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convoy SC 104

{{short description|Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Convoy SC 104

| image = HMS Fame 1942 IWM FL 13040.jpg

| image_size = 300px

| caption = {{HMS|Fame|H78|6}} (September 1942)

| partof = World War II

| date = 12–16 October 1942

| place = North Atlantic

| result = German victory

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|naval}} Germany

| combatant2 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} United Kingdom

| commander1 = CinC:Admiral Karl Dönitz

| commander2 = Commodore: CAPT F H Taylor RN
Escort: CDR R Heathcote

| strength1 = 8 U-boats

| strength2 = 48 freighters
2 destroyers
4 corvettes

| casualties1 = 2 U-boats sunk
2 U-boats damaged
50 dead

| casualties2 = 8 freighters sunk
2 destroyers damaged
216 dead

}}

{{Campaignbox Atlantic Campaign}}

Convoy SC 104 was the 104th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool.Hague 2000 p. 133 During October 1942, a U-boat wolf pack sank eight ships from the convoy. The convoy escorts sank two of the attacking submarines.

Background

As western Atlantic coastal convoys brought an end to the second happy time, Admiral Karl Dönitz the Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) or commander in chief of U-boats, shifted focus to the mid-Atlantic to avoid aircraft patrols. Although convoy routing was less predictable in the mid-ocean, Dönitz anticipated that the increased numbers of U-boats being produced would be able to effectively search for convoys with the advantage of intelligence gained through B-Dienst decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3.Tarrant p.108 However, only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys sailing from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943 lost ships to U-boat attack.Hague pp.132, 137-138, 161-162, 164, 181

Forty-seven ships departed New York City on 3 October 1942 and were met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-6 consisting of the {{sclass2|E and F|destroyer}} {{HMS|Fame|H78|2}} and {{sclass2|V and W|destroyer|2}} {{HMS|Viscount|D92|2}}, with the Norwegian-manned {{sclass2|Flower|corvette}}s {{HMS|Potentilla|K214|2}}, {{HMS|Eglantine|K197|2}}, {{HMS|Montbretia|K208|2}}, and {{HMS|Acanthus|K01|2}} and the convoy rescue ship Goathland.

Opposing this force was the U-boat Wolf pack Wotan comprising 8 boats: {{GS|U-221||2}}, {{GS|U-258||2}}, {{GS|U-356||2}}, {{GS|U-607||2}}, {{GS|U-618||2}}, {{GS|U-661||2}}, {{GS|U-353||2}}, and {{GS|U-254||2}}.Hague 2000 p.135Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.167

Action

The convoy was found and reported by U-258 on 11 October, and the other Wotan boats were ordered to join. By the evening of 12 October, U-258 had been joined by U-221 and U-356, and during the night of 12/13 October these boats attacked. U-258 and U-356 were unsuccessful, being driven off by the escorts, but U-221 was able to sink three ships: the Norwegian freighters Senta,Showell 2002 p.113 and Fagersten, and the British freighter Ashworth.

On the 13th the three U-boats continued to shadow the convoy, and were joined during the day by five other boats. On the night of the 13/14 October the wolf pack attacked again. This time U-221 sank two ships: the American freighter Susana and the British whale factory ship Southern Empress. U-607 torpedoed the Greek freighter Nellie, which later sank, but was itself attacked and severely damaged, and was forced to return to France for repairs. U-661 torpedoed the Yugoslavian freighter Nikolina Matkovic, and U-618 torpedoed the Empire Mersey.

Throughout 15 October the Wotan boats shadowed SC 104, but were unable to mount any successful attacks that night. On 15 October, Viscount detected U-661 in fog, and attacked with gunfire, ramming and depth charges. U-661 was destroyed, but Viscount was also damaged, and had to finish the voyage as part of the convoy.

On 16 October U-353 was sighted by Fame, which attacked and destroyed her by ramming, again suffering damage in the process. Command of the escort passed to LtCdr C.A. Monsen in Potentilla, who was able to make an attack on a contact later that day. No identification was made, or result credited, but post-war examination shows that U-254 was severely damaged in this attack and forced to retire to base.

On 16 and 17 October SC 104 came in range of allied air patrols, long–range B-24 Liberators and Catalina flying boats. These were able to break up any further attacks and on the 17th, Dönitz ceased further operations against SC 104.Blair p 39-41 The remainder of the voyage was unhindered, and the convoy reached Liverpool on 21 October. SC 104 lost 8 ships of 44,000 tons, with 2 escorts damaged, and saw the destruction of 2 U-boats with the damaging of 2 more.

