Convoy HX 79
HX 79 was an Allied North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
It suffered major losses from a U-boat attack, and, with the attack on convoy SC 7 the previous day, represents the worst two days shipping losses in the entire Atlantic campaign.
| Convoy HX.79 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kriegsmarine |
 Royal Navy | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Admiral Karl Dönitz | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5 U-boats |
50 ships (49 during attack) 17 escorts (11 during attack) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| none |
12 ships sunk 1 damaged | ||||||
Prelude
HX 79 was an east-bound convoy of 50 ships which sailed from Halifax on 8 October 1940 making for Liverpool with war materials. On 19 October, 4 days from landfall, HX 79 was entering the Western Approaches, and had caught up with the position of SC 7, which was under attack.
The escort for the crossing had been meagre, being provided by two armed merchant cruisers against the possibility of attack by a surface raider, but even these had departed when HX 79 was sighted by U-47, commanded by submarine ace Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien.
At this point HX 79 was unescorted; Prien sent a sighting report and set to shadowing the convoy, while Konteradmiral Karl Dönitz ordered the pack to assemble. Those U-boats which had attacked SC 7 and were still able to fight (three had departed to re-arm having expended all their torpedoes) were directed to the scene. Four did so, U-100 (Joachim Schepke), U-46 (Engelbert Endrass), U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) and U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) joining U-47 during the day.
However the Admiralty, concerned by the fate of SC 7 and anticipating an attack, rushed reinforcements to the scene; throughout the day a large escort force of 11 warships also gathered to provide cover.
Action
Undeterred by their presence however, the pack attacked as night fell; using the darkness to cover an approach on the surface, Prien penetrated the escort screen from the south to attack from within the convoy, while Endrass (who had learned his trade as Prien's 1st officer), did the same from the north.
Over the next six hours, 13 ships were torpedoed; 6 by U-47 alone (4 of which were sunk). 10 ships were sunk from the convoy, and 2 stragglers were lost later in the day. These were Shirak, which had been torpedoed in the night, and Loch Lomond, sailing with the convoy as a rescue ship. Another, Athelmonarch, was damaged but was able to make port.
HX 79 had lost 12 ships out of 49, a total tonnage of 75,069 gross register tons (GRT).
None of the attacking U-boats were damaged.
Ships in the convoy
Allied merchant ships
A total of 50 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Halifax or later in the voyage.[1] The SS Erna Iii returned to Halifax before the convoy was attacked by the assembled German wolfpack.
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athelmonarch (1928) |  United Kingdom
|
8,995 | Arrived with torpedo damage by U-47 |
| Atland (1910) |  Sweden
|
5,203 | |
| Axel Johnson (1925) | Sweden
|
4,915 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Baron Carnegie (1925) | United Kingdom
|
3,178 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Benwood (1910) |  Norway
|
3,931 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Biafra (1933) | United Kingdom
|
5,405 | |
| Bilderdijk (1922) |  Netherlands
|
6,856 | Sunk by U-47[2] |
| Blairnevis (1930) | United Kingdom
|
4,155 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Brittany (1928) | United Kingdom
|
4,772 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Cadillac (1917) | United Kingdom
|
12,062 | |
| Cairnvalona (1918) | United Kingdom
|
4,929 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Campus (1925) | United Kingdom
|
3,667 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Cape Corso (1929) | United Kingdom
|
3,807 | |
| Caprella (1931) | United Kingdom
|
8,230 | Sunk by U-100[3] |
| City Of Lancaster (1924) | United Kingdom
|
3,041 | |
| Egda (1939) | Norway
|
10,050 | |
| Empire Swan (1922) | United Kingdom
|
7,964 | |
| Empire Trader (1908) | United Kingdom
|
9,990 | Joined Ex BHX 79 |
| Enseigne Maurice Prehac (1924) | United Kingdom
|
4,578 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Erna Iii (1930) | United Kingdom
|
1,590 | Returned |
| Flowergate (1911) | United Kingdom
|
5,161 | |
| Gunda (1930) | Sweden
|
1,770 | |
| Harbury (1933) | United Kingdom
|
5,081 | |
| Harlesden (1932) | United Kingdom
|
5,483 | |
| Hoyanger (1926) | Norway
|
4,624 | Joined Ex BHX 79 |
| Induna (1925) | United Kingdom
|
5,086 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Janus (1939) | Sweden
|
9,965 | Sunk by U-46 |
| Kiruna (1921) | Sweden
|
5,484 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| La Estancia (1940) | United Kingdom
|
5,185 | Joined Ex BHX 79, Sunk by U-47 |
| Loch Lomond (1934) | United Kingdom
|
5,452 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia. Sunk by U-100 |
| Marathon (1919) |  Greece
|
7,926 | |
| Matheran (1919) | United Kingdom
|
7,653 | Sunk by U-38 |
| Ravnefjell (1938) | Norway
|
1,339 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Rio Blanco (1922) | United Kingdom
|
4,086 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Ruperra (1925) | United Kingdom
|
4,548 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia. Sunk by U-46 |
| Rydboholm (1933) | Sweden
|
3,197 | |
| Salacia (1937) | United Kingdom
|
5,495 | |
| San Roberto (1922) | United Kingdom
|
5,890 | |
| Sandanger (1938) | Norway
|
9,432 | |
| Shirak (1926) | United Kingdom
|
6,023 | Joined Ex BHX 79. Sunk by U-47 & U-48 |
| Sir Ernest Cassel (1910) | Sweden
|
7,739 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Sitala (1937) | United Kingdom
|
6,218 | Joined Ex BHX 79. Sunk by U-100 |
| Thyra (1920) | Norway
|
1,655 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Tiba (1938) | Netherlands
|
5,239 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Tribesman (1937) | United Kingdom
|
6,242 | Joined Ex BHX 79 |
| Triton (1930) | Norway
|
6,607 | Joined Ex BHX 79 |
| Uganda (1927) | United Kingdom
|
4,966 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia. sunk by U-38 |
| Wandby (1940) | United Kingdom
|
4,947 | Joined Ex BHX 79. Sunk by U-47. Wreck sank 21 Oct |
| Wellington Court (1930) | United Kingdom
|
4,979 | Sailed Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| Whitford Point (1928) | United Kingdom
|
5,026 | Sunk by U-47 |
Convoy escorts
A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[1]
Conclusion
Despite the strength of the escort, it was ineffective; the ships were un-co-ordinated, being unused to working together, and having no common battle plan or tactics. The escorts had arrived singly, being dispatched as and when available, this being the common practice at the time. Command of the escort force fell to the senior officer present, and could change as each new ship arrived. Any tactical arrangements had to be made on the spot, and communicated by signal lamp to each ship in turn. Finally, the presence of an Allied submarine was less than helpful; O 14 had no targets, and was twice attacked by mistake by other escorts.
