Convoy ON-166
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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 USCG Treasury Class Cutters Campbell and Spencer and the Flower class corvettes Dianthus, Chilliwack, Rosthern, Trillium and Dauphin.
On 20 February U-604 sighted the convoy scattered by a northwesterly gale. U-332 torpedoed straggling 5964-ton Norwegian Stigstad on the morning of 21 February. Three of Stigstad's crew were lost. U-623 was sunk by a No. 120 Squadron RAF B-24 Liberator that afternoon, and Campbell attacked a U-boat that evening. Postwar analysis concluded Campbell sank U-225,[1] but more recent re-evaluation indicates the attack may have destroyed U-529.[2]
U-92 torpedoed 9348-ton Norwegian NT Nielsen Alonso and 9990-ton British Empire Trader on the night of February 21-22. Three merchant sailors were lost with 985 tons of chemical cargo.[3] ORP Burza from following convoy ONS-167 was ordered to reinforce the convoy escort.
U-606 torpedoed 6615-ton British Empire Redshank, 5687-ton American Chattanooga City and 4959-ton American Expositor after sunset 22 February, and was damaged by depth charges from the recently arrived ORP Burza. Campbell was disabled in a collision with U-606; and twelve men were rescued from the crew of the sinking U-boat. ORP Burza left the convoy to tow Campbell back to port. Convoy rescue ship Stockport was sunk by U-604 while returning to the convoy after rescuing men from the three ships torpedoed by U-606. Sixty-nine merchant sailors were lost.[4]
U-628 torpedoed 6907-ton Panamanian Winkler and 6409-ton Norwegian Glittre and U-186 torpedoed 6207-ton British Eulima and 5401-ton American Hastings on 23 February while Spencer, Rosthern and Chilliwack remained with the convoy and Dianthus left to refuel. Ninety-five merchant sailors were lost.[5]
U-653 torpedoed straggling 7176-ton American Jonathan Sturges. U-600 torpedoed 4391-ton Norwegian Ingria before dawn on 24 February. U-628 torpedoed 7264-ton British Manchester Merchant before dawn 25 February. Ninety-two merchant sailors were lost.[6] The U-boats discontinued the attack on 26 February, and 48 ships reached New York City on 3 March 1943.
[edit] References
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
- Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943. Little, Brown and Company.
- Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
