Convoy ON 127

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Convoy ON 127
Part of Battle of the Atlantic
HMCS Ottawa IKMD-03896.jpg
HMCS Ottawa
Date9–14 September 1942
Location
Result German victory
Belligerents
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Canada
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany
Commanders and leaders
RADM Sir E O Cochrane KBE
LCDR A.H. "Dobby" Dobson RCNR [1]
Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
35 freighters
4 destroyers
4 corvettes
13 submarines
Casualties and losses
6 freighters sunk (44,113GRT)
24 killed/drowned
1 destroyer sunk
114 killed/drowned
None

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. [2] The ships departed Liverpool on 4 September 1942 [3] and were met at noon on 5 September [1] 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. [4] St. Croix's commanding officer, acting Lieutenant Commander A. H. "Dobby" Dobson RCNR, was the senior officer of the escort group. [1] The Canadian ships carried type 286 meter-wavelength radar but none of their sets were operational. [5] Celandine carried Type 271 centimeter-wavelength radar. [5] None of the ships carried HF/DF high-frequency direction finding sets. [5]

Contents

Background

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 the area with the advantage of intelligence gained through B-Dienst decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3. [6] 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. [7]

Initial contact

Wolf pack Vorwarts was forming about 500 miles west of Ireland as the convoy left Liverpool. [8] U-91, U-92, U-96, U-211, U-218, U-380, U-404, U-407, U-411, U-584, U-594, U-608, and U-659 formed a search line across the convoy's path just beyond the range of land-based aircraft. [2] U-584 reported the convoy on 9 September, but lost contact that evening. [2]

10 September

Elisabeth van Belgie Het stoomschip Elisabeth van Belgie zinkt na middendoor te zijn gebroken, asset x2Lc7VRYgghHgniSTbnGZf51.tif
Elisabeth van België

U-96 regained contact on 10 September and torpedoed the Norwegian tanker Svene, the tanker F.J.Wolfe and the Belgian freighter Elisabeth van België in a single submerged daylight attack. [2] Sherbrooke fell back to aid the torpedoed ships while St. Croix, Ottawa, and Celandine searched unsuccessfully for U-96. [8] F.J.Wolfe was able to regain its station with the convoy. [9] Ottawa continued to patrol astern of the convoy after St. Croix and Celandine resumed their normal patrol stations. [8]

A coordinated night attack on the convoy began with U-659 torpedoing the British tanker Empire Oil on the evening of 10 September. [2] [10] St. Croix made SONAR contact immediately prior to the attack and Celandine, Ottawa, and St. Croix searched for U-659 after the attack. [8] St. Croix and Ottawa fell back to rescue 23 of the stricken tanker's crew of 41. [11] U-404 torpedoed the tanker Marit II, U-608 launched torpedoes which missed the convoy, U-218 torpedoed the tanker Fjordaas, and U-92 and U-594 launched torpedoes which missed the convoy before Ottawa, St. Croix, and Celandine rejoined the convoy. [2] [12] [13] Sherbrooke remained astern of the convoy aiding the ships torpedoed by U-96, and rescued all but one of the crew of the sinking Svene and Elisabeth van Belgie. The remaining escorts counter-attacked, and depth charge damage forced U-659 and U-218 to return to port. [14] [15] Both Marit II and Fjordaas were able to regain their stations in the convoy. [16] Empire Oil was later sunk astern of the convoy by U-584.

11 September

None of the escorts' RADAR sets were functional on 11 September. U-584 torpedoed the Norwegian Hindanger in a submerged daylight attack while St. Croix investigated a visual sighting six miles distant. Amherst fell back and rescued all but one of Hindanger's crew. A B-24 Liberator patrol bomber of No. 120 Squadron RAF prevented further daylight attacks on 11 September [15] but U-96 sank a 415-ton Portuguese sailing trawler by gunfire in the vicinity of the convoy. [2] [14] In coordinated night attacks, U-380 missed with a salvo of four torpedoes, U-211 torpedoed the British whale factory ship Hektoria and freighter Empire Moonbeam, U-92 missed Ottawa with four torpedoes and U-404 torpedoed the tanker Daghild before Amherst and Sherbrooke rejoined the convoy. [14] Daghild maintained station in the convoy and Arvida rescued all but four of the 140 crewmen from Hektoria and Empire Moonbeam before those ships were sunk astern of the convoy by U-608. [2] [9] [17]

