Convoy OG 71

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Convoy OG.71
Part of World War II
Date13–25 August 1941
Location
North Atlantic
Result German victory
Belligerents
File:War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany

File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom

File:Flag of Norway, state.svg Royal Norwegian Navy
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Vice-Admiral P E Parker DSO
Strength
8 U-boats 23 merchant ships
13 escorts
Casualties and losses
10 ships sunk
(8 merchants, 2 escorts)
360 killed

Convoy OG 71 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the Second World War. It was the 71st of the numbered OG convoys Outbound from the British Isles to Gibraltar. The convoy departed Liverpool on 13 August 1941[1] and was found on 17 August by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor of Kampfgeschwader 40. Starting on August 19, it became the first convoy of the war to be attacked by a German submarine wolfpack, when reached by eight U-boats from 1st U-boat Flotilla, operating out of Brest. Ten ships comprising a total tonnage of 15,185 tons were sunk before the U-boats lost contact on 23 August.[2]

Legacy

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This convoy was known as "Nightmare Convoy".[3] Eight merchant ships,[2] two naval escorts and over 400 people died, including 152 from the commodore's ship, Aguila (146 on August 19 and 6 survivors lost on August 22 when Empire Oak sank). The Aguila losses included the 22 "lost Wrens" (members of the Women's Royal Naval Service, or WRNS) who had volunteered for duties at Gibraltar. After this, Wrens were never sent again on passenger liners in convoys, but transported on HM ships.[4] In their honour, a new Black Swan-class sloop, launched in 1942, was named HMS Wren, while a Liverpool-class lifeboat, launched in 1951, was named Aguila Wren.[5]

Of the convoy's surviving merchant ships, five reached Gibraltar while 10 retreated to neutral Portugal.[6][7] This was described as the most "bitter act of surrender could ever come our way".[8]

The two ships from neutral Ireland were carrying British coal—after this incident, the Irish ship owners decided not to sail their vessels in British convoys and by the early months of 1942 the practice had ceased.[9]

Ships in the convoy

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Allied merchant ships

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A total of 23 merchant vessels joined the convoy in Liverpool.[10]

Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Aguila (1916) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 3,255 Passenger ship sunk by U-201[11] on 19 Aug, with 146 dead
(another 6 survivors died when Empire Oak was lost 3 days later)
Convoy Commodore's ship (Vice-Admiral P E Parker DSO)
Aighai (1896) Error creating thumbnail: Greece 1,406 Retreated to Porto
Aldergrove (1918) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,974 Sunk by U-201[12] on 23 Aug, with 1 dead
Alva (1934) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,584 Sunk by U-559[13] on 19 Aug
Cervantes (1919) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,810 Retreated to Lisbon.
Ciscar (1919) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,808 Sunk by U-201[14] on 19 Aug
Clonlara (1926) File:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 1,203 Retreated towards Lisbon.
Sunk by U-201[15] on 22 Aug, with 19 dead
Copeland (1923) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,526 Rescue Ship
Ebro (1920) File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 1,547 Reached Gibraltar.
Empire Oak (1941) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 484 Sunk by U-564[16] on 22 Aug, with 19 dead
(including 6 of 6 originally rescued from Aguila and 9 of 11 rescued from Alva)
Empire Stream (1941) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 2,911 Retreated to Lisbon. Vice-Commodore's Ship
Grelhead (1915) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 4,274 Retreated to Lisbon
Lanarhone (1928) File:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 1,221 Arrived in Lisbon, her intended destination.
Lapwing (1920) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,348 Reached Gibraltar.
Lyminge (1919) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 2,499 Retreated to Lisbon.
Marklyn (1918) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 3,090 Reached Gibraltar.
Meta (1930) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,575 Retreated to Lisbon.
Petrel (1920) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,354 Retreated to Porto
Spero (1922) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,589 Reached Gibraltar.
Spind (1917) File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway 2,197 Torpedoed and damaged by U-564 & finally sunk by U-552[17] on 23 Aug, with no deaths
Starling (1930) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,320 Reached Gibraltar.
Stork (1937) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 787 Sunk by U-201[18] on 23 Aug, with 19 dead
Switzerland (1922) File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 1,291 Retreated to Lisbon.

Convoy escorts

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A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[10]

Name Flag Type Joined Left
HNoMS Bath (I17) File:Flag of Norway, state.svg Royal Norwegian Navy Wickes-class destroyer 13 Aug 1941 Sunk by U-204[19] on 19 Aug 1941, 88 Dead
HMS Bluebell (K80) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Boreas (H77) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy B-class destroyer 22 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Campanula (K18) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Campion (K108) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Gurkha (G63) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy L-class destroyer 20 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Hydrangea (K39) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Lance (G87) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy L-class destroyer 20 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Leith (U36) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Grimsby-class sloop 13 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Vidette (D48) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Admiralty V-class destroyer 21 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Wallflower (K44) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Wivern (D66) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Modified W-class destroyer 22 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Zinnia (K98) File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 13 Aug 1941 Sunk by U-564[20] on 23 Aug 1941, 68 Dead

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hague, pp. 175–176
  2. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). p. 78
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). page 46.
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., page 198.
  8. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., page 114.
  9. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., page 87.
  10. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  20. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

Bibliography

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  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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