Convoy ON 122

Last updated
Convoy ON 122
Part of Battle of the Atlantic
Date22–25 August 1942
Location
Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Norway.svg Norway
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany
Commanders and leaders
CAPT S.N. White RNR
LCDR J.V. Waterhouse RN
BdU : Karl Dönitz
Strength
37 merchant ships [1]
5 escort ships
9 submarines
Casualties and losses
4 merchants sunk (17,235 GRT)
40 killed/drowned [2]

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 [2] and were joined on 17 August [3] by Escort Group B6 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force. [4]

Contents

Background

As western Atlantic coastal convoys brought an end to the second happy time, Admiral Karl Dönitz, the Befehlshaber der U-Boote (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 the area with the advantage of intelligence gained through B-Dienst decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3. [5] However, of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys sailing from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943, only 20 percent lost ships to U-boat attack.

The Norwegian-manned corvettes of Escort Group B6 fought three of these convoy battles in sequential voyages with convoys SC 104, ON 144, and HX 217. [6]

Discovery

U-135 discovered and reported the convoy on 22 August while patrolling a formerly assigned station after having missed the signal to change position. The initial report caused some confusion because of the unexpected position and a coding error, but after U-135 sent two clarifying messages while shadowing the convoy, the wolf pack Lohs was ordered to converge on the convoy. [7]

Stalking

While the Norwegian corvettes investigated HF/DF bearings provided by Viscount and Stockport on 23 August, Viscount conserved fuel by declining to engage in long daylight stern chases with U-boats. Viscount and Potentilla attacked HF/DF contacts more aggressively through the hours of darkness, but were satisfied by simply forcing the U-boats to submerge rather than conducting sustained depth charge attacks. [4]

Attack

Visibility was reduced to 7,000 yards with patchy squalls under overcast skies on 24 August. As dusk approached, the escort had located only four of the nine U-boats in contact with the convoy. The convoy's course was altered to 267°  at 2300Z. U-605 torpedoed Katvaldis and Sheaf Mount on the starboard side of the convoy an hour after the course alteration. Viscount obtained a RADAR contact and forced the submarine to submerge. As Viscount was dropping depth charges, U-176 and U-438 entered the front of the convoy to torpedo Trolla and Empire Breeze. [4]

Disengagement

The convoy escorts effectively intercepted attacks through the pre-dawn hours of 25 August. The calm sea conditions were favourable for the Type 271 centimeter-wavelength RADAR with which all the escorts were equipped, and prompt counter-attacks prevented the U-boats from reaching torpedo launch positions. A depth charge attack by Eglantine holed the conning tower of U-605. [1] U-135, U-174 and U-438 were also damaged by depth charges. [7] The shadowing U-boats lost contact after the convoy entered heavy fog after daybreak on 25 August, and discontinued pursuit on 26 August. [4] U-256 was under repair for more than a year after being bombed in the Bay of Biscay on 31 August following depth charge damage from Viscount and Potentilla. U-438 aided U-256 reaching port, and U-174 refueled three Lohs U-boats before returning to France to repair damage. [1] U-705 suffered several casualties when hit by gunfire from the convoy escorts; and was sunk in the Bay of Biscay by Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys of No. 77 Squadron RAF on 3 September. [7]

The ships in the convoy dispersed off Cape Cod on 3 September to proceed independently to North American ports. [2]

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 37 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Liverpool or later in the voyage. [3] [2]

NameFlagDeadTonnage (GRT) CargoNotes
Amberton (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,377Destination Halifax
Athelprince (1926)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,782Carried convoy commodore CAPT S.N. White RNR
Atland (1910)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 5,203CoalDestination Saint John
Baron Herries (1940)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,574Destination New York City
City of Lancaster (1924)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,041General cargoDestination New York City
Empire Breeze (1941)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 17,457In ballastSunk by U-176 or U-438 [8]
Empire Chamois (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,684Destination New York City
Empire Flamingo (1917)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,994Returned to the Clyde
Empire Wagtail (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,893Destination New York City
Fintra (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,089Destination Saint John
Gloxinia (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,336Destination New York City
Inger Elizabeth (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,166CoalDestination Halifax
Inger Toft (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,190Destination Sydney
Ingerfire (1905)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,835CoalDestination Sydney
Ingman (1907)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,169Destination Sydney
Isobel (1929)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 1,515Destination Halifax
Jan (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,946Destination Herring Cove, Nova Scotia
Katvaldis (1907)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 33,163In ballastSunk by U-605 [9]
Kolsnaren (1923)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2,465Destination New York City
Lifland (1920)Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 2,254Destination Montreal
Mariposa (1914)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,807Destination New York City
Merchant Royal (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,008Destination Boston
Modlin (1906)Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 3,569Destination Halifax
Parismina (1908)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 4,732Destination Boston
Ramava (1900)Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 2,141Destination Sydney
Rio Branco (1924)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,210Destination Sydney
Rolf Jarl (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,917CoalDestination Halifax
Sheaf Mount (1924)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 315,017In ballastSunk by U-605 [10]
Silverelm (1924)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,351General cargoDestination New York City
Sirehei (1907)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,888Destination Sydney
Souliotis (1917)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 4,299Destination Halifax
Stad Arnhem (1920)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 3,819Destination New York City
Start Point (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,293Destination Botwood
Stockport (1911)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,583 convoy rescue ship
Tenax (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,846Destination Sydney
Trolla (1923)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 51,598In ballastSunk by U-438 [11]
Van de Velde (1919)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 6,389General cargoDestination New York City

Convoy escorts

The armed military ships of Escort Group B6, from the Mid-Ocean Escort Force, escorted the convoy during much of its journey. [3] [4]

NameFlagTypeJoinedLeft
HNoMS Andenes (K01)Flag of Norway, state.svg  Royal Norwegian Navy Flower-class corvette 17 Aug 19423 Sep 1942
HNoMS Eglantine (K197)Flag of Norway, state.svg  Royal Norwegian Navy Flower-class corvette 17 Aug 19423 Sep 1942
HNoMS Montbretia (K208)Flag of Norway, state.svg  Royal Norwegian Navy Flower-class corvette 17 Aug 19423 Sep 1942
HNoMS Potentilla (K214)Flag of Norway, state.svg  Royal Norwegian Navy Flower-class corvette 17 Aug 19423 Sep 1942
HMS Viscount (D92) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Modified long-range V-class destroyer 17 Aug 19423 Sep 1942

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Rohwer & Hummelchen p.157
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hague pp.158&161
  3. 1 2 3 "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Milner pp.148-150
  5. Tarrant p.108
  6. Hague pp.132, 137-138, 161-162, 164, 181
  7. 1 2 3 Blair pp.662&663
  8. "Empire Breeze – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  9. "Katvaldis – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  10. "Sheaf Mount – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  11. "Trolla – Norwegian Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.

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References