Convoy SC 121

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Convoy SC 121
Part of Battle of the Atlantic
Mk VII depth charge.jpg
A depth charge being loaded onto a depth-charge thrower aboard the corvette HMS Dianthus
Date6–10 March 1943
Location
Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Canada
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  Germany
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]

Contents

Background

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]

Battle

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]

Ships in convoy

Name [12] Flag [12] Dead [10] Tonnage (GRT) [12] Cargo [10] Notes [12]
Alcoa Leader (1919)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 5,041Petrol
Astrid (1942)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,861Sugar
Badjestan (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,573Wheat
Baldbutte (1919)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 6,295
Bengkalis (1918)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 6,453General cargoSurvived this convoy and convoy ONS 5
Bonneville (1929)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 364,6657,196 tons explosives & general cargoCarried convoy commodore Capt H.C. Birnie DSO RD RNR; sunk by U-405 10 Mar
Brant County (1915)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 5,001General cargoReturned to Halifax
British Freedom (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,985Furnace fuel oil
British Progress (1927)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,581PetrolVeteran of convoy SC 104
Camerata (1931)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,875Iron ore
Clunepark (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,491Phosphates
Coulmore (1936)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,670General cargoTorpedoed, but towed and salvaged
Dilworth (1919)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,045Gas oil
Egton (1938)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,363Iron ore
Egyptian (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 442,868Oilseed, palm oil & tin oreSunk by U-230 7 Mar
El Grillo (1922)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,264Fuel oil
Empire Advocate (1913)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,787General cargoSurvived this convoy and convoy ONS 5
Empire Bunting (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,448General cargoArrived in tow after steering failure on 11 March
Empire Caxton (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,873Bauxite
Empire Forest (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,025General cargo
Empire Grebe (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,736General cargo
Empire Impala (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 486,1167,628 tons general cargoSunk by U-591 while picking up survivors 7 Mar
Empire Keats (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,035West African produceCarried convoy vice commodore Capt A Cocks DSC RD RNR
Empire Lakeland (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,015Refrigerated and general cargoStraggled and sunk by U-190
Empire Opossum (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,644Grain
Empire Planet (1923)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,290General cargoSurvived this convoy and convoy ONS 5
Eskdalegate (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,250Iron ore
Fort Lamy (1919)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,242Steel & general cargoVeteran of convoy ON 154; straggled and sunk by U-527 8 Mar
Fort Remy (1943)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,127General cargo
Garnes (1930)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,559Veteran of convoy SC 104
Gascony (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,716General cargo
Gatineau Park (1942)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,128General cargoFitted with Admiralty Net Defence
Guido (1920)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,921Sugar & cottonRomped and sunk by U-633 8 Mar
Hallfried (1918)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,968Flour
Harpefjell (1939)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,333General cargo
Harperly (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,586BauxiteSurvived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ONS 5
Hollywood (1920)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 5,498General cargoVeteran of convoy PQ 18
Katendrecht (1925)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 5,099Gas oil
Kingswood (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,080General cargo
L V Stanford (1921)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 7,138Furnace fuel oilVeteran of convoy SC 107
USS Laramie (1919)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 5,450Detached for Greenland
Leadgate (1925)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,125FlourStraggled and sunk by U-642 8 Mar
Lobos (1921)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,479Tin & general cargo
Lombardy (1921)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,379General cargo
Lorient (1921)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,737Steel & lumberVeteran of convoy SC 42; survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ONS 5
Malantic (1929)Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 253,8378,000 tons ammunitionVeteran of convoy SC 107; sunk by U-409 9 Mar
Manchester Progress (1938)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,620General cargo
Melrose Abbey (1929)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,924 convoy rescue ship
Miguel de Larrinaga (1924)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,231TobaccoVeteran of convoy SC 42
Milos (1898)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 303,058804 tons steel & lumberSunk by U-530 11 Mar
Morska Wola (1924)Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 3,208General cargoVeteran of convoy HX 84
Nadin (1904)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 3,582Steel & lumber
Nailsea Court (1936) Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 454,9467,661 tons copper & general cargoSunk by U-229 10 Mar
Parkhaven (1920)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4,803General cargo
Porjus (1906)Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2,965Steel & pulpVeteran of convoy SC 104; returned to port & sailed with convoy SC 122
Raranga (1916)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 10,043Refrigerated & general cargo
Ravnefjell (1938)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,339General cargoVeteran of convoy HX 79 & convoy ON 154; survived this convoy & convoy SC 130
Reaverley (1940)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,998BauxiteReturned to port
Rosewood (1931)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 425,989Furnace fuel oilEscort oiler; sunk by U-409 9 Mar
San Tirso (1913)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,266Furnace fuel oil
Scorton (1939)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,813Sugar
Sinnington Court (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,910General cargoVeteran of convoy SC 104
Suderoy (1913)Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7,562Fuel oilVeteran of convoy SC 104
Sutlej (1940)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,189General cargo
Thraki (1941)Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 7,460Grain & general cargo
Trontolite (1918)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,115
Vancolite (1928)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 11,404
Vojvoda Putnik (1916)Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia 5,879WheatStraggled and sunk by U-591
Zouave (1930)Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,256Iron oreReturned to port to be sunk sailing with convoy SC 122

See also

Sources

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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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.

References

  1. Milner p.235
  2. Hague 2000 p.133
  3. Hague 2000 p.135
  4. Milner 1985 p.291
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196
  6. 1 2 3 Morison 1975 p.342
  7. Tarrant p.108
  8. Hague pp.132, 137-138,161-162,164&181
  9. Morison 1975 p.341
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Hague 2000 p.137
  11. Hague 2000 pp.137-8
  12. 1 2 3 4 "SC convoys". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 29 May 2011.