Convoy Battles of World War II
Convoy Battles of World War II occurred when convoys of cargo ships assembled for mutual defense, and were attacked by enemy 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 Mediterranean Sea and western Pacific Ocean.
| Convoy |
Escort |
Date Located[1] |
Warships |
Bombers |
U-Boats[1] |
Ships Sunk[1] |
Tonnage Lost(GRT)[1] |
| HX 65 |
|
24 August 1940 |
0 |
12[2] |
3[3] |
7[3] |
42,311[3] |
| HX 72 |
(none)[4] |
20 September 1940 |
|
|
9 |
11 |
72,727 |
| SC 7 |
|
16 October 1940 |
|
|
7 |
20 |
79,592 |
| HX 79 |
|
19 October 1940 |
|
|
5 |
12 |
75,069 |
| HX 84[5] |
HMS Jervis Bay |
5 November 1940 |
Scheer |
0 |
0 |
5 |
33,331 |
| HX 90 |
(none)[6] |
1 December 1940 |
|
|
7 |
11 |
73,958 |
| HG 53 |
|
8 February 1941[7] |
Hipper[7] |
5[7] |
1[7] |
9[7] |
15,218[7] |
| SL 64 |
(none)[7] |
12 February 1941[7] |
Hipper[7] |
|
|
7[7] |
32,806[7] |
| HX 112 |
5th EG[8] |
15 March 1941 |
|
|
5 |
5 |
34,505 |
| SC 26 |
|
1 April 1941 |
|
|
8 |
10 |
51,969 |
| OB 318 |
3rd EG[9] |
7 May 1941 |
|
|
4 |
9 |
50,985 |
| HX 126 |
HMS Aurania[10] |
19 May 1941 |
|
|
11 |
9 |
51,862 |
| OG 69 |
|
24 July 1941 |
|
|
8 |
7 |
11,303 |
| OG 71 |
|
17 August 1941 |
|
|
8 |
10 |
15,185 |
| SC 42 |
NEF EG 24[11] |
9 September 1941 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
16 |
68,259 |
| HG 73 |
|
19 September 1941 |
|
|
5 |
10 |
25,818 |
| GM 2 |
Force H[12] |
25 September 1941[13] |
2 × BB[14] |
62[15] |
11[13] |
1[16] |
12,427[16] |
| SC 48 |
EG 4.1.15[17] |
15 October 1941 |
|
|
9 |
11 |
49,835 |
| HG 76 |
36th EG[18] |
16 December 1941 |
|
|
10 |
4 |
18,383 |
| NA 2 |
|
31 January 1942 |
|
|
4 |
1 |
1,190 |
| ONS 67 |
TU 4.1.5[19] |
21 February 1942[19] |
0[19] |
0[19] |
5[19] |
8[19] |
54,750[20] |
| MW 10[21] |
|
21 March 1942 |
Littorio |
9 |
3 |
2 |
17,031 |
| PQ 13 |
|
28 March 1942 |
|
|
9 |
2 |
11,507 |
| ONS 92 |
A-3[22] |
11 May 1942 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
7 |
36,284 |
| ONS 100 |
C-1[22] |
8 June 1942 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
5 |
20,478 |
| MW 11[23] |
|
12 June 1942 |
|
|
6 |
2 |
12,915 |
| GM 4[23] |
Force X |
14 June 1942 |
|
|
0 |
4 |
29,129 |
| PQ 17 |
1st EG |
1 July 1942 |
|
190[24] |
9 |
16 |
102,311 |
| ON 115 |
C-3[22] |
29 July 1942 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
3 |
21,456 |
| SC 94 |
C-1[22] |
5 August 1942 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
11 |
53,421 |
| WS.5.21.S[25] |
|
10 August 1942 |
|
316 |
2 |
9 |
88,812 |
| ON 122[26] |
B-6[22] |
22 August 1942 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
4 |
17,235 |
| ON 127 |
C-4[22] |
9 September 1942 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
8 |
51,619 |
| PQ 18 |
|
12 September 1942 |
|
77 |
5 |
3 |
19,689 |
| SC 100 |
C-4[22] |
18 September 1942 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
5 |
26,331 |
| QP 14 |
|
20 September 1942 |
|
|
7 |
6 |
23,474 |
| RB 1[27] |
|
23 September 1942 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
11,525 |
| SC 104 |
B-6[22] |
12 October 1942 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
8 |
43,970 |
| HX 212 |
A-3[22] |
26 October 1942 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
6 |
51,918 |
| SL 125 |
|
27 October 1942 |
0 |
|
10 |
12 |
80,005 |
| SC 107 |
C-4[22] |
30 October 1942 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
15 |
82,817 |
| ON 144 |
B-6[22] |
15 November 1942 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
6 |
26,321 |
| ON 153 |
B-7[22] |
15 December 1942 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
4 |
19,551 |
| JW 51B[28] |
|
24 December 1942 |
2 × CA |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
| ONS 154 |
C-1[22] |
26 December 1942[29] |
0[30] |
0[30] |
16[29] |
14[30] |
69,378[31] |
| TM 1 |
B-5[28] |
3 January 1943 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
7 |
56,453 |
| SC 118 |
B-2[22] |
4 February 1943 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
11 |
59,765 |
| ON 166 |
A-3[22] |
21 February 1943 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
14 |
88,001 |
| UC 1[32] |
44th EG[33] |
22 February 1943 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
26,682 |
| 81[34] |
8 × DD |
1 March 1943 |
10 × MTB |
114 |
0 |
8 |
37,324 |
| SC 121 |
A-3[22] |
6 March 1943 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
12 |
55,661 |
| HX 228 |
B-3[22] |
10 March 1943 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
