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'''Convoy SC-118''' was the 118th of the numbered series of ] ] of merchant ships from ], ] to ].<ref>Hague 2000 p.133</ref> Sixty-one ships departed ] on 24 January 1943;<ref>Hague 2000 p.135</ref> and were met by ] Group B-2 consisting of ] ]s ] and ], the ] ], the ] {{HMS|Beverley|H64|2}}, ]s ], ], ] and ], and the ] ''Toward''.<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> '''Convoy SC-118''' was the 118th of the numbered series of ] ] of merchant ships from ], ] to ].<ref>Hague 2000 p.133</ref>
==Convoy==
Sixty-one ships departed ] on 24 January 1943;<ref>Hague 2000 p.135</ref> and were met by ] Group B-2 consisting of ] ]s ] and ], the ] ], the ] {{HMS|Beverley|H64|2}}, ]s ], ], ] and ], and the ] ''Toward''.<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref>


On 2 February ] sank three ships from ]. A survivor of one of the sunken ships was picked up by ] and told his rescuers a slower convoy was following behind HX-224.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.96</ref> On 2 February ] sank three ships from ]. A survivor of one of the sunken ships was picked up by ] and told his rescuers a slower convoy was following behind HX-224.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.96</ref>
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A careless merchant seaman of convoy SC-118 accidentally fired a pyrotechnic snowflake projector aboard SS ''Annik'' in the pre-dawn darkness of 4 February.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.96</ref> ] observed the snowflake display, reported sighting the convoy, and was promptly sunk by ''Beverly'' and ''Vimy'' after ''Bibb'' and ''Toward'' triangulated with High-Frequency radio Direction-Finder (HF/DF or ]) her location from the sighting report.<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> The destroyers rescued 44 of the submarine crew.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.97</ref> Two ships were torpedoed by ] and ].<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> A careless merchant seaman of convoy SC-118 accidentally fired a pyrotechnic snowflake projector aboard SS ''Annik'' in the pre-dawn darkness of 4 February.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.96</ref> ] observed the snowflake display, reported sighting the convoy, and was promptly sunk by ''Beverly'' and ''Vimy'' after ''Bibb'' and ''Toward'' triangulated with High-Frequency radio Direction-Finder (HF/DF or ]) her location from the sighting report.<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> The destroyers rescued 44 of the submarine crew.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.97</ref> Two ships were torpedoed by ] and ].<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref>


On 5 February the convoy escort was reinforced by the ] ] and the ]s ] and ] from ].<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> The reinforced escort damaged ] and ].<ref>Waters December 1966 p.98</ref> On 5 February the convoy escort was reinforced by the ] ] and the ]s ] and ] from ].<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> The reinforced escort damaged ] and ].<ref>Waters December 1966 p.98</ref>


In the pre-dawn hours of 7 February, U-boat Ace ''Kapitänleutnant'' ]'s ] torpedoed the 8,597-ton British freighter ''Afrika'', the 9272-ton Norwegian ] ''Daghild'', the 6500-ton Greek freighter ''Kalliopi'', the 6625-ton American ] ''Robert E. Hopkins'', the 6063-ton American cargo-liner {{SS|Henry R. Mallory||2}}, and the 1571-ton rescue ship ''Toward''.<ref>Hague 2000 p.137</ref> In the pre-dawn hours of 7 February, U-boat Ace ''Kapitänleutnant'' ]'s ] torpedoed the 8,597-ton British freighter ''Afrika'', the 9272-ton Norwegian ] ''Daghild'', the 6500-ton Greek freighter ''Kalliopi'', the 6625-ton American ] ''Robert E. Hopkins'', the 6063-ton American cargo-liner {{SS|Henry R. Mallory||2}}, and the 1571-ton rescue ship ''Toward''.<ref>Hague 2000 p.137</ref>


''Henry R. Mallory'' was capable of 14 knots but had been straggling well astern of the convoy for several days and was not zig-zagging in that exposed position.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.102</ref> ''Mallory'' would normally have been assigned to one of the faster ], but there had been no Iceland section of the preceding convoy HX-224.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.102</ref> 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.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.103</ref> Two-hundred-seventy-two were lost from ''Mallory''s crew of 77, 34 ], and the 136 American soldiers, 172 American sailors, and 72 American Marines she was transporting to ].<ref>Morison 1975 p.336</ref> Twenty-seven merchant sailors were lost from the other ships with 8500 tons of fuel oil, 13000 tons of diesel fuel, 7000 tons of general cargo, and 10500 tons of steel and lumber.<ref>Hague 2000 p.137</ref> ''Henry R. Mallory'' was capable of 14 knots but had been straggling well astern of the convoy for several days and was not zig-zagging in that exposed position.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.102</ref> ''Mallory'' would normally have been assigned to one of the faster ], but there had been no Iceland section of the preceding convoy HX-224.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.102</ref> 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.<ref>Waters December 1966 p.103</ref> Two-hundred-seventy-two were lost from ''Mallory''s crew of 77, 34 ], and the 136 American soldiers, 172 American sailors, and 72 American Marines she was transporting to ].<ref>Morison 1975 p.336</ref> Twenty-seven merchant sailors were lost from the other ships with 8500 tons of fuel oil, 13000 tons of diesel fuel, 7000 tons of general cargo, and 10500 tons of steel and lumber.<ref>Hague 2000 p.137</ref>


