Convoy JW 57

The convoy JW 57 was an allied northern sea convoy , which was put together in February 1944 in Loch Ewe , Scotland and brought goods essential to the war effort to the Soviet Murmansk . He lost the destroyer HMS Mahratta . U 713 and U 610 were lost on the German side .

Composition and securing

Escort carrier HMS Chaser

The convoy JW 57 consisted of 42 cargo ships. On February 20, 1944, they left Loch Ewe ( Lage ) in the direction of Murmansk ( Lage ). Until February 22nd, the Western Local Escort took over the local security, consisting of the minesweepers HMS Hydra , HMS Loyalty , HMS Orestes , HMS Rattlesnake and the corvettes HMS Burdock and HMS Dianella . Then the Ocean Escort escorted with the escort carrier HMS Chaser , the flak cruiser HMS Black Prince , the destroyers HMS Keppel , HMS Beagle ,HMS Boadicea , HMS Walker , HMS Wanderer , HMS Watchman , HMS Milne , HMS Mahratta , HMS Matchless , HMS Meteor , HMS Offa , HMS Obedient , HMS Onslaught , HMS Oribi , HMS Savage , HMS Serapis , HMS Swift , HMS Verulam and HMS Vigilant , the frigates HMS Byron and HMS Strule , and the corvettes HMS Bluebell , HMS Camellia , HMS Lotus , HMS Rhododendron the convoy. A group of cruisers consisting of HMS Jamaica , HMS Kent , HMS Norfolk and HMS Berwick were in the vicinity.

Surname	Type	flag	Measurement in GRT	Whereabouts
Alexander White	freighter	United States	7191
British Valor	freighter	United Kingdom	6952
Byron Darnton	freighter	United States	7176
Caesar Rodney	freighter	United States	7191
Charles Bulfinch	freighter	United States	7176
Charles M Schwab II	freighter	United States	7191
Copeland	Rescue ship	United Kingdom	1526
Daphnella	freighter	United Kingdom	8078
Edward Sparrow	freighter	United States	7176
Empire Carpenter	freighter	United Kingdom	7025
Empire Celia	freighter	United Kingdom	7025
Empire Nigel	freighter	United Kingdom	7067
Fort Brule	freighter	United Kingdom	7133
Fort McMurray	freighter	United Kingdom	7133
Fort Romaine	freighter	United Kingdom	7131
Henry B Brown	freighter	United States	7200
Henry Lomb	freighter	United States	7176
Jefferson Davis	freighter	United States	7176
John A Donald	freighter	United States	7176
John A Quitman	freighter	United States	7176
John Langdon	freighter	United States	7176
John Rutledge	freighter	United States	7181
John Sharp Williams	freighter	United States	7176
John Stevenson	freighter	United States	7176
John W Powell	freighter	United States	7176
John Woolman	freighter	United States	7191
Joshua W Alexander	freighter	United States	7176
Lord Delaware	freighter	United States	7200
Louis D Brandeis	freighter	United States	7200
Lucena	freighter	United Kingdom	6556
Marie M Meloney	freighter	United States	7176
Nathan Towson	freighter	United States	7176
Nathaniel Alexander	freighter	United States	7177
Ocean Strength	freighter	United Kingdom	7173
Philip Thomas	freighter	United States	7176
Richard M Johnson	freighter	United States	7176
Robert Eden	freighter	United States	7176
Robert J Collier	freighter	United States	7176
San Ambrosia	freighter	United Kingdom	7410
Stevenson Taylor	freighter	United States	7176
Thomas Hartley	freighter	United States	7176
William H Web	freighter	United States	7176

course

On February 23, a German plane sighted the convoy and kept in touch. Thereupon the submarines U 956 , U 674 , U 425 , U 601 , U 362 , U 739 , U 713 , U 313 , U 312 and U 990 , which were combined in the “Werewolf” group, moved in the direction of the convoy . The submarines U 472 , U 315 , U 673 and U 366 were still in port and left as a group "Hartmut". On February 24, the submarines U 425 , U 601 , U 739 and U 713 made first contact with the escort. The HMS Keppel U 713 sank . Due to the large number of escort vehicles, no submarine came into firing position until the evening of February 25. U 601 ( Lage ) was sunk by a land-based Catalina , killing the entire crew. Then U 990 came within range of HMS Mahratta ( Lage ) and sank it with a TV torpedo . Since it sank very quickly, allied ships were ultimately only able to save 16 soldiers. Further unsuccessful attacks on escort vehicles followed on February 26 and 27, before the convoy entered the Kola Bay off Murmansk on February 28. He lost the destroyer HMS Mahratta . U 713 and U 601 were lost on the German side .

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c} Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronik des Maritime War 1939–1945, February 1944. Retrieved January 18, 2017 . 
2. ^ Arnold Hague: Arnold Hague Convoy Database, JW Convoy Series. Retrieved January 18, 2017 . 

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap