Convoy SC 121 | |||||||
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Part of Battle of the Atlantic | |||||||
![]() A depth charge being loaded onto a depth-charge thrower aboard the corvette HMS Dianthus | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Capt. H.C. Birnie RNR† Capt. P.R. Heineman USN | Admiral Karl Dönitz | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
69 freighters 2 destroyers 3 cutters 4 corvettes | 27 submarines [1] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
12 freighters sunk (55,673 GRT) 270 killed/drowned | none |
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. [2] The ships departed New York City 23 February 1943; [3] 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. [4] [5] Three of the escorts had defective sonar and three had unserviceable radar. [6]
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 find convoys with the advantage of intelligence gained through B-Dienst decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3. [7] Only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys, from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943, lost ships to U-boat attack. [8]
On 6 March U-405 sighted the convoy, [5] which had been scattered by nine consecutive days of northwesterly Force 10 gales and snow squalls. [9] The storm damaged the radio communication system aboard the escort commander's ship Spencer and Dauphin had to leave the convoy with damaged steering gear. [6] U-230 torpedoed the British freighter Egyptian on the night of 6–7 March. [10] The British freighter Empire Impala stopped to rescue survivors and was torpedoed after dawn by U-591. [10]
U-190 torpedoed the British freighter Empire Lakeland when the gale subsided on 8 March and four more stragglers were sunk by U-526, U-527, U-591, and U-642. [5] On 9 March the convoy escort was reinforced by No. 120 Squadron RAF B-24 Liberators from Northern Ireland and by the Wickes-class destroyer USS Babbitt and the Treasury-class cutters USCGC Bibb and USCGC Ingham from Iceland. [5]
U-530 torpedoed straggling Swedish freighter Milos on the evening of 9 March. That night U-405 torpedoed the Norwegian freighter Bonneville while U-229 torpedoed the British freighter Nailsea Court and U-409 torpedoed the British escort oiler Rosewood and American ammunition ship Malantic. [11]
The Flower-class corvettes HMS Campion and Mallow reinforced the convoy escort on 10 March, [5] and the convoy reached Liverpool on 14 March. [10] Only 76 of the 275 crewmen of the sunken ships were rescued. [6]
Name [12] | Flag [12] | Dead [10] | Tonnage (GRT) [12] | Cargo [10] | Notes [12] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alcoa Leader (1919) | ![]() | 5,041 | Petrol | ||
Astrid (1942) | ![]() | 2,861 | Sugar | ||
Badjestan (1928) | ![]() | 5,573 | Wheat | ||
Baldbutte (1919) | ![]() | 6,295 | |||
Bengkalis (1918) | ![]() | 6,453 | General cargo | Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5 | |
Bonneville (1929) | ![]() | 36 | 4,665 | 7,196 tons explosives & general cargo | Carried convoy commodore Capt H.C. Birnie DSO RD RNR; sunk by U-405 10 Mar |
Brant County (1915) | ![]() | 5,001 | General cargo | Returned to Halifax | |
British Freedom (1928) | ![]() | 6,985 | Furnace fuel oil | ||
British Progress (1927) | ![]() | 4,581 | Petrol | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | |
Camerata (1931) | ![]() | 4,875 | Iron ore | ||
Clunepark (1928) | ![]() | 3,491 | Phosphates | ||
Coulmore (1936) | ![]() | 3,670 | General cargo | Torpedoed, but towed and salvaged | |
Dilworth (1919) | ![]() | 7,045 | Gas oil | ||
Egton (1938) | ![]() | 4,363 | Iron ore | ||
Egyptian (1920) | ![]() | 44 | 2,868 | Oilseed, palm oil & tin ore | Sunk by U-230 7 Mar |
El Grillo (1922) | ![]() | 7,264 | Fuel oil | ||
Empire Advocate (1913) | ![]() | 5,787 | General cargo | Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5 | |
Empire Bunting (1919) | ![]() | 6,448 | General cargo | Arrived in tow after steering failure on 11 March | |
Empire Caxton (1942) | ![]() | 2,873 | Bauxite | ||
Empire Forest (1942) | ![]() | 7,025 | General cargo | ||
Empire Grebe (1918) | ![]() | 5,736 | General cargo | ||
Empire Impala (1920) | ![]() | 48 | 6,116 | 7,628 tons general cargo | Sunk by U-591 while picking up survivors 7 Mar |
Empire Keats (1942) | ![]() | 7,035 | West African produce | Carried convoy vice commodore Capt A Cocks DSC RD RNR | |
Empire Lakeland (1942) | ![]() | 7,015 | Refrigerated and general cargo | Straggled and sunk by U-190 | |
Empire Opossum (1918) | ![]() | 5,644 | Grain | ||
