Convoy RA 64
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The convoy RA 64 was an allied northern sea convoy , which was put together in February 1945 in the Soviet Murmansk and drove largely unloaded to the Scottish Loch Ewe . The Allies lost two freighters with 14,353 GRT and two escort vehicles to submarines and aircraft, while six aircraft were lost on the German side.
Composition and securing
The convoy RA 64 consisted of 33 cargo ships. On February 17, 1945 they left the Kola Bay ( Lage ) off Murmansk in the direction of Loch Ewe ( Lage ). Commodore of the convoy of the convoy was Captain E. Ullring, who had embarked on the Samaritan . The security was carried out by the cruiser HMS Bellona , the escort carriers HMS Campania and HMS Nairana , the destroyers HMS Onslow , HMS Onslaught , HMS Opportune , HMS Orwell , HMS Serapis , HMS Zambesi , HMS Zealous , HMS Zest , HMS Whitehall and HMCS Sioux , the sloops HMS Cygnet , HMS Lapwing and HMS Lark , the corvettes HMS Alnwick Castle , HMS Bamborough Castle , HMS Bluebell and HMS Rhododendron . The destroyers HMS Myngs , HMS Cavalier and HMS Scorpion supported the escort from February 25 to 27, and HMS Zebra from February 26 to 27 .
| Surname | Type | flag | Measurement in GRT | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alanson B Houghton | freighter |
 United States
|
7176 | |
| Benjamin H Hill | freighter |
United States
|
7198 | |
| Black Ranger | freighter |
 United Kingdom
|
3417 | |
| British Promise | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
8443 | |
| Caesar Rodney | freighter |
United States
|
7191 | |
| Charles M Schwab II | freighter |
United States
|
7191 | |
| Charles Scribner | freighter |
United States
|
7167 | |
| Crosby S Noyes | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Edmund Fannig | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Empire Archer | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7031 | |
| Empire Celia | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7025 | |
| Francis C Harrington | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| George H Pendlton | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Henry Bacon | freighter |
United States
|
7177 | sunk on February 23 by KG 26 ( location ) |
| Henry Villard | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Henry Wynkoop | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Idefjord | freighter |
 Norway
|
4287 | |
| JD Yaeger | freighter |
United States
|
7247 | |
| James Kerny | freighter |
United States
|
7210 | |
| John A Quitman | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| John Ireland | freighter |
United States
|
7247 | |
| John La Farge | freighter |
United States
|
7167 | |
| Jose Marti | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Joshua W Alexander | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Lebaron Russel Briggs | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Nacella | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
8196 | |
| Paul H Haarwood | freighter |
United States
|
6610 | |
| Philip F Thomas | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| R Ney McNeely | freighter |
United States
|
7198 | |
| Samaritan | freighter |
United Kingdom
|
7219 | |
| Silas Weir Mitchel | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | |
| Thomas Scott | freighter |
United States
|
7176 | sunk by U 986 on February 17th ( Lage ) |
| Warren Delano | freighter |
United States
|
7210 |
course
On February 17, 1945 - while the convoy was being assembled - U 986 attacked the sloop HMS Lark ( Lage ). Badly hit, she was set on the ground and declared a total loss. In another attack, U 968 hit the freighter Thomas Scott (7176 BRT), which sank on the hook of the destroyer Schestki and a tug. Also on February 17, U 711 torpedoed the corvette HMS Bluebell ( Lage ), which sank so quickly that only one man could be rescued. On February 18, the submarines lost contact with the convoy. The U 286 , U 711 , U 716 , U 307 , U 968 and U 992 were then placed in the Bärenenge, but no longer took it up. On February 20, the German aerial reconnaissance captured the convoy again. As a result, 40 Junkers Ju 88 torpedo aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 26 took off from Trondheim ( Lage ) and attacked. Despite the loss of six planes, they achieved nothing. The submarines that were brought up in the meantime also did not get into firing position. In another attack, the 8th Squadron of Kampfgeschwader 26 sank the straggler Henry Bacon (7177 GRT) on February 23 , the last ship sunk by German aircraft in World War II. On February 28, the convoy reached Loch Ewe in Scotland. He lost two freighters with a total of 14,353 GRT and two escort vehicles.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronik des Maritime War 1939–1945, February 1945. Retrieved January 18, 2017 .
- ^ Arnold Hague: Arnold Hague Convoy Database, RA Convoy Series. Retrieved January 18, 2017 .
Map with all coordinates: