1941
JUNE 1941
The
invasion of Russia soon led to the
introduction of the Russian or Arctic convoys with their
dreadful conditions and after some months had elapsed,
high losses in men and ships. However, the Royal Navy's
presence in the Arctic was first made known in August
when submarines started operating, with some success
against German shipping supporting the Axis attack from
Norway towards Murmansk. The port was never captured.
Conditions with these convoys were at the very least
difficult. Both summer and winter routes were close to
good German bases in Norway from which U-boats, aircraft
and surface ships could operate. In the long winter
months there was terrible weather and intense cold, and
in summer, continual daylight. Many considered that no
ships would get through. The first convoy sailed in
August and, by the end of the year, over 100 merchantmen
had set out in both directions. Only one was lost to a
U-boat. In 1942 the picture changed considerably.
AUGUST 1941
The first
Russian convoy, 'Dervish', sailed from Iceland with seven
ships and arrived safely. Carrier "Argus"
accompanied them to fly off Hurricanes for Kola.
SEPTEMBER 1941
Russian
convoy PQ1 and the return QP1 both set out
in September. A total of 24 ships were passed through
without loss by early October
OCTOBER 1941
The six merchant ships of Russian convoy PQ2 got
through to Archangel without loss.
NOVEMBER 1941
In November Russian convoys PQ3, 4 and 5
and return convoys QP2 and 3 with a total
of 45 ships set out. Three merchantmen turned back but
the rest got through without loss.
DECEMBER 1941
Three
outward-bound convoys, PQ6, PQ7 and PQ7B
and one return, QP4 set out in December with a
total of 31 ships. All but PQ6 arrived at their
destinations in January, with two ships returning and one
lost to U-boats.
1942
JANUARY 1942
Destroyer
"MATABELE" escorting Iceland/Russia convoy PQ8
was sunk off Murmansk on the 17th by
"U-454". Only two men survived. None of the
eight merchantmen in the convoy were lost although one
was damaged by a U-boat torpedo. In two return convoys in
the month - QP5 and QP6 - 10 ships set out
and arrived safely.
FEBRUARY 1942
In four convoys PQ9, PQ10, PQ11 and return QP7,
31 merchantmen arrived safely at their destinations
without loss
MARCH 1942
1st-12th - Convoy PQ12 and Return QP8 - By now German battleship
"Tirpitz", the ship that dictated Royal Navy
policies in northern waters for so long, had been joined
in Norway by pocket battleship "Admiral
Scheer". The next Russia-bound and return convoys
therefore set out on the same day, the 1st, so
they could be covered by the Home Fleet with battleships
"Duke of York", "Renown", "King
George V" and carrier "Victorious". On the
4th, cruiser "Sheffield"
was damaged on a mine off Iceland as
she sailed to join the cover force. Convoys PQ12 and QP8
passed to the southwest of Bear Island and with
"Tirpitz" reported at sea, the Home Fleet tried
to place itself between her and the convoys. There was no
contact between the surface ships, but on the 9th,
aircraft from "Victorious" attacked but failed
to hit "Tirpitz" off the Lofoten Islands. Of
the 31 merchantmen in two convoys, only one straggler
from QP8 was lost to the German force.
20th March-3rd April - Convoy PQ13 and
Return QP9 - These
next two convoys set out around the 20th, again
covered by the Home Fleet. Off North Cape on the 24th "U-655"
was rammed and sunk by minesweeper
"Sharpshooter" escorting QP9. Of the 19
merchantmen in this convoy all reached Iceland in safety.
PQ13 and its escort, including cruiser
"Trinidad" and destroyers "Eclipse"
and "Fury", were scattered by severe gales and
heavily attacked. On the 29th three German
destroyers encountered the escort north of Murmansk. "Z-26"
was
sunk, but in the action "Trinidad"
was hit and disabled by one of her own
torpedoes. As the cruiser limped towards Kola Inlet an
attack by "U-585" failed and she was sunk by
"Fury". Five of the 19 ships with PQ13 were
lost - two to submarines, two to aircraft, and one by the
destroyers. "Trinidad" reached Russia.
