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convoy SC 118

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

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

{{Infobox military conflict

|conflict=Convoy SC 118

|campaign=

|image=300px

|caption= {{USS|Schenck|DD-159|6}} at sea

|partof=Battle of the Atlantic

|date=4–7 February 1943

|place=North Atlantic

|result=German tactical victory

|combatant1={{flag|United Kingdom|naval}}
{{flag|Canada|naval-1911}}
{{flag|United States|1912}}
{{flag|Free French}}The Flower-class corvette Lobelia was then under Free French

|combatant2={{flagcountry|Nazi Germany|naval}}

|commander1= Captain H C C Forsyth RNR
Commander Proudfoot RN

|commander2=Admiral Karl Dönitz

|strength1= 64 freighters
5 destroyers
2 cutters
4 corvettes

|strength2= 20 submarines

|casualties1= 8 freighters sunk (51,592 GRT)
445 killed/drowned

|casualties2= 3 submarines sunk
101 killed/drowned
45 captured

|campaignbox={{Campaignbox Atlantic Campaign}}

}}

Convoy SC 118 was the 118th of the numbered series of World War II slow convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, to Liverpool.Hague 2000 p. 133 The ships departed New York City on 24 January 1943Hague 2000 p.135 and were met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-2 consisting of V-class destroyers {{HMS|Vanessa|D29|2}} and {{HMS|Vimy|D33|2}}, the {{sclass2|Treasury|cutter|0}} cutter {{USCGC|Bibb|WPG-31|2}}, the {{sclass2|Town|destroyer|2}} {{HMS|Beverley|H64|2}}, {{sclass2|Flower|corvette}}s {{HMS|Campanula|K18|2}}, {{HMS|Mignonette|K38|2}}, {{HMS|Abelia|K184|2}} and {{ship|FFL|Lobelia|K05|2}}, and the convoy rescue ship Toward.Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p. 191

Background

File:SS Radport Painted in 1943.jpg

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, 137–38, 161–62, 164, 181

On 2 February {{GS|U-456||2}} sank three ships from convoy HX 224. A survivor of one of the sunken ships was picked up by {{GS|U-632||2}} and told his rescuers a slower convoy was following behind HX 224.Waters December 1966 p.96

Battle

=4 February 1943=

A careless merchant seaman of convoy SC 118 fired a pyrotechnic snowflake projector aboard the Norwegian freighter SS Vannik in the pre-dawn darkness of 4 February. {{GS|U-187||2}} observed the snowflake display, reported sighting the convoy, and was promptly sunk by Beverly and Vimy after Bibb and Toward triangulated the submarine's location from the sighting report, using high-frequency radio direction-finder (HF/DF or Huff-Duff). The destroyers rescued 44 of the submarine's crew.Waters December 1966 p.97 The Polish freighter Zagloba was torpedoed on the unprotected side of the convoy by {{GS|U-262||2}} and {{GS|U-413||2}} torpedoed the straggling American freighter West Portal.

=5 February 1943=

On 5 February the convoy escort was reinforced by the {{sclass2|Treasury|cutter|0}} cutter {{USCGC|Ingham|WPG-35|2}} and the {{sclass|Wickes|destroyer}}s {{USS|Babbitt|DD-128|6}} and {{USS|Schenck|DD-159|6}} from Iceland. The reinforced escort damaged U-262 and {{GS|U-267||2}}.Waters December 1966 p. 98

=7 February 1943=

In the pre-dawn hours of 7 February, Kapitänleutnant Siegfried von Forstner's {{GS|U-402||2}} torpedoed the British freighter Afrika, Norwegian tanker Daghild, Greek freighter Kalliopi, American tanker Robert E. Hopkins, American cargo liner {{USS|Henry R. Mallory|ID-1280|2}}, and convoy rescue ship Toward.Hague 2000 p.137

Henry R. Mallory was capable of {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}} but had been straggling well astern of the convoy for several days and was not zig-zagging in that exposed position.Waters December 1966 p.102 Mallory would normally have been assigned to one of the faster HX convoys, but there had been no Iceland section of the preceding convoy HX 224. No commands came from the bridge after Mallory was torpedoed, no flares were sent up, no radio distress message was sent out, and no orders were given to abandon ship.Waters December 1966 p.103 There were heavy casualties from Mallory{{'}}s crew of 77, 34 Navy gunners, and the 136 American soldiers, 172 American sailors, and 72 American Marines she was transporting to Iceland.Morison 1975 p. 336

{{GS|U-614||2}} sank the straggling British freighter Harmala while Lobelia sank {{GS|U-609||2}}.

B-17 Flying Fortress J of No. 220 Squadron RAF sank U-614 on 7 February. U-402 sank British freighter Newton Ash that night. On 9 February Kapitänleutnant von Forstner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for ships sunk by U-402 from this convoy and from Convoy SC 107 on the previous patrol. SC 118 reached Liverpool without further loss on 12 February.

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=Arnold Hague Convoy Database|accessdate=2011-05-29}}

! scope="col" width="120px" |Flag

! scope="col" width="25px" |Dead

! scope="col" width="30px" |Tonnage (GRT)

! scope="col" width="100px" |Cargo

! scope="col" width="300px" |Notes

align="left" |Acme (1916)

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

|

|align="right"|6,878

|align="left" |Petrol & oil

|

align="left" |Adamas (1918)

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

|align="right"|0

|align="right"|4,144

|align="left" |Steel & lumber

|align="left" |Sank 8 Feb after collision with {{SS|Samuel Huntington

2}}
align="left" |African Prince (1939)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|8,031

|align="left" |Bauxite and ammunition

|align="left" |Carried convoy commodore Capt H C C Forsyth RD RNR

align="left" |Afrika (1920)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|align="right"|23

|align="right"|8,597

|align="left" |4,000 tons steel & 7,000 tons general cargo

|align="left" |Sunk by {{GS|U-402

2}} 7 Feb
align="left" |Ann Skakel (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|4,949

|align="left" |General cargo

|align="left" |Veteran of convoy SC 107; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb

align="left" |Arizpa (1920)

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

|align="right"|0

|align="right"|5,437

|align="left" |Stores

|

align="left" |Athelprince (1926)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|8,782

|align="left" |Diesel & naptha

|align="left" |Convoy vice-commodore was ship's master

align="left" |Baron Haig (1926)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,391

|align="left" |Sugar

|

align="left" |Baron Ramsey (1929)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,650

|align="left" |Iron ore

|align="left" |Veteran of convoy SC 42

align="left" |Bestik (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|2,684

|align="left" |Steel & lumber

|

align="left" |Blairdevon (1925)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,282

|align="left" |Steel & lumber

|

align="left" |Celtic Star (1918)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|5,575

|align="left" |refrigerated & general cargo

|

align="left" |Cetus (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|2,614

|align="left" |Sugar

|align="left" |Veteran of convoy HX 84; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130

align="left" |City of Khios (1925)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|5,574

|align="left" |Sugar

|

align="left" |Daghild (1927)

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

|align="right"|0

|align="right"|9,272

|align="right"|13,000 tons Diesel

|align="left" |Veteran of convoy ON 127; sunk by {{GS|U-402

2}}, {{GS|U-6142}} & {{GS|U-6082}}
align="left" |Dallington Court (1929)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|6,889

|align="left" |Wheat

|align="left" |Survived this convoy and convoy SC 130

align="left" |Danae II (1936)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|2,660

|align="left" |Bauxite

|align="left" |Veteran of convoy HX 84

align="left" |Danby (1937)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|4,281

|align="left" |Linseed & grain

|

align="left" |Daylight (1931)

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

|

|align="right"|9,180

|align="left" |General cargo

|align="left" |Escort oiler; Detached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130

align="left" |Deido (1928)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|3,894

|align="left" |Petrol

|

align="left" |Dettifoss (1930)

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

|

|align="right"|1,564

|align="left" |General cargo

|align="left" |Detached to Iceland 9 Feb

align="left" |Dordrecht (1928)

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

|

|align="right"|4,402

|align="left" |Palm oil

|align="left" |Returned to Halifax

align="left" |{{SS|Empire Gareth2}} (1942)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|2,847

|align="left" |Bauxite

|

align="left" |{{SS|Empire Liberty2}} (1941)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|7,157

|align="left" |General cargo

|

align="left"|Glarona (1928)

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

|

|align="right"|9,912

|align="left"|fuel oil & Diesel

|

align="left"|Gogra (1919)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|5,190

|align="left"|General cargo

|

align="left"|Gold Shell (1931)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|8,208

|align="left"|Petrol

|

align="left"|Grey County (1918)

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

|align="right"|3

|align="right"|5,194

|align="left"|General cargo

|

align="left"|Gulf of Mexico (1917)

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

|

|align="right"|7,807

|align="left"|Oil & petrol

|

align="left"|H M Flagler (1918)

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

|

|align="right"|8,208

|align="left"|Furnace fuel oil

|align="left"|Escort oiler

align="left"|Harmala (1935)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|align="right"|53

|align="right"|5,730

|align="left"|8,500 tons iron ore

|align="left"|Straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-614

2}} 7 Feb
align="left"|Helder (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|3,629

|align="left"|General cargo

|

align="left"|Henry Mallory (1916)

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

|align="right"|272

|align="right"|6,063

|align="left"|383 passengers & general cargo

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy ON 154; sunk by {{GS|U-402

