Convoy OG 69
| Convoy OG.69 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Germany |
 United Kingdom | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Admiral Karl Dönitz | |||||
| Strength | |||||
|
8 U-boats 2 Italian submarines |
28 merchant ships 17 escorts | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 7 ships sunk | |||||
Convoy OG 69 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the second World War. It was the 69th of the numbered OG convoys Outbound from the British Isles to Gibraltar. The convoy departed Liverpool on 20 July 1941[1] and was found on 25 July by Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors of Kampfgeschwader 40. Seven ships were sunk by submarine attacks continuing through 30 July.[2]
Escorts
The convoy was protected by the following escorts:-
- 10 Corvettes
- HMS Alisma (K185)
- HMS Begonia (K66)
- HMS Dianella (K07)
- HMS Fleur De Lys (K122)
- HMS Jasmine (K23)
- HMS Kingcup (K33)
- HMS Larkspur (K82)
- HMS Pimpernel (K71)
- HMS Rhododendron (K78)
- HMS Sunflower (K41)
- 1 Sloop
- HMS Black Swan (L57)
- HMS Drangey (FY195)
- HMS Lady Shirley
- HMS Paynter (FY242)
- HMT St Nectan
- 1 Converted cargo ship
- HMS Goodwin
Submarines
The convoy was initially located by German Naval signals intelligence (B-Dienst), then visual confirmation was provided by a Focke-Wulf Fw200 aircraft.
10 boats were directed to intercept the convoy, with the assistance of the Luftwaffe aircraft.
- U-68 – Korvettenkapitän Karl-Friedrich Merten[3]
- U-79 – Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Kaufmann[4]
- U-126 – Kapitänleutnant Ernst Bauer[5]
- U-203 – Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg[6]
- U-331 – Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Dietrich von Tiesenhausen[7]
- U-561 – Oberleutnant zur See Robert Bartels[8]
- U-562 – Oberleutnant zur See Herwig Collmann[9]
- U-564 – Oberleutnant zur See Reinhard Suhren[10]
- Barbarigo[2]
- Calvi[2]
Ships in the convoy[11]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjutant (1922) |  United Kingdom |
1,931 | Bound for Gibraltar |
| Afghanistan (1940) | United Kingdom |
6,992 | Bound for Cape Town |
| HMS Alisma (K185) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21 Jul – 26 Jul. Corvette | |
| Arabistan (1929) | United Kingdom |
5,874 | Bound for Cape Town |
| HMS Begonia (K66) | Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Jul – 28 Jul. Corvette | |
| HMS Black Swan (L57) | Royal Navy |
Escort 19 Jul – 20 Jul. Sloop | |
| Charlbury (1940) | United Kingdom |
4,836 | Bound for Rio de Janeiro |
| City of Lyons (1926) | United Kingdom |
7,063 | Bound for Cape Town |
| Como (1910) | United Kingdom |
1,295 | Bound for Lisbon |
| Dayrose (1928) | United Kingdom |
4,113 | In ballast |
| HMS Dianella (K07) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21 Jul – 26 Jul | |
| HMS Drangey (FY195) | Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Jul. ASW trawler | |
| Empire Dawn (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,241 | Bound for Cape Town |
| Empire Voice (1940) | United Kingdom |
6,828 | Bound for Cape Town |
| Erato (1923) | United Kingdom |
1,335 | Sunk by U-126[12] on 27 Jul. There were 9 dead. The survivors, including the ship's Master, were picked up by HMS Begonia (K66) and landed in Gibraltar Capt C M Ford Rd RNR (Commodore) |
| HMS Fleur De Lys (K122) | Royal Navy |
Escort 27 Jul – 1 Aug. Corvette | |
| HMS Goodwin | Royal Navy |
Escort 19 Jul – 20 Jul. A converted coastal cargo ship | |
| Hawkinge (1924) | United Kingdom |
2,475 | Sunk by U-203[13] on 27 Jul. There were 15 dead. Survivors were picked up by HMS Sunflower (K41) and HMS Vanoc (H33) |
| Inga I (1921) |  Norway |
1,304 | Torpedoed, broke in two, and sunk by U-126[14] on 27 Jul. There were 9 dead. The survivors were picked up by one of the escorts and landed in Gibraltar |
| HMS Jasmine (K23) | Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Jul – 1 Aug. Corvette | |
| Kellwyn (1920) | United Kingdom |
1,459 | Sunk by U-79[15] on 27 Jul. There were 14 dead. The 9 survivors were picked up by HMT St.Nectan |
| HMS Kingcup (K33) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21 Jul – 26 Jul. Corvette | |
| Lady Hogarth | Royal Navy |
Escort 27 Jul – 1 Aug | |
| HMS Lady Shirley | Royal Navy |
Escort 27 Jul – 31 Jul. ASW trawler | |
| Lapland (1936) | United Kingdom |
1,330 | Sunk by U-203[16] on 28 Jul. There were no dead. Survivors were picked up by HMS Rhododendron (K78). |
| Larchbank (1925) | United Kingdom |
5,151 | Bound for Cape Town |
| HMS Larkspur (K82) | Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Jul – 1 Aug. Corvette | |
| Norita (1924) |  Sweden |
1,516 | Sunk by U-203[17] on 28 Jul. There were 2 dead |
| HMS Paynter (FY242) | Royal Navy |
Escort 19 Jul – 20 Jul. ASW trawler | |
| Pelayo (1927) | United Kingdom |
1,345 | Bound for Gibraltar |
| HMS Pimpernel (K71) | Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Jul – 1 Aug. Corvette | |
| Rhineland (1922) | United Kingdom |
1,381 | Bound for Lisbon |
| HMS Rhododendron (K78) | Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Jul – 30 Jul. Corvette | |
| Romney (1929) | United Kingdom |
5,840 | Bound for Alexandria |
| Ruth I (1900) | Norway |
3,531 | Bound for Cadiz |
| Shahristan (1945) | United Kingdom |
7,309 | 68 Passengers. Bound for Cape Town. Sunk by U-371[18] On 30 Jul SE of the Azores, after detaching from the convoy |
| Sheaf Crown (1929) | United Kingdom |
4,868 | Bound for Huelva |
| Shuna (1937) | United Kingdom |
1,575 | Returned |
| Sitoebondo (1916) |  Netherlands |
7,049 | Bound for Cape Town. Sunk by U-371[19] on 30 Jul after detaching from the convoy. There were 19 dead. |
| HMT St Nectan | Royal Navy |
Escort 20 Jul – 1 Aug. ASW trawler | |
| HMS Sunflower (K41) | Royal Navy |
Escort 21 Jul – 27 Jul. Corvette | |
| Thistlegorm (1940) | United Kingdom |
4,898 | Bound for Cape Town |
| Tintern Abbey (1939) | United Kingdom |
2,471 | |
| Wrotham (1927) | United Kingdom |
1,884 | Torpedoed, and sank in 30 seconds, by U-561[20] on 27 Jul. There were no dead. The 9 survivors were picked up by HMS Fleur de Lys (K122) and HMS Rhododendron (K78) and landed in Gibraltar |
| Yorkwood (1936) | United Kingdom |
5,401 | Bound for Cape Town |
References
- ↑ Hague, pp.175&176
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.74
- ↑ "Karl-Friedrich Merten". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Wolfgang Kaufmann". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Ernst Bauer". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Rolf Mützelburg". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Freiherr Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Robert Bartels". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Herwig Collmann". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Reinhard Suhren". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Convoy OG.69". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Erato – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Hawkinge – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Inga I – Norwegian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Kellwyn – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Lapland – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Norita – Swedish steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Shahristan – British Steam Merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Sitoebondo – Dutch steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ↑ "Wrotham – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
Bibliography
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.