Convoy JW 55B

Convoy JW 55B was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1943, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely.

During the voyage JW 55B was attacked by a German force centred on the battleship Scharnhorst; no contact was made with the convoy, but Scharnhorst was sunk, in the Battle of the North Cape, by HMS Duke of York (17) and a handful of Royal Navy light surface combatants.

Ships

The convoy consisted of 19 merchant ships which departed from Loch Ewe on 22 December 1943. Close escort was provided by a force of two destroyers and three other escort vessels. There was also an Ocean escort, comprising the destroyer Onslow (Capt.JA McCoy commanding) and seven other Home Fleet destroyers. The convoy was also accompanied initially by a local escort group from Britain, and was also joined later by the ocean escort of convoy JW 55A, out of Murmansk. A cruiser cover force comprising Belfast (V.Adm R Burnett commanding), Norfolk, and Sheffield also followed the convoy, to guard against attack by surface units. Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force comprising the battleship Duke of York, the cruiser Jamaica and four destroyers under the command of V Adm. Bruce Fraser.^[1]

JW 55B was opposed by a U-boat force of thirteen boats in a patrol line, code-named Eisenbart, in the Norwegian Sea. A surface force comprising the battleship Scharnhorst and five destroyers was also in readiness, stationed at Altenfjord.

Action

JW 55B departed Loch Ewe on 20 December 1943, accompanied by its local escort, of two minesweepers and two corvettes, and its close escort. Two days later, on 22 December, it was joined by the ocean escort, while the local escort departed. At the same time the Cruiser Force, from Murmansk, and the Distant Cover Force, waiting at Akureyri, in Iceland, also put to sea, taking station in the Norwegian Sea.

Also on 22 December the convoy was sighted by a patrolling German aircraft, which commenced shadowing; a succession of aircraft were able to maintain contact over the next few days, sending accurate reports of course and speed to the surface force at Altenfjord. On 25 December the convoy was also sighted by U-601, an Eisenbart boat, and later that day Adm. Bey, in Scharnhorst, received permission to sortie with his force. That evening U-716 came close enough to fire on one of the escorts, and U-701 was depth-charged.

Also on 25 December JW 55B was joined by the ocean escort of JW 55A, which was accompanying the returning convoy RA 55A. Fraser was concerned that a German surface force would reach JW 55B before he would, and ordered the convoy to reverse course. In the event this proved too difficult, but the convoy was slowed to 8 knots in order to assist the meeting.^[2]

Scharnhorst was unable to make contact with JW 55B, but on 26 December was intercepted, first by Burnett’s cruisers, then by Fraser’s heavy units, and sunk, in the Battle of the North Cape, only staying afloat long enough to score two minor hits on both Duke of York and destroyer Saumarez.

Meanwhile contact by the U-boats had been lost, and no further contact with JW 55B was made by the Eisenbart wolf-pack.

On 28 December the convoy was met by the eastern local escort force, three Soviet destroyers and two minesweepers, and arrived at Kola without further incident on 30 December 1943.

Conclusion

The 19 ships of JW 55B arrived at Murmansk without loss, while the German attempt to attack the convoy had led to the loss of their last operational capital ship in Norway. Thereafter, until Tirpitz was returned to active service, the Allied Arctic convoys were under no serious threat from the German Navy's surface forces.

Ships involved

Allied ships

Merchant ships Bernard N Baker British Statesman Brockholst Livingston Cardinal Gibbons Fort Kullyspell (Comm) Fort Nakasley Fort Vercheres Harold L Winslow

John J Abel John Vining John Wanamaker Norlys Ocean Gypsy Ocean Messenger Ocean Pride Ocean Valour Ocean Viceroy Thomas U Walter Will Rogers

Close escort edit] Axis ships U-boat force edit] Notes ^ Kemp (1993) p163 ^ Kemp (1993) p164 References Clay Blair : Hitler's U-Boat War Vol II (1998) ISBN 0-304-35261-7 Paul Kemp : Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters (1993) ISBN 1-85409-130-1 Paul Kemp  : U-Boats Destroyed ( 1997) . ISBN 1-85409-515-3 Axel Neistle  : German U-Boat Losses during World War II (1998). ISBN 1-85367-352-8 Bob Ruegg, Arnold Hague : Convoys to Russia (1992) ISBN 0-905617-66-5 Bernard Schofield : (1964) The Russian Convoys BT Batsford ISBN (none) JW 55B at Convoyweb Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая? Convoy JW 55A Convoy JW 56A Look at other dictionaries: Convoy RA 55B — was an Arctic convoy during World War II. It was one of a series of convoys run to return Allied ships from Soviet northern ports to ports in Britain. It sailed at the end of December 1943, reaching British ports in early January 1944. All ships… …   Wikipedia Convoy RA 55A — was an Arctic convoy during World War II. It was one of a series of convoys run to return Allied ships from Soviet northern ports to ports in Britain. It sailed in late December 1943, reaching British ports at the end of the month. All ships… …   Wikipedia Convoy PQ 17 — Part of World War II, Atlantic Campaign Escorts and merchant ships at Hv …   Wikipedia Convoy PQ 18 — under attack Convoy PQ 18 was one of the Arctic convoys sent from Britain to aid the Soviet Union in the war against Nazi Germany. The convoy departed Loch Ewe, Scotland on 2 September 1942 and arrived in Arkhangelsk on 21 September 1942.… …   Wikipedia Convoy PQ 16 — was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in May 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports after five days of air attacks that left eight ships sunk and two damaged.… …   Wikipedia Convoy JW 56A — was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in January 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. Twelve ships arrived safely. During the voyage… …   Wikipedia Convoy PQ 15 — was an Arctic convoy sent from Iceland by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late April 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports after air attacks that sank three ships. Twenty two ships arrived safely.… …   Wikipedia Convoy JW 51B — was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports in early January 1943. JW 51B came under attack by German surface… …   Wikipedia Convoy JW 51A — was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. JW 51A was not detected or attacked by German… …   Wikipedia Convoy JW 54B — was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late November 1943, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely. Contents 1… …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”