Convoy ON 67 | |||||||
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Part of Battle of the Atlantic | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States Canada | Germany | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Albert C. Murdaugh | Admiral Karl Dönitz | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
39 freighters 4 destroyers 1 corvette 1 cutter | 3 submarines | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
8 freighters sunk (54,750 GRT) 163 killed/drowned |
Convoy ON 67 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the Second World War. It was the 67th of the numbered series of ON convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. The ships departed from Liverpool on 14 February 1942 [1] with convoy rescue ship Toward, and were escorted to the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point by escort group B4. [2]
On 19 February the US naval task unit TU 4.1.5 assumed escort responsibility with Gleaves-class destroyers USS Edison and Nicholson, Wickes-class destroyers USS Lea and Bernadou and the Canadian Flower-class corvette HMCS Algoma. [3] Edison's commanding officer, Commander Albert C. Murdaugh, USN, was the senior officer of the escort group. [3] The escort group had never operated together before. [4] Bernadou had been modified for long range escort work by replacing the fourth boiler and stack with an extra fuel tank. [5] Nicholson had the only functional radar, though the merchant ship Toward could provide support with its High-frequency direction finding (HF/DF) set. [3] Lea carried a British ASV aircraft radar with fixed antennae, but the coaxial cable to the antennae was repeatedly shorted by salt water spray. [6] Edison had no depth charge throwers, and was limited to a linear pattern rolled off the stern. [7] The American ships did not have enough binoculars. Bernadou had a 7x50 pair for the officer of the deck and a 6x30 pair for the junior officer of the deck but there were none for the lookouts. [8] The escort was reinforced on 26 February by the Treasury-class cutter USCGC Spencer. [9]
U-155 found and reported the convoy on 21 February. [10] Toward obtained a bearing on the contact report, and Lea searched the bearing unsuccessfully at dusk. [11] U-155 approached the port quarter of the convoy in the pre-dawn hours of 22 February and torpedoed the British tanker Adellen and Norwegian freighter Sama. [11] [12] Both ships sank quickly. [11] Algoma rescued eleven of Adellen's crew of 31 while Nicholson and Toward found 20 survivors from Sama's crew of 50. [11] [12] U-155 crash-dived to avoid Bernadou, but the destroyer never saw the U-boat. [11] U-155 made another emergency dive while shadowing the convoy at 1042 hrs, but Edison did not detect the U-boat. U-587, U-69 and U-558 found the convoy on 23 February.
U-558 approached the convoy at 2120, but repeatedly turned away to avoid Bernadou's patrols until a squall provided cover at midnight. U-558 torpedoed the Norwegian tanker Inverarder at 0045 hrs on 24 February. [12] [13] The tanker sank slowly and Toward rescued all 42 of the crew. U-558 approached again at 0230 hrs and fired a single torpedo at Edison. [13] The torpedo missed, and Edison was unaware it had been fired at. [13] U-558 torpedoed the Norwegian tanker Eidanger at 0255 hrs. [13] U-558 reloaded and at 0550 hrs torpedoed the British tankers Anadara and Finnanger, and the British freighter White Crest. [12] [14] All three ships straggled and were sunk. Later that morning, the convoy commodore sent a signal to the escort commander regarding the performance of U-558: "That chap must be one of their best ones. I do hope you have done him in." [7]
U-158 found the convoy at 0425 hrs on 24 February and torpedoed the British tanker Empire Celt. [13] Empire Celt was using the Admiralty Net Defence system, streaming a strong steel net from 50-foot (15 m) booms along either side of the ship. [15] One torpedo broke through the net and hit amidships. [16] Empire Celt later broke in half, but a tug from Newfoundland rescued 31 from the crew of 37. [16] [9]
