Convoy ON 153

Last updated

Convoy ON.153
Part of World War II
Date11 December 1942 – 31 December 1942
Location
Belligerents
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Rear-Admiral Sir E Manners KBE
Strength
13 U-boats 45 merchant ships
6 escorts
Casualties and losses
3 ships sunk
1 Damaged

Convoy ON-153 was the 153rd of the numbered series of ON convoys of merchant ships Outbound from the British Isles to North America. The World War II convoy departed Liverpool on 11 December 1942 and was met on 12 December by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-7. Two merchant ships and the escort group leader were sunk in a North Atlantic battle with U-boat Wolf pack Raufbold before reaching the Western Ocean Meeting Point (WOMP) where the Western Local Escort Force assumed responsibility for the convoy on 23 December. Surviving ships reached New York City on 31 December. [1]

Contents

Escorts

The convoy was protected by Escort Group B-7 comprising

  • Royal Navy - HMS Alisma, HMS Pink, HMS Snowflake, HMS Sunflower
  • British Lady

and by a Western Local Escort Force of

  • Royal Canadian Navy - HMCS Buctouche, HMCS Edmundston, HMCS Timmins
  • Royal Canadian Navy - HMCS Minas

U-boats

The convoy was attacked by 13 U-boats from Wolfpack Raufbold, namely

Ships in the convoy

Name [1] FlagTonnage (GRT) Notes
HMS Alisma Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Escort 12 Dec - 23 Dec. Corvette
Amstelkerk (1929)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4,457Bound for Freetown
HMCS Annapolis Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 Dec - 27 Dec. Destroyer
Antilochus (1906)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,082Bound for South Africa
Argolikos (1921)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 4,786Bound for St John's, Newfoundland
Asbjorn (1935)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,387Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Bello (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 6,125Sunk by U-610 [2] On 16 Dec. 33 of 40 crew died. Survivors picked up by HMS Pink (K137)
Bornholm (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,177Returned
British Lady (1923)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,098 Replenishment oiler
HMCS Buctouche Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 23 Dec - 31 Dec. Corvette
Canada (1921)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 5,52712 passengers
HMS Chesterfield Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Escort 12 Dec - 19 Dec. Destroyer
City of Hongkong (1924)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,609150 passengers. Bound for Karachi
City of Lille (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,588Bound for Basra
Comedian (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,122Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
HMCS Edmundston Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 23 Dec - 29 Dec. Corvette
Emile Francqui (1929)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 5,85911 Passengers. Sunk by U-664 [3] on 16 Dec. 46 dead.
Empire Grenadier (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,811Bound for New York City
Empire Highway (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,166Bound for Beira
HMS Firedrake Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Escort 12 Dec - 17 Dec. Destroyer. Sunk by U-211 [4] on 17 Dec. Broke in two in heavy weather. 170 of 196 crew died. Survivors picked up by HMS Sunflower
Geo W McKnight (1933)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,502Bound for New York City
Gulf of Mexico (1917)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,807Bound for New York City
Hilary (1931)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,403365 Passengers, Bound for Freetown
Idefjord (1921)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,287Bound for Halifax
Jan Van Goyen (1919)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 5,704Fell Out Disabled
Kaldfonn (1936)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,931
Mafuta (1920)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 6,322Bound for Freetown
Magdala (1931)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 8,248Bound for New York City
Mahana (1917)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 10,951Bound for New York City
Marquesa (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,979Bound for Montevideo
HMCS Minas Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 Dec - 31 Dec. Minesweeper
Norbris (1930)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 7,619Bound for New York City
North Gaspe (1938)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 888
Nueva Granada (1937)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,968Bound for New York City
Otina (1938)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,217Straggled
Pandorian (1941)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,159Bound for New York City. Rear-Admiral Sir E Manners KBE (Commodore)
HMS Pink Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Escort 12 Dec - 20 Dec. Corvette
Regent Lion (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,551Tanker. Torpedoed and damaged by U-610 [5] on 16 Feb. Hulk towed to Falmouth, Cornwall, arriving 5 Jan 43
Robert F Hand (1933)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,197Bound for New York City
Saint Bertrand (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,522Bound for Saint John, New Brunswick
Salamis (1939)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 8,286Bound for New York City
San Andres (1921)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,975Returned
Sandanger (1938)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,432Bound for New York City
Santos (1928)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,639Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
HMS Snowflake Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Escort 12 Dec - 23 Dec. Corvette
Solstad (1927)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 5,952Bound for New York City
Sovac (1938)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,724Bound for New York City
HMS Sunflower Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Escort 12 Dec - 23 Dec. Corvette
Tetela (1926)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,38910 Passengers, Bound for New York City. Vice-commodore is Ship's Master
HMCS Timmins Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 23 Dec - 31 Dec. Corvette
Torr Head (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,021Bound for Saint John, New Brunswick
Tortuguero (1921)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,28510 Passengers. Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Tucurinca (1926)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,41210 Passengers. Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Vaalaren (1936)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3,406Bound for New York City
Vestfold (1931)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 4,547Bound for New York City
Villanger (1929)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,884Bound for New York City
Walter Jennings (1921)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 9,564Bound for New York City

Related Research Articles

Flower-class corvette World War II British corvette class

The Flower-class corvette was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II by the Allied navies particularly as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers.

HMCS <i>Snowberry</i> Flower-class corvette

HMCS Snowberry was a Flower-class corvette that was originally built for the Royal Navy, but spent most of the war in service with the Royal Canadian Navy. She fought primarily as a convoy escort during the Second World War. She served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic.

HMCS <i>Alberni</i> Flower-class corvette

HMCS Alberni was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Second World War. The Flower-class corvettes were warships designed for anti-submarine warfare. The ship was constructed by Yarrows Ltd. in Esquimalt, British Columbia, laid down on 19 April 1940, launched on 22 August and commissioned on 4 February 1941. The corvette sailed east to join the RCN's fleet in the Atlantic via the Panama Canal, where upon arrival, the vessel began escorting trans-atlantic convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic. Alberni took part in the key convoy battle of Convoy SC 42. In 1942, the corvette was transferred to Allied convoy assignments associated with Operation Torch in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1944, Alberni was among the Canadian naval vessels assigned to Operation Neptune, the naval component of the invasion of Normandy and escorted support ships to and from the United Kingdom on D-day.

Vorwärts was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated from 25 August to 26 September 1942, in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. They attacked several convoys, principally Convoy ON 127, sailing from Liverpool to New York, and sank fifteen ships for a total of 79,331 gross register tons (GRT), and damaged nine (81,141 GRT).

OB 293 was a North Atlantic convoy which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was notable for seeing the loss to the Kriegsmarine (KM) of U-47, with her commander KL Günther Prien, the person responsible for the sinking of HMS Royal Oak two years previously.

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 SL 125 was the 125th of the numbered series of World War II SL convoys of merchant ships from Sierra Leone to Liverpool. Ships carrying commodities bound to the British Isles from South America, Africa, and the Indian Ocean travelled independently to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to be convoyed for the last leg of their voyage. Thirty-seven merchant ships departed Freetown on 16 October 1942 and were joined at sea by five more.

HMS <i>Begonia</i> (K66) Flower-class corvette

HMS Begonia was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy during World War II. In 1942 she was lent to the United States Navy and commissioned as USS Impulse. Returned to the Royal Navy in 1945, Begonia was stricken and sold into merchant service. She was wrecked off the coast of Spain in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Local Escort Force</span> World War II-era escort group in the Royal Canadian Navy

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.

Escort Group B7 was a British formation of the Royal Navy which saw action during the Second World War; principally in the Battle of the Atlantic.

HMCS <i>Rosthern</i> Flower-class corvette

HMCS Rosthern was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She served primarily in the Battle of the Atlantic as a convoy escort. She is named for Rosthern, Saskatchewan.

HMCS <i>Timmins</i> Flower-class corvette

HMCS Timmins was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Canadian Navy that served during the battle of the Atlantic from 1942 to 1945. She was ordered from Yarrows Ltd. in Esquimalt, British Columbia and laid down on 14 December 1940. She was launched on 26 June 1941 and commissioned on 10 February 1942. She was named after the community of Timmins, Ontario.

Convoy HX 126 was the 126th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool.

Convoy HX 65 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 65th of the numbered series of merchant convoys run by the Allies from Halifax to Liverpool. The convoy was attacked by German U-boats and aircraft, losing eight of its 51 ships sunk and a further three damaged. One U-boat was damaged.

Convoy OG 71 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the second World War. It was the 71st of the numbered OG convoys Outbound from the British Isles to Gibraltar. The convoy departed Liverpool on 13 August 1941 and was found on 17 August by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor of Kampfgeschwader 40. Starting on August 19, it became the first convoy of the war to be attacked by a German submarine wolfpack, when reached by eight U-boats from 1st U-boat Flotilla, operating out of Brest. Ten ships comprising a total tonnage of 15,185 tons were sunk before the U-boats lost contact on 23 August.

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.

HMS <i>Alisma</i> (K185) Flower-class corvette

HMS Alisma was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy.

HMS <i>Dianella</i> Royal Navy World War II Flower-class corvette

HMS Dianella was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.

HMS Itchen (K227) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Itchen was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate. She served in the North Atlantic during World War II.

HMS <i>Lagan</i> River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Lagan (K259) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Lagan was built to the RN's specifications as a Group II River-class frigate. She served in the North Atlantic during World War II.

References

  1. 1 2 "Convoy ON.153". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  2. "Bello – Norwegian motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  3. "Emile Francqui – Belgian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  4. "HMS Firedrake (H79) – British Destroyer". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  5. "Regent Lion – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 13 November 2013.

Bibliography