Empire Planet (1923) | ![]() | 4,290 | General cargo | Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5 | |
Eskdalegate (1930) | ![]() | 4,250 | Iron ore | ||
Fort Lamy (1919) | ![]() | 5,242 | Steel & general cargo | Veteran of convoy ON 154; straggled and sunk by U-527 8 Mar | |
Fort Remy (1943) | ![]() | 7,127 | General cargo | ||
Garnes (1930) | ![]() | 1,559 | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | ||
Gascony (1925) | ![]() | 4,716 | General cargo | ||
Gatineau Park (1942) | ![]() | 7,128 | General cargo | Fitted with Admiralty Net Defence | |
Guido (1920) | ![]() | 3,921 | Sugar & cotton | Romped and sunk by U-633 8 Mar | |
Hallfried (1918) | ![]() | 2,968 | Flour | ||
Harpefjell (1939) | ![]() | 1,333 | General cargo | ||
Harperly (1930) | ![]() | 4,586 | Bauxite | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ONS 5 | |
Hollywood (1920) | ![]() | 5,498 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy PQ 18 | |
Katendrecht (1925) | ![]() | 5,099 | Gas oil | ||
Kingswood (1929) | ![]() | 5,080 | General cargo | ||
L V Stanford (1921) | ![]() | 7,138 | Furnace fuel oil | Veteran of convoy SC 107 | |
USS Laramie (1919) | ![]() | 5,450 | Detached for Greenland | ||
Leadgate (1925) | ![]() | 2,125 | Flour | Straggled and sunk by U-642 8 Mar | |
Lobos (1921) | ![]() | 6,479 | Tin & general cargo | ||
Lombardy (1921) | ![]() | 3,379 | General cargo | ||
Lorient (1921) | ![]() | 4,737 | Steel & lumber | Veteran of convoy SC 42; survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ONS 5 | |
Malantic (1929) | ![]() | 25 | 3,837 | 8,000 tons ammunition | Veteran of convoy SC 107; sunk by U-409 9 Mar |
Manchester Progress (1938) | ![]() | 5,620 | General cargo | ||
Melrose Abbey (1929) | ![]() | 1,924 | convoy rescue ship | ||
Miguel de Larrinaga (1924) | ![]() | 5,231 | Tobacco | Veteran of convoy SC 42 | |
Milos (1898) | ![]() | 30 | 3,058 | 804 tons steel & lumber | Sunk by U-530 11 Mar |
Morska Wola (1924) | ![]() | 3,208 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy HX 84 | |
Nadin (1904) | ![]() | 3,582 | Steel & lumber | ||
Nailsea Court (1936) | ![]() | 45 | 4,946 | 7,661 tons copper & general cargo | Sunk by U-229 10 Mar |
Parkhaven (1920) | ![]() | 4,803 | General cargo | ||
Porjus (1906) | ![]() | 2,965 | Steel & pulp | Veteran of convoy SC 104; returned to port & sailed with convoy SC 122 | |
Raranga (1916) | ![]() | 10,043 | Refrigerated & general cargo | ||
Ravnefjell (1938) | ![]() | 1,339 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy HX 79 & convoy ON 154; survived this convoy & convoy SC 130 | |
Reaverley (1940) | ![]() | 4,998 | Bauxite | Returned to port | |
Rosewood (1931) | ![]() | 42 | 5,989 | Furnace fuel oil | Escort oiler; sunk by U-409 9 Mar |
San Tirso (1913) | ![]() | 6,266 | Furnace fuel oil | ||
Scorton (1939) | ![]() | 4,813 | Sugar | ||
Sinnington Court (1928) | ![]() | 6,910 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | |
Suderoy (1913) | ![]() | 7,562 | Fuel oil | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | |
Sutlej (1940) | ![]() | 5,189 | General cargo | ||
Thraki (1941) | ![]() | 7,460 | Grain & general cargo | ||
Trontolite (1918) | ![]() | 7,115 | |||
Vancolite (1928) | ![]() | 11,404 | |||
Vojvoda Putnik (1916) | ![]() | 5,879 | Wheat | Straggled and sunk by U-591 | |
Zouave (1930) | ![]() | 4,256 | Iron ore | Returned to port to be sunk sailing with convoy SC 122 |
This is a timeline for the Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945) 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.
The ON convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Battle of the Atlantic.
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 - 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 with convoy rescue ship Toward, and were escorted to the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point by escort group B4.
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.
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 SC 100 was a North Atlantic convoy, one of the SC series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 100th of the numbered series of slow convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. It came under attack, one of several convoy battles that occurred during the autumn and winter of 1942, losing five ships.
Convoy HG 53 was the 53rd of the numbered series of World War II HG convoys of Homeward bound merchant ships from Gibraltar to Liverpool. Convoy HG 53 lost nine ships during a coordinated attack in February 1941. HG 53 was one of the few Atlantic convoys to have ships sunk by submarines, by aircraft, and by surface ships.