Parting shots

Excellent visibility on 12 September allowed a close forward screen of four escorts to discourage U-boats sighted up to 7 miles away. U-407 and U-594 launched torpedoes unsuccessfully that night. U-594 sank the straggling Stone Street [12] as the convoy came within range of Canadian Canso patrol bombers from Botland, Newfoundland on 13 September. [14] The escort was reinforced at dusk by the Town-class destroyer HMCS Annapolis and the V and W-class destroyer HMS Witch from the Newfoundland-based Western Local Escort Force (WLEF). Both U-91 and U-411 launched torpedoes unsuccessfully while U-91 torpedoed the Canadian River-class destroyer HMCS Ottawa in the pre-dawn hours of 14 September. [18] Ottawa sank with 114 of its crew. [14] The remainder of the convoy reached New York City on 20 September 1942. [3]

Ships in convoy

Name [19] Nationality [19] Dead [9] Tonnage
(GRT) [19]
Cargo [9] Notes [19]
Athelduchess (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,940Destination New York City; carried convoy commodore Rear Admiral Sir E O Cochrane KBE
Bayano (1917)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,815Destination Halifax
Bohemian Club (1921)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 6,906
Boston City (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,870China clay & mailVeteran of convoy SC 94; Destination New York City; survived this convoy, convoy SC 104 & convoy SC 122
British Endurance (1936)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,406Destination New York City
British Tradition (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,443Destination New York City
Clausina (1938)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,083Destination New York City
Daghild (1927)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,272Torpedoed, but survived to be sunk 5 months later in convoy SC 118
Domby (1932)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,582Destination New York City
Egda (1939)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 10,050Veteran of convoy HX 79; Destination New York City
El Mirlo (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,092Destination New York City
Elisabeth van Belgie (1909)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 14,241In ballastSunk by U-96 10 Sept
Empire Lytton (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,807Reached New York City and was sunk 4 months later in Convoy TM 1
Empire Moonbeam (1941)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 36,849In ballastVeteran of convoy SC 94; sunk by U-211 & U-608 12 Sept
Empire Oil (1941)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 188,029In ballastSunk by U-659 & U-584 11 Sept
Empire Sailor (1926)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,140General cargoDestination Halifax; carried convoy vice commodore Capt H J Woodward DSO RN
Empire Thackeray (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,865Destination Halifax
F J Wolfe (1932)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 12,190Damaged by U-96 10 Sept; reached St. John's, Newfoundland 16 Sept
Fjordaas (1931)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7,361Returned to Clyde; damaged by U-218 11 Sept
G C Brovig (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,718Destination New York City
Hektoria (1899)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 113,797In ballastVeteran of convoy ON 67; sunk by U-211 & U-608 12 Sept
Heranger (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,877Destination New York City
Hindanger (1929)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 14,884In ballastSunk by U-584 11 Sept
Laurits Swenson (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 5,725Romped
Liberty Glo (1919)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 4,979Destination Halifax
Marit II (1922)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7,417Damaged by U-404 11 Sept; reached St. John's, Newfoundland
Modavia (1927)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,858Destination Halifax
Montevideo (1928)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,639Destination New York City; survived this convoy & convoy HX 228
Nanking (1924)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 5,9318 passengersDestination New York City
Pachesham (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,090Detached for St. John's, Newfoundland 15 Sept
Pan-Georgia (1919)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 8,197Destination New York City
Stone Street (1922)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 6,131Detached with defects 12 Sept; sunk by U-594
Sveve (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 06,313In ballastSunk by U-96 10 Sept
Vardefjell (1940)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 8,316Returned to Clyde with engine defects
Willemsplein (1910)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 5,489CoalVeteran of convoy SC 94; Destination Halifax

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Milner 1985 p. 159
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rohwer&Hummelchen 1992 p. 161
  3. 1 2 Hague 2000 p. 158
  4. Milner 1985 p. 289
  5. 1 2 3 Blair 1998 p. 30
  6. Tarrant p. 108
  7. Hague pp. 132, 137–138, 161–162, 164, 181
  8. 1 2 3 4 Milner 1985 p. 160
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hague 2000 p. 161
  10. Milner 1985 pp.162
  11. Milner 1985 p. 161
  12. 1 2 Milner 1985 p. 162
  13. Blair 1998 pp. 30–31
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Blair 1998 p. 31
  15. 1 2 Milner 1985 pp.161
  16. Milner 1985 pp. 160–161
  17. Milner 1985 pp. 161–163
  18. Milner 1985 p. 163
  19. 1 2 3 4 "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 26 May 2011.

References