Convoy ON 144

Last updated
Convoy ON 144
Part of Battle of the Atlantic
HMS Vervain 4 inch Mk IX gun 1942 IWM A 10666.jpg
Bow of the corvette HMS Vervain
Date15–18 November 1942
Location
Result German victory
Belligerents
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Norway.svg Norway
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany
Commanders and leaders
CAPT J K Brook RNR
LCDR Monssen RNorN [1]
Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
33 freighters [1]
5 corvettes
10 submarines
Casualties and losses
5 freighters sunk (25,396 GRT)
86 killed/drowned
1 corvette sunk
47 killed/drowned
1 submarine sunk
50 killed/drowned

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 [2] by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-6 consisting of the Flower-class corvettes Vervain, Potentilla, Eglantine, Montbretia and Rose [1] and the convoy rescue ship Perth. [3] 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. [4]

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 for convoys 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 B-6 fought three of these convoy battles in sequential voyages with convoys SC 104, ON 144, and HX 217. [6]

15 November

After rendezvousing with convoys to and from Iceland, Convoy ON 144 was discovered and shadowed by U-521. [7]

16 November

When initial attempts to summon additional U-boats to the convoy were unsuccessful, U-521 was granted permission to attack, and missed with a salvo of six torpedoes. [7] Rose unsuccessfully counterattacked with depth charges. [1]

17 November

U-184, U-262 and U-264 found the convoy and launched a simultaneous attack after sunset. U-262 missed with three torpedoes. [7] U-264 sank the 6,696-ton Greek freighter Mount Taurus, and U-184 sank the 3,192-ton British freighter Widestone. [2]

18 November

U-624, U-522, U-521, U-224, U-383, U-454 and U-753 launched torpedoes in the pre-dawn hours. [7] U-624 sank the 5,344-ton British tanker President Sergent and the 4,732-ton American freighter Parismina and damaged the 5,432-ton American freighter Yaka which was later sunk by U-522. [2] The Type 271 centimeter-wavelength radar-equipped corvettes counterattacked, and U-184 was sunk by one of those attacks. Montbretia was torpedoed by U-262 and sank while still moving forward. [7]

19 November

The U-boats had broken off the engagement by the time the four surviving corvettes were reinforced by the destroyers HMS Firedrake and USS Badger, and the Western Local Escort Force assumed responsibility for the convoy on 20 November. [7]

Ships in convoy

Name [4] Flag [4] Dead [2] Tonnage (GRT) [4] Cargo [2] Notes [4]
Agia Marina (1912)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 4,151Destination Halifax
Baxtergate (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,531Destination New York City
Bestik (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,684Destination New York City
Borgfred (1925)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,183CoalDestination Halifax
Cetus (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,614Destination New York City
Dimitros Inglessis (1918)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 5,275Destination St John, New Brunswick
Empire Stour (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,696Ferro manganeseDestination Sydney, Nova Scotia
Fjallfoss (1919)Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 1,451Joined from Iceland on 15 November
Godafoss (1921)Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 1,542Joined from Iceland on 15 November
Governor John Lind (1918)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 3,431Joined from Iceland on 15 November; Destination Halifax
Guido (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,921General cargoDestination New York City
Ingertre (1921)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,462Destination Halifax
Leonidas N. Condylis (1912)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 3,923Destination Halifax
Maycrest (1913)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,923Destination New York City; ship's master was convoy vice-commodore
Minister Wedel (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 6,833Destination New York City
Monkleigh (1927)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,203Destination New York City
Moscha D. Kydoniefs (1915)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 3,874Destination Halifax
Mount Taurus (1920)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 26,696In BallastSunk by U-624
Nordeflinge (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,873Destination New York City
Norlom (1919)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 6,412Destination Halifax
Orwell (1905)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7,920Destination New York City
Parismina (1908)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 224,732In BallastJoined from Iceland on 15 November; sunk by U-624 on 18 November
Perth (1915)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,259Convoy rescue ship
President Sergent (1923)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 205,344In BallastCarried convoy commodore Capt J K Brook RNR. Sunk by U-624 on 18 November
Reigh Count (1907)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 4,657Destination New York City
Robert E. Hopkins (1921)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 6,625Destination New York City
Selfoss (1914)Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 775Joined from Iceland on 15 November
Suderøy (1913)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7,562Destination New York City
Tahchee (1914)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,508Destination New York City
Titanian (1924)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,880CoalDestination Saint John, New Brunswick
Van de Velde (1919)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 6,389CoalDestination Boston
Widestone (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 423,1923,400 tons coalSunk by U-184
Yaka (1920)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 05,432In BallastJoined from Iceland on 15 November; sunk by U-522
Yemassee (1922)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 2,001Joined from Iceland on 15 November; Destination New York City

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rohwer & Hummelchen pp.177&178
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hague pp.158&161
  3. Milner pp.180-181
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  5. Tarrant p.108
  6. Hague pp.132, 137-138, 161-162, 164, 181
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blair pp.118-120

References