Convoy SC 118

Last updated

Convoy SC 118
Part of Battle of the Atlantic
USSSchneckDD159.jpg
USS Schenck at sea
Date4–7 February 1943
Location
Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Canada
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of Free France (1940-1944).svg  Free French [1]
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Germany
Commanders and leaders
Captain H C C Forsyth RNR
Commander Proudfoot RN
Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
64 freighters
5 destroyers
2 cutters
4 corvettes
20 submarines
Casualties and losses
8 freighters sunk (51,592 GRT)
445 killed/drowned
3 submarines sunk
101 killed/drowned
45 captured

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. [2] The ships departed New York City on 24 January 1943 [3] 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. [4]

Contents

Background

A painting of one the ships in the convoy, SS Radport SS Radport Painted in 1943.jpg
A painting of one the ships in the convoy, SS Radport

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, only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys sailing from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943 lost ships to U-boat attack. [6]

On 2 February U-456 sank three ships from convoy HX 224. A survivor of one of the sunken ships was picked up by U-632 and told his rescuers a slower convoy was following behind HX 224. [7]

Battle

4 February 1943

A careless merchant seaman of convoy SC 118 fired a pyrotechnic snowflake projector aboard the Norwegian freighter SS Vannik in the pre-dawn darkness of 4 February. [7] U-187 observed the snowflake display, reported sighting the convoy, and was promptly sunk by Beverly and Vimy after Bibb and Toward triangulated the submarine's location from the sighting report, using high-frequency radio direction-finder (HF/DF or Huff-Duff). [4] The destroyers rescued 44 of the submarine's crew. [8] The Polish freighter Zagloba was torpedoed on the unprotected side of the convoy by U-262 and U-413 torpedoed the straggling American freighter West Portal. [4]

5 February 1943

On 5 February the convoy escort was reinforced by the Treasury-class cutter Ingham and the Wickes-class destroyers USS Babbitt and USS Schenck from Iceland. [4] The reinforced escort damaged U-262 and U-267. [9]

7 February 1943

In the pre-dawn hours of 7 February, Kapitänleutnant Siegfried von Forstner's U-402 torpedoed the British freighter Afrika, Norwegian tanker Daghild, Greek freighter Kalliopi, American tanker Robert E. Hopkins, American cargo liner Henry R. Mallory, and convoy rescue ship Toward. [10]

Henry R. Mallory was capable of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) but had been straggling well astern of the convoy for several days and was not zig-zagging in that exposed position. [11] Mallory would normally have been assigned to one of the faster HX convoys, but there had been no Iceland section of the preceding convoy HX 224. [11] No commands came from the bridge after Mallory was torpedoed, no flares were sent up, no radio distress message was sent out, and no orders were given to abandon ship. [12] There were heavy casualties from Mallory's crew of 77, 34 Navy gunners, and the 136 American soldiers, 172 American sailors, and 72 American Marines she was transporting to Iceland. [13]

U-614 sank the straggling British freighter Harmala [10] while Lobelia sank U-609. [4]

B-17 Flying Fortress J of No. 220 Squadron RAF sank U-614 on 7 February. [4] U-402 sank British freighter Newton Ash that night. On 9 February Kapitänleutnant von Forstner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for ships sunk by U-402 from this convoy and from Convoy SC 107 on the previous patrol. SC 118 reached Liverpool without further loss on 12 February. [3]

Ships in convoy

Name [14] Flag [14] Dead [10] Tonnage (GRT) [14] Cargo [10] Notes [14]
Acme (1916)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 6,878Petrol & oil
Adamas (1918)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 04,144Steel & lumberSank 8 Feb after collision with Samuel Huntington
African Prince (1939)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,031Bauxite and ammunitionCarried convoy commodore Capt H C C Forsyth RD RNR
Afrika (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 238,5974,000 tons steel & 7,000 tons general cargoSunk by U-402 7 Feb
Ann Skakel (1920)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 4,949General cargoVeteran of convoy SC 107; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb
Arizpa (1920)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 05,437Stores
Athelprince (1926)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,782Diesel & napthaConvoy vice-commodore was ship's master
Baron Haig (1926)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,391Sugar
Baron Ramsey (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,650Iron oreVeteran of convoy SC 42
Bestik (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,684Steel & lumber
Blairdevon (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,282Steel & lumber
Celtic Star (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,575refrigerated & general cargo
Cetus (1920)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,614SugarVeteran of convoy HX 84; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130
City of Khios (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,574Sugar
Daghild (1927)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 09,27213,000 tons DieselVeteran of convoy ON 127; sunk by U-402, U-614 & U-608
Dallington Court (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,889WheatSurvived this convoy and convoy SC 130
Danae II (1936)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,660BauxiteVeteran of convoy HX 84
Danby (1937)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,281Linseed & grain
Daylight (1931)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 9,180General cargoEscort oiler; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130
Deido (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,894Petrol
Dettifoss (1930)Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 1,564General cargoDetached to Iceland 9 Feb
Dordrecht (1928)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4,402Palm oilReturned to Halifax
Empire Gareth (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,847Bauxite
Empire Liberty (1941)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,157General cargo
Glarona (1928)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 9,912fuel oil & Diesel
Gogra (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,190General cargo
Gold Shell (1931)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,208Petrol
Grey County (1918)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 35,194General cargo
Gulf of Mexico (1917)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,807Oil & petrol
H M Flagler (1918)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 8,208Furnace fuel oilEscort oiler
Harmala (1935)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 535,7308,500 tons iron oreStraggled and sunk by U-614 7 Feb
Helder (1920)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 3,629General cargo
Henry Mallory (1916)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 2726,063383 passengers & general cargoVeteran of convoy ON 154; sunk by U-402 7 Feb
Ioannis Frangos (1912)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 3,442Grain
Julius Thomsen (1927)Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1,151Detached to Greenland
Kalliopi (1910)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 44,9656,500 tons steel & lumberSunk by U-402 7 Feb
King Stephen (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,274Grain
Kiruna (1921)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 5,484General cargoVeteran of convoy HX 79 and convoy ON 154
Lagarfoss (1904)Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 1,211General cargoDetached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130
Makedonia (1942)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 7,044Flour
Mana (1920)Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 3,283General cargoDetached to Iceland 9 Feb
Maud (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,189Sugar
New York City (1917)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,710General cargoVeteran of convoy SC 107
Newton Ash (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 324,6256,500 tons grain, mail & military storesSunk by U-402 7 Feb
Norbryn (1922)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 5,087Tea & rubber
Permian (1931)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 8,890Survived this convoy and convoy SC 122
Petter II (1922)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7,417Gas oil
Polyktor (1914)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 4,077GrainSunk by U-266
Radmanso (1914)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 4,280Sulphur
Radport (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,355General cargo
Redgate (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,323General cargo
Robert E. Hopkins (1921)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 06,6258,500 tons furnace fuel oilEscort oiler; sunk by U-402 7 Feb
Samuel Huntington (1942)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,181General cargo Liberty ship
Sheaf Holme (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,814Potash & general cargoSurvived this convoy and convoy SC 130
Sommerstad (1926)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 5,923Lubricating oil
Stad Arnhem (1920)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 3,819Phosphates
Tilemachos (1911)Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece 3,658Grain
Toward (1923)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 581,571Rescue ship; sunk by U-402 7 Feb
Vacuum (1920)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,020Petrol
Vannik (1940)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,333General cargoDetached to Iceland 9 Feb
West Portal (1920)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 5,376StoresStraggled and sunk by U-413 4 Feb
William Penn (1921)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 8,447Petrol
Yemassee (1922)Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 2,001General cargoDetached to Iceland 9 Feb
Zagloba (1938)Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 2,864Ammunition & general cargoSunk by U-262 4 Feb