APRIL 1942
During the month, Russian convoy PQ14 set out from
Iceland with 24 ships. Only seven arrived. One was sunk
by a U-boat and another 16 had to turn back because of
the weather. Return convoy QP10 lost four of its
16 ships around the same time, two each to U-boats and
aircraft. Towards the end of the month convoys PQ15
and QP11 sailed. Both had cruisers in close
support and PQ15 was covered by units of the Home Fleet
including battleships "King George V" and the
American "Washington". On the 30th the
QP11 cruiser "Edinburgh"
was torpedoed twice by
"U-456" and had to turn back for Murmansk. The
story of the PQ15 and QP11 convoys is taken up in May
MAY 1942
26th April-7th May - Convoy PQ15 and
Return QP11 - PQ15 sailing for Russia suffered
misfortune twice, On the 1st, battleship "King George
V" rammed "PUNJABI" one of her escorting destroyers
and was then damaged by the latter's depth charges as she
went down with heavy loss of life. On the 2nd,
minesweeper "Seagull" and Norwegian destroyer
"St Albans" sank Polish submarine "JASTRZAB" in error. Three of the convoy's merchant
ships were lost to torpedo aircraft but the remaining 22
reached Murmansk by the 5th. QP11
departed Russia on the 28th April and on the 30th cruiser
"Edinburgh" was torpedoed twice by U-boat. As
she limped back to Russia yet again, three German
destroyers attacked QP11, but only managed to sank a
straggler. They found the cruiser on the 2nd. In a series
of confused fights amidst snow showers and smokescreens,
"Edinburgh" disabled the "Hermann
Schoemann" by
gunfire, but was then torpedoed for a third time by
either "Z-24" or "Z-25". Escorting
destroyers "Forester" and "Foresight" were also damaged. Both "EDINBURGH" and "HERMANN SCHOEMANN"
were scuttled on the 2nd. The surviving
12 merchantmen of QP11 got through to Reykjavik, Iceland
on the 7th.
14th/15th - Cruiser
"Trinidad" (right - courtesy Navy Photos) was damaged escorting PQ13 in March,
and patched up at Murmansk ready for the homeward
journey. Escort was now provided by four destroyers and
cover by more cruisers, but on the 14th she was
heavily attacked from the air and hit by a Ju88 bomber.
Fires got out of control and "TRINIDAD"
was scuttled next day in the cold waters
north of Norway's North Cape.
German Surface Warships
- In addition to aircraft and U-boats, the Germans now
had "Tirpitz", "Admiral Scheer",
"Lutzow", "Hipper" and nearly a dozen
big destroyers at Narvik and Trondheim. With by now
continuous daylight throughout the journey, the Admiralty
pressed for the convoys to be discontinued until the days
shortened. For political reasons they went ahead.
Convoys PQ16 and QP12
passed through in May. PQ16 started out for Russian with
35 ships but one returned, six were lost to heavy
aircraft attack and one to U-boats. QP12 had one return
but the other 14 reach Iceland.
JUNE 1942
Russian convoys
PQ17 and QP13 set sail towards the end of the
month.
JULY 1942
27th June-28th July - Destruction of
Convoy PQ17 - Convoys
PQ17 and return QP13 both set out on 27th
June. PQ17 left Reykjavik, Iceland with 36 ships,
of which two returned. The close escort under Cdr J. E.
Broome included six destroyers and four corvettes. Two
British and two US cruisers with destroyers were in
support (Rear-Adm L. H. K. Hamilton), and distant cover
was given by the Home Fleet (Adm Tovey) with battleships
"Duke of York" and the US
"Washington", carrier "Victorious",
cruisers and destroyers. The British Admiralty believed
the Germans were concentrating their heavy ships in
northern Norway. In fact pocket battleship
"Lutzow" had run aground off Narvik, but this
still left battleship "Tirpitz", pocket
battleship "Admiral Scheer" and heavy cruiser
"Admiral Hipper" - all formidable adversaries,
which reach Altenfiord on the 3rd. At this time PQ17 had
just passed to the north of Bear Island, after which
German aircraft sank three merchantmen. Fear of attack by
the German ships led the First Sea Lord, Adm Pound, far
away in London, to decide the fate of the convoy. In the
evening of the 4th the support cruisers were ordered to
withdraw and the convoy to scatter. Unfortunately Adm
Hamilton took the six escorting destroyers with him. The
merchantmen were now to the north of North Cape.
