Convoy JW 58
The convoy JW 58 was an allied northern sea convoy , which was put together in March 1944 in Loch Ewe , Scotland , and brought essential war goods to the Soviet Murmansk . The Allies lost one aircraft, while on the German side four submarines and six aircraft were lost.
Composition and securing
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The convoy JW 58 consisted of 50 cargo ships. On March 27, 1944, they left Loch Ewe ( Lage ) in the direction of Murmansk ( Lage ). By March 29, the Western Local Escort with the minesweepers HMS Rattlesnake , HMS Onyx and HMS Orestes and the corvettes HMS Rhododendron and HMS Stalwart took over the security of the convoy. From March 29, the Ocean Escort took over the convoy with the flak cruiser HMS Diadem , the destroyers HMS Onslow , HMS Obedient , HMS Offa , HMS Opportune , HMS Oribi , HMS Orwell , HMS Impulsive , HMS Inconstant , HMS Saumarez , HMS Serapis , HMS Scorpion , HMS Venus , Stord (Norwegian), HMS Keppel , HMS Beagle , HMS Boadicea and HMS Walker and the 2nd Support Group with the sloops HMS Starling , HMS Magpie , HMS Wild Goose , HMS Whimbrel and HMS Wren . Finally, the Eastern Local Escort on April 3 took over the escort with the Soviet destroyers Rasjarenny , Gremjaschtschi , Rasumny and Kuibyshev , four AM minesweepers and four BO-U-hunters. Furthermore, an escort group with escort carriers HMS Tracker and HMS Activity drove in the convoy, and the destroyers HMS Westcott , HMS Whitehal and HMS Wrestler as well as the corvettes HMS Bluebell , HMS Honeysuckle and HMS Lotus were used as close-range security . On March 30th, the long-range cover group stood with the battleships HMS Duke of York and HMS Anson , the aircraft carriers HMS Victorious and HMS Furious , the escort carriers HMS Emperor , HMS Searcher , HMS Pursuer , HMS Fencer , the cruisers HMS Belfast , HMS Royalist , HMS Sheffield , HMS Jamaica and the destroyers HMS Milne , HMS Meteor , HMS Onslought , HMS Undaunted , HMS Ursa , HMS Verulam , HMS Vigilant , HMS Virago , HMS Wakeful , HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Sioux . The Soviet submarines S-15 , M-119 and M-200 took up positions in front of the Norwegian fjords.
| Surname | Type | flag | Measurement in GRT | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Carnegie | freighter |
 United States
|
7176 | |
| Arunah S Abell | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Barbara Frietchie | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Benjamin H Latrobe | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Benjamin Schlesinger | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Charles Gordon Curtis | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Charles Henderson | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Dolabella | freighter |
United States
|
8142 | |
| Edward Alexander | freighter |
United States
|
7201 | |
| Eloy Alfaro | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | had to break off the trip and return to Iceland |
| Empire Prowess | freighter |
 United Kingdom
|
7058 | |
| Fort Columbia | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7155 | |
| Fort Hall | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7157 | |
| Fort Kullyspell | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7190 | |
| Fort Vercheres | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7128 | |
| Fort Yukon | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7153 | |
| Francis Scott Key | freighter |
United States
|
7191 | |
| Francis Vigo | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| George Gale | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| George M Cohan | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| George T Angell | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Gilbert Stuart | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Grace Abott | freighter |
United States
|
7191 | |
| Hawkin Fudske | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Henry Villard | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| James Smith | freighter |
United States
|
7181 | |
| John B Lennon | freighter |
United States
|
7198 | |
| John Carver | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| John Davenport | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| John McDonogh | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| John T Holt | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Joseph N Nicollet | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Joshua Thomas | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Joyce Kilmer | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Julien Poydras | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Lacklan | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
8670 | |
| Morris Hillquit | freighter |
United States
|
7210 | |
| Nicholas Biddle | freighter |
United States
|
7191 | |
| Noreg | freighter |
 Norway
|
7605 | |
| Pierre S Dupont | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Rathlin | Rescue ship |
United Kingdom
|
1600 | |
| Thomas Sim Lee | freighter |
United States
|
7191 | |
| Townsend Harris | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| WR Grace | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| William D Byron | freighter |
United States
|
7210 | |
| William Matson | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| William McKinley | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| William Moultrie | freighter |
United States
|
7177 | |
| William Pepper | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| William S Thayer | freighter |
United States
|
7176 |
course
As the convoy approached Iceland, it was joined by three freighters, the frigate HMS Fitzroy and the mine sweepers HMS Chamois and HMS Chance . One of the freighters, the Eloy Alfaro , had to return to Iceland a little later because of damage. When U 961 ( Lage ) made contact with the convoy on March 29, 1944 , HMS Starling located the German submarine and sank it. From March 30th, German reconnaissance planes were constantly escorting. The Martlet fighter aircraft of the escort carriers shot a Junkers Ju 88 of the 1st Squadron / Long-Distance Reconnaissance Group 22 on March 30, three Focke-Wulf Fw 200s of the 3./Kampfgeschwader 40 on March 31, and a BV 138 of the 1. / Maritime Reconnaissance Group 130 and on April 2nd a Junkers Ju 88 of the 1st / Remote Reconnaissance Group 124. On April 1, the first German submarines made contact. Overall, the submarine groups "Thor" with U 278 , U 312 , U 313 and U 674 , "Blitz" with U 277 , U 355 , U 711 and U 956 and "Hammer" with U 288 , U 315 , U 354 as well as U 968 and the additionally sailed boats U 716 , U 739 , U 360 , U 361 and U 990 are ready. Up until the evening of April 3, they carried out many attacks with TV torpedoes on escort vehicles, all of which were unsuccessful. The Allies, however, were able to sink three more submarines; on April 1, U 355 ( Lage ) by an Avenger of escort carrier HMS Tracker ; on April 2nd U 360 ( Lage ) by Hedgehog of HMS Keppel and on April 3rd U 288 ( Lage ) by aircraft of HMS Tracker and HMS Activity . U 288 had previously shot down a Swordfish. On April 4, the convoy reached the Kola Bay off Murmansk. Nine freighters ran as convoy KB 3, with the destroyers Rasumny , Rasjarenny and Kuibyshev , four AM minesweepers and three BO-U fighters on to the White Sea.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronik des Maritime War 1939–1945, March 1943. Retrieved January 18, 2017 .
- ^ Arnold Hague: Arnold Hague Convoy Database, JW Convoy Series. Retrieved January 18, 2017 .
Map with all coordinates: