Convoy SC 121
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox military conflict".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Script error: No such module "Military navigation". Convoy SC 121 was the 121st 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 23 February 1943;[2] and were met by the Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3 consisting of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., the American Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., the British and Canadian 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". and the convoy rescue ship Melrose Abbey.[3][4] Three of the escorts had defective sonar and three had unserviceable radar.[5]
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 find convoys with the advantage of intelligence gained through B-Dienst decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3.[6] Only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys, from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943, lost ships to U-boat attack.[7]
Battle
On 6 March Template:GS sighted the convoy,[4] which had been scattered by nine consecutive days of northwesterly Force 10 gales and snow squalls.[8] The storm damaged the radio communication system aboard the escort commander's ship Spencer and Dauphin had to leave the convoy with damaged steering gear.[5] Template:GS torpedoed the British freighter Egyptian on the night of 6–7 March.[9] The British freighter Empire Impala stopped to rescue survivors and was torpedoed after dawn by Template:GS.[9]
Template:GS torpedoed the British freighter Empire Lakeland when the gale subsided on 8 March and four more stragglers were sunk by Template:GS, Template:GS, U-591, and Template:GS.[4] On 9 March the convoy escort was reinforced by No. 120 Squadron RAF B-24 Liberators from Northern Ireland and by the Wickes-class destroyer Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and the Treasury-class cutters Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". from Iceland.[4]
Template:GS torpedoed straggling Swedish freighter Milos on the evening of 9 March. That night U-405 torpedoed the Norwegian freighter Bonneville while Template:GS torpedoed the British freighter Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and Template:GS torpedoed the British escort oiler Rosewood and American ammunition ship Malantic.[10]
The Flower-class corvettes Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". reinforced the convoy escort on 10 March,[4] and the convoy reached Liverpool on 14 March.[9] Only 76 of the 275 crewmen of the sunken ships were rescued.[5]
Ships in convoy
| Name[11] | Flag[11] | Dead[9] | Tonnage (GRT)[11] | Cargo[9] | Notes[11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoa Leader (1919) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,041 | Petrol | ||
| Astrid (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,861 | Sugar | ||
| Badjestan (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,573 | Wheat | ||
| Baldbutte (1919) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,295 | |||
| Bengkalis (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,453 | General cargo | Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5 | |
| Bonneville (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 36 | 4,665 | 7,196 tons explosives & general cargo | Carried convoy commodore Capt H.C. Birnie DSO RD RNR; sunk by Template:GS 10 Mar |
| Brant County (1915) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,001 | General cargo | Returned to Halifax | |
| British Freedom (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,985 | Furnace fuel oil | ||
| British Progress (1927) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,581 | Petrol | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | |
| Camerata (1931) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,875 | Iron ore | ||
| Clunepark (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,491 | Phosphates | ||
| Coulmore (1936) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,670 | General cargo | Torpedoed, but towed and salvaged | |
| Dilworth (1919) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,045 | Gas oil | ||
| Egton (1938) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,363 | Iron ore | ||
| Egyptian (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 44 | 2,868 | Oilseed, palm oil & tin ore | Sunk by Template:GS 7 Mar |
| El Grillo (1922) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,264 | Fuel oil | ||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (1913) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,787 | General cargo | Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5 | |
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (1919) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,448 | General cargo | Arrived in tow after steering failure on 11 March | |
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,873 | Bauxite | ||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,025 | General cargo | ||
| Empire Grebe (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,736 | General cargo | ||
| Empire Impala (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 48 | 6,116 | 7,628 tons general cargo | Sunk by Template:GS while picking up survivors 7 Mar |
| Empire Keats (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,035 | West African produce | Carried convoy vice commodore Capt A Cocks DSC RD RNR | |
| Empire Lakeland (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,015 | Refrigerated and general cargo | Straggled and sunk by Template:GS | |
