Convoy battles of World War II

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Convoy Battles of World War II occurred when convoys of warships protected cargo ships assembled for mutual defense and were attacked by submarines, surface ships and/or aircraft. Most were in the North Atlantic from 1939 to 1943 and involved attacks by U-boat wolfpacks. Convoy battles also occurred in the Arctic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and western Pacific Ocean.

Contents

Battles

ConvoyEscortDate Located [1] WarshipsBombersU-boats [1] Ships Sunk [1] GRT lost [1]
HX 65 24 August 1940 [2] 12 [3] 3 [4] 7 [4] 42,311 [4]
HX 72 [5] 20 September 194091172,727
SC 7 16 October 194072079,592
HX 79 19 October 194051275,069
HX 84 [6] HMS Jervis Bay 5 November 1940 Scheer 533,331
HX 90 [7] 1 December 194071173,958
HG 538 February 1941 [8] Hipper [8] 5 [8] 1 [8] 9 [8] 15,218 [8]
SL 64 [8] 12 February 1941 [8] Hipper [8] 7 [8] 32,806 [8]
HX 112 5th EG [9] 15 March 19415534,505
SC 26 1 April 194181051,969
OB 318 3rd EG [10] 7 May 19414950,985
HX 126 HMS Aurania [11] 19 May 194111951,862
OG 69 24 July 19418711,303
OG 71 17 August 194181015,185
SC 42 NEF 24th EG [12] 9 September 1941191668,259
HG 73 19 September 194151025,818
GM 2 Force H [13] 25 September 1941 [14] 2 × BB [15] 62 [16] 11 [14] 1 [17] 12,427 [13]
SC 48 EG 4.1.15 [18] 15 October 194191149,835
HG 76 36th EG [19] 16 December 194110418,383
NA 2 31 January 1942411,190
ON 67 TU 4.1.5 [20] 21 February 1942 [20] [20] [20] 5 [20] 8 [20] 54,750 [21]
MW 10 [22] 21 March 1942 Littorio 93217,031
PQ 13 28 March 19429211,507
ONS 92 A-3 [23] 11 May 19426736,284
ONS 100 C-1 [23] 8 June 19426520,478
MW 11 [24] 12 June 19426212,915
GM 4 [24] Force X14 June 1942429,129
PQ 17 [25] 1st EG 1 July 1942202 sorties [26] 916102,311
ON 115 C-3 [23] 29 July 194212321,456
SC 94 [23] C-15 August 1942171153,421
WS.5.21.S [27] 10 August 19423162988,812
ON 122 [28] B-6 [28] 22 August 194214417,235
ON 127 C-4 [28] 9 September 194212851,619
PQ 18 12 September 1942775319,689
SC 100 [28] C-418 September 194217526,331
QP 14 20 September 19427623,474
RB 1 [29] 23 September 19429311,525
SC 104 [28] B-612 October 194217843,970
HX 212 [28] A-326 October 194213651,918
SL 125 27 October 1942101280,005
SC 107 [28] C-430 October 1942161582,817
ON 144 [28] B-615 November 194213626,321
ON 153 B-7 [28] 15 December 194213419,551
JW 51B [30] 24 December 19422 × CA 1 [31]
ONS 154 [28] C-126 December 1942 [32] 0 [33] [33] 16 [32] 14 [33] 69,378 [34]
TM 1 B-5 [30] 3 January 194314756,453
SC 118 [28] B-2 4 February 1943201159,765
ON 166 [28] A-321 February 1943191488,001
UC 1 [35] 44th EG [36] 22 February 194311326,682
81 [37] 8 × DD 1 March 194310 × MTB 114837,324
SC 121 [28] A-36 March 1943261255,661
HX 228 [28] B-3 10 March 194319525,515
UGS 6 [38] 12 March 194317428,018
HX 229 [28] B-4 16 March 1943431393,502
SC 122 [28] B-517 March 194343953,094
RS 3 27 March 19437315,389
HX 231 [28] B-74 April 194311641,494
ONS 5 [28] B-728 April 1943551361,958
TS 37 30 April 19431743,255
JW 55B [39] 22 December 1943 Scharnhorst 2 [31]
JW 56A 25 January 19444321,584 [40]
Hi-40 [41] Shimushu [42] 19 February 1944 [42] [42] [42] 2 [42] 5 [42] 28,075 [41]
Hi-71 [43] 6th EG17 August 19446573,071 [44]
Hi-81 [45] 8th EG15 November 1944 [45] 16 [46] 3 [45] 36,100 [46]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Famous Convoy Battles". uboat.net. Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  2. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, p. 36.
  3. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 32.
  4. 1 2 3 "Convoy HX.65". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  5. Edwards 1999, p. 26.
  6. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 41.
  7. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 42–43.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 50.
  9. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 54.
  10. Blair 1996, p. 278.
  11. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 62.
  12. Milner 1985, p. 67.
  13. 1 2 Greene & Massignani 1998, p. 182.
  14. 1 2 Greene & Massignani 1998, p. 184.
  15. Greene & Massignani 1998, p. 187.
  16. Greene & Massignani 1998, p. 185.
  17. Greene & Massignani 1998, p. 191.
  18. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 90.
  19. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 108.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Abbazia 1975, p. 50.
  21. "Convoy ON.67". Arnold Hague convoy database. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  22. Greene & Massignani 1998, pp. 216–222.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Milner 1985, p. 286.
  24. 1 2 Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 145–146.
  25. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, pp. 175–176.
  26. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, p. 176.
  27. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, pp. 183, 186–187.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Milner 1985, pp. 148–150.
  29. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 164–165.
  30. 1 2 Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 184.
  31. 1 2 Hague 2000a, p. 189.
  32. 1 2 Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 183.
  33. 1 2 3 "Convoy ONS 154". J. Gordon Mumford. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  34. "Convoy ON.154". Arnold Hague convoy database. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  35. Blair 1998, pp. 811–812.
  36. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 195.
  37. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 197–198.
  38. Hague 2000, p. 181.
  39. Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 250.
  40. Hague 2000a, p. 189; Woodman 2004, p. 379.
  41. 1 2 "Hisendan". Nifty.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cressman 2000, pp. 213–214.
  43. Blair 1975, pp. 676–678.
  44. Blair 1975, pp. 702–704.
  45. 1 2 3 Cressman 2000, pp. 274–275.
  46. 1 2 Blair 1975, pp. 748–749.

