Convoy PQ 16
Convoy PQ 16 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It sailed in May 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports after five days of air attacks that left eight ships sunk and two damaged. 25 ships arrived safely.
Background
In the winter and spring of 1942, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Soviet Union premier Joseph Stalin continually pressed for more convoys to Russia, to deliver War Stores to help them sustain their fight against Germany, despite the knowledge that the naval forces were stretched to the limit. Finally Stalin sent an urgent message to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in May 1942 in which he said, "I am fully aware of the difficulties involved and of the sacrifices made by Great Britain in the matter (the Russian convoys). I feel, however, incumbent upon me to approach you with the request to take all possible measures in order to ensure the arrival of the above-mentioned materials in the USSR".
Ships
This convoy consisted of 35 merchant ships: 21 American, 4 Soviet, 8 British, 1 Dutch and one of Panamanian registry. It also had one auxiliary vessel, the CAM ship Empire Lawrence. The convoy was led by Commodore H. N. Gale in Ocean Voice.
The close escort was led by the destroyer HMS Ashanti (Cdr. RG Onslow) and consisted of the destroyers ORP Garland, HMS Volunteer , Achates, and Martin, the anti-aircraft ship HMS Alynbank, four Flower class corvettes, one minesweeper and four trawlers.
There were two support groups; a Cruiser Cover Force led by R.Adm. HM Burrough in the cruiser HMS Nigeria, and comprising the cruisers HMS Kent, Liverpool, and Norfolk, and destroyers HMS Onslow, Marne, and Oribi, and a Distant Covering Force of the battleships HMS Duke of York and USS Washington, the carrier HMS Victorious, the cruisers HMS London and USS Wichita, and 13 destroyers.
Action
PQ 16 left Hvalfjord in Iceland on 21 May under the protection of the Local Escort, meeting the Ocean Escort on 23 May. At this time of the year the convoy would be operating in the period of perpetual daylight of the Arctic summer; this lessened the effectiveness of U-boat attack, but make round-the-clock air attack more likely. It also increased the chance of early detection by German reconnaissance aircraft.
On 25 May, PQ 16 met its cruiser escort, but on the same day was spotted by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 reconnaissance plane, which commenced shadowing. That evening the Luftwaffe commenced a series of attacks which continued for the next five days, until the convoy was in range of Soviet fighter cover. One ship was damaged and forced to return under escort; on 26 May all air attacks were repulsed, but one ship Syros, was torpedoed by U-703. By 27 May the air attacks began to break through; three ships were sunk and another damaged around mid-day; another sunk and one damaged in mid-afternoon. That evening two more ships were sunk, and another damaged. On 28 May, the convoy was joined by the Eastern Local escort; three Soviet destroyers and four minesweepers. Their extra fire-power enabled all further air attacks to be beaten off. On 29 the convoy divided, six ships making for Archangel, while the remainder docked at Murmansk.
Eight merchant ships were lost: six by air attack, one by submarine U-703 and one by a mine. Two U-boats were damaged during attacks by escorts, and an unknown number of attacking aircraft shot down.
Aftermath
When Convoy PQ16 was assembled off Iceland Churchill declared it would be worthwhile if even 50% got through; despite the losses the majority of the ships of Convoy PQ16 did arrive, most ships to Murmansk (30 May 1942) and eight ships to Archangelsk (1 June 1942). The convoy was such a success in terms of the War Stores delivered that the Germans made greater efforts to disrupt the following convoys. The Heavy Lift Ships from Convoy PQ16 including SS Empire Elgar stayed at Archangelsk and Molotovsk unloading convoys for over 14 months.