Thirty-one try to make for the isolated islands of Novaya
Zemlya before heading south for Russian ports. Between
the 5th and 10th July, 20 of them were lost, half each to
the aircraft and U-boats sent to hunt them down. Some
sheltered for days off the bleak shores of Novaya Zemlya.
Eventually 11 survivors and two rescue ships reached
Archangel and nearby ports between the 9th and 28th. In
fact "Tirpitz" and the other ships did not
leave Altenfiord until the morning of the 5th, after the
'convoy was to disperse' order. They abandoned the sortie
that same day. History suggests the vital decision on the
future of PQ17 should have been left to the commanders on
the spot. The US reacted strongly to the Royal Navy
apparently leaving its merchantmen to their fate.
Meanwhile all went well with QP13's 35 ships from
Murmansk, until the 5th. Approaching Iceland through the
Denmark Strait they ran into a British minefield.
Escorting minesweeper "NIGER" and five merchant ships were lost.
The rest got in. No more Russian convoys run until
September..
SEPTEMBER 1942
2nd-26th - Convoy PQ18 and Return QP14 - PQ18
left Loch Ewe in
Scotland on the 2nd with over 40 merchantmen. The
hard learnt lessons of PQ17 and previous convoys were not
forgotten. Close escort was provided by 17 warships plus
escort carrier "Avenger" and two destroyers.
Two separate forces were in support - close cover by AA
cruiser "Scylla" and 16 fleet destroyers under
Rear-Adm R L Burnett, and further out three heavy
cruisers. More distant cover was by Vice-Adm Sir Bruce
Fraser with battleships "Anson" and "Duke
of York", a light cruiser and destroyers to the
northeast of Iceland. Submarines patrolled off the
Norwegian Lofoten Islands and northern Norway. Over 40
major warships were involved. German heavy ships moved to
Altenfiord but did not sortie. Instead the attacks were
mounted by bombers and torpedo aircraft as well as
U-boats. On the 13th, aircraft torpedoed nine
ships, but next day "Avenger's" Hurricanes
ensured only one more ship was lost to air attack. In
total over 40 German aircraft were shot down by the
convoy's defences. U-boats sank three merchantmen but
lost three of their number to Adm Burnett's forces.
Destroyers "Faulknor", "Onslow" and
"Impulsive" sank "U-88", "U-589" and "U-457" respectively between the
12th and
16th in the Greenland and Barents Seas. (Some
sources reverse the identity of "U-88" and
"U-589"). Escort carrier "Avenger's"
Swordfish from 825 Squadron helped with the destruction
of "Onslow's" U-boat on the 14th. Of the
original 40 ships, 27 reached Archangel on the 17th.
Meanwhile return convoy QP14 with 15 ships sailed
on the 13th to gain the protection of
"Avenger" and Adm Burnett's AA cruiser and
destroyer force. On the 20th, to the west of Bear
Island, minesweeper "LEDA" was sunk by "U-435" and support group
destroyer "SOMALI" torpedoed by "U-703". After
struggling for four days in tow towards Iceland a gale
blew up and she foundered to the north. Three merchant
ships were lost to U-boats and the survivors reached Loch
Ewe on the 26th. In late 1941, escort carrier
"Audacity" closed the Gibraltar air-gap for the
first time. "Avenger" had now done the same for
the Russian route. However, further convoys havdto be
postponed as ships were transferred in preparation for
the North African landings.
NOVEMBER 1942
Archangel
to Loch Ewe, Scotland convoy QP15 with 28 ships
lost two to U-boat attack.
DECEMBER 1942
31st - Battle of the Barents Sea &
Convoys JW51A and JW51B - After a three-month gap the first of the
JW convoys set out. JW51 sailed in two sections. Part
A left Loch Ewe, Scotland on the 15th with 16
ships bound for Kola Inlet. All arrived safely on
Christmas Day, the 25th accompanied by supporting
cruisers "Jamaica" and "Sheffield". JW51B
(14 ships) left on the 22nd escorted by six
destroyers, a minesweeper and four smaller vessels under
the command of Capt St. V. Sherbrooke in
"Onslow". Adm Burnett with "Jamaica"
and "Sheffield" joined the convoy south west of
Bear Island on the 29th to provide close cover
through the Barents Sea. By now "Tirpitz",
pocket battleship "Lutzow", heavy cruiser
"Admiral Hipper", light cruisers
"Koln" and "Nurnberg" and a number of
5in and 5.9in gun destroyers were in Norwegian waters.
