Convoy JW 51B
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| Convoy JW 51B | |||||||
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| Part of the Second World War | |||||||
| File:Barents Sea map.png The Norwegian and the Barents seas, site of the Arctic convoys | |||||||
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| File:Flag of Germany (1935–1945).svg Germany | |||||||
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Convoy JW 51B was an Arctic convoy sent from United Kingdom by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It sailed in late December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports in early January 1943.
Convoy JW 51B came under attack by German surface units, engaged in Operation Regenbogen, on 31 December. In the engagement, a British minesweeper and a British destroyer were sunk and a German destroyer were sunk; no ships were lost from the convoy in what became known as the Battle of the Barents Sea.
Background
[edit | edit source]Convoy escorts
[edit | edit source]Convoy JW 51A consisted of 15 merchant ships which departed from Loch Ewe on 22 December 1942. Close escort was provided by the minesweeper HMS Bramble, two corvettes and two armed trawlers. The close escort was supported by six Home Fleet destroyers led by HMS Onslow (Captain Robert Sherbrooke). The convoy sailed with a local escort group from Britain and was joined later by a local escort group from Murmansk. A cruiser cover force comprising HMS Jamaica, HMS Sheffield and two destroyers, was also at sea, from Kola Inlet, to guard against attack by surface units. Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force from Iceland comprising the battleship HMS Anson, the cruiser Cumberland and five destroyers.
German forces
[edit | edit source]Convoy JW 51B was opposed by four U-boats in a patrol line in the Norwegian Sea and the aircraft of Luftflotte 5 based in Norway. A surface force comprising the heavy cruisers Admiral Hipper, Lützow and the destroyers Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt, Z4 Richard Beitzen, Z6 Theodor Riedel, Z29, Z30, Z31 was stationed at Altenfjord.
Prelude
[edit | edit source]Convoy JW 51B departed Loch Ewe on 22 December 1942, accompanied by its local escort, of four destroyers, and its close escort. Three days later, on 25 December, it was joined by the ocean escort, while the local escort departed. On 27 December the convoy ran into a gale, which scattered the convoy over the next two days into several groups across a wide area. Dover Hill was forced to return with weather damage and five ships and two escorts had become separated. Three of the ships rejoined on 30 December, but Chester Valley, in company with the armed trawler Vizalma, and another, with the destroyer Oribi, remained separated. During 30 December, Bramble detached from the main body of the convoy to search for the stragglers.
Action
[edit | edit source]On 24 December the convoy had been sighted by a patrolling aircraft, but was lost later during the storm. On 30 December it was found again by U-354, and Operation Regenbogen began. On 31 December the German ships, in two sections, met the ocean escort of Convoy JW 51B, and after a sharp engagement, which left the minesweeper Bramble and the destroyer Achates sinking and Onslow, damaged; the attacking force was driven off. The destroyer, Eckoldt was sunk and the cruiser Hipper was damaged. No further attacks developed, and on 1 January 1943 Vizalma and her charge rejoined the convoy. On 2 January Convoy JW 51B was met by its eastern local escort, two minesweepers from Murmansk. On 3 January the main body arrived in Kola Inlet, joined the following day by Oribi and her charge.
Aftermath
[edit | edit source]Analysis
[edit | edit source]The 15 ships of Convoy JW 51B arrived at Murmansk without loss, though one had been damaged. Despite the loss of two warships, the convoy was a success and the failure of the German surface force against the convoy caused a loss of confidence by Hitler in the Kriegsmarine and its commander, Admiral Erich Raeder, which led to him resigning.[1] Thereafter, the main threat to the Allied convoy system was from U-boats.
Allied order of battle
[edit | edit source]Merchant ships
[edit | edit source]
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Western escort
[edit | edit source]| Name | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Bulldog | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | B-class destroyer | 22–23 December 1942 |
| HMS Blankney | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 22–25 December 1942 |
| HMS Chiddingfold | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 22–25 December 1942 |
| HMS Ledbury | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 22–25 December 1942 |
Close escort
[edit | edit source]| Name | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Hyderabad | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Flower-class corvette | 22 December 1942 – 4 January 1943 |
| HMS Rhododendron | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Flower-class corvette | 22 December 1942 – 4 January 1943 |
| HMS Bramble | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 22–29 December 1942 |
| HMT Northern Gem | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | ASW trawler | 22 December 1942 – 4 January 1943 |
| HMT Vizalma | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | ASW trawler | 22 December 1942 – 4 January 1943 |
Ocean escort
[edit | edit source]| Name | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Achates | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | A-class destroyer | 25 December 1942 – 3 January |
| HMS Obdurate | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January 1943 |
| HMS Obedient | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January 1943 |
| HMS Onslow | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January 1943 |
| HMS Oribi | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 25–31 December 1942, separated, sailed independently |
| HMS Orwell | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January 1943 |
Force R
[edit | edit source]| Name | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Jamaica | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Fiji-class cruiser | 27–31 December 1942, from Kola Inlet |
| HMS Sheffield | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | Town-class cruiser | 27–31 December 1942, from Kola Inlet |
| HMS Matchless | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | M-class destroyer | 27–29 December 1942, from Kola Inlet |
| HMS Opportune | File:Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 27–29 December 1942, from Kola Inlet |
Distant cover
[edit | edit source]Allied submarines
[edit | edit source]
German order of battle
[edit | edit source]U-boats
[edit | edit source]| Name | Flag | Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-354 | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-626 | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type VIIC submarine |
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Surface force
[edit | edit source]| Ship | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admiral Hipper | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Admiral Hipper-class cruiser | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
| Lützow | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Deutschland-class cruiser | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
| Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type 1934A-class destroyer | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
| Z4 Richard Beitzen | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type 1934-class destroyer | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
| Z6 Theodor Riedel | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type 1934A-class destroyer | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
| Z29 | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type 1936A-class destroyer | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
| Z30 | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type 1936A-class destroyer | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
| Z31 | File:War ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg Kriegsmarine | Type 1936A-class destroyer | Sailed 30 December 1942 |
Footnotes
[edit | edit source]- ^ Churchill 1950, pp. 231–232.
- ^ a b c d Ruegg & Hague 1993, p. 48.
- ^ Pearson 2007, p. 138.
- ^ a b c Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, p. 219.
- ^ Woodman 2004, pp. 313, 316.
- ^ Woodman 2004, p. 316.
References
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Further reading
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