Convoy QP 15

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Convoy QP.15
Part of Second World War
Barents Sea map.png
The Norwegian and the Barents seas, site of the Arctic convoys
Date17–30 November 1942
Location
Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Karl Dönitz Convoy commodore: W. C. Meek
Strength
gruppe Boreas (10 U-boat) 31 merchant ships
30 escorts (in relays)
Casualties and losses
2 ships sunk
1 escort foundered in storm

Convoy QP 15 was one of the Arctic convoys of World War II the last of the QP series from northern Russia to Britain which ran during the Second World War to return Allied ships to home ports. The convoy sailed from the Kola Inlet on 17 November 1942. It was scattered by a storm in which the Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny was hit from behind by a big wave and foundered after two days' rescue attempts. The convoy was attacked by U-boats of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) that sank two of the merchant ships. The convoy reached its destination at Loch Ewe on 30 November 1942.

Contents

Prelude

Convoy and escorts

The convoy initially consisted of 31 merchant ships, most of which had arrived with Convoy PQ 18 and were returning empty. The convoy commodore was Captain W C. Meek RNR in Temple Arch, the vice-convoy commodore was in DanY-Bryn, Copeland was a rescue ship and Empire Morn was a CAM ship. [1] The close escort comprised four Halcyon-class minesweepers HMS Britomart, Halcyon, Hazard and Sharpshooter. From 18 to 20 November the Leningrad-class destroyer leader Baku and the Gnevny-class destroyer Sokrushitelny accompanied the convoy. The ocean escort from 17 to 30 November comprised the Flower-class corvettes HMS Bergamot, Bluebell, Bryony and Camellia and the Halcyon-class minesweeper HMS Salamander. [2]

From 20 to 26 November the destroyers HMS Faulknor, Intrepid, Icarus and Impulsive escorted the convoy, HMS Echo from 20 to 22 November, with HMS Musketeer and Orwell from 23 to 30 November. The Hunt-class destroyers HMS Ledbury and Middleton participated in the escort from 22 to 30 November and HMS Oakley from 23 to 30 November. The escort was supplemented by the AA cruiser MV Ulster Queen from 17 to 24 November, when it left to refuel. Distant cover was provided by HMS London and Suffolk screened by the destroyers HMS Forester, Obdurate and Onslaught to the west of Bear Island. Submarine patrols were mounted off Altenfjord by HMS Trespasser, HMS Seadog, Junon and HNoMS Uredd to oppose a sortie by German surface vessels. [2]

Kriegsmarine

Convoy QP 15 was opposed by a patrol line of the Wolfpack gruppe Boreas (god of the north wind) comprising ten U-boats in the Norwegian Sea, and by the Luftwaffe , though much of the latter was grounded by the foul weather. [1]

Voyage

The convoy set out from Archangel on 17 November 1942, accompanied by the local escort of four minesweepers, and were joined the following day by two Soviet destroyers. Two ships grounded after leaving harbour, and had to be left behind. They were refloated and returned to port. On 20 November the convoy was joined by its ocean escort of five destroyers. Also on 20 November a gale sprang up and scattered the convoy and damaged several ships, including the two Soviet destroyers. The Soviet destroyer Baku was badly damaged but managed to limp back to port. A large wave hit Sokrushitelny and broke her back, severing her stern. Three Soviet destroyers were sent to assist and manage to rescue 187 crewmen from the Sokrushitelny, which sank on 22 November. [3] On 23 November, the U-boat U-625 attacked and sank the British freighter Goolistan. Later in the day, U-601 fired a spread of torpedoes at the Soviet freighter Kuznetz Lesov, one of which struck and sank her; both ships were lost with all hands. The convoy arrived at Loch Ewe on 30 November 1942. [2]

Allied order of battle

Merchant ships

Local escort

Local escort [1]
ShipFlagClassDatesNotes
Baku Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Leningrad-class destroyer leader 18–20 November
Sokrushitelny Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Gnevny-class destroyer 18–20 NovemberFoundered, 22 November
HMS Britomart Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Halcyon-class minesweeper 17–20 November
HMS Halcyon Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Halcyon-class minesweeper 17–20 November
HMS Hazard Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Halcyon-class minesweeper 17–20 November
HMS Sharpshooter Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Halcyon-class minesweeper 17–20 November

Ocean escort

Ocean escort [1]
ShipFlagClassDatesNotes
MV Ulster Queen Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy AA cruiser 17–24 NovemberLeft to refuel
HMS Bergamot Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 17–30 November
HMS Bluebell Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 17–30 November
HMS Bryony Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 17–30 November
HMS Camellia Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 17–30 November
HMS Salamander Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Halcyon-class minesweeper 17–30 November
HMS Echo Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy E-class destroyer 20–22 November
HMS Faulknor Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy F-class destroyer 20–26 November
HMS Intrepid Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy I-class destroyer 20–26 November
HMS Icarus Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy I-class destroyer 20–26 November
HMS Impulsive Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy I-class destroyer 20–26 November
HMS Ledbury Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Hunt-class destroyer 22–30 November
HMS Middleton Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Hunt-class destroyer 22–30 November
HMS Musketeer Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy M-class destroyer 23–30 November
HMS Orwell Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy O-class destroyer 23–30 November
HMS Oakley Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Hunt-class destroyer 23–30 November.

Distant escort

Cruiser cover [1]
ShipFlagClassNotes
HMS London Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy County-class cruiser
HMS Suffolk Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy County-class cruiser
HMS Forester Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy F-class destroyer destroyer screen
HMS Obdurate Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy O-class destroyer destroyer screen
HMS Onslaught Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy O-class destroyer destroyer screen

Submarine patrols

Submarine patrols [1]
ShipFlagClassNotes
Junon Naval Ensign of Free France.svg  Free French Naval Forces Minerve-class submarine
HMS Seadog Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy British S-class submarine
HMS Trespasser Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy Triton-class submarine
HNoMS Uredd Flag of Norway, state.svg  Royal Norwegian Navy U-class submarine

Rescue flotilla

Sokrushitelny rescue flotilla [6]
ShipFlagClassDatesNotes
Kuibyshev Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Novik-class destroyer 20–22 NovemberHelped to rescue 187 men from Sokrushitelny
Razumny Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Gnevny-class destroyer 20–22 NovemberHelped to rescue 187 men from Sokrushitelny
Uritski Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1950-1991).svg  Soviet Navy Orfey-class destroyer 20–22 NovemberHelped to rescue 187 men from Sokrushitelny

German order of battle

U-boats

Wolfpack Boreas (god of the north wind) (19 November – 7 December 1942) [7]
NameFlagCommanderClassNotes
U-209 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Heinrich Brodda Type VIIC submarine
U-212 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Helmut Vogler Type VIIC submarine
U-376 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Friedrich-Karl Marks Type VIIC submarine
U-378 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche Type VIIC submarine
U-405 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Rolf-Heinrich Hopmann Type VIIC submarine
U-586 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Dietrich von der Esch Type VIIC submarine
U-592 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Carl Borm Type VIIC submarine
U-601 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Peter-Ottmar Grau Type VIIC submarine Sank Kuznetz Lesov, 23 November [5]
U-625 War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Kriegsmarine Hans Benker Type VIIC submarine Sank Goolistan, 23 November [5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ruegg & Hague 1993, p. 47.
  2. 1 2 3 Ruegg & Hague 1993, pp. 46–47.
  3. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, pp. 213–214.
  4. Ruegg & Hague 1993, p. 46.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hague 2000, p. 191.
  6. Woodman 2004, p. 308.
  7. Helgason 2024.

Bibliography

Further reading