| Escort Group B6 | |
|---|---|
| Active | World War II |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | British Empire |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Type | Escort Group |
| Role | Anti-submarine warfare |
| Size | ~7 ships |
| Part of | Western Approaches Command |
| Engagements | Convoy SC 104 Convoy ON 206 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Cdr JJ Waterhouse Cdr R Heathcote Cdr RA Currie |
Escort Group B6 was a British convoy escort group of the Royal Navy which saw action during the Second World War, principally in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Escort Group B6 was one of seven British escort groups which served with the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF), which provided convoy protection in the most dangerous midsection of the North Atlantic route. The MOEF was originally to be 5 American, 5 British and 4 Canadian groups. B6 was formed in the spring of 1942, following the inability of the US Navy to form groups A4 and A5 due to other commitments. To replace them two new escort groups, B6 and B7 were formed.
Led by Modified long-range V-class destroyer HMS Viscount (D92), and under the leadership of Commander John Waterhouse, Group B6 included four Norwegian-manned Flower-class corvettes from Group A4; HNoMS Andenes (K01), HNoMS Eglantine (K197), HNoMS Potentilla (K214), and HNoMS Rose (K102). These were joined later by a fifth, HNoMS Montbretia (K208).
In the summer of 1942 B6 escorted several uneventful convoys which arrived without loss. However, in August 1942 ON 122 was attacked by 9 U-boats of wolfpack Lohs. [1] four ships were sunk, while six U-boats were damaged, four seriously enough to return to base. Two of these returning submarines were attacked by aircraft in the Bay of Biscay; one was sunk, another so badly damaged it had to be withdrawn from service. [2]
In September B6 was joined by the F-class destroyer Fame as senior ship, whose commander Ralph Heathcote became Senior Officer of the Escort group (SOE). The following month SC 104 was attacked by Group Wotan. In a five-day battle (12–17 October) SC 104 lost eight ships while two U-boats (U-661 and U-353) were destroyed and two others damaged. During this action both Fame and Viscount were damaged and forced to withdraw, command falling to Lieutenant Commander Christian Monsen of Potentilla. [3]
In November a depleted B6 group, still under Monsen, was escorting ON 144 which was attacked by 16 U-boats of Group Kreuzotter. In a fierce battle, five ships of the convoy, and the corvette Montbretia, were sunk. One U-boat was destroyed (U-184, sunk by Potentilla). Monsen and the group were later commended for their aggressive defence, which was widely held to have averted a major disaster. [4]
In December HX 217 was attacked by seven U-boats of group Panzer. B6, again led by Fame, and with the three Norwegian ships was now joined by the Polish destroyer ORP Burza, and a British corvette. Another aggressive defence kept losses to a minimum, even when Panzer was joined by a second wolf pack, Draufgang. Two ships were sunk in the three-day battle, while one U-boat was sunk by aircraft, and several others damaged. Another U-boat was lost, and one damaged, in a mid-ocean collision [5]
In January 1943 B6 was joined by the corvettes HMS Kingcup and Vervain, bringing its strength up to seven warships. In February 1943 while escorting ON 165, the convoy was attacked by U-boats of Group Hardegen. Two U-boats were destroyed – U-69 sunk by Fame and U-201 by Viscount – for the loss of two ships. [6] In late February and early March HX 227 was intercepted by group Neptun, but an aggressive defence and foul weather frustrated any co-ordinated attacks. Two stragglers were lost, while two U-boats were forced to return with damage. [7]
Following the major convoy battles of May 1943, which left B6 and their charges unscathed, the Battle of the Atlantic fell into a lull as the U-boat Arm withdrew from the battle. Several uneventful convoys followed, until the renewal of the offensive in the autumn of 1943. In this period B6 was involved in one convoy battle, while escorting ON 206. This convoy, and ONS 20, both became embroiled in the last major convoy action of the campaign, which saw six U-boats destroyed, for one ships lost. None of these were accounted to ships of B6 however. [8]
Following this action the North Atlantic route was again quiet, with B6 continuing escort duties, until in the spring of 1944 it was disbanded in a general re-organization prior to the invasion of Normandy. In its 23-month career B6 escorted 31 convoys, losing 19 ships, but seeing over 900 safely to harbour. The group lost one of its number, the corvette Montbretia, but was credited with the destruction of five U-boats.
| Homebound | Outbound |
|---|---|
| SC 83 | ON 101 |
| SC 88 | ON 111 |
| HX 200 | ON 122 |
| HX 205 | ON 132 |
| SC 104 | ON 144 |
| HX 217 | ON 155 |
| SC 116 | ON 165 |
| HX 227 | ONS 1 |
| SC 125 | ONS 6 |
| HX 251 | ONS 17 |
| HX 257 | ON 206 |
| SC 145 | ON 212 |
| SC 148 | ON 218 |
| SC 151 | ONS 29 |
| HX 281 | ON 229 |
| HX 286 | |
| From | To | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| April 1942 | September 1942 | Cdr. J Waterhouse |
| September 1942 | July 1943 | Cdr. R Heathcote |
| July 1943 | April 1944 | Cdr. R Currie |
HMS Arbutus was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy, which was active during the Second World War. She was a successful escort vessel, and took part in the destruction of two U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic. Arbutus was sunk in the North Atlantic in February 1942.
Escort Group B2 was a convoy escort British formation of the Royal Navy which saw action during the Second World War, principally in the Battle of the Atlantic. The group was under the command of Cdr Donald Macintyre, one of Britain's most successful anti-submarine warfare commanders.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ONS 18 and ON 202 were North Atlantic convoys of the ONS/ON series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were the subject of a major U-boat attack in September 1943, the first battle in the Kriegsmarine's autumn offensive, following the withdrawal from the North Atlantic route after Black May.
ONS 20 and ON 206 were North Atlantic convoys of the ONS/ON series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were the subject of a major U-boat attack in October 1943, the third battle in the Kriegsmarine's autumn offensive.
HX 228 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was one of a series of four convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of March 1943 and is notable for the loss of the Escort Group leader Commander AA "Harry" Tait.
Escort Group B7 was a British formation of the Royal Navy which saw action during the Second World War; principally in the Battle of the Atlantic.
An Escort Group consisted of several small warships organized and trained to operate together protecting trade convoys. Escort groups were a World War II tactical innovation in anti-submarine warfare by the Royal Navy to combat the threat of the Kriegsmarine's "wolfpack" tactics. Early escort groups often contained destroyers, sloops, naval trawlers and, later, corvettes of differing specifications lacking the ability to maneuver together as a flotilla of similar warships, but rigorously trained in anti-submarine tactics to use teamwork emphasizing the unique sensors, weapons, speed, and turning radius of each ship. The development of these 'escort groups' proved an effective means of defending shipping convoys through the Battle of the Atlantic.
Convoy JW 55B was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1943, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely.
Convoy JW 51B was an Arctic convoy sent from United Kingdom by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports in early January 1943.
SC 129 was a North Atlantic convoy of the SC series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was one of several convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of May 1943.
HX 237 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was one of several convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of May 1943.
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 Stork (L81) was a Bittern-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was active during the Second World War, serving in convoy escort groups, and was a successful anti-submarine warfare vessel, being credited with the destruction of four U-boats.
HMS Viscount was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in the final months of World War I and in World War II.
HMS Rochester (L50) was a Shoreham-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War and was a successful anti-submarine warfare vessel, being credited with the destruction of five U-boats.