The Admiralty assumed they were for attacks on Russian
convoys. In fact, they were in Norway because Hitler
feared invasion. Convoy JW51B was reported an the 30th
and 8in "Hipper" (Adm Kummetz), 11in
"Lutzow" and six destroyers put to sea from
Altenfiord to intercept north of North Cape. Early on the 31st, New Year's Eve, the British ships were in
four groups (1-4). The main convoy (1) with five remaining 4in or 4.7in
destroyers "Achates", "Onslow",
"Obdurate", "Obedient" and
"Orwell" headed due east. (Some of the escort
and merchantmen had been scattered by gales and never
regained the convoy). Northeast of the convoy, detached
minesweeper "Bramble" (2)
was
searching for missing ships. Adm
Burnett's two 6in cruisers (3) covered to the north. Further
north still a straggling merchant ship and escorting
trawler (4) tried to reach the convoy. Capt Sherbrooke
planned to use the same tactics as Adm Vian in the Second
Battle of Sirte and head for the enemy while the convoy
turned away under smoke. Unfortunately Adm Kummetz
divided his force in two [1-2] and planned to attack
from astern on both sides - "Hipper" [1] and three destroyers in the north and "Lutzow"
[2] with the other three in the south.
On the 31st around 09.30,
the action started with "Hipper's" three
destroyers [1] heading north across the rear of the convoy (1), and opening fire on
"Obdurate". The convoy later turned as planned,
but south towards "Lutzow" [2]. Then "Onslow",
Orwell" and Obedient" sighted Hipper" [1] and held her off until, at
10.20,
"Onslow" was
hit and Capt Sherbrooke badly
wounded (Capt Rupert St. V. Sherbrooke RN was awarded the
Victoria
Cross for gallantry).
Adm Burnett's cruisers [3] meanwhile, following a radar contact, had
diverted north towards the straggler and escort (4). They only headed towards the
action at 10.00. Still to the north of the convoy,
"Hipper" [1] and her destroyers came across the
hapless "BRAMBLE" (2) and sent her to the bottom around
10.40.
They headed south, and 40min later the 8in cruiser [1] approached JW51B (1), opened fire and hit "ACHATES" which sank after the battle was
over. Lutzow [2]
had already come up on the convoy from the
south but did not join battle until 11.45.
She was driven off by the remaining destroyers. By now
"Jamaica" and "Sheffield" (3) had arrived on the scene. They
quickly hit "Hipper" [1] and sank destroyer "FRIEDRICH
ECKOLDT".
"Hipper" tried to get back to the convoy but
again the destroyers skillfully kept her at bay. By midday
the German ships were withdrawing with the two cruisers
in pursuit. Contact was shortly lost. None of the
merchantmen were more than lightly damaged and all 14
reached Kola on the 3rd January. Return convoy RA51
left Kola on the 30th December. After being
supported part of the way by "Jamaica" and
"Sheffield", the 14 merchant ships were safely
delivered to Loch Ewe on the 11th January. When
Hitler learnt the big ships had been driven off by light
cruisers and destroyers he flew into a rage and ordered
them all paid off. Grand-Adm Raeder resigned in protest
and was succeeded as C-in-C, German Navy, in January by
Adm Doenitz. The paying-off order was revoked.
|
 |
|
HMS Britomart, Algerine
minesweeper and
same class as the overwhelmed
"Bramble" |
1943
JANUARY 1943
Russian
convoy JW52 and return RA52 both set out in
January. Of the 25 ships in the two convoys, one left
JW52 to return to port, and one merchantmen with RA52 was
lost to U-boat attacks.
FEBRUARY 1943
Russia-bound
convoy JW53 sailed with 28 merchantmen. Six turned
back because of the weather, but the rest reach Kola
Inlet on the 27th. Return convoy RA53 with 30 ships lost
three to U-boats in March. These were the last convoys to
or from Russia until November 1943 - another nine months,
because of the pressure of events in the North Atlantic
MARCH - AUGUST 1943
No convoys ran.
