunk 27 October by U-436 |
Southern Princess (1915) | ![]() | 12,156 | Furnace Fuel Oil | Survived this convoy to be sunk 5 months later in convoy HX 229 | |
Thomas B Robertson (1942) | ![]() | 7,176 | stores | Liberty ship; survived this convoy and convoy ON 166 | |
Topdalsfjord (1921) | ![]() | 4,271 | Sugar & Timber | ||
Tudor Prince (1940) | ![]() | 1,914 | General Cargo | ||
Zacapa (1909) | ![]() | 4,488 | Valuable cargo | ||
Zoella Lykes (1940) | ![]() | 6,829 |
HX 79 was an Allied convoy in the North Atlantic of the HX series, which sailed east from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The convoy took place during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. One ship dropped out and returned to port, leaving 49 to cross the Atlantic for Liverpool. Two armed merchant cruisers and a submarine escorted the convoy to protect it from German commerce raiders.
The SC convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys that ran during the battle of the Atlantic during World War II.
The ON and later ONS convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Atlantic campaign of the Second World War. The ON convoys replaced the earlier OA/OB series of outbound convoys in July 1941 and ran until the end of the campaign in May 1945. They were organized as alternating fast and slow convoys until March 1943, when the ONS series was begun to take over the slow trans-Atlantic traffic, after which all in the ON series were fast.
Convoy ON 166 was the 166th of the numbered ON series of merchant ship convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. Sixty-three ships departed Liverpool 11 February 1943 and were met the following day by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3 consisting of the Treasury-class cutters Campbell and Spencer and the Flower-class corvettes Dianthus, Chilliwack, Rosthern, Trillium and Dauphin.
Convoy SC 121 was the 121st of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. The ships departed New York City 23 February 1943; and were met by the Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3 consisting of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Treasury-class cutter USCGC Spencer, the American Wickes-class destroyer USS Greer, the British and Canadian Flower-class corvettes HMS Dianthus, HMCS Rosthern, HMCS Trillium and HMCS Dauphin and the convoy rescue ship Melrose Abbey. Three of the escorts had defective sonar and three had unserviceable radar.
Convoy SC 118 was the 118th of the numbered series of World War II slow convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, to Liverpool. The ships departed New York City on 24 January 1943 and were met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-2 consisting of V-class destroyers Vanessa and Vimy, the Treasury-class cutter Bibb, the Town-class destroyer Beverley, Flower-class corvettes Campanula, Mignonette, Abelia and Lobelia, and the convoy rescue ship Toward.
Convoy SC 107 was the 107th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. The ships departed New York City on 24 October 1942 and were found and engaged by a wolfpack of U-boats which sank fifteen ships. It was the heaviest loss of ships from any trans-Atlantic convoy through the winter of 1942–43. The attack included one of the largest non-nuclear man-made explosions in history, when U-132 torpedoed ammunition ships SS Hobbema and SS Hatimura - both were sunk, one exploded, with the German submarine also being destroyed in the explosion.
Convoy SC 94 was the 94th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool. The ships departed Sydney on 31 July 1942 and were met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-1.
Convoy SC 42 was the 42nd of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. SC 42 was attacked over a three night period in September 1941, losing 16 ships sunk and 4 damaged. This was the worst Allied loss following the attack on convoy SC 7 the previous year. Two attacking U-boats were destroyed.
Convoy ON 154 was a North Atlantic convoy of the ON series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It was the 154th of the numbered series of merchant ship convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. It came under attack in December 1942 and lost 13 of its 50 freighters. One of the attacking U-boats was sunk.
Convoy SC 130 was a North Atlantic convoy which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 130th of the numbered series of Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. SC 130 was one of several convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of May 1943.
Convoy SC 104 was the 104th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. During October 1942, a U-boat wolf pack sank eight ships from the convoy. The convoy escorts sank two of the attacking submarines.
Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) referred to the organisation of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and Newfoundland, and the British Isles. The allocation of United States, British and Canadian escorts to these convoys reflected preferences of the United States upon United States' declaration of war and the organisation persisted through the winter of 1942–43 despite withdrawal of United States ships from the escort groups. By the summer of 1943, United States Atlantic escorts were focused on the faster CU convoys and the UG convoys between Chesapeake Bay and the Mediterranean Sea; and only British and Canadian escorts remained on the HX, SC and ON convoys.
Convoy HX 156 was the 156th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool. Forty-three ships departed Halifax on 22 October 1941, and were met two days later by United States Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 consisting of Gleaves-class destroyer Niblack, Clemson-class destroyer Reuben James, Wickes-class destroyer Tarbell, and Benson-class destroyers Benson and Hilary P. Jones.
Convoy ON 127 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the second World War. It was the 127th of the numbered series of ON convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America and the only North Atlantic trade convoy of 1942 or 1943 where all U-boats deployed against the convoy launched torpedoes. The ships departed Liverpool on 4 September 1942 and were met at noon on 5 September by the Royal Canadian Navy Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-4 consisting of the River-class destroyer Ottawa and the Town-class destroyer St. Croix with the Flower-class corvettes Amherst, Arvida, Sherbrooke, and Celandine. St. Croix's commanding officer, acting Lieutenant Commander A. H. "Dobby" Dobson RCNR, was the senior officer of the escort group. The Canadian ships carried type 286 meter-wavelength radar but none of their sets were operational. Celandine carried Type 271 centimeter-wavelength radar. None of the ships carried HF/DF high-frequency direction finding sets.
Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) referred to the organization of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys from North American port cities to the Western Ocean Meeting Point near Newfoundland where ships of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) assumed responsibility for safely delivering the convoys to the British Isles.
Convoy TM 1 was the code name for an Allied convoy during the Second World War. Nine tankers, escorted by Royal Navy warships, attempted to reach Gibraltar from Trinidad. The convoy was attacked by a U-boat wolf pack in the central Atlantic Ocean, and most of the merchant vessels were sunk. This was one of the most successful attacks on Allied supply convoys throughout the entire war. The convoy was defended by the destroyer HMS Havelock, and three Flower-class corvettes, HMS Godetia, HMS Pimpernel and HMS Saxifrage. Seven tankers were sunk during the attacks, two surviving to reach Gibraltar. Two U-boats were damaged during the attacks.
Convoy ON 144 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the Second World War. It was the 144th of the numbered series of ON convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. The ships departed Liverpool on 7 November 1942 and were joined on 8 November by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-6 consisting of the Flower-class corvettes Vervain, Potentilla, Eglantine, Montbretia and Rose and the convoy rescue ship Perth. Group B-6 had sailed without the destroyers Fame and Viscount which had been damaged in the battle for eastbound convoy SC 104. The United States Coast Guard cutters Bibb, Duane, and Ingham accompanied the convoy from the Western Approaches with ships that detached for Iceland on 15 November.
Convoy ON 122 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the Second World War. It was the 122nd of the numbered series of ON convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. The ships departed Liverpool on 15 August 1942 and were joined on 17 August by Escort Group B6 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force.
Convoy HX 47 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 47th of the numbered series of merchant convoys run by the Allies from Halifax to Liverpool. The convoy was attacked by German U-boats and lost three of its 58 ships.