Convoy PQ 13

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Convoy PQ 13
Part of World War II
HMS Trinidad.jpg
HMS Trinidad
Date28/29 March 1942
Location
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
G. Ponitz L. S. Saunders
Strength
3 destroyers 1 cruiser
5 destroyers
Casualties and losses
1 destroyer sunk 1 cruiser damaged
1 cargo sunk

PQ 13 was a British Arctic convoy that delivered war supplies from the Western Allies to the USSR during World War II. The convoy was subject to attack by German air, U-boat and surface forces and suffered the loss of five ships, plus one escort vessel. Fifteen ships arrived safely.

Contents

Ships

PQ 13 comprised 19 merchant ships; seven British, four American, one Polish, four of Panamanian and one of Honduran registry. It was commanded by Commodore D. A. Casey in River Afton. The convoy was escorted for the first stage of its voyage, from Scotland to Iceland, by a Local Escort Group, of two destroyers and an ASW Trawler. For the second stage, from Iceland to the Soviet Union, the Ocean escort was two destroyers and two trawlers, augmented by three whalers being transferred to the Soviet Navy. The Ocean escort was commanded by Capt. L. S. Saunders, in the cruiser HMS Trinidad.

In support of the convoy escort, and guarding against a sortie by the German battleship Tirpitz, was a Heavy Cover Force, comprising the battleships Duke of York (Vice Admiral A. T. B. Curteis commanding), King George V, battlecruiser Renown, aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, the cruisers Kent and Edinburgh and sixteen destroyers, Ashanti, Bedouin, Echo, Escapade, Eskimo, Faulknor, Foresight, Icarus, Inglefield, Ledbury, Marne, Middleton, Onslow, Punjabi, Tartar and Wheatland. This force was intended to accompany PQ 13 at a distance until it was past Bear Island.

Action

The convoy sailed from Loch Ewe in Scotland on 10 March 1942 and arrived in Reykjavík on 16 March 1942. After the departure of three ships, bound from Loch Ewe to Reykjavík only and the first stage escort, collecting a further three ships bound from Reykjavík to Murmansk and the close escort for the voyage, PQ 13 left Reykjavík on 20 March 1942. The voyage was uneventful until 24 March, when the convoy was struck by a four-day storm, which left the convoy scattered and in disarray. The ships were dispersed over a distance of 150 nmi (280 km; 170 mi). Over the next few days the ships coalesced into two groups, of eight and four, with four others proceeding independently.

On 28 March the ships were sighted by German aircraft, and attacked. Raceland and Empire Ranger were sunk. A German force of three Narvik class destroyers, Z24, Z25 and Z26, under the command of KzS G. Ponitz, sortied from Kirkenes. The German destroyers intercepted and sank Bateau on the night of 28/29 March, before falling in with Trinidad and Fury in the early hours of 29 March. Z26 was badly damaged by Trinidad, sinking later after a combined counter-attack of Oribi, Eclipse and the Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny , [1] but in the course of the action Trinidad was hit by her own torpedo (the torpedo's gyroscope froze). The remaining German ships broke off the action and Trinidad, escorted by Fury and Eclipse, limped into Kola Inlet, arriving midday on 30 March.

The ships of PQ 13 came under U-boat attack. Two ships were found and sunk by U-boats, Induna by U-376, and Effingham by U-435. Fury attacked an asdic contact and was credited with the destruction of U-585 but post-war analysis found that U-585 was lost elsewhere.

By 30 March most ships had arrived at Murmansk; the last stragglers came in on 1 April. Six ships were lost in this convoy. The Germans sank five freighters. One whaler, (HMS Sulla), was lost, probably due to heavy icing, and the cruiser, Trinidad, was damaged. Against this one German destroyer had been sunk. Fourteen ships had arrived safely, more than two-thirds of the convoy.

The freighter Tobruk was credited with shooting down one bomber and another probable on 30 April. [2]

Ship list

The convoy to Russia consisted of 19 freighters, a Fleet Oiler, and 3 whalers,

PQ13 main body: Loch Ewe to Murmansk
ShipCaptainTonnage (GRT) FlagMerchant MarinesTotal Armed Guard or DEMS
SS Dunboyne Ernest Prahter3,515Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 3511, Ensign Brinn
SS Effingham Charles H. Hewlett6,421Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 349, Ensign Gamblin
SS El Estero Ivo Beatovic4,219Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 39none
SS Eldena Ole M. Nilsen6,900Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 3713, Ensign Fink
SS Empire Cowper J.H. Wigham7,164Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3611
SS Empire Ranger Maurice E. Sadler7,008Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 437
SS Empire Starlight William H. Stein6,850Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6612
SS Gallant Fox Eric Lundh5,473Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 39none
SS Harpalion Henry W. Williams5,486Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 448
SS Induna William N. Collins5,086Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5010
SS Mana Oermulff Berg-Johannessen3,283Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 36None
SS Mormacmar Wilfred H. Senior5,453Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 309, Ensign Smith
SS New Westminster City   William J. Harris4,747Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 446
SS Raceland Sverre Brekke4,815Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 45None
SS River Afton Harold W. Charlton5,479Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4310
SS Tobruk Bronisław Hurko [3] 7,048Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 47At least 1
Reykjavík to Murmansk group
ShipCaptainTonnage (GRT) FlagMerchant MarinesTotal Armed Guard or DEMS
SS Ballot Henry Bejer6,131Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 382
SS Bateau Johan A. Haltlid4,687Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 442
SS Scottish American P. Sun6,999Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 386
Loch Ewe to Reykjavík group
ShipCaptainTonnage (GRT) FlagMerchant MarinesTotal Armed Guard or DEMS
Groenland b1,220Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Lars Kruse b1,807Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Mano b1,418Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
PQ13: Fleet replenishment oiler
ShipCaptainTonnage (GRT) FlagMerchant MarinesTotal Armed Guard or DEMS
RFA Oligarch A.V. Barton6,897Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 397
PQ13 Whalers
ShipCaptainTonnage (GRT) FlagMerchant MarinesTotal Armed Guard or DEMS
HMS Silja 251Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 21
HMS Sumba 251Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
HMS Sulla John Edward Thundercliffe251Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy

