5th Escort Group (Royal Navy)
Encyclopedia
5th Escort Group was a British formation of the Royal Navy
which saw action during the Second World War, principally in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Led by Cdr Donald MacIntyre
as Senior Officer Escort (SOE) in HMS Walker,
5 EG comprised
the V class
destroyer
s
Vanoc
, and
Volunteer,
the S-class
destroyers
Sardonyx and
Scimitar
and the Flower class
corvette
s
Bluebell
and
Hydrangea
and Schepke
.
5 EG continued on escort duty in the North Atlantic but this became uneventful due to a downturn in the U-boat effectiveness in Summer of 1941. This was due to the loss of three U-boat aces in March, and British Intelligence penetration of the U-boat Arms Enigma code after April.
In June 5 EG moved to escort south- and north-bound convoys to and from Gibraltar
and the South Atlantic. These too were successful, despite the threat across the Bay of Biscay of both air and U-boat attack.
In October 1941 5 EG returned to escort duty in the North Atlantic.
The group underwent several changes, as ships were transferred, or were docked for extended repair.
In December 1941 Macintyre was posted to Argentia as liaison officer, and, as
and as all the ships had become worn out, 5 EG was disbanded after 9 months service.
During this period 5 EG had escorted over two dozen convoys, totalling over 700 ships of which just 12 were lost.
No warships were lost from the group, which accounted for 2 U-boats in its career.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
which saw action during the Second World War, principally in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Formation
5th Escort Group (5 EG) was formed in March 1941, one of the earliest escort groups to be set up.Led by Cdr Donald MacIntyre
Donald Macintyre (naval officer)
This page is about the World War II naval officer. For others of similar name see Donald MacIntyreDonald George Frederick Wyville Macintyre DSO & Two Bars, DSC was a Royal Navy officer during the Second World War and a successful convoy escort commander.Following the war, he was also an author of...
as Senior Officer Escort (SOE) in HMS Walker,
5 EG comprised
the V class
V and W class destroyer
The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War and generally treated as one class...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s
Vanoc
HMS Vanoc (H33)
HMS Vanoc was a British V class destroyer, launched in 1917.-Service:-1940:She accompanied HMS Scarborough in February 1940 on her first Atlantic escort duties after Scarborough 's refit. On 29 April 1940 she deployed with the destroyers HMS Echo, Firedrake, Havelock and Arrow to evacuate troops...
, and
Volunteer,
the S-class
S class destroyer (1916)
The S class were a class of 67 destroyers built from 1917 for the Royal Navy. The design was based on the Admiralty modified R class and all ships had names beginning with S or T....
destroyers
Sardonyx and
Scimitar
and the Flower class
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s
Bluebell
HMS Bluebell (K80)
HMS Bluebell was a that served in the Royal Navy during World War II. Ordered from Fleming & Ferguson at Paisley on 27 July 1939, she was launched on 24 April 1940 and commissioned in July 1940. She served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Arctic, escorting several convoys to Russia, and also...
and
Hydrangea
Service history
5 EG's first action was a major convoy battle in defence of HX 112 in March 1941. This saw the loss of 5 ships but also the destruction of 2 U-boats U-99 and U-100, commanded by leading U-boat aces KretschmerOtto Kretschmer
Flotilla Admiral Otto Kretschmer was a German U-boat commander in the Second World War and later an admiral in the Bundesmarine. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak...
and Schepke
Joachim Schepke
Lieutenant-Commander Joachim Schepke was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was the seventh recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded by the Third Reich to recognise extreme...
.
5 EG continued on escort duty in the North Atlantic but this became uneventful due to a downturn in the U-boat effectiveness in Summer of 1941. This was due to the loss of three U-boat aces in March, and British Intelligence penetration of the U-boat Arms Enigma code after April.
In June 5 EG moved to escort south- and north-bound convoys to and from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and the South Atlantic. These too were successful, despite the threat across the Bay of Biscay of both air and U-boat attack.
In October 1941 5 EG returned to escort duty in the North Atlantic.
The group underwent several changes, as ships were transferred, or were docked for extended repair.
In December 1941 Macintyre was posted to Argentia as liaison officer, and, as
and as all the ships had become worn out, 5 EG was disbanded after 9 months service.
During this period 5 EG had escorted over two dozen convoys, totalling over 700 ships of which just 12 were lost.
No warships were lost from the group, which accounted for 2 U-boats in its career.
Table: convoys escorted
| Outbound | Homebound |
|---|---|
| . | HX 112 |
| OG 57 | . |
| OB 308 | HX 118 |
| OB 311 | HX 120 |
| OB 312 | HX 122 |
| OB 322 | HX 125A |
| OB 327 | HX 128 |
| OB 333 | HG 64 |
| OG 66 | SL 77 |
| OG 68/OS 1 | HG 68 |
| . | SL 82 |
| OS 4 | SL 85/HG 72 |
| ON 20 | SC 46 |
| ON 27 | HX 115 |
| ON 34 | SC 53 |
| . | HX 162 |