Convoy SC 107

Convoy SC-107 was the 107th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool.[1] Ships departed New York City on 24 October 1942;[2] and were found and reported by U-522 on 30 October as the Western Local Escort Force[3] turned the convoy over to Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-4 consisting of the Canadian River class destroyer Restigouche with Flower class corvettes Amherst, Arvida, Sherbrooke, Celandine, Algoma, Moosejaw,[4] and the Convoy rescue ship Stockport.[3]

Contents

Battle

U-520 was sunk near the convoy by a No. 10 Squadron RCAF Digby bomber.[3] U-boat Ace Kapitänleutnant Siegfried von Forstner's U-402 torpedoed Greek freighter Rinos and British freighters Empire Sunrise, Dalcroy, Empire Antelope, and Empire Leopard after sunset on 1 November while U-522 torpedoed Greek freighter Mount Pelion and British freighters Hartington and Maratima.[3] Kapitänleutnant von Forstner would receive the Knight's Cross for U-402's work in this convoy and in Convoy SC-118 on the next patrol. U-522 torpedoed Greek freighter Parthenon in a daylight attack on 2 November.[3]

The escort was reinforced by the V class destroyer Vanessa from convoy HX-213. U-521 torpedoed American tanker Hahira on 3 November.[3] U-89 torpedoed the convoy commodore's freighter Jeypore after sunset on 3 November while U-132 torpedoed Dutch freighter Hobbema and British freighters Empire Lynx and Hatimura.[3] U-132 is believed to have been destroyed by the kiloton-range detonation of the ammunition cargo of the latter ship.[3]

On 4 November Arvida and Celandine were detached to Iceland with Stockport and 2 tugs overcrowded with 240 survivors.[3] U-89 torpedoed British freighter Daleby shortly before the convoy escort was reinforced by the USCG Treasury Class Cutter Ingham and the Wickes class destroyers Leary and Schenck from Iceland.[3] No. 120 Squadron RAF B-24 Liberators scrambled from Iceland drove off the remaining U-boats,[3] and the convoy reached Liverpool on 10 November.[2]

Ships in convoy

Name[5] Flag[5] Dead[6] Tonnage[5] Cargo[6] Notes[5]
Agios Georgios (1911) 4,248 gross register tons (GRT) grain & general cargo survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5
Ann Skakel (1920) 4,949 GRT detached to Iceland 7 Nov; survived this convoy and convoy SC 118
Benedick (1928) 6,978 GRT furnace fuel oil survived this convoy, convoy SC 122 and convoy SC 130
Berkel (1930) 2,130 GRT lumber survived this convoy, convoy ON 154 and convoy ONS 5
Bruarfoss (1927) 1,580 GRT detached to Iceland 7 Nov
Carrier (1921) 3,036 GRT grain
Dalcroy (1930) (none) 4,558 GRT 1,809 tons steel & lumber sunk by U-402
Daleby (1929) (none) 4,640 GRT 8,500 tons grain sunk by U-89
Empire Antelope (1919) (none) 4,945 GRT 5,560 tons general cargo veteran of convoy SC 94; sunk by U-402
Empire Leopard (1917) 37 5,676 GRT 7,410 tons zinc concentrates sunk by U-402
Empire Lynx (1917) (none) 6,379 GRT 7,850 tons general cargo sunk by U-132
Empire Shackleton (1941) 7,068 GRT steel & lumber CAM ship; survived to be sunk the following month in convoy ON 154
Empire Sunrise (1941) (none) 7,459 GRT 10,000 tons steel & lumber sunk by U-402 & U-84
Empire Union (1924) 5,952 GRT general cargo survived to be sunk the following month in convoy ON 154
Fairwater (1928) 4,108 GRT steel & lumber
Geisha (1921) 5,113 GRT general cargo ship's master was convoy vice commodore
Granfoss (1913) 1,461 GRT flour
Hahira (1920) 3 6,855 GRT 8,985 tons furnace fuel oil sunk by U-521
Hartington (1932) 24 5,496 GRT tanks & 8,000 tons wheat sunk by U-522, U-438 & U-521
Hatimura (1918) 4 6,690 GRT food, steel, ammunition & explosives sunk by U-132
Hobbema (1918) 28 5,507 GRT 7,000 tons explosives & general cargo sunk by U-132
Janeta (1929) 4,312 GRT steel & lumber survived this convoy and convoy ON 154
Jeypore (1920) 1 5,318 GRT 6,200 tons explosives & general cargo carried convoy commodore VADM B C Watson CB DSO; sunk by U-89
L V Stanford (1921) 7,138 GRT fuel oil survived this convoy and convoy SC 121
Maratima (1912) 32 5,804 GRT 7,167 tons explosives & general cargo sunk by U-522
Marsa (1928) 4,405 GRT steel & lumber
Mount Pelion (1917) 7 6,625 GRT 7,452 tons general cargo & trucks veteran of convoy SC 94; sunk by U-522
New York City (1917) 2,710 GRT general cargo survived this convoy and convoy SC 118
Olney (1928) 7,294 GRT diesel survived this convoy and convoy ON 154
Oropos (1913) 4,474 GRT grain
PLM 17 (1922) 4,008 GRT phosphates survived damaged by depth charge explosions
Pacific (1914) 4,978 GRT general cargo
Parthenon (1908) 6 3,189 GRT paper sunk by U-522
USS Pleiades (1939) 3,600 GRT veteran of convoy ON 67; detached to Iceland
Rinos (1919) 8 4,649 GRT 6,151 tons general cargo & trucks sunk by U-402
Stockport (1911) 1,583 GRT convoy rescue ship
Tidewater (1930) 8,886 GRT furnace fuel oil
Titus (1930) 1,712 GRT flour veteran of convoy SC 42
Vest (1920) 5,074 GRT grain & lumber survived this convoy and convoy ON 154

Notes

  1. ^ Hague 2000 p.133
  2. ^ a b Hague 2000 p.135
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.170
  4. ^ Milner 1985 p.290
  5. ^ a b c d "SC convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sc/index.html. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
  6. ^ a b Hague 2000 p.137

References