The failure of such a substantial escort led to a number of changes in escort policy. The first to take effect was the formation of escort groups, collections of escort ships that would operate together, under defined leadership. This would allow the development of consistent tactics, and teamwork, and an increasing effectiveness.
References
- ^ a b "Convoy HX.79". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ^ "Bilderdijk - Dutch team merchant". www.uboat,net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ "Caprella - British motor tanker". www.ubaot.net. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
Bibliography
- Paul Lund, Harry Ludlam : The Night of the U-Boats (1973). ISBN 0-572-00828-7
- Stephen Roskill : The War at Sea 1939-1945 Vol I (1954). ISBN (none)
- Arnold Hague : The Allied Convoy System 1939-1945 (2000). ISBN (Canada) 1 55125 033 0 . ISBN (UK) 1 86176 147 3
- van der Vat, Dan (1988). The Atlantic Campaign. ISBN 0-340-37751-8.
- Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. p. 47. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
External links
1940 in GermanyEvents in the year 1940 in Germany.
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Escort GroupAn Escort Group consisted of several small warships organized and trained to operate together providing protection for trade convoys. Escort groups were a World War II tactical innovation in anti-submarine warfare by the Royal Navy to combat the threat of the Kriegsmarine's "wolfpack" tactics. Early escort groups often contained destroyers, sloops, naval trawlers and, later, corvettes of differing specifications lacking the ability to maneuver together as a flotilla of similar warships, but rigorously trained in anti-submarine tactics to use teamwork emphasizing the unique sensors, weapons, speed and turning radius of each ship. The development of these 'escort groups' proved an effective means of defending shipping convoys through the Battle of the Atlantic.
Günther PrienGünther Prien (16 January 1908 – presumed 7 March 1941) was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was the first U-boat commander to receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the first member of the Kriegsmarine to receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. It was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Prien.
Under Prien's command, the submarine U-47 was credited with sinking over 30 Allied ships totaling about 200,000 gross register tons (GRT). He sank the British battleship HMS Royal Oak at anchor in the Home Fleet's anchorage in Scapa Flow.
HMS Jason (J99)HMS Jason was a Halcyon-class minesweeper. She was named after the hero in Greek mythology and was the sixteenth (and as of 2008, the final) Royal Navy ship to carry the name Jason. She was laid down on 12 December 1936, launched on 6 October 1937, and was completed on 9 June 1938. She survived the Second World War and was sold in 1946 to become a cargo ship. She was eventually broken up in 1950. Her pennant number was originally N99, but was changed to J99 in May 1940.
HMS Leith (U36)HMS Leith was a Grimsby-class sloop of the Royal Navy that served in the Second World War.
HMS WhitehallHMS Whitehall, pennant number D94, later I94, was a Modified W-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in the Second World War.
HNLMS O 14O 14 was a O 12-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy that saw service during World War II. It was built by the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde of Vlissingen and entered active duty on 4 March 1934.
Just before the start of World War II O 14 was in Curaçao. Because there was no need on the Allied side for a Dutch submarine to be stationed there, O 14 returned to Europe. Based in England, it did patrol duty off the coast of Norway, with convoy Convoy HX 79, and was decommissioned in 1943 due to a lack of replacement engines.
List of shipwrecks in October 1940The list of shipwrecks in October 1940 includes all ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during October 1940. Most of the ships listed here were lost in connection with World War II.
Order of battle for Convoy SC 7Convoy SC 7 was the seventh of the SC convoys, bound from Sydney, Nova Scotia across the
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Robert-Richard ZappRobert-Richard Zapp (3 April 1904 – 17 July 1964) was a German U-boat commander in World War II. As commander of the Type IXC U-boat U-66, he sank sixteen ships on five patrols, for a total of 106,200 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 27th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
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