View source for Convoy SC 118

{{short description|Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Convoy SC 118
|campaign=
|image=[[File:USSSchneckDD159.jpg|300px]]
|caption= {{USS|Schenck|DD-159|6}} at sea
|partof=[[Battle of the Atlantic]]
|date=4–7 February 1943
|place=[[North Atlantic]]
|result=German tactical victory
|combatant1={{flag|United Kingdom|naval}}<br/>{{flag|Canada|naval-1911}}<br/>{{flag|United States|1912}}<br/>{{flag|Free French}}<ref>The Flower-class corvette ''Lobelia'' was then under Free French </ref>
|combatant2={{flagcountry|Nazi Germany|naval}}
|commander1= Captain H C C Forsyth RNR<br/>Commander Proudfoot RN
|commander2=[[Admiral]] [[Karl Dönitz]]  
|strength1= 64 freighters<br/>5 [[destroyer]]s<br/>2 [[United States Coast Guard Cutter|cutters]]<br/>4 [[corvette]]s
|strength2= 20 submarines 
|casualties1= 8 freighters sunk (51,592 [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]])<br/>445 killed/drowned
|casualties2= 3 submarines sunk<br/>101 killed/drowned<br/>45 captured
|campaignbox={{Campaignbox Atlantic Campaign}}
}}

'''Convoy SC 118''' was the 118th of the numbered series of [[World War II]] [[SC convoys|slow convoys]] of merchant ships from [[Sydney, Nova Scotia|Sydney]], [[Cape Breton Island]], to [[Liverpool]].<ref>Hague 2000 p. 133</ref> The ships departed [[New York City]] on 24 January 1943<ref name="Hague 2000 p.135">Hague 2000 p.135</ref> and were met by [[Mid-Ocean Escort Force]] Group [[B-2 Escort Group (Royal Navy)|B-2]] consisting of [[V and W-class destroyer|V-class]] [[destroyer]]s {{HMS|Vanessa|D29|2}} and {{HMS|Vimy|D33|2}}, the {{sclass2|Treasury|cutter|0}} [[United States Coast Guard Cutter|cutter]] {{USCGC|Bibb|WPG-31|2}}, the {{sclass2|Town|destroyer|2}} {{HMS|Beverley|H64|2}}, {{sclass2|Flower|corvette}}s {{HMS|Campanula|K18|2}}, {{HMS|Mignonette|K38|2}}, {{HMS|Abelia|K184|2}} and {{ship|FFL|Lobelia|K05|2}}, and the [[convoy rescue ship]] ''Toward''.<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191">Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p. 191</ref>

==Background==
[[File:SS Radport Painted in 1943.jpg|alt=A painting of a large grey ship at sea, black smoke coming from its funnel|thumb|A painting of one the ships in the convoy, SS ''Radport'']]
As western Atlantic coastal convoys brought an end to the "[[second happy time]]", Admiral [[Karl Dönitz]], the ''[[Befehlshaber der U-Boote]]'' (''BdU'') or commander in chief of [[U-boat]]s, shifted focus to the mid-Atlantic to avoid aircraft patrols. Although convoy routing was less predictable in the mid-ocean, Dönitz anticipated that the increased numbers of U-boats being produced would be able to effectively search for convoys with the advantage of intelligence gained through ''[[B-Dienst]]'' decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3.<ref>Tarrant p. 108</ref> However, only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys sailing from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943 lost ships to U-boat attack.<ref name="hag">Hague pp. 132, 137–38, 161–62, 164, 181</ref>

On 2 February {{GS|U-456||2}} sank three ships from [[convoy HX 224]].  A survivor of one of the sunken ships was picked up by {{GS|U-632||2}} and told his rescuers a slower convoy was following behind HX 224.<ref name="Waters December 1966 p.96">Waters December 1966 p.96</ref>

==Battle==

===4 February 1943===
A careless merchant seaman of convoy SC 118 fired a pyrotechnic snowflake projector aboard the Norwegian freighter SS ''Vannik'' in the pre-dawn darkness of 4 February.<ref name="Waters December 1966 p.96"/> {{GS|U-187||2}} observed the snowflake display, reported sighting the convoy, and was promptly sunk by ''Beverly'' and ''Vimy'' after ''Bibb'' and ''Toward'' triangulated the submarine's location from the sighting report, using high-frequency radio direction-finder (HF/DF or [[Huff-Duff]]).<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191"/> The destroyers rescued 44 of the submarine's crew.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.97</ref> The Polish freighter ''Zagloba'' was torpedoed on the unprotected side of the convoy by {{GS|U-262||2}} and {{GS|U-413||2}} torpedoed the straggling American freighter ''West Portal''.<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191"/>