Ships in the convoy
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Achates |  Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May Destroyer | |
| Alamar (1916) |  United States |
5,689 | Sunk by aircraft off Bear Island |
| Alcoa Banner (1919) | United States |
5,035 | |
| HMS Alynbank | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May | |
| American Press (1920) | United States |
5,131 | |
| American Robin (1919) | United States |
5,172 | |
| Arcos (1918) |  Soviet Union |
2,343 | |
| HMS Ashanti | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May Destroyer | |
| Atlantic (1939) |  United Kingdom |
5,414 | |
| RFA Black Ranger (A163) |  United Kingdom |
3,417 | |
| HMS Blankney | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Bramble | Royal Navy |
Escort 28–30 May Destroyer | |
| Carlton (1920) | United States |
5,127 | Bombed and detached |
| Chernyshevski (1919) | Soviet Union |
3,588 | |
| City Of Joliet (1920) | United States |
6,167 | Sunk |
| City Of Omaha (1920) | United States |
6,124 | |
| HMS Duke of York | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Battleship | |
| HMS Eclipse | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| Empire Baffin (1941) | United Kingdom |
6,978 | |
| Empire Elgar (1942) | United Kingdom |
2,847 | |
| Empire Lawrence (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,457 | Bombed and sunk |
| Empire Purcell (1942) | United Kingdom |
7,049 | Sunk by aircraft |
| Empire Selwyn (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,167 | |
| Exterminator (1924) |  Panama |
6,115 | |
| HMS Faulknor | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Roselys | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May | |
| HMS Fury | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| ORP Garland |  Polish Navy |
Escort 23–27 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Gossamer | Royal Navy |
Escort 28–30 May | |
| Grozni |  Soviet Navy |
Escort 28–30 May | |
| HMS Hazard | Royal Navy |
Escort 21–30 May | |
| Heffron (1919) | United States |
7,611 | |
| HMS Honeysuckle | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May | |
| Hybert (1920) | United States |
6,120 | |
| HMS Hyderabad | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May | |
| HMS Icarus | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Intrepid | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| John Randolph (1941) | United States |
7,191 | |
| HMS Kent (54) | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–26 May Heavy cruiser | |
| Kuibyshev | Soviet Navy |
Escort 28–30 May | |
| HMS Lady Madeleine (FY 283) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21 May ASW trawler | |
| HMS Lamerton | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Leda (J93) | Royal Navy |
Escort 29–30 May | |
| HMS Ledbury | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Liverpool | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–26 May Light cruiser | |
| HMS London | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Heavy cruiser | |
| Lowther Castle (1937) | United Kingdom |
5,171 | Sunk by aircraft using aerial torpedo |
| HMS Marne | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–26 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Martin | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May Destroyer | |
| Massmar (1920) | United States |
5,828 | |
| Mauna Kea (1919) | United States |
6,064 | |
| Michigan (1920) | Panama |
6,419 | |
| HMS Middleton | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
| Minotaur (1918) | United States |
4,554 | |
| Mormacsul (1920) | United States |
5,481 | Sunk by German aircraft Off North Cape On 27 May |
| Nemaha (1920) | United States |
6,501 | |
| HMS Nigeria | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–26 May Light cruiser | |
| HMS Norfolk | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–26 May Heavy Cruiser | |
| HMS Northern Spray (FY 129) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21–26 May ASW Trawler | |
| Ocean Voice (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,174 | Bomb-damaged but reached port safely |
| HMS Onslow | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–26 May Destroyer | |
| HMS Oribi | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–26 May Destroyer | |
| Pieter De Hoogh (1941) |  Netherlands |
7,168 | |
| HMS Retriever (FY 261) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21–25 May ASW trawler | |
| Revolutsioner (1936) | Soviet Union |
2,900 | |
| Richard Henry Lee (1941) | United States |
7,191 | |
| HMS Seagull | Royal Navy |
Escort 28–30 May Minesweeper | |
| HMS Seawolf | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Submarine | |
| Shchors (1921) | Soviet Union |
3,770 | |
| Sokrushitelny | Soviet Navy |
Escort 28–30 May | |
| HMS St Elstan (FY 240) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21 May ASW trawler | |
| HMS Starwort | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May | |
| Stari Bolshevik (1933) | Soviet Union |
3,974 | Bomb-damaged but reached port safely |
| Steel Worker (1920) | United States |
5,685 | Reached port but was later bombed in harbour and sunk.[1] |
| Syros (1920) | United States |
6,191 | Sunk |
| HMS Trident | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Submarine | |
| USS Mayrant | United States |
Escort 24–29 May Destroyer | |
| USS Rhind | United States |
Escort 24–29 May Destroyer | |
| USS Rowan | United States |
Escort 24–29 May Destroyer | |
| USS Wainwright | United States |
Escort 24–29 May Destroyer | |
| USS Washington | United States |
Escort 23–29 May Battleship | |
| USS Wichita | United States |
Escort 23–29 May Heavy cruiser | |
| HMS Victorious | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Aircraft carrier | |
| HMS Volunteer | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–30 May Destroyer | |
| West Nilus (1920) | United States |
5,495 | |
| HMS Wheatland | Royal Navy |
Escort 23–29 May Destroyer | |
See also
- HMS Ulysses (novel)
- Finnish radio intelligence intercepted planned route of the convoy.
Notes
- ↑ "Convoy PQ.16". Convoyweb. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
In popular literature
British war correspondent Alexander Werth describes his journey to Soviet Russia via the PQ 16 convoy in his 1946 book The Year of Stalingrad. He traveled on SS Empire Baffin, which was damaged in the bombings but managed to arrive to Murmansk under her own power.
References
- Clay Blair : Hitler's U-Boat War Vol I (1996) ISBN 0-304-35260-8
- Paul Kemp : Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters (1993) ISBN 1-85409-130-1
- Bernard Schofield : (1964) The Russian Convoys BT Batsford ISBN (none)
- Ransome Wallis, R (1973), Two Red Stripes, Ian Allen Ltd, ISBN 0-7110-0461-7
- Admiral Sir John C. Tovey, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, Extracts from despatches on convoys to North Russia 1942
- Richard Woodman: Arctic Convoys 1941-1945 (1994) ISBN 0-7195-5752-6
- Convoy web
- jcs-group.com: Battle of the Atlantic
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