SEPTEMBER 1943
22nd -
Midget Submarine Attack on Tirpitz - Battleship "Tirpitz" posed
such a threat to Russian convoys and held down so much of
Home Fleet's strength that almost any measures to
immobilise her were justified. One gallant attempt was
made in October 1942 when a small Norwegian fishing
vessel "Arthur", penetrated to within a few
miles of the battleship in Trondheimfiord with Chariot human
torpedoes slung
underneath. Just short of the target they broke away and
all the efforts were in vain. Now it was the turn of
midget submarines - the X-craft each with two 2-ton saddle charges. Six
left for northern Norway towed by 'S' or 'T' class
submarines. Two were lost on passage, but on the 20th
off Altenfiord, "X-5", "X-6" and
"X-7" set out to attack "Tirpitz" and
"X-10" for the Scharnhorst. "X-5"
was lost and "X-10" was
unable to attack, but "X-6" (Lt Cameron) and "X-7" (Lt Place) penetrated the defences
to reach "Tirpitz" laying in Kaafiord at the
far end of Altenfiord. Both dropped their charges under
or near the battleship before they sank and some of their
crews escaped. "Tirpitz" managed to shift her position slightly, but
not enough to avoid damage when the charges went up. She
was out of action for six months. Lt Donald Cameron RNR
and Lt Basil Place RN were awarded the Victoria Cross.
NOVEMBER 1943
For the first
time since March 1943, Russian convoys sailed - setting
out and arriving at the end of the month and in early
December. Convoys JW54A and JW54B to Kola
Inlet, and return RA54A and RA54B passed
through a total of 54 ships without loss.
DECEMBER 1943
26th - The Battle of North Cape and
Convoy JW55B - Russian convoys were still sailing in two
sections. JW55A left Loch Ewe, Scotland on the 12th
and arrived safely with all 19 merchant ships on the 20th.
Adm Fraser with "Duke of York" went right
through to Russia for the first time before returning to
Iceland.
Convoy JW55B,
also with 19 ships, sailed for Russia on the 20th.
>>>
<<<
Three days later return convoy RA55A (22
ships) sets out.
Cover for both convoys
through the Barents Sea was to be provided by Vice-Adm R.
L. Burnett with cruisers "Belfast",
"Norfolk" and "Sheffield"
(1) which left Kola Inlet on the same
day as RA55A - the 23rd. The Admiralty expected
the 11in-gunned battlecruiser "Scharnhorst" to
attack the convoys and Adm Fraser with "Duke of
York" and cruiser "Jamaica" (2)
left
Iceland and headed for the Bear
Island area. "Scharnhorst" (Rear-Adm Bey) and
five destroyers (1)
sailed from Altenfiord late on the 25th,
Christmas Day. Early next morning JW55B was 50
miles south of Bear Island, the weather stormy, as the
Germans headed north to intercept. Meanwhile Adm Fraser (2) was 200 miles away to the southwest and
Adm Burnett's cruisers (1) were approaching the convoy from the
east. At 07.30 on the 26th the German
destroyers were detached to search for the convoy, failed
to make contact and were later ordered home. They played
no part in the battle.
First contact (by group 1)
was just before 09.00
on the 26th when "Belfast" detected
"Scharnhorst" by radar as she was heading south
and only 30 miles east of the convoy. "Norfolk"
engaged and hit the battlecruiser which turned north and
away to try to get around to JW55B. Adm Burnett
anticipated this move and instead of shadowing, carried
on towards the convoy. "Belfast" regained
contact at noon and all three cruisers (1) opened fire. In the next 20min "Scharnhorst"
was hit and "Norfolk" badly damaged by 11in shells. The
German ship now headed south away from the convoy as Adm
Burnett shadowed by radar. At this time, Adm Fraser (2) was now to the south-southwest and in a
position to cut off her retreat. He made radar contact
soon after 16.00 at a range of 22 miles and closed
in. Fifty minutes later at 1650,
"Belfast" (1) illuminated "Scharnhorst" with
starshell and Adm Burnett's cruisers (1) engaged from one side and
"Duke of York" and "Jamaica" (2) from the other. Hard hit,
especially by the battleship's 14in shells, the German
ship's main armament was eventually silenced. Finally the
cruisers and accompanying destroyers fired torpedoes, 10
or 11 of which struck home, and soon after 19.30 "SCHARNHORST"
went down. Only 36 men could be rescued.