Ships in convoy

class="wikitable sortable"
scope="col" width="150px" |Name{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sc/index.html|title=SC convoys|publisher=Andrew Hague Convoy Database|accessdate=26 May 2011}}

! scope="col" width="150px" |Flag

! scope="col" width="50px" |DeadHague p.161

! scope="col" width="50px" |Tonnage gross register tons (GRT)

! Cargo

! Notes

align="left"|Senta (1917)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|3,785

|align="left"|Steel & woodpulp

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-221

2}} 12/13 October
align="left"|Ashworth (1920)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|align="right"|49

|align="right"|5,227

|align="left"|Bauxite

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-221

2}} 13 October
align="left"|Fagersten (1921)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|align="right"|19

|align="right"|2,342

|align="left"|Steel & lumber

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-221

2}} 13 October
align="left"|Susana (1914)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}

|align="right"|38

|align="right"|5,929

|align="left"|Valuable general cargo

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-221

2}} 14 October
align="left"|Southern Empress (1914)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|align="right"|48

|align="right"|12,398

|align="left"|Fuel oil

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-221

2}} 14 October
align="left"|Nellie (1913)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}

|align="right"|32

|align="right"|4,826

|align="left"|Steel & lumber

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-607

2}} 14 October
align="left"|Nikolina Matkovic (1918)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Yugoslavia}}

|align="right"|14

|align="right"|3,672

|align="left"|Sugar & lumber

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-661

2}} 14 October
align="left"|Empire Mersey (1920)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|align="right"|16

|align="right"|5,791

|align="left"|General cargo including government stores

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-618

2}} 14 October
align="left"|Merchant Royal (1928)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|5,008

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Carried convoy commodore Capt F H Taylor DSC RN

align="left"|Mariposa (1914)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,807

|align="left"|Explosives, steel & timber

|align="left"|Ship's master was convoy vice-commodore

align="left"|Aghios Spyridon (1905)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}

|

|align="right"|3,338

|align="left"|Grain

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy SC 94

align="left"|Anna (1919)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}

|

|align="right"|5,173

|align="left"|Grain and general cargo

|

align="left"|Anna N Goulandris (1921)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}

|

|align="right"|4,358

|align="left"|Grain

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy HX 300

align="left"|Bernhard (1924)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|3,563

|align="left"|Bauxite

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy HX 300

align="left"|Bonde (1936)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|1,570

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Returned to Canada; sunk 7 months later in Convoy ONS 5

align="left"|Boreas (1920)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|2,801

|align="left"|Sugar

|

align="left"|Boston City (1920)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|2,870

|align="left"|General cargo including explosives

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy SC 94 and convoy ON 127

align="left"|British Progress (1927)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|4,581

|align="left"|petrol

|

align="left"|British Renown (1928)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|6,997

|align="left"|petrol

|

align="left"|Campus (1925)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,667

|align="left"|Steel and wood

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5

align="left"|Carslogie (1924)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,786

|align="left"|Steel and wood

|

align="left"|Charles Carroll (1942)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}

|

|align="right"|7,191

|align="left"|Cased petrol & explosives

|align="left"|Liberty ship

align="left"|Cydonia (1927)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,517

|align="left"|Grain

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy ONS 5

align="left"|Disa (1918)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Sweden}}

|

|align="right"|2,002

|align="left"|Flour

|

align="left"|Empire Lightning (1940)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|6,942

|align="left"|phosphates

|align="left"|Collided with Milcrest of convoy ON 132

align="left"|Empire Mouflon (1921)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,234

|align="left"|Explosives & general cargo

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy HX 300

align="left"|Empire Waterhen (1920)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|6,004

|align="left"|General cargo

|

align="left"|Garnes (1930)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|1,559

|

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy SC 107

align="left"|George B. McClellan (1942)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}

|

|align="right"|7,181

|align="left"|Vitriol, cased petrol & explosives

|align="left"|Liberty ship

align="left"|Georgios P (1903)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}

|

|align="right"|4,052

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy SC 122

align="left"|Gothland (1932)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|1,286

|

|align="left"|Rescue ship

align="left"|Gudvor (1928)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|2,280

|

|align="left"|Survived this convoy, convoy SC 122 and convoy ONS 5

align="left"|Inger Lise (1939)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|1,582

|align="left"|lumber

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy SC 94

align="left"|Ingerfem (1912)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|3,987

|align="left"|Grain

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy SC 94

align="left"|John Hathorn (1942)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}