===5 February 1943===
On 5 February the convoy escort was reinforced by the {{sclass2|Treasury|cutter|0}} [[United States Coast Guard Cutter|cutter]] {{USCGC|Ingham|WPG-35|2}} and the {{sclass|Wickes|destroyer}}s {{USS|Babbitt|DD-128|6}} and {{USS|Schenck|DD-159|6}} from [[Iceland]].<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191"/>  The reinforced escort damaged ''U-262'' and {{GS|U-267||2}}.<ref>Waters December 1966 p. 98</ref>

===7 February 1943===
In the pre-dawn hours of 7 February, ''Kapitänleutnant'' [[Siegfried von Forstner]]'s {{GS|U-402||2}} torpedoed the British freighter ''Afrika'', Norwegian [[tanker (ship)|tanker]] ''Daghild'', Greek freighter ''Kalliopi'', American [[tanker (ship)|tanker]] ''Robert E. Hopkins'', American [[cargo liner]] {{USS|Henry R. Mallory|ID-1280|2}}, and [[convoy rescue ship]] ''Toward''.<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137">Hague 2000 p.137</ref>

''Henry R. Mallory'' was capable of {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}} but had been straggling well astern of the convoy for several days and was not zig-zagging in that exposed position.<ref name="Waters December 1966 p.102">Waters December 1966 p.102</ref> ''Mallory'' would normally have been assigned to one of the faster [[HX convoys]], but there had been no Iceland section of the preceding convoy HX 224.<ref name="Waters December 1966 p.102"/> No commands came from the [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]] after ''Mallory'' was torpedoed, no flares were sent up, no radio distress message was sent out, and no orders were given to abandon ship.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.103</ref> There were heavy casualties from ''Mallory''{{'}}s crew of 77, 34 [[United States Navy Armed Guard|Navy gunners]], and the 136 American soldiers, 172 American sailors, and 72 American Marines she was transporting to [[Iceland]].<ref>Morison 1975 p. 336</ref>

{{GS|U-614||2}} sank the straggling British freighter ''Harmala''<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137"/> while ''Lobelia'' sank {{GS|U-609||2}}.<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191"/>

[[B-17 Flying Fortress]] J of [[No. 220 Squadron RAF]] sank ''U-614'' on 7 February.<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191"/> ''U-402'' sank British freighter ''Newton Ash'' that night. On 9 February ''Kapitänleutnant'' von Forstner was awarded the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] for ships sunk by ''U-402'' from this convoy and from [[Convoy SC 107]] on the previous patrol. SC 118 reached [[Liverpool]] without further loss on 12 February.<ref name="Hague 2000 p.135"/>

