Convoy TAG 5
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Convoy TAG.5
| partof = World War II
| date = 12–16 September 1942
| place = Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea
| result=German tactical victory
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|naval}} Germany
| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Canada|1921}} Canada
{{flagicon|Netherlands}} Netherlands
{{flagicon|Norway}} Norway
{{flagicon|Panama}} Panama
{{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} United Kingdom
{{flagicon|United States|1912}} United States
| commander1 = Admiral Karl Dönitz
Kapitänleutnant Günther Krech
| commander2 =
| strength1 = 1 U-boat
| strength2 = 17 merchant ships
1 destroyer
2 corvettes
2 submarine chasers
2 minesweepers
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 = 2 ships sunk
1 damaged, and then total loss
}}
Convoy TAG 5 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the second World War. It was the 5th of the numbered TAG Convoys from Trinidad and Aruba to Guantánamo.Hague, p.113 The convoy was found on 13 September 1942 by {{GS|U-558||2}}. Kapitänleutnant Günther Krech (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) destroyed three ships from the convoy in two approaches aboard U-558.Rohwer & Hummelchen, p.164{{toclimit|2}}
Ships in the convoy
| class="wikitable sortable" | |
| scope="col" width="150px" |Name{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/tag/index.html |title=Convoy |publisher=Arnold Hague Convoy Database |accessdate=24 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191802/http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/tag/index.html |archivedate=29 October 2013 }}
! scope="col" width="150px" |Flag ! scope="col" width="30px" |Tonnage (GRT) ! scope="col" width="350px" |Notes | |
|---|---|
| align="left"|Alar (1939)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}} |align="right"|9,430 |align="left"|Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base | |
| align="left"|Altair (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}} |align="right"|6,933 |align="left"|Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base | |
| align="left"|Beaconoil (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}} |align="right"|6,893 |align="left"|Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base; probably this convoy | |
| align="left"|Cottica (1927)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}} |align="right"|3,989 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Empire Kangaroo (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}} |align="right"|6,219 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Empire Lugard (1941)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}} |align="right"|7,241 |align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-558 | 2}}{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2165.html|title=MV Empire Lugard – British Motor merchant|publisher=www.uboat.net|accessdate=24 October 2013}} |
| align="left"|Examiner (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}} |align="right"|6,736 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Gulftide (1937)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}} |align="right"|7,140 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|{{HMCS|Halifax|K237|6}}
|align="left"|{{naval|Canada|1911}} |align="right"| |align="left"|Escort 12 Sep – 14 Sep | |
| align="left"|Henry D Whiton (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}} |align="right"|4,548 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Hoegh Silverdawn (1940)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}} |align="right"|7,715 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Leonatus (1938)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}} |align="right"|2,242 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Macabi (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}} |align="right"|2,802 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Peter Hurll (1930)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}} |align="right"|10,871 |align="left"| | |
| align="left"|Saintonge (1936)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}} |align="right"|9,386 |align="left"|Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base | |
| align="left"|Suriname (1930)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}} |align="right"|7,915 |align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-558 | 2}}{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2166.html|title=SS Suriname – Dutch Steam merchant|publisher=www.uboat.net|accessdate=24 October 2013}} |
| align="left"|USS PC-481
|align="left"|{{navy|United States|1912}} |align="right"| |align="left"|Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep | |
| align="left"|USS PC-574
|align="left"|{{navy|United States|1912}} |align="right"| |align="left"|Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep | |
| align="left"|USS Spry
|align="left"|{{navy|United States|1912}} |align="right"| |align="left"|Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep | |
| align="left"|{{USS|Upshur|DD-144|6}}
|align="left"|{{navy|United States|1912}} |align="right"| |align="left"|Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep | |
| align="left"|USS YMS-24
|align="left"|{{navy|United States|1912}} |align="right"| |align="left"|Escort 13 Sep – 16 Sep | |
| align="left"|USS YMS-56
|align="left"|{{navy|United States|1912}} |align="right"| |align="left"|Escort 13 Sep – 16 Sep | |
| align="left"|Vilja (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}} |align="right"|6,672 |align="left"|Torpedoed by {{GS|U-558 | 2}}{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2162.html|title=MV Vilja – Norwegian Motor tanker|publisher=www.uboat.net|accessdate=24 October 2013}} and abandoned, but reboarded and safely arrived in Trinidad damaged. Later declared a total loss. |
| align="left"|West Kyska (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}} |align="right"|5,552 |align="left"|Did not sail |
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book
| last = Hague
| first = Arnold
| title = The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945
| year = 2000
| isbn = 1-86176-147-3
| ref = {{sfnRef|Hague}}
}}
- {{cite book| title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945 |author1=Rohwer, J. |author2=Hummelchen, G. |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1992 |isbn=1-55750-105-X}}
External links
- [http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/tag/index.html?tag.php?convoy=5!~tagmain TAG 5 at convoyweb]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Convoy TAG 05}}