5 |
25,515 |
| UGS 6[35] |
|
12 March 1943 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
4 |
28,018 |
| HX 229 |
B-4[22] |
16 March 1943 |
0 |
0 |
43 |
13 |
93,502 |
| SC 122 |
B-5[22] |
17 March 1943 |
0 |
0 |
43 |
9 |
53,094 |
| RS 3 |
|
27 March 1943 |
|
|
7 |
3 |
15,389 |
| HX 231 |
B-7[22] |
4 April 1943 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
6 |
41,494 |
| ONS 5 |
B-7[22] |
28 April 1943 |
0 |
0 |
55 |
13 |
61,958 |
| TS 37 |
|
30 April 1943 |
|
|
1 |
7 |
43,255 |
| JW 55B[36] |
|
22 December 1943 |
Scharnhorst |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
| JW 56A |
|
25 January 1944 |
|
0 |
4 |
4 |
21,584 |
| Hi-40[37] |
Shimushu[38] |
19 February 1944[38] |
0[38] |
0[38] |
2[38] |
5[38] |
28,075[37] |
| Hi-71[39] |
6th EG |
17 August 1944 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
5 |
73,071[40] |
| Hi-81[41] |
8th EG |
15 November 1944[41] |
0 |
1 |
6[42] |
3[41] |
36,100[42] |
|
References
- Blair, Clay (1975). Silent Victory. New York: J.B. Lippincott Company.
- Blair, Clay (1996). Hitler's U-Boat War:The Hunters 1939–1942. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
- Blair, Clay (1998). Hitler's U-Boat War:The Hunted 1942–1945. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-45742-9.
- Cressman, Robert J. (2000). The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-149-1.
- Dönitz, Karl (1958). Memoirs: Ten Years and Twenty Days. New York: Da Capo Press. p. 560. ISBN 978-0306807640.
- Edwards, Bernard (1999). Donitz and the Wolf Packs. Brockhampton Press. ISBN 1-86019-927-5.
- Greene, Jack; Massignani, Alessandro (1998). The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940–1943. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-885119-61-5.
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- Irving, David (1968). The Destruction of Convoy PQ.17. Simon and Schuster.
- Milner, Marc (1985). North Atlantic Run. Naval Institute Press. p. 67. ISBN 0-87021-450-0.
- Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
Notes
- 1 2 3 4 "Famous Convoy Battles". uboat.net. Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.32
- 1 2 3 "Convoy HX.65". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ Edwards, p.26
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.41
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp.42&43
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.50
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.54
- ↑ Blair, (1996) p.278
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.62
- ↑ Milner, p.67
- ↑ Greene & Massignani, p.182
- 1 2 Greene & Massignani, p.184
- ↑ Greene & Massignani, p.187
- ↑ Greene & Massignani, p.185
- 1 2 Greene & Massignani, p.191
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.90
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.108
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Abbazia, Patrick (September 1975). "When the Good Shepherds Were Blind". United States Naval Institute Proceedings: 50.
- ↑ "Convoy ON.67". Andrew Hague convoy database. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
- ↑ Greene & Massignani, pp.216–222
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Milner, p.286
- 1 2 Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp.145&146
- ↑ Irving, p.19
- ↑ Vego, Milan. "MAJOR CONVOY OPERATION TO MALTA, 10–15 AUGUST 1942 (OPERATION PEDESTAL)". United States Naval War College. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ↑ Milner, pp.148-150
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp.164&165
- 1 2 Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.184
- 1 2 Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.183
- 1 2 3 "Convoy ONS 154". J. Gordon Mumford. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
- ↑ "Convoy ON.154". Andrew Hague convoy database. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
- ↑ Blair, (1998) pp.811-812
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.195
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp.197&198
- ↑ Hague, p.181
- ↑ Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.250
- 1 2 "Hisendan". Nifty.com. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cressman, pp. 213 & 214
- ↑ Blair, (1975) pp.676–678
- ↑ "Convoy HI-71 And USS HARDER's Last Battles". MilitaryPhotos.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- 1 2 3 Cressman, pp. 274 & 275
- 1 2 Blair, (1975) pp.748 & 749