As U-558 was torpedoing ships on the starboard side of the convoy, U-158 approached the port side and torpedoed British tanker Diloma at 0635 hrs. [17] Diloma was the only one of the torpedoed ships to successfully reach Halifax. [9] Both U-158 and U-558 dived to avoid being seen in the early daylight. [18] U-558 found and sank the Eidanger, drifting and abandoned astern of the convoy, with gunfire and a torpedo. [18] All of Eidangers crew had been rescued. [12] Lea investigated a DF bearing from Toward at 1515 and spotted U-558 20 miles astern of the convoy at 1707 hrs. Lea dropped eight depth charges at 1746 hrs, and then surprised the U-boat on the surface at 1813 and dropped 14 depth charges at 1847 hrs. U-558 was undamaged. [19]
Nicholson investigated a DF bearing from Toward and sighted U-158 at 1323. U-158 dived and evaded Nicholson. Nicholson then slowed to listen. U-158 surfaced at 1550 hrs and was surprised to find Nicholson waiting 1,600 yards (1,500 m) away. U-158 crashed-dived before Nicholson saw the U-boat. U-158 surfaced again at 1817 and was surprised to find Edison2,000 yards (1,800 m) away. U-158 again avoided detection by crash-diving. Edison finally spotted U-158 making another convoy approach at 2008 hrs and dropped 25 depth charges over the following six hours. U-158 was undamaged, but had been prevented from making further attacks on the convoy. [19] Admiral Karl Dönitz, the BdU or commander in chief of U-Boats, ordered his U-boats to discontinue the attack on 25 February. [9] The remainder of the convoy reached Halifax on 1 March 1942. [20]
A total of 39 cargo vessels (37 merchant, 2 US Navy) joined the convoy, either in Liverpool or later in the voyage. [21] [12]
Name | Flag | Dead | Tonnage (GRT) | Cargo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adellen (1930) | United Kingdom | 36 | 7,984 | In ballast | Sunk by U-155 22 Feb |
Anadara (1935) | United Kingdom | 62 | 8,009 | In ballast | Sunk by U-558 & U-587 24 Feb |
Belinda (1939) | Norway | 8,325 | Destination West Indies | ||
Consuelo (1937) | United Kingdom | 4,847 | General cargo | Destination New York City; survived this convoy and convoy HX 228 | |
Cristales (1926) | United Kingdom | 5,389 | Carried convoy vice-commodore Capt R H R MacKay OBE; in collision 24 Feb; destination Halifax | ||
Daghestan (1941) | United Kingdom | 7,248 | CAM ship; destination Halifax | ||
Dekabrist (1903) | Soviet Union | 7,363 | Destination New York City | ||
Diloma (1939) | United Kingdom | 8,146 | Damaged by U-158; made Halifax | ||
Dolabella (1939) | United Kingdom | 8,142 | Destination Curaçao | ||
Dromus (1938) | United Kingdom | 8,036 | Destination Curaçao | ||
Eidanger (1938) | Norway | 0 | 9,432 | In ballast | Sunk by U-558 24 Feb |
Empire Celt (1941) | United Kingdom | 6 | 8,032 | In ballast | Sunk by U-158 24 Feb |
Empire Druid (1941) | United Kingdom | 9,813 | Destination Port Arthur | ||
Empire (1941) | United Kingdom | 8,134 | Destination Baton Rouge | ||
Empire Spray (1941) | United Kingdom | 7,242 | CAM ship; destination Halifax | ||
Empire Steel (1941) | United Kingdom | 8,138 | Destination Port Arthur | ||
Finnanger (1928) | Norway | 39 | 9,551 | In ballast | Sunk by U-558 24 Feb |
Glittre (1928) | Norway | 6,409 | Destination Aruba; survived to be sunk one year later in convoy ON 166 | ||
Gloucester City (1919) | United Kingdom | 3,071 | General cargo | Destination Philadelphia | |
Hamlet (1934) | Norway | 6,578 | Joined from Iceland 19 Feb | ||
Hektoria (1899) | United Kingdom | 13,797 | Destination New York City; survived to be sunk 7 months later in convoy ON 127 | ||
Idefjord (1921) | Norway | 4,287 | China clay | Destination Saint John, New Brunswick | |
Inverarder (1919) | Norway | 0 | 5,578 | In ballast | Sunk by U-558 24 Feb |
Lancastrian Prince (1940) | United Kingdom | 1,914 | Destination New York City; survived this convoy and convoy HX 228 | ||