] sank the straggling 5730-ton British freighter ''Harmala'' with 8,500 tons of iron ore and 53 crewmen<ref>Hague 2000 p.137</ref> while ''Lobelia'' sank ].<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> ] sank the straggling 5730-ton British freighter ''Harmala'' with 8,500 tons of iron ore and 53 crewmen<ref>Hague 2000 p.137</ref> while ''Lobelia'' sank ].<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref>


] J of ]sank ] on 7 February.<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> ] sank the 4265-ton British freighter ''Newton Ash'' that night with 32 crewmen and 6,500 tons of grain, stores, and mail. On 9 February ''Kapitänleutnant'' von Forstner was awarded the ] for ships sunk by U-402 from this convoy and from ] on the previous patrol. SC-118 reached ] without further loss on 12 February.<ref>Hague 2000 p.135</ref> ] J of ] sank ] on 7 February.<ref>Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191</ref> ] sank the 4265-ton British freighter ''Newton Ash'' that night with 32 crewmen and 6,500 tons of grain, stores, and mail. On 9 February ''Kapitänleutnant'' von Forstner was awarded the ] for ships sunk by U-402 from this convoy and from ] on the previous patrol. SC-118 reached ] without further loss on 12 February.<ref>Hague 2000 p.135</ref>


== Notes == == Notes ==

Revision as of 14:46, 21 October 2008

USS Schenck (DD-159)

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.

Convoy

Sixty-one ships departed New York City on 24 January 1943; and were met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-2 consisting of V class destroyers Vanessa and Vimy, the USCG Treasury Class Cutter Bibb, the Town class destroyer Beverley, Flower class corvettes Campanula, Mignonette, Abelia and Lobelia, and the convoy rescue ship Toward.

On 2 February U-456 sank three ships from convoy HX 224. A survivor of one of the sunken ships was picked up by U-632 and told his rescuers a slower convoy was following behind HX-224.

A careless merchant seaman of convoy SC-118 accidentally fired a pyrotechnic snowflake projector aboard SS Annik in the pre-dawn darkness of 4 February. U-187 observed the snowflake display, reported sighting the convoy, and was promptly sunk by Beverly and Vimy after Bibb and Toward triangulated with High-Frequency radio Direction-Finder (HF/DF or Huff-Duff) her location from the sighting report. The destroyers rescued 44 of the submarine crew. Two ships were torpedoed by U-262 and U-413.

On 5 February the convoy escort was reinforced by the USCG Treasury Class Cutter Ingham and the Wickes class destroyers Babbitt and Schenck from Iceland. The reinforced escort damaged U-262 and U-267.

In the pre-dawn hours of 7 February, U-boat Ace Kapitänleutnant Siegfried von Forstner's U-402 torpedoed the 8,597-ton British freighter Afrika, the 9272-ton Norwegian tanker Daghild, the 6500-ton Greek freighter Kalliopi, the 6625-ton American tanker Robert E. Hopkins, the 6063-ton American cargo-liner Henry R. Mallory, and the 1571-ton rescue ship Toward.

Henry R. Mallory was capable of 14 knots but had been straggling well astern of the convoy for several days and was not zig-zagging in that exposed position. 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. 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. Two-hundred-seventy-two were lost from Mallorys crew of 77, 34 Navy gunners, and the 136 American soldiers, 172 American sailors, and 72 American Marines she was transporting to Iceland. Twenty-seven merchant sailors were lost from the other ships with 8500 tons of fuel oil, 13000 tons of diesel fuel, 7000 tons of general cargo, and 10500 tons of steel and lumber.

U-614 sank the straggling 5730-ton British freighter Harmala with 8,500 tons of iron ore and 53 crewmen while Lobelia sank U-609.

B-17 Flying Fortress J of No. 220 Squadron RAF sank U-614 on 7 February. U-402 sank the 4265-ton British freighter Newton Ash that night with 32 crewmen and 6,500 tons of grain, stores, and mail. On 9 February Kapitänleutnant von Forstner was awarded the Knight's 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.

Notes

  1. Hague 2000 p.133
  2. Hague 2000 p.135
  3. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191
  4. Waters December 1966 p.96
  5. Waters December 1966 p.96
  6. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191
  7. Waters December 1966 p.97
  8. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191
  9. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191
  10. Waters December 1966 p.98
  11. Hague 2000 p.137
  12. Waters December 1966 p.102
  13. Waters December 1966 p.102
  14. Waters December 1966 p.103
  15. Morison 1975 p.336
  16. Hague 2000 p.137
  17. Hague 2000 p.137
  18. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191
  19. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.191
  20. Hague 2000 p.135

References

  • 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.
  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943. Little, Brown and Company.
  • Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Waters, John M. Jr., CAPT USCG (December 1966). "Stay Tough". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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