|

|align="right"|7,176

|align="left"|Cased petrol & explosives

|align="left"|Liberty ship

align="left"|Lido (1930)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|1,918

|align="left"|Flour

|

align="left"|Liverpool Loyalist (1932)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|1,416

|

|

align="left"|Llangollen (1928)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|5,056

|align="left"|General cargo

|

align="left"|Mars (1925)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}

|

|align="right"|1,582

|align="left"|Flour

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy SC 94

align="left"|Nea (1921)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|1,877

|align="left"|lumber

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy SC 26

align="left"|Ozark (1919)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}

|

|align="right"|2,689

|

|align="left"|Lost rudder and diverted to Iceland

align="left"|Peterston (1925)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|4,680

|align="left"|Grain & lumber

|

align="left"|Porjus (1906)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Sweden}}

|

|align="right"|2,965

|align="left"|phosphates

|align="left"|Returned to Canada; also returned from convoy SC 121 and survived convoy SC 122

align="left"|Prinses Maria-Pia (1938)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Belgium}}

|

|align="right"|2,588

|align="left"|Sugar & bombs

|

align="left"|Ramava

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Latvia}}

|

|align="right"|2,141

|align="left"|lumber

|

align="left"|Reigh Count (1907)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}}

|

|align="right"|4,657

|align="left"|Explosives & valuable cargo

|

align="left"|Robert Morris (1942)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}

|

|align="right"|7,176

|align="left"|Cased petrol & explosives

|align="left"|Liberty ship

align="left"|Rocha (1933)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Panama}}

|

|align="right"|1,471

|

|

align="left"|Roxane (1929)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|7,813

|align="left"|Fuel oil

|

align="left"|Saintonge (1936)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|9,386

|align="left"|Fuel oil

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy HX 300

align="left"|Saluta (1906)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|6,261

|align="left"|Fuel oil

|

align="left"|Sinnington Court (1928)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|UKGBI|civil}}

|

|align="right"|6,910

|

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy SC 121

align="left"|Souliotis (1917)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}

|

|align="right"|4,299

|align="left"|Steel & lumber

|

align="left"|Suderoy (1913)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|7,562

|align="left"|Fuel oil

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy SC 121

align="left"|Theomitor (1910)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}

|

|align="right"|4,427

|align="left"|Steel & lumber

|

align="left"|Vinga (1927)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}

|

|align="right"|7,321

|align="left"|Furnace fuel oil

|

align="left"|William Johnson (1942)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}

|

|align="right"|7,191

|align="left"|Cased petrol & explosives

|align="left"|Liberty Ship

Losses

class="wikitable"

|+U-boat lossesKemp p 92

width="110px"|Date

! width="30px" |Number

! width="30px" |Type

! width="250px"|Captain

! width="25px" |Casualties

! width="130px"|Position

! width="150px"|Cause

! width="100px"|By

align="right" |15 October 1942

|align="center"|U-661

|align="center"|VIIC

|align="left" |Oberleutnant zur See Erich Lilienfeld{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/733.html|title=Oberleutnant zur See Erich Lilienfeld|publisher=www.uboat.net|accessdate=31 October 2013}}

|align="right" |44

|align="right" |{{coord|53|42|N|35|56|W}}

|align="left" |Gunfire, depth charge, ramming

|align="left" |HMS Viscount

align="right" |16 October 1942

|align="center"|U-353

|align="center"|VIIC

|align="left" |Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Römer{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/1017.html|title=Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Römer|publisher=www.uboat.net|accessdate=31 October 2013}}

|align="right" |6

|align="right" |{{coord|53|54|N|29|30|W}}

|align="left" |Depth charge

|align="left" |HMS Fame

See also

Notes

{{reflist|2}}

References

  • {{cite book |last1=Blair |first1=Clay |title=Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942-1945|year=1998 |isbn=0-304-35261-6|author-link=Clay Blair}}
  • {{cite book| title=The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 |author=Hague, Arnold |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=2000 |isbn=1-55750-019-3}}
  • {{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| title=U-Boat Warfare |author=Showell, Jak P. Mallmann |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=2002 |isbn=1-55750-001-0}}
  • {{cite book| title=North Atlantic Run |author=Milner, Marc |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-87021-450-0}}
  • {{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}}
  • {{cite book| title=The U-Boat Offensive 1914–1945 |author=Tarrant, V.E. |publisher=Arms and Armour |year=1989 |isbn=1-85409-520-X}}

External links

  • http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sc/index.html convoy.web
  • http://uboat.net/ops/convoys/convoys.php?convoy=SC-104 u.boat.net

SC104

Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Canada

C