==Ships in convoy==

{|Class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" width="150px" |Name<ref name="haguedatabase">{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sc/index.html|title=SC convoys|publisher=Arnold Hague Convoy Database|accessdate=2011-05-29}}</ref>
! scope="col" width="120px" |Flag<ref name="haguedatabase"/>
! scope="col" width="25px"  |Dead<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137"/>
! scope="col" width="30px"  |Tonnage [[gross register tons|(GRT)]]<ref name="haguedatabase"/>
! scope="col" width="100px" |Cargo<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137"/>
! scope="col" width="300px" |Notes<ref name="haguedatabase"/>
|-
|align="left" |''Acme'' (1916)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|6,878
|align="left" |Petrol & oil
|
|- 
|align="left" |''Adamas'' (1918)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Greece|old}}
|align="right"|0
|align="right"|4,144
|align="left" |Steel & lumber
|align="left" |Sank 8 Feb after collision with {{SS|Samuel Huntington||2}}
|- 
|align="left" |''African Prince'' (1939)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|8,031
|align="left" |Bauxite and ammunition
|align="left" |Carried convoy commodore Capt H C C Forsyth RD RNR
|- 
|align="left" |''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#7 February|Afrika]]'' (1920)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|23
|align="right"|8,597
|align="left" |4,000 tons steel & 7,000 tons general cargo
|align="left" |Sunk by {{GS|U-402||2}} 7 Feb
|- 
|align="left" |''Ann Skakel'' (1920)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|4,949
|align="left" |General cargo
|align="left" |Veteran of [[convoy SC 107]]; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb
|-
|align="left" |''Arizpa'' (1920)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|0
|align="right"|5,437
|align="left" |Stores
|
|- 
|align="left" |''Athelprince'' (1926)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|8,782
|align="left" |Diesel & naptha
|align="left" |Convoy vice-commodore was ship's master
|- 
|align="left" |''Baron Haig'' (1926)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,391
|align="left" |Sugar
|
|- 
|align="left" |''Baron Ramsey'' (1929)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,650
|align="left" |Iron ore
|align="left" |Veteran of [[convoy SC 42]]
|-
|align="left" |''Bestik'' (1920)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|2,684
|align="left" |Steel & lumber
|
|- 
|align="left" |''Blairdevon'' (1925)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,282
|align="left" |Steel & lumber
|
|- 
|align="left" |''Celtic Star'' (1918)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,575
|align="left" |refrigerated & general cargo
|
|-
|align="left" |''Cetus'' (1920)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|2,614
|align="left" |Sugar
|align="left" |Veteran of [[convoy HX 84]]; survived this convoy and [[convoy SC 130]]
|- 
|align="left" |''City of Khios'' (1925)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,574
|align="left" |Sugar
|
|-
|align="left" |''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#8 February|Daghild]]'' (1927)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|align="right"|0
|align="right"|9,272
|align="right"|13,000 tons Diesel
|align="left" |Veteran of [[convoy ON 127]]; sunk by {{GS|U-402||2}}, {{GS|U-614||2}} & {{GS|U-608||2}}
|- 
|align="left" |''Dallington Court'' (1929)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|6,889
|align="left" |Wheat
|align="left" |Survived this convoy and [[convoy SC 130]]
|- 
|align="left" |''Danae II'' (1936)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|2,660
|align="left" |Bauxite
|align="left" |Veteran of [[convoy HX 84]]
|- 
|align="left" |''Danby'' (1937)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,281
|align="left" |Linseed & grain
|
|-
|align="left" |''Daylight'' (1931)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|9,180
|align="left" |General cargo
|align="left" |Escort oiler; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and [[convoy SC 130]]
|- 
|align="left" |''Deido'' (1928)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,894
|align="left" |Petrol
|
|-
|align="left" |''Dettifoss'' (1930)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Iceland}}
|
|align="right"|1,564
|align="left" |General cargo
|align="left" |Detached to Iceland 9 Feb
|-
|align="left" |''Dordrecht'' (1928)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}
|
|align="right"|4,402
|align="left" |Palm oil
|align="left" |Returned to Halifax
|-
|align="left" |{{SS|Empire Gareth||2}} (1942)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|2,847
|align="left" |Bauxite
|
|-
|align="left" |{{SS|Empire Liberty||2}} (1941)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,157
|align="left" |General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Glarona'' (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|9,912
|align="left"|fuel oil & Diesel
|
|- 
|align="left"|''Gogra'' (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,190
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Gold Shell'' (1931)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|8,208
|align="left"|Petrol
|
|- 
|align="left"|''Grey County'' (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|align="right"|3
|align="right"|5,194
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Gulf of Mexico'' (1917)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|7,807
|align="left"|Oil & petrol
|
|- 
|align="left"|''H M Flagler'' (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}}
|
|align="right"|8,208
|align="left"|Furnace fuel oil
|align="left"|Escort oiler
|- 
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#7 February|Harmala]]'' (1935)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|53
|align="right"|5,730
|align="left"|8,500 tons iron ore
|align="left"|Straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-614||2}} 7 Feb
|- 
|align="left"|''Helder'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}
|
|align="right"|3,629
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#7 February|Henry Mallory]]'' (1916)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|272
|align="right"|6,063
|align="left"|383 passengers & general cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy ON 154]]; sunk by {{GS|U-402||2}} 7 Feb
|-
|align="left"|''Ioannis Frangos'' (1912)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece|old}}
|
|align="right"|3,442
|align="left"|Grain
|
|-
|align="left"|''Julius Thomsen'' (1927)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Denmark}}
|
|align="right"|1,151
|
|align="left"|Detached to Greenland
