Convoy PQ 13

The Convoy PQ 13 was an Allied Nordmeergeleitzug , who in March 1942 in the Scottish Loch Ewe was compiled and important war goods in the Soviet Murmansk brought. The Allies lost five ships with a total of 28,009 GRT to German destroyers, submarines and air attacks. In addition, the minesweeper HMS Sulla was lost as a result of a severe storm. The Germans lost the destroyers Z 26 and U 585 .

Composition and securing

Cruiser HMS Trinidad seen from aboard HMS Fury in the Northern Sea

Freighter Raceland (here still as SS Howick Hall )

Convoy PQ 13 consisted of 22 cargo ships. On March 10, 1942, they left Loch Ewe ( Lage ) and drove via Iceland towards Murmansk ( Lage ). In Iceland, three freighters left the convoy. The convoy's commodore was Captain DA Casey. The safety on the high seas (Ocean Escort) was carried out by the cruiser HMS Trinidad , the destroyers HMS Eclipse , HMS Fury , HMS Lamerton , the UJ trawlers HMS Blackfly , HMS Paynter and the three former Norwegian whaling boats HMS Sulla , HMS Sumba and HMS Silja . In coastal areas (local escort), additional forces strengthened the security

Surname	Type	flag	Measurement in GRT	Whereabouts
Ballot	freighter	Panama	6131
Bateau	freighter	Panama	4687	sunk by Z 26 on March 29 ( location )
Dunboyne	freighter	United States	3515
Effingham	freighter	United States	6421	sunk by U 435 on March 29th ( Lage )
El Estero	freighter	Panama	4219
Eldena	freighter	United States	6900
Empire Cowper	freighter	United Kingdom	7164
Empire Ranger	freighter	United Kingdom	7008	sunk on March 28th by III./KG 30 ( location )
Empire Starlight	freighter	United Kingdom	6850
Gallant Fox	freighter	Panama	5473
Greenland	freighter	United Kingdom	1281
Harpalion	freighter	United Kingdom	5486
Induna	freighter	United Kingdom	5086	sunk by U 376 on March 29th ( Lage )
Lars Kruse	freighter	United Kingdom	1807
Mana	freighter	Hong Kong	3283
Mano	freighter	United Kingdom	1418
Mormacmar	freighter	United States	5453
New Westminster City	freighter	United Kingdom	4747
Raceland	freighter	Panama	4807	sunk on March 28th by III./KG 30 ( location )
River Afton	freighter	United Kingdom	5479
Scottish American	freighter	United Kingdom	6999
Tobruk	freighter	Poland	7048

course

From March 24 to 27, 1942, the convoy got into a severe storm, as a result of which it was blown up and the minesweeper HMS Sulla sank. On the morning of March 27, a German BV 138 of 2./Küstenfliegergruppe 406 discovered parts of PQ 13. Thereupon the submarines U 435 , U 436 , U 454 , U 456 , U 585 and U 589 at sea moved in the direction of the convoy. 8. The Z-flotilla with Z 24 , Z 25 and Z 26 ran from the Norwegian Kirkenes ( capable of). On March 28 bombing Junkers Ju 88 of III./KG 30 of its Norwegian base Bardufoss ( location ) of the single-propelled freighter Raceland (4815 BRT) and Empire Ranger (7007 BRT) and sank them. The destroyer Z 26 sank the solo Bateau (4687 GRT) on March 29 . Then the three destroyers sighted the rest of the escort with the cruiser HMS Trinidad and the destroyer HMS Fury . In one battle, the HMS Trinidad managed to severely damage the destroyer Z 26 so that it slowly sank. The two remaining destroyers Z 24 and Z 25 were able to save 88 men. A torpedo shot down by HMS Trinidad turned out to be a circulator and damaged it itself. Furthermore, the German destroyers severely damage the HMS Eclipse and then withdrew. U 376 and U 435 sank the stragglers Induna (5086 BRT) and Effingham (6421 BRT). Further submarine attacks resulted in damage to freighters. On March 31, 1942, the convoy reached Murmansk. He had lost five freighters with a total of 28,009 GRT to German attacks and one warship to a storm. The Germans lost the destroyers Z 26 and U 585 ( Lage ), which ended up in a German minefield on March 30 due to the fighting.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronicle of the Sea War 1939–1945, March 1942. Retrieved on January 9, 2017 . 
2. ^ Arnold Hague: Arnold Hague Convoy Database, PQ Convoy Series. Retrieved January 12, 2017 . 

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap