Convoy SC-42

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Convoy SC-42 was the 42nd of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool.[1] Sixty-five ships departed Sydney on 30 August 1941;[2] and a week later were met just east of the Strait of Belle Isle by the Canadian 24th Escort Group consisting of the Canadian River class destroyer Skeena with Flower class corvettes Alberni, Kenogami, and Orillia.[3] Flower class corvettes Chambly and Moose Jaw were conducting training exercises in the convoy path, and were prepared to reinforce the convoy as it entered an area where U-boats were known to be waiting.[4]

U-85 reported the convoy near Cape Farewell, Greenland on 9 September and made an unsuccessful torpedo attack.[5] The moon rose on the southern side on the convoy that night, and U-432 torpedoed the silhouetted 5229-ton British freighter Muneric. Muneric and her cargo of 7000 tons of iron ore sank rapidly with all 63 of her crew.[6] Kenogami commenced firing on a surfaced U-boat without benefit of star shell or flashless powder, and quickly lost contact as the crew lost their night-vision in the flash of gunfire.[7] The convoy made two emergency turns over the next half-hour as ships in convoy reported sighting three more surfaced U-boats.[8] Another emergency convoy turn ninety minutes later caught Skeena pursuing a contact at speed; and while maneuvering to avoid collision, Skeena passed on reciprocal course a surfaced U-boat being fired upon by ships in convoy so closely Skeena's guns could not be depressed to bear.[9] U-652 torpedoed Baron Pentland and Tahchee during the excitement. The tanker Tahchee was towed back to port by Orillia;[10] but the 3410-ton British freighter Baron Pentland sank with 1512 standards of lumber and two of her crew.[11]

Another emergency turn by the convoy brought two hours of suspenseful quiet while Orillia aided Tahchee and searched for survivors astern of the convoy.[12] Then U-432 torpedoed the 3205-ton Dutch freighter Winterswijk and the 1113-ton Norwegian freighter Stargard.[13] The freighter Regin stopped to rescue Starguard's survivors and opened fire on a surfaced U-boat.[14] While Skeena and Kenogami searched for U-boats around stricken Winterswijk and Stargard, U-81 torpedoed the 3252-ton British freighter Sally Maersk, and the convoy made another emergency turn to avoid a surfaced U-boat.[15] U-82 torpedoed the 7465-ton British CAM ship Empire Hudson[16] less than two hours after Skeena regained station ahead of the convoy.[17]

Daylight on 10 September brought several periscope sightings and emergency turns by the convoy before U-85 torpedoed the 4748-ton British freighter Thistleglen.[18] Skeena and Alberni counterattacked and damaged U-85 with depth charges.[19] Thistleglen sank with 5200 tons of steel, 2400 tons of pig iron, and 3 of her crew.[20]

U-82 torpedoed the 7519-ton British tanker Bulysses that evening.[21] U-82 then torpedoed the 3915-ton British freighter Gypsum Queen shortly after the convoy ordered an emergency turn.[22] Gypsum Queen sank quickly with 5500 tons of sulfur and ten of her crew.[23] Bulysses sank with 9300 tons of gas oil and 4 of her crew.[24] Other ships in convoy rescued survivors.[25] Flower class corvettes Chambly and Moose Jaw observed the fireworks of these attacks and surprised U-501 while steaming to reinforce the escort.[26] U-501 was first depth-charged by Chambly then rammed by Moose Jaw as the damaged submarine surfaced. The captain of U-501 jumped from the conning tower to Moose Jaw's deck; and Moose Jaw sent a boarding party to enter the submarine. Eleven Germans and one of the Canadian boarding party were lost when U-501 sank.[27] U-501 was the first U-boat sunk by Canadian escorts.[28]

U-207 torpedoed the 4924-ton British freighter Berury and the 4815-ton British freighter Stonepool while Chambly and Moose Jaw were attacking U-501. Then U-432 torpedoed the 1231-ton Swedish freighter Garm and U-82 torpedoed the 5463-ton British freighter Empire Crossbill and the 1980-ton Swedish freighter Scania two hours later while Alberni, Kenogami and Moose Jaw were rescuing survivors of Berury and Stonepool.[29][30] U-43 launched torpedoes unsuccessfully, U-433 damaged a 2200-ton freighter, U-202 sank the crippled Scania, and U-105 sank a straggler.[31]

HMS Leamington
HMS Leamington

On 11 September, the escort was reinforced by the naval trawler Buttermere and Flower class corvettes Wetaskiwin, Mimosa, and Gladiolus from convoy HX-147 and by the 2nd Escort Group consisting of the Admiralty type flotilla leader Douglas, the Town class destroyer Leamington, the V and W class destroyer Veteran, and S class destroyers Skate, and Saladin.[32] Leamington and Veteran dropped 21 depth charges on the afternoon of 11 September while investigating a coastal command aircraft report of a U-boat ahead of the convoy. Postwar analysis indicated their attacks probably destroyed U-207.[33]

Arrival of the naval trawler Windermere and Town class destroyers St. Croix from convoy SC-41 and Columbia from convoy HX-147 allowed the remaining original escorts Skeena, Alberni, and Kenogami to leave for refueling on 12 September.[34] Destroyers of the 2nd Escort Group departed for refueling following arrival of American destroyers Sims, Hughes, and Russell on 13 September.[35] U-98 torpedoed the 4392-ton British freighter Jedmore as the convoy approached North Channel on the late afternoon of 16 September.[36]

[edit] Table of Convoy Losses

..[37]

Date Name Nationality Casualties Tonnage Cargo Sunk by…
2137 9 Sept Muneric British 63 5229 GRT iron ore U-432
2348 9 Sept Baron Pentland British 2 3410 GRT lumber U-652
0210 10 Sept Winterswijk Dutch 20 3205 GRT phosphates U-432
0210 10 Sept Stargard Norwegian 2 1113 GRT lumber U-432
0245 10 Sept Sally Maersk British 0 3252 GRT wheat U-81
0504 10 Sept Empire Hudson British 4 7456 GRT wheat U-82
1030 10 Sept Thistleglen British 3 4748 GRT steel & pig iron U-85
2057 10 Sept Bulysses British 4 7519 GRT gas oil U-82
2100 10 Sept Gypsum Queen British 10 3915 GRT sulfur U-82
0010 11 Sept Stonepool British 42 4815 GRT grain, oats & trucks U-207
0010 11 Sept Berury British 1 4924 GRT general U-207
0210 11 Sept Scania Swedish 0 1980 GRT lumber U-82
0210 11 Sept Empire Crossbill British 49 5463 GRT steel U-82
0230 11 Sept Garm Swedish 6 1231 GRT lumber U-432
1900 16 Sept Jedmore British 31 4392 GRT iron ore U-98

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Hague 2000 p.133
  2. ^ Hague 2000 p.135
  3. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  4. ^ Milner 1985 pp.67-8
  5. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  6. ^ Milner 1985 p.68
  7. ^ Milner 1985 p.68
  8. ^ Milner 1985 pp.68-9
  9. ^ Milner 1985 p.69
  10. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  11. ^ Hague 2000 p.136
  12. ^ Milner 1985 p.69
  13. ^ Milner 1985 p.69
  14. ^ Milner 1985 p.69
  15. ^ Milner 1985 p.70
  16. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  17. ^ Milner 1985 p.70
  18. ^ Milner 1985 p.71
  19. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  20. ^ Hague 2000 p.136
  21. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  22. ^ Milner 1985 pp.71-2
  23. ^ Hague 2000 p.136
  24. ^ Hague 2000 p.136
  25. ^ Milner 1985 pp.71-2
  26. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  27. ^ Milner 1985 pp.72-3
  28. ^ Blair 1996 p.364
  29. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  30. ^ Milner 1985 p.73
  31. ^ Blair 1996 p.363
  32. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  33. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  34. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  35. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.82
  36. ^ Blair 1996 p.364
  37. ^ Hague 2000 p.136

[edit] References

  • Blair, Clay (1996). Hitler's U-Boat War - The Hunters 1939-1942. Random House. ISBN 0-394-58839-8. 
  • Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3. 
  • Milner, Marc (1985). North Atlantic Run. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-450-0. 
  • Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.