Now only "Tirpitz"
remained as a potential big ship threat to the Russian
convoys. On the 29th JW55B reached Kola safely.
Return convoy RA55A was well clear of Bear Island by the
time the battle had started and made Loch Ewe on 1st
January. The second return half - RA55B of
eight ships - left Russia on the last day of the year and
got in on 8th January.
1944
JANUARY 1944
Escorting
Russian convoy JW56B, destroyer "HARDY
(2)" was torpedoed
by "U-278" to the south of Bear Island on the 30th
and had to be scuttled. On the same day destroyers
"Whitehall" and "Meteor" of the
escort sank "U-314". All 16 of JW56B's ships reached Kola
Inlet. JW56A earlier in the month had not been so
fortunate - of the 20 merchantmen, five returned due to
the weather, and three were lost to U-boats.
FEBRUARY 1944
The 42
merchantmen of Russian convoy JW57 all reached
Kola on the 28th, but one escort and two U-boats were
sunk in the battles surrounding them: 24th - To
the northwest of Norway, "U-713"
was put down by destroyer
"Keppel" of the escort. 25th - Next day,
destroyer "MAHRATTA"
was lost to an acoustic torpedo from
"U-956" or "U-990" and sank with
heavy loss of life. A RAF Catalina of No 210 Squadron
flying at extreme range managed to sink "U-601". Return convoy
RA56 earlier
in the month made Loch Ewe with its 37 ships.
MARCH 1944
The next
return convoy from Russia RA57, sailed with the
escort of the February JW57 including escort carrier
"Chaser" and her rocket-firing Swordfish of 816
Squadron. On the 4th, to the north west of Norway,
they damaged "U-472" which was finished off by destroyer
"Onslaught". In the next two days, in spite of
foul weather, they destroyed "U-366" and "U-973". The 2nd EG moved from Atlantic
convoys to support Russian convoy JW58. Two days
after leaving Loch Ewe and by now off Iceland,
"Starling" sank "U-961" on the 29th. More U-boats were
lost before the convoy reached Russia early in April.
APRIL 1944
Three days
after 2nd EG sank "U-961" off Iceland,
Russia-bound JW58 was to the northwest of Norway
and the attacking U-boats lost three of their number. On
the 1st an Avenger of 846 Squadron from escort
carrier "Tracker" damaged "U-355" with rockets and destroyer
"Beagle" completed the job. Next day - the
2nd - destroyer "Keppel" sank "U-360" with her ahead-throwing Hedgehog
mortar. On the 3rd it was the turn of "U-288". A Swordfish, Wildcat and Avenger
from "Tracker's" 846 and "Activity's"
819 Squadron sent her to the bottom. Apart from one
merchantman forced to return, all JW58's remaining 48
ships arrived at Kola on the 5th April. Return convoy RA58
passed through 36 rnerchantmen by mid-month without loss.
3rd - Fleet Air Arm Attack on
"Tirpitz", Operation 'Tungsten' - The damage inflicted by midget submarines
on "Tirpitz" in September 1943 was nearly
repaired and the Admiralty decided to launch a Fleet Air
Arm attack. On the 30th March, Adm Fraser left
Scapa Flow with battleships "Duke of York" and
"Anson", fleet carriers "Victorious"
and the old "Furious", escort carriers
"Emperor", "Fencer",
"Pursuer" and "Searcher", cruisers
and destroyers, split into two forces, and headed north,
partly to cover JW58. By the 2nd the two
forces had joined up 120 miles off Altenfiord and early
next morning on the 3rd, two waves each of 20
Barracuda bombers with fighter cover surprised "Tirpitz" at anchor. A total of 14 hits were
made, but the damage was not serious. However, the
battleship was out of action for another three months.
Home Fleet was back in Scapa on the 6th. A similar
operation was attempted later in the month, but bad
weather prevented any attacks. Instead a German convoy
was found in the area and three ships sunk. The weather
again saved Tirpitz from two sorties in May 1944, but the
fleet and escort carrier aircraft did manage to sink
several more merchant ships at these and other times
during the month.
MAY 1944
Return
Russian convoy RA59 (45 ships) was attacked by
U-boats to the northwest of Norway. One ship was lost,
but in return the Swordfish of 842 Squadron from
"Fencer" sank three with depth charges - on the
1st, "U-277", and next day "U-674" and "U-959". The convoy arrived at Loch Ewe
with the rest of the 44 ships on 6th May.
JUNE 1944
6th June - Normandy invasion and the
"Second Front" demanded, often
belligerently by Russia since early 1942, was opened
JULY 1944
17th - FAA Attack on "Tirpitz"
- Barracuda
torpedo bombers from Home Fleet carriers
"Formidable", "Indefatigable" and
"Furious" attempted to hit "Tirpitz"
in Altenfiord on the 17th, but failed, partly
because of defensive smokescreens. U-boats were sent to
attack the carrier force, but over a period of four days,
RAF Coastal Command sank three in the Northern Transit
Area.
AUGUST 1944
15th-29th - Attacks on Tirpitz and Convoy
JW59 - Russian
convoy JW59 (33 ships) left Loch Ewe on the 15th
with a heavy escort including escort carriers
"Striker" and "Vindex" and the 20th
and 22nd Escort Groups. Home Fleet, under the command of
Adm Moore, sailed in two groups, partly to cover the
convoy but mainly to launch further FAA attacks on "Tirpitz"
in Altenfiord. One group included
"Formidable", "Indefatigable" and
"Furious" and battleship "Duke of
York"; the second one escort carriers
"Trumpeter" and the Canadian-manned
"Nabob" together with the 5th EG (Cdr Macintyre). Between
the 22nd and 29th, three strikes were made, but in two of
them the German ship was obscured by smoke; and although
a hit was obtained on the 24th, the bomb failed to
explode. In the course of these manoeuvres the escort
carrier group suffered two casualties: 22nd
- "U-354" encountered them to the northwest of
North Cape and attacked. Frigate "BICKERTON" (right - in foreground) of the 5th EG was torpedoed, badly
damaged, and finished off by destroyer
"Vigilant" (not an old "V" and
"W", but a war programme ship). Escort carrier
"NABOB" was too badly damaged by her torpedo
hit to be repaired. The U-boat was shortly sunk.
The convoy, JW59 was also
subjected to U-boat attack and losses were sustained by
both sides: 21st - Sloop "KITE" of the 22nd EG was torpedoed by
"U-344" to the northwest of Norway in the
Greenland Sea and went down. There were few survivors,
but the attacker, like "U-354" was also sunk
shortly. 24th - As "U-344" tried to approach the convoy to
the north of North Cape, she was sunk by destroyer
"Keppel", frigate "Loch Dunvegan" and
sloops "Mermaid" and "Peacock" of the
20th EG (both sister-ships of "Kite" so
recently lost to "U-344's" attack) 25th
- "U-354"
now prepared for the
arrival of return convoy RA59A in the Bear Island area
and was destroyed by a rocket-firing Swordfish of 825
Squadron from "Vindex". (Note: Some sources
reverse the cause of loss of "U-344" and
"U-354", but with "U-344" sunk on the
22nd and "U-354" on the 24th.) JW59 arrived at
Kola Inlet on the 25th with all 33 merchant ships.
SEPTEMBER 1944
Return Russian
convoy RA59A (nine ships) was now off northwest
Norway when "U-394"
was damaged by Swordfish of 825 Squadron
and sunk on the 2nd by destroyers
"Keppel" and "Whitehall" and sloops
"Mermaid" and "Peacock". The convoy
arrived safely at Loch Ewe on the 6th. Nine days later
the next Russian-bound convoy, JW60 set out with
30 merchantmen. They too arrived at their destination
without loss before the month was out. The next convoy
returning from Russia, RA60 left Kola on the 28th
with 30 ships, but by the time it arrived at Loch Ewe in
early October had lost two merchantmen to U-boat attack.
While still to the northwest of Norway on the 30th,
Swordfish of 813 Squadron from escort carrier
"Campania" sank "U-921".
OCTOBER 1944
Convoy JW61 arrived safely at
Kola by the end of the month with all 29 ships. On the
30th October, JW61A with just two liners carrying
Russian POWs for repatriation, left Liverpool and reached
Kola Inlet by 6th November.