Related Research Articles

The ON and later ONS convoys were a series of North Atlantic trade convoys running Outbound from the British Isles to North America during the Atlantic campaign of the Second World War. The ON convoys replaced the earlier OA/OB series of outbound convoys in July 1941 and ran until the end of the campaign in May 1945. They were organized as alternating fast and slow convoys until March 1943, when the ONS series was begun to take over the slow trans-Atlantic traffic, after which all in the ON series were fast.

HMS <i>Mallow</i> (K81) Flower class corvette

HMS Mallow was a Flower-class corvette commissioned into the Royal Navy that served as a convoy escort during World War II; with the Royal Navy in 1940–1944, and with the Royal Yugoslav Navy-in-exile in 1944–1945. In Yugoslav service she was renamed Nada. Her main armament was a single 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IX naval gun, although a significant number of secondary and anti-aircraft guns were added towards the end of the war. During the war she escorted a total of 80 convoys whilst in British service, sinking one German U-boat, and escorted another 18 convoys whilst in Yugoslav service. After the war she served in the fledgling Yugoslav Navy as Nada then Partizanka, before being returned to the Royal Navy in 1949. Later that year she was transferred to the Egyptian Navy in which she served as El Sudan until she was decommissioned in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy ON 166</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

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.

<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 118</span> Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War

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.

<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.

<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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-ocean escort force</span>

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Convoy HX 156 was the 156th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool. Forty-three ships departed Halifax on 22 October 1941, and were met two days later by United States Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 consisting of Gleaves-class destroyer Niblack, Clemson-class destroyer Reuben James, Wickes-class destroyer Tarbell, and Benson-class destroyers Benson and Hilary P. Jones.

<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.

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.

HMS <i>Orchis</i> Flower-class corvette

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convoy HX 212</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

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.

HMS <i>Weston</i> Sloop of the Royal Navy

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Further reading