Английская Википедия:Convoy JW 55B
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Campaignbox Arctic Naval Operations of WWII
Convoy JW 55B was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1943, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely.
During the voyage JW 55B was approached by a German force centred on the battleship Шаблон:Ship; no contact was made with the convoy, but Scharnhorst was sunk, in the Battle of the North Cape, by the battleship Шаблон:HMS, a handful of Royal Navy light surface combatants, and Norwegian destroyer Шаблон:HNoMS.
Ships
The convoy, comprising 19 merchant ships, departed Loch Ewe on 20 December 1943. Close escort was provided by two destroyers and three other escort vessels. There was also an Ocean escort, comprising the destroyer Шаблон:HMS (Captain J A McCoy commanding) and seven other Home Fleet destroyers. The convoy was initially accompanied by a local escort group, and joined later by the ocean escort of convoy JW 55A, out of Murmansk. A cruiser cover force comprising Шаблон:HMS (Vice Admiral R Burnett commanding), Шаблон:HMS, and Шаблон:HMS also followed the convoy, to guard against attack by surface units. Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force comprising the battleship Шаблон:HMS, the cruiser Шаблон:HMS and four destroyers under the command of Vice Admiral Bruce Fraser.[1]
JW 55B was opposed by a force of thirteen U-boats in a patrol line, code-named Eisenbart, in the Norwegian Sea. A surface force comprising the battleship Шаблон:Ship and five destroyers was also in readiness, stationed at Altenfjord.
Action
JW 55B departed Loch Ewe on 20 December 1943 accompanied by its local escort of two minesweepers and two corvettes, and its close escort. Two days later on 22 December, it was joined by the ocean escort, while the local escort returned. At the same time the Cruiser Force, from Murmansk, and the Distant Cover Force, waiting at Akureyri, in Iceland, also put to sea, taking station in the Norwegian Sea. The convoy was sighted the same day by a patrolling German aircraft which commenced shadowing; a succession of aircraft were able to maintain contact over the next few days, sending accurate reports of course and speed to the surface force at Altenfjord.
On 25 December the convoy was sighted by Шаблон:GS, an Eisenbart boat, and later that day Admiral Bey, in Scharnhorst, received permission to sortie with his force. That evening Шаблон:GS came close enough to fire on one of the escorts, while another was depth charged. Also on 25 December, JW 55B was joined by the ocean escort of JW 55A, which was accompanying the returning convoy RA 55A. Fraser was concerned a German surface force would reach JW 55B before he would, and ordered the convoy to reverse course. In the event this proved too difficult, but the convoy was slowed to Шаблон:Convert to assist the rendezvous.[2]
Scharnhorst was unable to make contact with JW 55B, but on 26 December was intercepted, first by Burnett's cruisers, then by Fraser's heavy units, and sunk in the Battle of the North Cape, after scoring only two minor hits on both Duke of York and destroyer Шаблон:HMS. Meanwhile, contact by the U-boats had been lost, and no further contact with JW 55B was made by the Eisenbart wolfpack.
On 28 December the convoy was met by the eastern local escort force, three Soviet destroyers and two minesweepers, and arrived at Kola without further incident on 30 December 1943.
Conclusion
The 19 ships of JW 55B arrived at Murmansk without loss, while the German attempt to attack the convoy had led to the loss of their last operational capital ship in Norway. Thereafter, until Шаблон:Ship was returned to active service, the Allied Arctic convoys were under no serious threat from the German Navy's surface forces.
Ships involved
Allied ships
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Cruiser cover force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Light cruiser | |
| Bernard N Baker (1943) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,191 | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Corvette | |
| British Statesman (1923) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,991 | |
| Brockholst Livingston (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,176 | |
| Cardinal Gibbons (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,191 | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Battleship | |
| Fort Kullyspell (1943) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,190 | Commodore |
| Fort Nakasley (1943) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,132 | |
| Fort Vercheres (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,128 | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Minesweeper | |
| Шаблон:HMCS | Шаблон:Naval | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 28 Dec – 30 Dec. Minesweeper | |
| Harold L Winslow (1943) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,176 | |
| HMS Honeysuckle | Шаблон:Navy | Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Corvette | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Minesweeper | |
| Шаблон:HMCS | Шаблон:Naval | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 28 Dec – 30 Dec. Minesweeper | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Minesweeper | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMCS | Шаблон:Naval | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Cruiser | |
| John J Abel (1943) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,191 | |
| John Vining (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,191 | |
| John Wanamaker (1943) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,176 | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Cruiser cover force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Heavy cruiser | |
| Norlys (1936) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 9,892 | |
| Шаблон:Ship (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,178 | |
| Ocean Messenger (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,178 | |
| Ocean Pride (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,173 | |
| Ocean Valour (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,174 | |
| Шаблон:Ship (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,174 | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Corvette | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Cruiser cover force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Cruiser | |
| Шаблон:HNoMS | Шаблон:Navy | Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Thomas U Walter (1943) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,176 | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer | |
| HMS Wallflower | Шаблон:Navy | Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Corvette | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer | |
| Will Rogers (1942) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,200 | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Navy | Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer. |
Axis ships
Шаблон:Col-begin Шаблон:Col-3 U-boat force
Шаблон:Col-3 Surface force
Notes
References
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Paul Kemp : Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters (1993) Шаблон:ISBN
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Bob Ruegg, Arnold Hague : Convoys to Russia (1992) Шаблон:ISBN
- Bernard Schofield : (1964) The Russian Convoys BT Batsford ISBN (none)
- JW 55B at Convoyweb
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