Escort Group B2

Escort Group B2 was one of seven British escort groups which served with the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF), which provided convoy protection in the most dangerous midsection of the North Atlantic route.

The group was formed in the spring of 1942 and originally consisted of the Havant-class destroyer {{HMS|Hesperus|H57|2}} as group leader with the {{sclass2|Town|destroyer|2}} Leamington, V-class destroyer {{HMS|Veteran|D72|2}}, and the {{sclass2|Flower|corvette|2}}s {{HMS|Gentian|K90|2}}, {{HMS|Clematis|K36|2}}, {{HMS|Sweetbriar|K209|2}} and {{HMS|Vervain|K190|2}}.Rohwer & Hummelchen, 2005, p. 124

Later in the year the low-endurance destroyers Leamington and Veteran were replaced by longer-ranged V and W-class destroyers {{HMS|Vanessa|D29|2}} and {{HMS|Whitehall|D94|2}} and the Flower-class corvettes {{HMS|Heather|K69|2}}, {{HMS|Campanula|K18|2}}, and {{HMS|Mignonette|K38|2}} joined the group.Rohwer & Hummelchen, 2005, p. 227

The group commenced convoy escort duties in April 1942, in the critical mid-ocean section of the North Atlantic route, operating between Londonderry and St John's Newfoundland.

The first convoys, in the spring of 1942, were uneventful and as the pace of the Battle of the Atlantic heated up in the summer and autumn the group's convoys were escorted without loss.

In October 1942, ON 138 came under attack but a vigorous defence by B2 ensured no ships were lost.Blair, 1994, p. 42

In December 1942 it was accompanying HX 219 when the convoy came under attack. Hesperus responded and counter-attacked and destroyed {{GS|U-357||2}} by ramming it. As a result, Hesperus was out of action for 2 months.

In February 1943 a depleted B2 under temporary command of Cdr Proudfoot escorted Convoy SC 118. This convoy came under attack by wolfpack Pfeil and lost eight ships for three U-boats destroyed in one of the hardest fought battles of the campaign.

In April during an attack on ONS 4, ships of the group sank {{GS|U-191||2}}.

In May in an attack on SC 129 B2 sank {{GS|U-186||2}} and damaged U-402 and U-223 for the loss of two ships.

A series of uneventful convoys followed, as the U-boat arm withdrew from the North Atlantic after Black May, a state of affairs which continued until the end of the year.

During this period the group had escorted over 30 convoys, totalling over 900 ships of which only 10 were lost.

Hague App III No warships were lost from the group, which accounted for three U-boats destroyed and two others damaged, and shared in the destruction of three others, in its 2-year career.

• {{GS|U-357||2}}, sunk by Hesperus and Vanessa on 26 December 1942 Kemp, 1997, p. 98
• {{GS|U-191||2}}, sunk by Hesperus on 23 April 1943 Kemp, 1997, p. 111
• {{GS|U-186||2}} sunk by Hesperus on 12 May 1943 Kemp, 1997, pp. 115–116

{{Reflist|20em}}

• {{cite book |last1=Blair |first1=Clay |author-link=Clay Blair |title=Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945 |year=1998 |isbn=0-304-35261-6}}
• {{Cite book |last=Kemp |first=Paul |title=U-Boats Destroyed, German submarine losses in the World Wars |publisher=Arms and Armour |year=1997 |isbn=1-85409-515-3}}
• {{cite book |last=Macintyre |first=Donald |title=U-Boat Killer |year=1956 |publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson |location=London |oclc=1547547}}
• {{cite book |first=Axel |last=Niestle |title=German U-Boat Losses During World War II |publisher=Greenhill |date=1998 |isbn=1-85367-352-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Roskill |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Roskill |title=The War at Sea 1939–1945: The Offensive, Part 1, 1st June 1943 – 31st May 1944 |volume=III |year=1960 |publisher=HMSO |location=London |oclc=916211985}}
• {{cite book |first1=Jürgen |last1=Rohwer |first2=Gerhard |last2=Hümmelchen |title=Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |year=2005 |orig-year=1972 |publisher=Chatham |location=London |edition=3rd rev. |isbn=978-1-86176-257-3}}

Category:Escort Groups of the Royal Navy in World War II