See also

Notes

  1. The Flower-class corvette Lobelia was then under Free French
  2. Hague 2000 p. 133
  3. 1 2 Hague 2000 p.135
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p. 191
  5. Tarrant p. 108
  6. Hague pp. 132, 137–38, 161–62, 164, 181
  7. 1 2 Waters December 1966 p.96
  8. Waters December 1966 p.97
  9. Waters December 1966 p. 98
  10. 1 2 3 4 Hague 2000 p.137
  11. 1 2 Waters December 1966 p.102
  12. Waters December 1966 p.103
  13. Morison 1975 p. 336
  14. 1 2 3 4 "SC convoys". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 29 May 2011.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HX convoys</span> Convoys during naval battles of the Second World War

The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom. They absorbed the BHX convoys from Bermuda en route. Later, after the United States entered the war, HX convoys began at New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Battle of the Atlantic</span> Timeline of a battle in World War II

This is a timeline for the Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945) in World War II.

SC 7 was the code name for a large Allied World War II convoy of 35 merchant ships and six escorts, which sailed eastbound from Sydney, Nova Scotia, for Liverpool and other United Kingdom ports on 5 October 1940. While crossing the Atlantic, the convoy was intercepted by one of the first Kriegsmarine submarine wolfpacks. During the ensuing battle, the escort was completely overwhelmed and 20 of the 35 cargo vessels were sunk and 2 more damaged, with 141 lives lost. The disastrous outcome of the convoy demonstrated the German submarines' potential of being able to work more efficiently using wolfpack tactics and the inadequacy of British anti-submarine tactics at the time.

During the Battle of the Atlantic, British merchant shipping was formed into convoys for protection against German submarine attack. In March 1943 convoys HX 229 and SC 122 were the focus of the largest convoy battle of the war. Kriegsmarine tactics against convoys employed multiple-submarine wolfpack tactics in nearly simultaneous surface attacks at night. Patrolling aircraft restricted the ability of submarines to converge on convoys during daylight. The North Atlantic winters offered the longest periods of darkness to conceal surfaced submarine operations. The winter of 1942–43 saw the largest number of submarines deployed to the mid-Atlantic before comprehensive anti-submarine aircraft patrols could be extended into that area.

HX 79 was an Allied North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.

The SC convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys that ran during the battle of the Atlantic during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy SC 121</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

Convoy SC 121 was the 121st 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 23 February 1943; and were met by the Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3 consisting of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Treasury-class cutter USCGC Spencer, the American Wickes-class destroyer USS Greer, the British and Canadian Flower-class corvettes HMS Dianthus, HMCS Rosthern, HMCS Trillium and HMCS Dauphin and the convoy rescue ship Melrose Abbey. Three of the escorts had defective sonar and three had unserviceable radar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy SC 107</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy SC 94</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy ON 154</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

Convoy ON 154 - also ON(S) 154 or ONS 154 - was a North Atlantic convoy of the ON series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. 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 destroyed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy SC 130</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

Convoy SC 130 was a North Atlantic convoy which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 130th of the numbered series of Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. SC 130 was one of several convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of May 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy SC 104</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

Convoy SC 104 was the 104th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. During October 1942, a U-boat wolf pack sank eight ships from the convoy. The convoy escorts sank two of the attacking submarines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Ocean Escort Force</span>

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 their 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy ON 127</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

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 Canadian 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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CU convoys</span> Convoys during naval battles of the Second World War

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 HX 90 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy HX 212</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy ON 144</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

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.

References