Convoy SC 118
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Convoy SC 118 was the 118th of the numbered series of World War II slow convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, to Liverpool.[1] The ships departed New York City on 24 January 1943[2] and were met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-2 consisting of V-class destroyers Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". cutter Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".s Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., and the convoy rescue ship Toward.[3]
Background
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-boats, 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.[4] 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.[5]
On 2 February Template:GS sank three ships from convoy HX 224. A survivor of one of the sunken ships was picked up by Template:GS and told his rescuers a slower convoy was following behind HX 224.[6]
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.[6] Template:GS 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).[3] The destroyers rescued 44 of the submarine's crew.[7] The Polish freighter Zagloba was torpedoed on the unprotected side of the convoy by Template:GS and Template:GS torpedoed the straggling American freighter West Portal.[3]
5 February 1943
On 5 February the convoy escort was reinforced by the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". cutter Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".s Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". from Iceland.[3] The reinforced escort damaged U-262 and Template:GS.[8]
7 February 1943
In the pre-dawn hours of 7 February, Kapitänleutnant Siegfried von Forstner's Template:GS torpedoed the British freighter Afrika, Norwegian tanker Daghild, Greek freighter Kalliopi, American tanker Robert E. Hopkins, American cargo liner Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., and convoy rescue ship Toward.[9]
Henry R. Mallory was capable of Script error: No such module "convert". but had been straggling well astern of the convoy for several days and was not zig-zagging in that exposed position.[10] 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.[10] No commands came from the 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.[11] There were heavy casualties from MalloryTemplate:'s crew of 77, 34 Navy gunners, and the 136 American soldiers, 172 American sailors, and 72 American Marines she was transporting to Iceland.[12]
Template:GS sank the straggling British freighter Harmala[9] while Lobelia sank Template:GS.[3]
B-17 Flying Fortress J of No. 220 Squadron RAF sank U-614 on 7 February.[3] 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.[2]
Ships in convoy
| Name[13] | Flag[13] | Dead[9] | Tonnage (GRT)[13] | Cargo[9] | Notes[13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acme (1916) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,878 | Petrol & oil | ||
| Adamas (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 0 | 4,144 | Steel & lumber | Sank 8 Feb after collision with Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". |
| African Prince (1939) | Template:Flagcountry | 8,031 | Bauxite and ammunition | Carried convoy commodore Capt H C C Forsyth RD RNR | |
| Afrika (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 23 | 8,597 | 4,000 tons steel & 7,000 tons general cargo | Sunk by Template:GS 7 Feb |
| Ann Skakel (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,949 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy SC 107; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb | |
| Arizpa (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 0 | 5,437 | Stores | |
| Athelprince (1926) | Template:Flagcountry | 8,782 | Diesel & naptha | Convoy vice-commodore was ship's master | |
| Baron Haig (1926) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,391 | Sugar | ||
| Baron Ramsey (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,650 | Iron ore | Veteran of convoy SC 42 | |
| Bestik (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,684 | Steel & lumber | ||
| Blairdevon (1925) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,282 | Steel & lumber | ||
| Celtic Star (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,575 | refrigerated & general cargo | ||
| Cetus (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,614 | Sugar | Veteran of convoy HX 84; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130 | |
| City of Khios (1925) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,574 | Sugar | ||
| Daghild (1927) | Template:Flagcountry | 0 | 9,272 | 13,000 tons Diesel | Veteran of convoy ON 127; sunk by Template:GS, Template:GS & Template:GS |
| Dallington Court (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,889 | Wheat | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 130 | |
| Danae II (1936) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,660 | Bauxite | Veteran of convoy HX 84 | |
| Danby (1937) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,281 | Linseed & grain | ||
| Daylight (1931) | Template:Flagcountry | 9,180 | General cargo | Escort oiler; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130 | |
| Deido (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,894 | Petrol | ||