For the first time since September 1939,
no merchant ships were lost throughout the length and
breadth of the North and South Atlantic, including
the Arctic, in October 1944
NOVEMBER 1944
UK-bound convoys RA61 and RA61A left Kola
and passed through a total of 35 ships in the month
without loss. Russian-bound JW62 set out at the
end of the month and reached Kola in early December with
all 30 merchant ships.
DECEMBER 1944
Return Russian
convoy RA62 (28 ships) prepared to leave Kola
Inlet on the 10th with the escort of JW62. Beforehand on
the 9th, Royal Navy and Russian warships drove off
the waiting U-boats, and corvette "Bamborough
Castle" serving with the 8th and 20th EGs sank "U-387". As the convoy passed Jan Mayen
Island on the 13th, "U-365"
was sent to the bottom by Swordfish of
813 Squadron flying from escort carrier
"Campania" (better known for her association
with the 1951 Festival of Britain in London). All
merchantmen reached Loch Ewe on the 19th.
1945
JANUARY 1945
Convoys JW63
and return RA63 passed through a
total of 65 ships in the month without loss.
FEBRUARY 1945
There was still
no let up for the Russian convoys. Although JW64
reached Kola Inlet safely on the 13th with all 26
merchantmen, the arriving corvette "DENBIGH
CASTLE" was torpedoed
by "U-992" and became a total loss. Four days
later on the 17th return RA64 was ready to
set out. Just off Kola Inlet "U-425"
was sunk by sloop "Lark" and
corvette "Alnwick Castle", but later that day "LARK" was damaged by "U-963" and
also became a total loss. Corvette "BLUEBELL"
was then torpedoed by "U-711"
and blew up with only one man surviving. Of the 34 ships
with the convoy, one returned, one went down to U-boats
and on the 23rd, straggler "Henry Bacon"
was sunk by Ju88 torpedo bombers, the last ship of
the war by German aircraft. The rest of the convoy
arrived at Loch Ewe on the 28th after a voyage made even
more difficult by violent storms typical of northern
waters.
MARCH 1945
As Russian
convoy JW65 approached Kola Inlet with 24 merchant
ships on the 20th, waiting U-boats sank two and
"U-716" sank sloop "LAPWING" of the escort. Return
RA65
set out on the 23rd and all 25 ships got through to the
Orkney Islands on the last day of the month.
APRIL 1945
29th - Russia/UK Convoy RA66, the
Last Convoy Battle of the War - Kola Inlet bound convoy JW66
(22 ships) arrived safely on the 25th with escort
carriers "Premier" and "Vindex",
cruiser "Diadem", Home Fleet destroyers and the
8th and 19th EGs all under the command of Rear-Adm A. E.
Cunninghame-Graham. Return convoy RA66 (24 ships)
set out on the 29th with JW66s escort, some of
which went ahead to clear the 14 U-boats waiting off the
Inlet. Frigates "Anguilla", "Cotton",
"Loch lnsh" and "Loch Shin" of the
19th EG accounted for "U-307" followed by "U-286",
the last U-boats sunk by
warships of the Royal Navy. In the action, frigate "GOODALL" of the 19th EG was torpedoed by
"U-968" and went down with heavy loss of life.
She was the last major warship of the Royal and
Dominion Navies lost in the war against Germany.
RA66 arrived safely in the Clyde on 8th May
MAY 1945
One
last
Russian convoy sailed each way soon after the German
surrender. JW67 left the Clyde on the 12th with 23
merchantmen and reached Kola on the 20th. Three days
later return RA67, again with 23 ships, set out
and on the last day of the month sailed up the Firth of
Clyde, Scotland.
|
In
Conclusion ...... Since August 1941,
78 convoys had sailed in both directions and
passed through nearly 1,400 merchant ships for
the loss of 85 - a loss rate of 6 percent.
Millions of tons of vital cargo and thousands of
tanks and aircraft were delivered to the
Russians. The cost to the Royal Navy included one escort
carrier severely damaged, two cruisers, six
destroyers ans eight other escorts sunk in the cold and often
stormy waters of the Arctic. The Germans lost
"Scharnhorst"
and
indirectly "Tirpitz", three big
destroyers, over 30 U-boats. |
