HX 228 was a
North Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
of the
HX series which ran during the
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was one of a series of four convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of March 1943 and is notable for the loss of the Escort Group leader Commander AA "Harry" Tait.
Prelude
HX 228 was an east-bound convoy of 60 ships, plus local contingents, which sailed from
New York on 28 February 1943 bound for
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and carrying war materials.
The
Mid-Ocean Escort Force group B3 joined the convoy from
St Johns. The escort group was led by Commander AA Tait of
HMS ''Harvester''; the other ships of this group were the destroyers
HMS ''Escapade'',
ORP ''Burza'' and
ORP ''Garland'' and the corvettes
HMS ''Narcissus'' and
FNFL ships ''
Aconit'',
''Renoncule'' and
''Roselys''. The group was backed by the escort carrier and two destroyers which sailed from
Argentia on 5 March.
Arrayed against them in the North Atlantic were three U-boat patrol lines, ''Wildfang'', ''Burggraf'' and ''Neuland'', although in the event, only a re-configured ''Neuland'', comprising 13 U-boats, engaged HX 228.
In early March, the U-boat rakes came into contact with
Convoy SC 121, which was several days ahead of HX 228, and engaged it. The
Admiralty diverted HX 228 north-east to avoid the conflict and thus straight into the ''Neuland'' patrol area.
Action
On 10 March, the first contact was made by ''
U-336'' in heavy weather. During the rest of the day, eight others were directed to join. Ironically, at this point, the weather forced ''Bogue'' and her group to detach, as it was impossible to fly off aircraft in the storm. She sailed for
Argentia and took no part in the action.
On the evening of 10/11 March, during a snow squall, the first attacks took place.
''
U-221'' attacked three ships, sinking two ammunition ships, ''Tucurinca'' and ''Andrea F. Luckenbach'', and damaging a third,
SS ''Lawton B. Evans''. ''U-221'' was vigorously counterattacked and withdrew to repair the damage.
''
U-444'' and ''
U-757'' both fired on ''William C Gorgas'', which dropped back and sank later.
''U-757'' also fired on ''Brant County'', which was also carrying ammunition. ''Brant County'' caught fire and exploded, and ''U-757'' was damaged as a result. ''U-757'' was forced to return to base and was later attacked in the company of two other U-boats in the
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...
by the
RAF, but all survived.
''
U-86'' and ''
U-406'' both claimed hits using the new pattern-running
FAT torpedoes. ''Jamaica Provider'' was damaged during this stage.
During the morning of 11 March, ''Harvester'' sighted ''U-444'' on the surface and ran in to attack. She opened with gunfire and then rammed ''U-444'', suffering damage to her propellers in the process. It was originally thought that ''Harvester'' had sunk ''U-444,'' but she was found later on the surface and finished off by
French corvette ''Aconit''. While in the area, ''Harvester'' found and picked up 50 survivors from ''William Gorgas'' and 1 from ''U-444''. While attempting to re-join the convoy, her engines failed, and she summoned ''Aconit'' for assistance. While ''Harvester'' lay helpless, she was sighted and torpedoed by ''
U-432''; she sank with 149 onboard, including Commander Tait.
Arriving on the scene, ''Aconit'' gained
Asdic
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects o ...
contact on ''U-432'' which was lying motionless at
periscope depth
A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position.
In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...
, her commander and crew celebrating their victory. ''Aconit'' attacked with
depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...
s, blowing her to the surface and sinking her later with gunfire.
''Aconit'' picked up 20 survivors from ''U-432'', 48 from ''Harvester'', 12 from ''William C Gorgas'', and one from ''U-444'', to join the three previously picked up.
Despite further action that day and during the night of 11/12 March, there were no further losses to either side and on 12 March Admiral
Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz (; 16 September 1891 – 24 December 1980) was a German grand admiral and convicted war criminal who, following Adolf Hitler's Death of Adolf Hitler, suicide, succeeded him as head of state of Nazi Germany during the Second World ...
, the ''
Befehlshaber der U-Boote'' (Commander in chief of U-boats), called off the attack.
HX 228 arrived safely at Liverpool on 15 March 1943.
Conclusion
HX 228 cannot be seen as a victory for either side. The convoy had lost four ships and a warship, with the loss also of Commander Tait, an effective and well-respected Escort Group commander. The ''Neuland'' wolf pack had lost two boats, a potentially ruinous rate of exchange.
In popular culture
An attack by U-boats of fictional Convoys "HX 229", "HX 229A" and "SC112" is a key plot element in the 1995 novel
Enigma by
Robert Harris, and the 2001
film of the same name adapted from the novel.
Tables
Allied merchant ships sunk
Allied warships sunk
U-boats destroyed
Notes
References
*
* Arnold Hague : ''The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945'' (2000) (Canada). (UK)
*
*
*
Stephen Roskill : ''The War at Sea 1939–1945 Vol II'' (1956) ISBN (none)
* Jak P M Showell ''U-Boat Warfare: The Evolution of the Wolf-Pack'' (2002) {{ISBN, 0-7110-2887-7
External links
HX 228 at convoywebHX 228 at uboatnet
HX228
Naval battles of World War II involving France
C
Naval battles of World War II involving Poland
Naval battles of World War II involving Canada