Convoy PQ 15

The convoy PQ 15 was an allied northern sea convoy , which was put together in April 1942 in Oban , Scotland and brought essential war goods to the Soviet Murmansk . The Allies lost three ships with a total of 15,808 GRT to German submarine and air attacks.
In addition, the Allied security ships lost the Polish submarine P.551 / Jastrzab and the destroyer HMS Punjabi through their own fault .

Punjabi sank after a collision ..

.. with the King George V , which sustained damage to the bow

Composition and securing

The convoy PQ 15 consisted of 25 cargo ships. On April 10, 1942, they left Oban, Scotland, and drove across Iceland towards Murmansk. The convoy's commodore was Captain HJ Anchor, who had embarked on the Botavon . Until May 5th, the Western Local Escort with the UJ trawlers Cape Palliser , Chiltern , Northern Pride , Vizalma and the minesweepers Bramble , Leda and Seagull took over the close protection of the convoy.
From April 28th, the Ocean Escort with the destroyers Somali , Matchless , Boadicea , Venomous , Badsworth and the Norwegian St. Albans , the anti-aircraft ship Ulster Queen , the catapult ship Empire Morn , the submarine Sturgeon and the minesweeper Bramble took over the security to Murmansk. The cruisers Nigeria and London and two destroyers joined the convoy to provide additional security .
The battleship King George V , the aircraft carrier Victorious and the destroyers Escapade , Faulknor , Inglefield , Marne , Martin and Oribi as well as the destroyer escorts Belvoir , Hursley , Lamerton and Middleton crossed between Iceland and Norway to provide remote security in the event of an attack by German capital ships on the convoy . In addition, the US TF 99 supported the British with the battleship Washington , the cruisers Wichita , Tuscaloosa and the destroyers Madison , Plunkett , Wainwright and Wilson .
From 4 May then came to Nahsicherung Eastern Local Escort with the destroyers Gremjaschtschi , Sokruschitelny , two Soviet patrol boats and three British minesweepers added.

Surname	Type	flag	Measurement in GRT	Whereabouts
Alcoa Cadet	freighter	United States	4823
Alcoa Rambler	freighter	United States	5500
Bayou Chico	freighter	United States	5401
Botavon	freighter	United Kingdom	5848	sunk by I./KG 26 aircraft
Cape Corso	freighter	United Kingdom	3807	sunk by I./KG 26 aircraft
Cape Race	freighter	United Kingdom	3807
Capira	freighter	Panama	5625
Deer Lodge	freighter	United States	6187
Empire Bard	freighter	United Kingdom	3114
Empire Morn	freighter	United Kingdom	7092
Expositor	freighter	United States	4959
Francis Scott Key	freighter	United States	7191
Gray Ranger	Tanker	United Kingdom	3313
Hegira	freighter	United States	7588
Jutland	freighter	United Kingdom	6153	Damaged by I./KG 26 aircraft, sunk by U 251 ( Lage )
Lancaster	freighter	United States	7516
Mormacrey	freighter	United States	5946
Mormacrio	freighter	United States	5940
Paul Luckenbach	freighter	United States	6606
Seattle Spirit	freighter	United States	5627
Southgate	freighter	United Kingdom	4862
Texas	freighter	United States	5638
Topa Topa	freighter	United States	5356
Zebulon B Vance	freighter	United States	7177

course

The destroyer St Albans (here as USS Thomas ) sank the Polish submarine P.551 / Jastrzab

Before the Germans attacked for the first time, the Allied security ships decimated themselves in two incidents. The Polish submarine P.551 / Jastrzab ( Lage ), which was supposed to take over the local security on the flank of the convoy, sailed far away from its assigned position. Because of this, the Norwegian destroyer KNM St. Albans and the minesweeper HMS Seagull thought it was a German submarine and sank it. In the remote backup group, the HMS King George V collided with the destroyer HMS Punjabi ( Lage ), which sank immediately. She and the USS Washington were damaged by detonating depth charges . On May 2, aircraft of the I. Group of Kampfgeschwader 26 from the Norwegian Bardufoss ( Lage ) attacked the convoy with torpedoes and sank the freighters Botavon (5848 GRT, Konvoi-Commodore †) and Cape Corso (3807 GRT). They continued to damage the Jutland (6153 GRT), which was sunk by U 251 on May 3rd . On May 7, 1942, 22 cargo ships reached Murmansk ( Lage ). Three cargo ships with a total of 15,808 GRT had been sunk.

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c} Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronik des Maritime War 1939–1945, April 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