Convoy QP 14

HMS Somali sunk
Convoy QP.14
Part of World War II
Date1326 September 1942
LocationArctic Ocean
Belligerents
Germany United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Capt J C K Dowding CBE DSO Rd RNR (Commodore)
Strength
7 U-boats 17 merchant ships
65 escorts
Casualties and losses
6 ships sunk

QP.14 was an Arctic convoy of the QP series which ran during World War II from Archangel to Loch Ewe.

The convoy consisted of 17 merchant vessels and sixty-five escorts. While en route, it was attacked by seven U-boats,which sunk six of the vessels.

Escorts

The convoy was protected by the following:

  • HMS Ayrshire, HMS Lord Austin, HMT Lord Middleton and HMT Northern Gem
  • HMS P614 and HMS P615
  • HMS Alynbank, HMS Palomares, then HMS Pozarica introduced to replace Alynbank
  • SS Rathlin and SS Zamalek

U-boats

The convoy was attacked by seven U-boats, namely:

Ships in the convoy[8]

Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Alcoa Banner (1919)  United States 5,035
HMS Alynbank  Royal Navy Escort 17 Sep. Anti-aircraft ship
HMS Amazon (D39)  Royal Navy Escort 15 – 22 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Anson (79)  Royal Navy Escort 19 – 22 Sep. Battleship
HMS Ashanti (F51)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 21 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Avenger (D14)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 20 Sep. Escort aircraft carrier
HMS Ayrshire (FY225)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. ASW trawler
Bellingham (1920)  United States 5,345 Sunk by U-435[9] on 22 Sep W of Jan Mayen Island. No dead. Survivors picked up by Rathlin
Benjamin Harrison (1942)  United States 2,191
RFA Black Ranger  Royal Fleet Auxiliary 3,417 Escort Oiler
HMS Blankney (L30)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Bramble (J11)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Bramham (L51)  Royal Navy Escort 23 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Britomart (J22)  Royal Navy Escort 13 Sep. Minesweeper
HMS Bulldog (H91)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Cowdray (L52)  Royal Navy Escort – 20 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Cumberland (57)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Heavy cruiser
Deer Lodge (1919)  United States 6,187
HMS Dianella (K07)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 26 Sep. Corvette
HMS Duke of York (17)  Royal Navy Escort 19 – 22 Sep. Battleship
HMS Echo (H23)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Eclipse (H08)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Destroyer
Empire Tide (1941)  United Kingdom 6,978 CAM ship. 23 Passengers
HMS Eskimo (F75)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 21 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Faulknor (H62)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Fury (H76)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 20 Sep. Destroyer
RFA Grey Ranger (1941)  Royal Fleet Auxiliary 3,313 Replenishment oiler. Sunk by U-435[10] on 22 Sep W of Jan Mayen Island. 6 dead. Survivors picked up by Rathlin
HMS Halcyon (J42)  Royal Navy Escort 13 Sep. Minesweeper
Harmatris (1932)  United Kingdom 5,395
HMS Hazard  Royal Navy Escort 13 Sep. Minesweeper
HMS Impulsive (D11)  Royal Navy Escort – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Intrepid (D10)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 21 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Jamaica (44)  Royal Navy Escort 19 – 22 Sep. Cruiser
HMS Keppel (D84)  Royal Navy Escort 19 – 22 Sep. Destroyer leader
HMS La Malouine (K46)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 26 Sep. Corvette
HMS Leda (J93)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 20 Sep. Minesweeper. Sunk by U-435[11] on 20 Sep SW of Spitzbergen. Survivors picked up by Rathlin and Zamalek. Cdr A H Wynne-Edwards RN
HMS London (69)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Heavy cruiser
HMS Lord Austin (FY220)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. ASW trawler
HMT Lord Middleton (FY219)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. ASW trawler
HMS Lotus (K130)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 26 Sep. Corvette
HMS Mackay  Royal Navy Escort 19 – 22 Sep. Destroyer leader
HMS Marne (G35)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Meteor (G73)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Middleton (L74)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Milne (G14)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 22 Sep. Destroyer
Minotaur (1918)  United States 4,554
HMS Montrose (D01)  Royal Navy Escort 19 – 22 Sep. WW1-era destroyer
HMS Norfolk (78)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Heavy cruiser
HMT Northern Gem (FY194)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. ASW trawler
HMS Oakley (L98)  Royal Navy Escort – 20 Sep. Destroyer
Ocean Freedom (1942)  United Kingdom 7,173 8 Passengers. Ship's Master is vice-commodore
Ocean Voice (1941)  United Kingdom 7,174 5 Naval staff officers. 25 Soviet passengers. Sunk by U-435[12] on 22 Sep. No dead. Survivors picked up by both HMS Seagull (J85), and landed at Scapa Flow, and Zamalek, and landed at Glasgow. Capt J C K Dowding CBE DSO Rd RNR (Commodore)
HMS Offa (G29)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
RFA Oligarch (1918)  Royal Fleet Auxiliary 6,894 Replenishment oiler
HMS Onslaught (G04)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Onslow (G17)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Opportune (G80)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 21 Sep. Destroyer
HMS P614  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 21 Sep. Submarine
HMS P615  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 21 Sep. Submarine
HMS Palomares  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 26 Sep. Anti-aircraft artillery ship
HMS Poppy (K213)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 26 Sep. Corvette
HMS Pozarica  Royal Navy Escort 23 – 26 Sep. Anti-aircraft ship
Rathlin (1936)  United Kingdom 1,600 Rescue ship. Routed via Seidisfjord 23 Sep for stores
HMS Salamander (J86)  Royal Navy Escort 13 Sep. Minesweeper
Samuel Chase (1942)  United States 7,191
HMS Scylla (98)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 20 Sep. Cruiser
HMS Seagull (J85)  Royal Navy Escort 13 – 25 Sep. Minesweeper
HMS Sheffield (C24)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Cruiser
Silver Sword (1919)  United States 4,937 Sunk by U-255[13] on 20 Sep. 1 dead. Survivors picked up by Rathlin and Zamalek and landed at Glasgow.
HMS Somali (F33)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 20 Sep. Destroyer. Torpedoed by U-703[14] on 20 Sep. Crippled, the majority of the crew were rescued by HMS Lord Middleton (FY219), leaving a skeleton crew aboard. HMS Ashanti (G51) took the vessel in tow, but the line parted, she folded in half, capsized and sank. Only 35 of the skeleton crew survived.
HMS Suffolk (55)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Heavy cruiser
HMS Tartar (F43)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 25 Sep. Destroyer
Tobruk (1942)  Poland 7,048
Troubador (1920)  Panama 6,428
HMS Venomous (D75)  Royal Navy Escort 14 – 22 Sep. Destroyer
West Nilus (1920)  United States 5,495
HMS Wheatland  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 20 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Wilton (L128)  Royal Navy Escort 17 – 20 Sep. Destroyer
HMS Windsor (D42)  Royal Navy Escort – 20 Sep. WW1-era destroyer
Winston-Salem (1920)  United States 6,223 Position Unknown, Lloyd's Confirm Slg
HMS Worcester (D96)  Royal Navy Escort - 25 Sep. Destroyer
Zamalek (1921)  United Kingdom 1,567 Rescue Ship, 61 Survivors, 4 Passengers

References

  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Heinrich Timm". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Reinhart Reche". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Heinz-Ehlert Clausen". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Reinhard von Hymmen". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Siegfried Strelow". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Carl Borm". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Heinz Bielfeld". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  8. "Convoy QP.14". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Bellingham - American steam merchant". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  10. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Grey Ranger - British fleet oiler". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  11. Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Leda (J93) - British fleet minesweeper". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  12. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ocean Voice - British steam merchant". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  13. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Silver Sword - American steam merchant". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  14. Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Somali (F33) - British Destroyer". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 11 November 2013.

Bibliography

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, December 22, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.