Manchester Exporter (1918) | United Kingdom | 5,277 | General cargo | Carried Convoy Commodore Rear Admiral Sir O H Dawson KBE; destination Halifax | |
Mentor (1914) | United Kingdom | 7,383 | General cargo | Destination Singapore | |
USS Mizar (1932) | United States Navy | 6,982 | US Navy stores ship, joined from Iceland 19 Feb | ||
Nueva Andalucia (1940) | Norway | 10,044 | Destination Port Arthur | ||
Orari (1931) | United Kingdom | 10,350 | China clay | Destination Trinidad | |
USS Pleiades (1939) | United States Navy | 3,600 | US Navy dry cargo ship, joined from Iceland 19 Feb; survived this convoy and Convoy SC 107 | ||
Rapana (1935) | United Kingdom | 8,017 | Destination Curaçao | ||
Sama (1936) | Norway | 20 | 1,799 | China clay | Sunk by U-155 22 Feb |
Skandinavia (1940) | Norway | 10,044 | Destination Aruba; survived this convoy and convoy ON 166 | ||
Strinda (1937) | Norway | 10,973 | Destination Key West | ||
Stuart Prince (1940) | United Kingdom | 1,911 | General cargo | Destination Halifax; survived this convoy and convoy HX 228 | |
Thorhild (1935) | Norway | 10,316 | Destination Curaçao | ||
Torr Head (1937) | United Kingdom | 5,021 | Destination Norfolk, Virginia | ||
Toward (1923) | United Kingdom | 1,571 | convoy rescue ship | ||
White Crest (1928) | United Kingdom | 4,365 | coal | Straggled 18 Feb; sunk by U-558 24 February |
A task unit of armed military ships, TU 4.1.5, escorted the convoy during its journey, joined later by a United States Coast Guard vessel. [3] [21]
Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMCS Algoma | Royal Canadian Navy | Flower-class corvette | 19 Feb 1942 | |
USS Bernadou | United States Navy | Wickes-class destroyer | 19 Feb 1942 | |
USS Edison | United States Navy | Gleaves-class destroyer | 19 Feb 1942 | |
USS Lea | United States Navy | Wickes-class destroyer | 19 Feb 1942 | |
USS Nicholson | United States Navy | Gleaves-class destroyer | 19 Feb 1942 | |
USCGC Spencer | United States Navy | Treasury-class cutter | 26 Feb 1942 | |
USS Edison (DD-439), a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Thomas Alva Edison, an inventor and businessman who developed many important devices and received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his contributions to the Navy during World War I. Edison was one of the few U.S. Navy ships to be named for a civilian.
USS Niblack (DD-424), a Gleaves-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Albert Parker Niblack. Niblack became the Director of Naval Intelligence 1 March 1919, and Naval Attache in London 6 August 1920. As vice admiral, he commanded U.S. Naval Forces in European waters from 15 January 1921 to 17 June 1922.
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.
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 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 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.
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 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.
German submarine U-558 was a Type VIIC U-boat in the service of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She sank 18 ships totalling 94,099 GRT before being sunk by bombers on 20 July 1943.
The CU convoys were a World War II series of fast trans-Atlantic convoys to the British Isles. The earliest convoys of the series were tankers sailing directly from petroleum refineries at Curaçao to the United Kingdom. Most convoys of the series assembled in New York City and included fast freighters and troopships, with tankers arriving from Aruba via TAG convoys to Guantánamo Bay and GN convoys from Guantánamo to New York.
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 HX 212 was the 212th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. The ships departed New York City on 18 October 1942 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.
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 126 was the 126th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool.