Convoy PQ13

PQ 13 was a British Arctic convoy that delivered war supplies from the Western Allies to the USSR during World War II. The convoy was subject to attack by German air, U-boat and surface forces and suffered the loss of five ships, plus one escort vessel. Fifteen ships arrived safely.

Ships

PQ 13 comprised 19 merchant ships; seven British, four American, one Polish, four of Panamanian and one of Honduran registry. It was commanded by Commodore D. A. Casey in ''River Afton''. The convoy was escorted for the first stage of its voyage, from Scotland to Iceland, by a Local Escort Group, of two destroyers and an ASW Trawler. For the second stage, from Iceland to the Soviet Union, the Ocean escort was two destroyers and two trawlers, augmented by three whalers being transferred to the Soviet Navy. The Ocean escort was commanded by Capt. L. S. Saunders, in the cruiser .

In support of the convoy escort, and guarding against a sortie by the , was a Heavy Cover Force, comprising the battleships (Vice Admiral A. T. B. Curteis commanding), , battlecruiser , aircraft carrier , the cruisers and and sixteen destroyers, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . This force was intended to accompany PQ 13 at a distance until it was past Bear Island.

Action

The convoy sailed from Loch Ewe in Scotland on 10 March 1942 and arrived in Reykjavík on 16 March 1942. After the departure of three ships, bound from Loch Ewe to Reykjavík only and the first stage escort, collecting a further three ships bound from Reykjavík to Murmansk and the close escort for the voyage, PQ 13 left Reykjavík on 20 March 1942. The voyage was uneventful until 24 March, when the convoy was struck by a four-day storm, which left the convoy scattered and in disarray. The ships were dispersed over a distance of . Over the next few days the ships coalesced into two groups, of eight and four, with four others proceeding independently.

On 28 March the ships were sighted by German aircraft, and attacked. ''Raceland'' and ''Empire Ranger'' were sunk. A German force of three Narvik class destroyers, , and , under the command of KzS G. Ponitz, sortied from Kirkenes. The German destroyers intercepted and sank ''Bateau'' on the night of 28/29 March, before falling in with ''Trinidad'' and ''Fury'' in the early hours of 29 March. ''Z26'' was badly damaged by ''Trinidad'', sinking later after a combined counter-attack of ''Oribi'', ''Eclipse'' and the Soviet destroyer '' Sokrushitelny'' but in the course of the action ''Trinidad'' was hit by her own torpedo (the torpedo's gyroscope froze). The remaining German ships broke off the action and ''Trinidad'', escorted by ''Fury'' and ''Eclipse'', limped into Kola Inlet, arriving midday on 30 March.

The ships of PQ 13 came under U-boat attack. ''Induna'' was sunk by , and ''Effingham'' by . ''Fury'' attacked an asdic contact and was credited with the destruction of but post-war analysis found that ''U-585'' was lost elsewhere. By 30 March most ships had arrived at Murmansk; the last stragglers came in on 1 April. Six ships were lost in this convoy. The Germans sank five freighters. One whaler, (), was lost, probably due to heavy icing, and the cruiser, ''Trinidad'', was damaged. Against this one German destroyer had been sunk. Fourteen ships had arrived safely, more than two-thirds of the convoy. The freighter ''Tobruk'' was credited with shooting down one bomber and another probable on 30 April.

Ship list

The convoy to Russia consisted of 19 freighters, a Fleet Oiler and 3 whalers

* , and sailed with the convoy from Loch Ewe to Iceland, but didn't sail to the Soviet Union.
* ''Ballot'', ''Bateau'' and ''Scottish American'' joined the convoy in Iceland.
* All other ships departed from Loch Ewe, for Murmansk.
* Three whalers: HMS ''Silja'', HMS ''Sulla'' and HMS ''Sumba'' were under transfer to the Soviet Navy and would become magnetic mine minesweepers.
In Russia, HMS ''Silja'' was renamed ''T-107'' and HMS ''Sumba'' was renamed ''T-106''.

Convoy escorts

For the first stage, from Loch Ewe to Reykjavík, PQ 13 had a local escort of two destroyers and an ASW Trawler.

From Iceland to Murmansk the close escort consisted of the cruiser ''Trinidad'' and the destroyers ''Fury'' and ''Eclipse'', two armed trawlers and three minesweepers.

For the final leg the convoy was supported by the local escort based at Kola; two Soviet destroyers and four RN minesweepers.

Loch Ewe – Reykjavík: 10–16 March.

Leaving Loch Ewe in the afternoon of the 10th, the convoy was escorted by:
* Destroyer (left the convoy on the 13th)
* Destroyer
* ASW Trawler
On the 11th, another escort joined the convoy:
* Destroyer

Reykjavík – Murmansk: 18–31 March.

Leaving Reykjavík in the morning of the 18th, the convoy was escorted by:
* Trawler , and . (left the convoy on the 23rd)
On the 23rd, other escorts joined the convoy:
* Destroyers and (left the convoy on the 25th)
* Light Cruiser (left the convoy on the 25th)

The Barents Sea – Murmansk: 27 March – 3 April;

On the 27th, the convoy was joined by two Soviet destroyers:
* Destroyers and '' Sokrushitelney''
On 28 March the convoy was assisted by the involvement of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla operating here.

, , and of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla, under command of commander E.P. Hinton, sailed on 28 April for a patrol in the Arctic waters. On the 29th ''Harrier'' went for a search for survivors of the Empire Ranger. On the 29th ''Speedwell'' attempted to intercept ''Harpalion'', but failed to find her. found abandoned boats of ''Empire Ranger'' on the 29th which indicated they were picked up by other boats. (A German wireless claimed prisoners from a merchant ship, it was obvious they were from ''Empire Ranger'')
On 30 March, ''Gossamer'' found ''Scottish American'', ''Effingham'' and ''Dunboyne''. But ''Gossamer'' received orders to proceed to the position of the torpedoed ''Indua'', but failed to find her. ''Hussar'' made contact with a group of 9 ships of PQ 13 and a whaler. Escorted by two Russian destroyers and a trawler. ''Oribi'' sighted the whaler ''Silja'' who had run out of fuel. ''Oribi'' was ordered to go to the aid of ''River Afton'' which was reported to have been hit by a U-boat. ''Harrier'' took ''Silja'' in tow and ''Speedwell'' escorted them.
On 1 April, (also of the Sixth Minesweeping Flotilla) sailed to search for ''Sulla'', but returned on 3 April, having failed to find her.

Convoy losses

After an attack on 28 March 1942, 16 crewmembers of ''Ballot'' left the ship in a lifeboat, were picked up by ''Silja'' and put on board ''Induna''.

* 12 of them were former crewmembers of the SS Ballot

Aftermath

Footnotes

References

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Further reading

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External links

PQ 13 at Convoyweb


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{{World War II

PQ 13
C
Naval battles of World War II involving the Soviet Union