| Dettifoss (1930) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,564 | General cargo | Detached to Iceland 9 Feb | |
| Dordrecht (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,402 | Palm oil | Returned to Halifax | |
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,847 | Bauxite | ||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (1941) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,157 | General cargo | ||
| Glarona (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 9,912 | fuel oil & Diesel | ||
| Gogra (1919) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,190 | General cargo | ||
| Gold Shell (1931) | Template:Flagcountry | 8,208 | Petrol | ||
| Grey County (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 3 | 5,194 | General cargo | |
| Gulf of Mexico (1917) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,807 | Oil & petrol | ||
| H M Flagler (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 8,208 | Furnace fuel oil | Escort oiler | |
| Harmala (1935) | Template:Flagcountry | 53 | 5,730 | 8,500 tons iron ore | Straggled and sunk by Template:GS 7 Feb |
| Helder (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,629 | General cargo | ||
| Henry Mallory (1916) | Template:Flagcountry | 272 | 6,063 | 383 passengers & general cargo | Veteran of convoy ON 154; sunk by Template:GS 7 Feb |
| Ioannis Frangos (1912) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,442 | Grain | ||
| Julius Thomsen (1927) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,151 | Detached to Greenland | ||
| Kalliopi (1910) | Template:Flagcountry | 4 | 4,965 | 6,500 tons steel & lumber | Sunk by Template:GS 7 Feb |
| King Stephen (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,274 | Grain | ||
| Kiruna (1921) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,484 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy HX 79 and convoy ON 154 | |
| Lagarfoss (1904) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,211 | General cargo | Detached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130 | |
| Makedonia (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,044 | Flour | ||
| Mana (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,283 | General cargo | Detached to Iceland 9 Feb | |
| Maud (1930) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,189 | Sugar | ||
| New York City (1917) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,710 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy SC 107 | |
| Newton Ash (1925) | Template:Flagcountry | 32 | 4,625 | 6,500 tons grain, mail & military stores | Sunk by Template:GS 7 Feb |
| Norbryn (1922) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,087 | Tea & rubber | ||
| Permian (1931) | Template:Flagcountry | 8,890 | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 122 | ||
| Petter II (1922) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,417 | Gas oil | ||
| Polyktor (1914) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,077 | Grain | Sunk by Template:GS | |
| Radmanso (1914) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,280 | Sulphur | ||
| Radport (1925) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,355 | General cargo | ||
| Redgate (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,323 | General cargo | ||
| Robert E. Hopkins (1921) | Template:Flagcountry | 0 | 6,625 | 8,500 tons furnace fuel oil | Escort oiler; sunk by Template:GS 7 Feb |
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,181 | General cargo | Liberty ship | |
| Sheaf Holme (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,814 | Potash & general cargo | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 130 | |
| Sommerstad (1926) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,923 | Lubricating oil | ||
| Stad Arnhem (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,819 | Phosphates | ||
| Tilemachos (1911) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,658 | Grain | ||
| Toward (1923) | Template:Flagcountry | 58 | 1,571 | Rescue ship; sunk by Template:GS 7 Feb | |
| Vacuum (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,020 | Petrol | ||
| Vannik (1940) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,333 | General cargo | Detached to Iceland 9 Feb | |
| West Portal (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,376 | Stores | Straggled and sunk by Template:GS 4 Feb | |
| William Penn (1921) | Template:Flagcountry | 8,447 | Petrol | ||
| Yemassee (1922) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,001 | General cargo | Detached to Iceland 9 Feb | |
| Zagloba (1938) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,864 | Ammunition & general cargo | Sunk by Template:GS 4 Feb |
See also
Notes
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- ↑ Hague 2000 p. 133
- ↑ a b Hague 2000 p.135
- ↑ a b c d e f Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p. 191
- ↑ Tarrant p. 108
- ↑ Hague pp. 132, 137–38, 161–62, 164, 181
- ↑ a b Waters December 1966 p.96
- ↑ Waters December 1966 p.97
- ↑ Waters December 1966 p. 98
- ↑ a b c d Hague 2000 p.137
- ↑ a b Waters December 1966 p.102
- ↑ Waters December 1966 p.103
- ↑ Morison 1975 p. 336
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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References
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