In Russia, HMS Silja was renamed T-107 and HMS Sumba was renamed T-106.

Convoy escorts

For the first stage, from Loch Ewe to Reykjavík, PQ 13 had a local escort of two destroyers and an ASW Trawler.

From Iceland to Murmansk the close escort consisted of the cruiser Trinidad and the destroyers Fury and Eclipse, two armed trawlers and three minesweepers.

For the final leg the convoy was supported by the local escort based at Kola; two Soviet destroyers and four RN minesweepers.

Loch Ewe – Reykjavík: 10–16 March.
Leaving Loch Ewe in the afternoon of the 10th, the convoy was escorted by:

On the 11th, another escort joined the convoy:


Reykjavík – Murmansk: 18–31 March.
Leaving Reykjavík in the morning of the 18th, the convoy was escorted by:

On the 23rd, other escorts joined the convoy:

The Barents Sea – Murmansk: 27 March – 3 April;
On the 27th, the convoy was joined by two Soviet destroyers:

On 28 March the convoy was assisted by the involvement of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla operating here.
HMS Harrier, HMS Gossamer, HMS Speedwell and HMS Hussar of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla, under command of commander E.P. Hinton, sailed on 28 April for a patrol in the Arctic waters. On the 29th Harrier went for a search for survivors of the Empire Ranger. On the 29th Speedwell attempted to intercept Harpalion, but failed to find her. HMS Oribi found abandoned boats of Empire Ranger on the 29th which indicated they were picked up by other boats. (A German wireless claimed prisoners from a merchant ship, it was obvious they were from Empire Ranger) On 30 March, Gossamer found Scottish American, Effingham and Dunboyne. But Gossamer received orders to proceed to the position of the torpedoed Indua, but failed to find her. Hussar made contact with a group of 9 ships of PQ 13 and a whaler. Escorted by two Russian destroyers and a trawler. Oribi sighted the whaler Silja who had run out of fuel. Oribi was ordered to go to the aid of River Afton which was reported to have been hit by a U-boat. Harrier took Silja in tow and Speedwell escorted them. On 1 April, Niger (also of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla) sailed to search for Sulla, but returned on 3 April, having failed to find her.

Convoy losses

After an attack on 28 March 1942, 16 crewmembers of Ballot left the ship in a lifeboat, were picked up by Silja and put on board Induna.

Merchant ships lost from the convoy
DateShipTonnageFlagSunk byPositionCrewPOWDied
28 March Raceland 4,815Flag of Panama.svg  Panama Luftwaffe 72°40′N20°20′E / 72.667°N 20.333°E / 72.667; 20.333 451332
28 March Empire Ranger 7,008Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Luftwaffe 72°10′N30°00′E / 72.167°N 30.000°E / 72.167; 30.000 55550
29 March Bateau 4,687Flag of Panama.svg  Panama Z-26 72°30′N27°00′E / 72.500°N 27.000°E / 72.500; 27.000 47641
30 March Induna 5,086Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom U-376 70°55′N37°18′E / 70.917°N 37.300°E / 70.917; 37.300 66042*
30 March Effingham 6,421Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States U-435 70°28′N35°44′E / 70.467°N 35.733°E / 70.467; 35.733 42012


whaler lost from the convoy
DateShipTonnageFlagSunk byPositionCrewPOWDied
29 March HMS Sulla 251Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Icing21021

Aftermath


New Westminster City and Empire Starlight were bombed in Murmansk port on 3 April.
New Westminster City was lost, Empire Starlight was salvaged post war and renamed Murmansk.
Harpalion and Empire Cowper were lost on the return convoy, Convoy QP 10.
Tobruk was bombed and sunk in Murmansk port during disembarking on 3 April, then refloated and after prolonging repair returned with Convoy QP 14 in September. [2]

Merchant ships lost in harbour or return convoy
DateShipTonnageFlagSunk byCrewPOWDied
3 April New Westminster City 4,747Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Luftwaffe 5202
3 April Empire Starlight 6,850Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Luftwaffe 6801
11 April Empire Cowper 7,164Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Luftwaffe 68019*
13 April Harpalion 5,486Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom U-435 5200

Footnotes

  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "PQ 13". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  2. 1 2 Miciński, Huras & Twardowski (1999), pp. 319–324.
  3. Miciński, Huras & Twardowski (1999), pp. 315–316.

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References

Further reading