| Empire Opossum (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,644 | Grain | ||
| Empire Planet (1923) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,290 | General cargo | Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5 | |
| Eskdalegate (1930) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,250 | Iron ore | ||
| Fort Lamy (1919) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,242 | Steel & general cargo | Veteran of convoy ON 154; straggled and sunk by Template:GS 8 Mar | |
| Fort Remy (1943) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,127 | General cargo | ||
| Garnes (1930) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,559 | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | ||
| Gascony (1925) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,716 | General cargo | ||
| Gatineau Park (1942) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,128 | General cargo | Fitted with Admiralty Net Defence | |
| Guido (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,921 | Sugar & cotton | Romped and sunk by Template:GS 8 Mar | |
| Hallfried (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,968 | Flour | ||
| Harpefjell (1939) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,333 | General cargo | ||
| Harperly (1930) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,586 | Bauxite | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ONS 5 | |
| Hollywood (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,498 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy PQ 18 | |
| Katendrecht (1925) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,099 | Gas oil | ||
| Kingswood (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,080 | General cargo | ||
| L V Stanford (1921) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,138 | Furnace fuel oil | Veteran of convoy SC 107 | |
| USS Laramie (1919) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,450 | Detached for Greenland | ||
| Leadgate (1925) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,125 | Flour | Straggled and sunk by Template:GS 8 Mar | |
| Lobos (1921) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,479 | Tin & general cargo | ||
| Lombardy (1921) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,379 | General cargo | ||
| Lorient (1921) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,737 | Steel & lumber | Veteran of convoy SC 42; survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ONS 5 | |
| Malantic (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 25 | 3,837 | 8,000 tons ammunition | Veteran of convoy SC 107; sunk by Template:GS 9 Mar |
| Manchester Progress (1938) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,620 | General cargo | ||
| Melrose Abbey (1929) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,924 | convoy rescue ship | ||
| Miguel de Larrinaga (1924) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,231 | Tobacco | Veteran of convoy SC 42 | |
| Milos (1898) | Template:Flagcountry | 30 | 3,058 | 804 tons steel & lumber | Sunk by Template:GS 11 Mar |
| Morska Wola (1924) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,208 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy HX 84 | |
| Nadin (1904) | Template:Flagcountry | 3,582 | Steel & lumber | ||
| Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". | Template:Flagcountry | 45 | 4,946 | 7,661 tons copper & general cargo | Sunk by Template:GS 10 Mar |
| Parkhaven (1920) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,803 | General cargo | ||
| Porjus (1906) | Template:Flagcountry | 2,965 | Steel & pulp | Veteran of convoy SC 104; returned to port & sailed with convoy SC 122 | |
| Raranga (1916) | Template:Flagcountry | 10,043 | Refrigerated & general cargo | ||
| Ravnefjell (1938) | Template:Flagcountry | 1,339 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy HX 79 & convoy ON 154; survived this convoy & convoy SC 130 | |
| Reaverley (1940) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,998 | Bauxite | Returned to port | |
| Rosewood (1931) | Template:Flagcountry | 42 | 5,989 | Furnace fuel oil | Escort oiler; sunk by Template:GS 9 Mar |
| San Tirso (1913) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,266 | Furnace fuel oil | ||
| Scorton (1939) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,813 | Sugar | ||
| Sinnington Court (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 6,910 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | |
| Suderoy (1913) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,562 | Fuel oil | Veteran of convoy SC 104 | |
| Sutlej (1940) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,189 | General cargo | ||
| Thraki (1941) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,460 | Grain & general cargo | ||
| Trontolite (1918) | Template:Flagcountry | 7,115 | |||
| Vancolite (1928) | Template:Flagcountry | 11,404 | |||
| Vojvoda Putnik (1916) | Template:Flagcountry | 5,879 | Wheat | Straggled and sunk by Template:GS | |
| Zouave (1930) | Template:Flagcountry | 4,256 | Iron ore | Returned to port to be sunk sailing with convoy SC 122 |
See also
Sources
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References
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- ↑ Hague 2000 p.133
- ↑ Hague 2000 p.135
- ↑ Milner 1985 p.291
- ↑ a b c d e Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196
- ↑ a b c Morison 1975 p.342
- ↑ Tarrant p.108
- ↑ Hague pp.132, 137-138,161-162,164&181
- ↑ Morison 1975 p.341
- ↑ a b c d e Hague 2000 p.137
- ↑ Hague 2000 pp.137-8
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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