Convoy SC 130

Convoy SC 130 was a North Atlantic convoy which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 130th of the numbered series of Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool.Template:Sfn SC 130 was one of several convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of May 1943.

Background

SC 130, comprising thirty-seven ships, departed Halifax Harbour on 11 May 1943 in the care of a Western Local Escort Force,Template:Sfn led by RCN destroyer . The Convoy Commodore was HC Forsyth in the freighter Sheaf Holme. They were met on 15 May by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-7,Template:Sfn led by Commander Peter Gretton in the D-class leader and consisting of the , the , and s , , , and two armed trawlers. As B-7 was one vessel short for the voyage, the corvette was seconded from the local group for the crossing.Template:Sfn SC 130 also included two oilers for mid-ocean re-fueling and re-arming, and the convoy rescue ship Zamalek.Template:Sfn

Ranged against them were 25 U-boats in three patrol lines, which had been organized by U-boat Command BdU on 15 May. This was in response to intelligence from the signals intelligence group B-Dienst which reported a westbound convoy (ONS 7) and two eastbound (HX 238 and SC 130) approaching the Air Gap. One group, Iller, of six newly arrived boats was just arriving, while two other groups, Donau I and Donau II, were formed from boats already on station plus reinforcements.Template:Sfn

ONS 7 came under attack on 13 May, and, warned by this and by intelligence from HF/DF readings and Enigma decrypts, the Admiralty was able to divert HX 238 (which arrived without incident) and to reinforce SC 130.Template:Sfn

Action

The convoy was found and reported on the evening of 18 May,Template:Sfn by Template:GS which commenced shadowing, while the other U-boats gathered during the night. The B7 group mounted an aggressive defence, chasing down all contacts in order to frustrate any attacks. In this they were successful and none of the U-boats were able to attack that night.

On 19 May long-range aircraft were able to join the action and commenced patrolling, attacking Donau boats as they moved to join the assault. A Hudson of 269 Sqdn destroyed Template:GS,Template:Sfn and a Liberator of 120 Sqdn attacked another: This was thought to have sunk U-954, but later judged to have hit Template:GS, causing little damage.Template:Sfn Later that day the convoy escort was reinforced by the 1st Support Group consisting of the sloop (Capt. G Brewer) with the River-class frigates , and .Template:Sfn Within hours Template:GS was sunk by hedgehog attacks from Sennen and Jed.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Admiral Karl Dönitz's son Peter Dönitz was among those lost aboard U-954.Template:Sfn An attack by Snowflake and Duncan delivered a hit with a Hedgehog bomb, and was thought to have destroyed a U-boat (Template:GS)Template:Sfn but this was later claimed to have hit Template:GS, which survived with damage.Template:Sfn That evening Tay attacked Template:GS and damaged her so badly she had to retire from the action and return to base.Template:Sfn

On 20 May the assault continued, but without success, while No. 120 Squadron RAF B-24 Liberator J sank Template:GS.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn At midday on 20th BdU called off the action, and the U-boats withdrew.

The convoy reached Liverpool without loss on 26 May.Template:Sfn

Aftermath

SC 130 was seen as an Allied victory. No ships had been lost, though two had returned to port; all 35 that made the crossing arrived safely. On the other hand, at least three U-boats were destroyed. This was a major blow which contributed to BdU's decision to abandon the assault on the North Atlantic convoy route, a turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Table

U-boats destroyed

Date	Number	Type	Location	Casualties	Sunk by...
19 May 1943	U-273	VIIC	N Atlantic	46	Air attack, Hudson M, 269 Sqdn Template:Sfn
19 May 1943	U-954	VIIC	N Atlantic	47	Hedgehogged by Sennen, JedTemplate:Sfn
20 May 1943	U-258	VIIC	N Atlantic	49	Air attack by Liberator F, 120 SqdnTemplate:Sfn