|- 
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#7 February|Kalliopi]]'' (1910)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece|old}}
|align="right"|4
|align="right"|4,965
|align="left"|6,500 tons steel & lumber
|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-402||2}} 7 Feb
|-
|align="left"|''King Stephen'' (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,274
|align="left"|Grain
|
|-
|align="left"|''Kiruna'' (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Sweden}}
|
|align="right"|5,484
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy HX 79]] and [[convoy ON 154]]
|-
|align="left"|''Lagarfoss'' (1904)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Iceland}}
|
|align="right"|1,211
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Detached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and [[convoy SC 130]]
|-
|align="left"|''Makedonia'' (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece|old}}
|
|align="right"|7,044
|align="left"|Flour
|
|- 
|align="left"|''Mana'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Honduras}}
|
|align="right"|3,283
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Detached to Iceland 9 Feb
|- 
|align="left"|''Maud'' (1930)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|3,189
|align="left"|Sugar
|
|-
|align="left"|''New York City'' (1917)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|2,710
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 107]]
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#7 February|Newton Ash]]'' (1925)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|32
|align="right"|4,625
|align="left"|6,500 tons grain, mail & military stores
|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-402||2}} 7 Feb
|- 
|align="left"|''Norbryn'' (1922)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|5,087
|align="left"|Tea & rubber
|
|-
|align="left"|''Permian'' (1931)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}}
|
|align="right"|8,890
|
|align="left"|Survived this convoy and [[convoy SC 122]]
|-
|align="left"|''Petter II'' (1922)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|7,417
|align="left"|Gas oil
|
|-
|align="left" |''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#6 February|Polyktor]]'' (1914)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Greece|old}}
|
|align="right"|4,077
|align="left" |Grain
|align="left" |Sunk by {{GS|U-266||2}}
|-
|align="left" |''Radmanso'' (1914)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|Sweden}}
|
|align="right"|4,280
|align="left"|Sulphur
|
|-
|align="left"|''Radport'' (1925)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,355
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Redgate'' (1929)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,323
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|- 
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#7 February|Robert E. Hopkins]]'' (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|0
|align="right"|6,625
|align="left"|8,500 tons furnace fuel oil
|align="left"|Escort oiler; sunk by {{GS|U-402||2}} 7 Feb
|-
|align="left"|{{SS|Samuel Huntington||2}} (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|7,181
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|[[Liberty ship]]
|-
|align="left"|''Sheaf Holme'' (1929)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,814
|align="left"|Potash & general cargo
|align="left"|Survived this convoy and [[convoy SC 130]]
|- 
|align="left"|''Sommerstad'' (1926)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|5,923
|align="left"|Lubricating oil
|
|- 
|align="left"|''Stad Arnhem'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}
|
|align="right"|3,819
|align="left"|Phosphates
|
|- 
|align="left"|''Tilemachos'' (1911)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece|old}}
|
|align="right"|3,658
|align="left"|Grain
|
|-
|align="left" |''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#7 February|Toward]]'' (1923)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|58
|align="right"|1,571
|
|align="left" |Rescue ship; sunk by {{GS|U-402||2}} 7 Feb
|- 
|align="left" |''Vacuum'' (1920)
|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|7,020
|align="left" |Petrol
|
|-
|align="left" |''Vannik'' (1940)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|1,333
|align="left" |General cargo
|align="left" |Detached to Iceland 9 Feb
|- 
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#4 February|West Portal]]'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|5,376
|align="left"|Stores
|align="left"|Straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-413||2}} 4 Feb
|- 
|align="left"|''William Penn'' (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|8,447
|align="left"|Petrol
|
|- 
|align="left"|''Yemassee'' (1922)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}}
|
|align="right"|2,001
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Detached to Iceland 9 Feb
|- 
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in February 1943#4 February|Zagloba]]'' (1938)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Poland}}
|
|align="right"|2,864
|align="left"|Ammunition & general cargo
|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-262||2}} 4 Feb
|}

==See also==
* [[Convoy Battles of World War II]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== References ==

* {{cite book|last= Edwards|first= Bernard|title= Dönitz and the Wolf Packs – The U-boats at War|year= 1996|isbn= 0-304-35203-9|pages= 141–145, 147–151, 199|ref = {{sfnRef|Edwards}}
}}
* {{cite book| title=The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 |last=Hague|first=Arnold|publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=2000 |isbn=1-55750-019-3}}
* {{cite book| title=North Atlantic Run |author=Milner, Marc |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-87021-450-0}}
* {{cite book| title=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939–1943 |author=Morison, Samuel Eliot |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |year=1975}}
* {{cite book| title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945 |author1=Rohwer, J.  |author2=Hummelchen, G. |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1992 |isbn=1-55750-105-X}}
* {{cite book| title=The U-Boat Offensive 1914–1945 |author=Tarrant, V.E. |publisher=Arms and Armour |year=1989 |isbn=1-85409-520-X}}
* {{citation |last=Waters |first=John M. Jr.|title=Stay Tough |publisher=United States Naval Institute Proceedings |date=December 1966}}

[[Category:North Atlantic convoys of World War II|SC118]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Canada]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom|C]]