2}} 7 Feb
align="left"|Ioannis Frangos (1912)

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

|

|align="right"|3,442

|align="left"|Grain

|

align="left"|Julius Thomsen (1927)

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

|

|align="right"|1,151

|

|align="left"|Detached to Greenland

align="left"|Kalliopi (1910)

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

|align="right"|4

|align="right"|4,965

|align="left"|6,500 tons steel & lumber

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-402

2}} 7 Feb
align="left"|King Stephen (1928)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|5,274

|align="left"|Grain

|

align="left"|Kiruna (1921)

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

|

|align="right"|5,484

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy HX 79 and convoy ON 154

align="left"|Lagarfoss (1904)

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

|

|align="right"|1,211

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Detached to Iceland 9 Feb; survived this convoy and convoy SC 130

align="left"|Makedonia (1942)

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

|

|align="right"|7,044

|align="left"|Flour

|

align="left"|Mana (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|3,283

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Detached to Iceland 9 Feb

align="left"|Maud (1930)

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

|

|align="right"|3,189

|align="left"|Sugar

|

align="left"|New York City (1917)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|2,710

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Veteran of convoy SC 107

align="left"|Newton Ash (1925)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|align="right"|32

|align="right"|4,625

|align="left"|6,500 tons grain, mail & military stores

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-402

2}} 7 Feb
align="left"|Norbryn (1922)

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

|

|align="right"|5,087

|align="left"|Tea & rubber

|

align="left"|Permian (1931)

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

|

|align="right"|8,890

|

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

align="left"|Petter II (1922)

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

|

|align="right"|7,417

|align="left"|Gas oil

|

align="left" |Polyktor (1914)

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

|

|align="right"|4,077

|align="left" |Grain

|align="left" |Sunk by {{GS|U-266

2}}
align="left" |Radmanso (1914)

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

|

|align="right"|4,280

|align="left"|Sulphur

|

align="left"|Radport (1925)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|5,355

|align="left"|General cargo

|

align="left"|Redgate (1929)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|4,323

|align="left"|General cargo

|

align="left"|Robert E. Hopkins (1921)

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

|align="right"|0

|align="right"|6,625

|align="left"|8,500 tons furnace fuel oil

|align="left"|Escort oiler; sunk by {{GS|U-402

2}} 7 Feb
align="left"|{{SS|Samuel Huntington2}} (1942)

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

|

|align="right"|7,181

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Liberty ship

align="left"|Sheaf Holme (1929)

|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|

|align="right"|4,814

|align="left"|Potash & general cargo

|align="left"|Survived this convoy and convoy SC 130

align="left"|Sommerstad (1926)

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

|

|align="right"|5,923

|align="left"|Lubricating oil

|

align="left"|Stad Arnhem (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|3,819

|align="left"|Phosphates

|

align="left"|Tilemachos (1911)

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

|

|align="right"|3,658

|align="left"|Grain

|

align="left" |Toward (1923)

|align="left" |{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}

|align="right"|58

|align="right"|1,571

|

|align="left" |Rescue ship; sunk by {{GS|U-402

2}} 7 Feb
align="left" |Vacuum (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|7,020

|align="left" |Petrol

|

align="left" |Vannik (1940)

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

|

|align="right"|1,333

|align="left" |General cargo

|align="left" |Detached to Iceland 9 Feb

align="left"|West Portal (1920)

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

|

|align="right"|5,376

|align="left"|Stores

|align="left"|Straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-413

2}} 4 Feb
align="left"|William Penn (1921)

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

|

|align="right"|8,447

|align="left"|Petrol

|

align="left"|Yemassee (1922)

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

|

|align="right"|2,001

|align="left"|General cargo

|align="left"|Detached to Iceland 9 Feb

align="left"|Zagloba (1938)

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

|

|align="right"|2,864

|align="left"|Ammunition & general cargo

|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-262

2}} 4 Feb

See also

Notes

{{reflist|30em}}

References

  • {{cite book|last= Edwards|first= Bernard|title= Dönitz and the Wolf Packs – The U-boats at War|year= 1996|isbn= 0-304-35203-9|pages= 141–145, 147–151, 199|ref = {{sfnRef|Edwards}}

}}

  • {{cite book| title=The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 |last=Hague|first=Arnold|publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=2000 |isbn=1-55750-019-3}}
  • {{cite book| title=North Atlantic Run |author=Milner, Marc |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-87021-450-0}}
  • {{cite book| title=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939–1943 |author=Morison, Samuel Eliot |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |year=1975}}
  • {{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}}
  • {{citation |last=Waters |first=John M. Jr.|title=Stay Tough |publisher=United States Naval Institute Proceedings |date=December 1966}}

SC118

Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Canada

C