Convoy JW 64

The convoy JW 64 was an allied northern sea convoy , which was put together in February 1945 in the Scottish Firth of Clyde and brought war essential goods to the Soviet Murmansk . The Allies lost an escort vehicle, while twelve aircraft were lost on the German side.

Composition and securing

Escort carrier HMS Campania

The corvette HMS Denbigh Castle was torpedoed by U 992

The convoy JW 64 consisted of 28 cargo ships. On February 3, 1945, they left the Firth of Clyde ( Lage ) in the direction of Murmansk ( Lage ). The securing of the convoy was carried out by the sloops HMS Cygnet and HMS Lark , the destroyer HMS Whitehall and the corvettes HMS Alnwick Castle , HMS Bamborough Castle , HMS Bluebell and HMS Rhododendron . From February 6th, the number of escort vehicles will increase to include the cruiser HMS Bellona , the escort carriers HMS Campania and HMS Nairana , the sloop HMS Lapwing , the corvette HMS Denbigh Castle , the UJ trawler HMS Oksoy and the destroyers HMS Onslow , HMS Onslaught , HMS Opportune , HMS Orwell , HMS Serapis , HMS Zambesi , HMS Zealous , HMS Zest and HMCS Sioux . On February 11, the Soviet destroyers Urizki , Karl Liebknecht , Schiwuchi and Schestki , the guard boat Grosa , two minesweepers and six BO-U-fighters were added.

Surname	Type	flag	Measurement in GRT	Whereabouts
Adolph S Ochs	freighter	United Kingdom	7219
Arunah S Abell	freighter	United States	7176
Ben F. Dixon	freighter	United States	7176
Black Ranger	freighter	United Kingdom	3417
British Merit	freighter	United Kingdom	8093
Byron Darnton	freighter	United States	7176
Daniel Willard	freighter	United States	7200
Edwin L Drake	freighter	United States	7176
Empire Flint	freighter	United Kingdom	8129
FT Frelinghuysen	freighter	United States	7176
Fort Crevecour	freighter	United States	7191
Fort Vercheres	freighter	United Kingdom	7128
Francis Scott Key	freighter	United States	7191
George Steers	freighter	United States	7247
Harold L Winslow	freighter	United States	7176
Hawkin Fudske	freighter	United States	7176
Henry Lomb	freighter	United States	7176
John J Abel	freighter	United States	7191
John Wanamaker	freighter	United States	7176
Joyce Kilmer	freighter	United States	7176
Lewis Emery JR	freighter	United States	7176
Lucerna	freighter	United Kingdom	6556
Marie M Meloney	freighter	United States	7176
Nathan Towson	freighter	United States	7176
Neritina	freighter	United Kingdom	8228
Skiensfjord	freighter	Norway	5992
Townsend Harris	freighter	United States	7176
Willard Hall	freighter	United States	7200

course

On February 6, a German weather plane sighted the convoy. Thereupon the submarine group "Rasmus" was brought into position in the Bärenenge. It had the submarines U 286 , U 307 , U 425 , U 636 , U 711 , U 716 , U 739 , U 968 . The submarines U 293 , U 318 , U 992 and U 995 were deployed off the Kola Bay . On February 7, 48 Junkers Ju 88s of Kampfgeschwader 26 attacked the convoy unsuccessfully from Trondheim . Seven aircraft were lost. Attacks by submarines were also ineffective. Another air attack by KG 26 with 32 torpedo aircraft was repulsed with the loss of five aircraft. When the convoy entered Kola Bay on February 13, U 992 torpedoed the corvette HMS Denbigh Castle ( Lage ), which could still be brought in by the Soviet recovery ship Burewjestnik , but in the end capsized and was written off as a total loss . On February 15, the convoy reached the Kola Bay off Murmansk.

Individual evidence

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

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap