Escort Group B7

Escort Group B7 was one of seven such British naval groups which served with the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF). It provided convoy protection in the most dangerous middle section of the North Atlantic route. The MOEF was originally to be five American, five British and four Canadian groups. B7 was formed in the spring of 1942, following the inability of the USN to form groups A-4 and A-5 due to other commitments. To replace them, two new escort groups, Escort Group B6 and Escort Group B7, were formed.

File:HMS Firedrake (H79).jpg

Led by {{HMS|Firedrake|H79|6}}, under the leadership of Commander William Banks, B7 comprised six {{sclass2|Flower|corvette}}s; {{HMS|Loosestrife|K105|6}} from the disbanded American group A-5 and {{HMS|Alisma|K185|2}}, {{HMS|Coreopsis|K32|2}}, {{HMS|Jonquil|K68|2}}, {{HMS|Pink|K137|2}} and

{{HMS|Sunflower|K41|2}}.Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p. 227HMS Alisma was manned by Australians - Tramp to Queen p. 76 These were joined later by the destroyers HMS Chesterfield and Ripley.

B7's first convoys, in the spring of 1942, were uneventful and as the Battle of the Atlantic increased in intensity in the summer and autumn, the group's charges were escorted without loss. In December, while escorting Convoy ON 153, the convoy came under attack and three ships were sunk. During this action, on 11 December, Firedrake was torpedoed by the U-boat {{GS|U-211||2}} and sank with the loss of 168 of her crew, including her commander and the group's Senior Officer – Escort (SOE), Commander Eric Tilden. Thirty-five survived the torpedoing but only 27 managed to get on board Sunflower (Captain John Treasure Jones).Jones, 2008, pp. 69–79

File:HMS Duncan.jpg

B7's new SOE was Commander Peter Gretton, of {{HMS|Duncan|D99|6}}, a tough and capable leader, who quickly molded the group to his own image. At this point B7 comprised the destroyers Duncan and {{HMS|Vidette|D48|2}}, the frigate {{HMS|Tay|K232|6}} and the corvettes HMS Alisma, Loosestrife, Pink, Sunflower and {{HMS|Snowflake|K211|2}}.

After several convoys had been escorted without loss, B7 covered Convoy HX 231 in April 1943. This came under attack by Wolfpack Lowenherz, which sank six ships, for the loss of two submarines destroyed and five damaged. In May 1943, B7 escorted Convoy ONS 5, sometimes regarded as the turning point of the Atlantic campaign. In a week-long battle against wolfpacks, Star, Amstel and later Fink, Convoy ONS 5 lost 13 ships, for the destruction of six U-boats and the disabling of seven. At least four of these were credited to B7. Later that month, returning with Convoy SC 130, B7 saw the destruction of between three and five U-boats (sources vary) for no loss. at least one of these was credited to B7. A series of uneventful convoys followed, as the U-boat Arm withdrew from the North Atlantic after Black May, while Gretton lobbied for a chance for B7 to operate as a Support Group.Gretton, 1964, p. 163 In October 1943 this was given, as the German U-boat arm launched its autumn offensive.

File:Corvettes of Escort Group B7.jpg

B7 was involved in the battles for convoys ONS 20 and ON 206, Convoy ON 207 and Convoy ON 208, during which nine U-boats were destroyed. The battle for Convoy ONS20/206 saw six U-boats sunk, of which {{GS|U-631||2}} was credited to Sunflower and {{GS|U-844||2}} was damaged by Duncan, to be destroyed later in an air attack. Convoy ON 207 saw three U-boats destroyed, {{GS|U-282||2}} by ships of B7, another shared with aircraft. B7 had steamed {{cvt|6700|nmi}}, crossing the Atlantic five times. The group members had refuelled at sea on six occasions and had re-armed with depth charges at sea.Gretton, 1964, p. 175 B7 returned to escort duty on the North Atlantic route, continuing without major incident until the group was disbanded in the summer of 1944 as part of the preparations for Operation Neptune, the naval contribution to the Normandy invasion.

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• Firedrake was torpedoed and sunk by U-211 when escorting Convoy ON 153 on 16 December 1942.Blair, 2000, pp. 128–129

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{cite book |last=Blair |first=Clay |author-link=Clay Blair |title=Hitler's U-boat War: The Hunters, 1939–1942 |volume=I |year=2000 |orig-year=1996 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |edition=Pbk. Modern Library, NY |isbn=978-0-307-87437-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Gretton |first=Peter |title=Convoy Escort Commander |year=1964 |publisher=Cassell |location=London |oclc=315045592}}
• {{cite book |last=Jones |first=John Treasure |author-link=John Treasure Jones |title=Tramp to Queen |year=2008 |publisher=The History Press |location=Cheltenham |isbn=978-0-7524-4625-7}}
• {{cite book |last=Kemp |first=Paul |title=U-Boats Destroyed, German submarine losses in the World Wars |publisher=Arms and Armour |location=London |year=1997 |isbn=1-85409-515-3}}
• {{cite book |title=German U-Boat Losses During World War II |first=Axel |last=Niestle |publisher=Greenhill |location=London |date=1998 |isbn=1-85367-352-8}}
• {{cite book |last1=Rohwer |first1=Jürgen |author-link1=Jürgen Rohwer |last2=Hümmelchen |first2=Gerhard |title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=2005 |edition=3rd rev. |isbn=1-59114-119-2}}
• {{cite book |last=Roskill |first=S. W. |author-link=Stephen Roskill |series=History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series |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=1099743425}}

• http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4706.html Alisma at uboatnet
• http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4386.html Firedrake at uboatnet
• http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-23F-Firedrake.htm Firedrake at naval history
• http://www.hmsfiredrake.co.uk/ Firedrake Association with survivors' accounts
• http://www.carlsen.karoo.net/ Sunflower crewman's website describing his 2nd Drafting
• http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-18D-Duncan.htm Duncan at naval history

{{World War II}}

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