B-6 Escort Group (Royal Navy)
Encyclopedia
B-6 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.
(MOEF), which provided convoy protection in the most dangerous mid-section of the North Atlantic route. The MOEF was originally to be 5 American, 5 British and 4 Canadian groups. B-6 was formed in the spring of 1942, following the inability of the USN to form groups A-4 and A-5 due to other commitments. To replace them two new escort groups, B-6 and B-7 were formed.
destroyer
Viscount, and under the leadership of Cdr JJ Waterhouse, B-6 comprised 4 Norwegian
-manned corvette
s from A-4;
Acanthus,
Eglantine,
Potentilla,
and Rose.
These were joined later by a fifth, Monbretia.
In the summer of 1942 B-6 escorted several uneventful convoys which arrived without loss.
However in August 1942 ON 122 was attacked by 9 U-boat
s of wolfpack Lohs
. 4 ships were sunk, while 6 U-boats were damaged , 4 seriously enough to return to base. Two of these later attacked on their return by aircraft in the Bay of Biscay
; one was sunk, another so badly damaged it had to be withdrawn from service..
In September B-6 was joined by the destroyer Fame
as senior ship, whose commander R Heathcote became Senior Officer of the Escort group (SOE).
In October SC 104 was attacked by Group Wotan In a 5 day battle (12-17 Oct) SC 104 lost 8 ships while 2 U boats (U-661 and U-353) were destroyed and 2 others damaged.
During this action both Fame and Viscount were damaged and forced to withdraw, command falling on Cdr CA Momsen of Potentilla .
In November a depleted B-6 group, still under Momsen, was escorting ON 144 which was attacked by 16 U boats of Group Kreuzotter. In a fierce battle, 5 ships of the convoy, and the corvette Monbretia, were sunk. One U-boat was destroyed (U-184, sunk by Potentilla). Monsen and the group were later commended for their aggressive defence, which was widely held to have averted a major disaster.
In December HX 217 was attacked by 7 U-boats of group Panzer. B-6, again led by Fame, and with the 3 Norwegians was now joined by Polish destroyer Burza
, and a British corvette. Another aggressive defence kept losses to a minimum, even when Panzer was joined by a second wolf pack, Draufgang. 2 ships were sunk in the 3 day battle, while one U boat was sunk by aircraft, and several others damaged. Another U boat was lost, and one damaged, in a mid-ocean collision
In Jan 43 B-6 was joined by the corvettes Kingcup and Vervain
, bringing its strength up to 7 warships.
In February 1943 while escorting ON 165, the convoy was attacked by U-boats of Group Hardegen. Two U-boats were destroyed in this assault, (U-69 sunk by Fame and U-201 by Viscount) for the loss of 2 ships .
In late February and early March HX 227 was intercepted by group Neptun, but an aggressive defence and foul weather frustrated any co-ordinated attacks. 2 straggler were lost, while 2 U-boats were forced to return with damage.
Following the major convoy battles of May 1943, which left B-6 and their charges unscathed, the Battle of the Atlantic fell into a lull as the U-boat Arm withdrew from the battle.
Several uneventful convoys followed, until the renewal of the offensive in the autumn of 1943.
In this period B-6 was involved in one convoy battle, while escorting ON 206. This convoy, and ONS 20, both became embroiled in the last major convoy action of the campaign, which saw 6 U-boats destroyed, for one ships lost. None of these were accounted to ships of B-6 however.
Following this action the North Atlantic route was again quiet, with B-6 continuing escort duties, until in the spring of 1944 it was disbanded in a general re-organization prior to the invasion of Normandy.
In its 23 month career B-6 escorted 31 convoys, losing 19 ships, but seeing over 900 safely to harbour.
The group lost one of its number, the corvette Monbretia, but was credited with the destruction of five U-boats.
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
B-6 Escort Group (B-6 EG)was one of seven British escort groups which served with the Mid-Ocean Escort ForceMid-Ocean Escort Force
Mid-Ocean Escort Force referred to the organization of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and the British Isles...
(MOEF), which provided convoy protection in the most dangerous mid-section of the North Atlantic route. The MOEF was originally to be 5 American, 5 British and 4 Canadian groups. B-6 was formed in the spring of 1942, following the inability of the USN to form groups A-4 and A-5 due to other commitments. To replace them two new escort groups, B-6 and B-7 were formed.
Service history
Led by V&W classV 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...
Viscount, and under the leadership of Cdr JJ Waterhouse, B-6 comprised 4 Norwegian
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
-manned 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 from A-4;
Acanthus,
Eglantine,
Potentilla,
and Rose.
These were joined later by a fifth, Monbretia.
In the summer of 1942 B-6 escorted several uneventful convoys which arrived without loss.
However in August 1942 ON 122 was attacked by 9 U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s of wolfpack Lohs
Wolf pack Lohs
Lachs was a "wolfpack" of German U-boats that operated from August 1 to September 22, 1942 in World War II. This pack patrolled both sides of the Atlantic ocean, praying on merchant vessels coming to Europe from the Americas.-Raiding career:...
. 4 ships were sunk, while 6 U-boats were damaged , 4 seriously enough to return to base. Two of these later attacked on their return by aircraft in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
; one was sunk, another so badly damaged it had to be withdrawn from service..
In September B-6 was joined by the destroyer Fame
HMS Fame (H78)
HMS Fame was an F class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was active during the Second World War, taking part in the Battle of the Atlantic.-Construction:...
as senior ship, whose commander R Heathcote became Senior Officer of the Escort group (SOE).
In October SC 104 was attacked by Group Wotan In a 5 day battle (12-17 Oct) SC 104 lost 8 ships while 2 U boats (U-661 and U-353) were destroyed and 2 others damaged.
During this action both Fame and Viscount were damaged and forced to withdraw, command falling on Cdr CA Momsen of Potentilla .
In November a depleted B-6 group, still under Momsen, was escorting ON 144 which was attacked by 16 U boats of Group Kreuzotter. In a fierce battle, 5 ships of the convoy, and the corvette Monbretia, were sunk. One U-boat was destroyed (U-184, sunk by Potentilla). Monsen and the group were later commended for their aggressive defence, which was widely held to have averted a major disaster.
In December HX 217 was attacked by 7 U-boats of group Panzer. B-6, again led by Fame, and with the 3 Norwegians was now joined by Polish destroyer Burza
ORP Burza
ORP Burza was a of the Polish Navy which saw action in World War II.-History:ORP Burza was ordered on 2 April 1926 from the French shipyard Chantiers Naval Francais together with her sister ship Wicher...
, and a British corvette. Another aggressive defence kept losses to a minimum, even when Panzer was joined by a second wolf pack, Draufgang. 2 ships were sunk in the 3 day battle, while one U boat was sunk by aircraft, and several others damaged. Another U boat was lost, and one damaged, in a mid-ocean collision
In Jan 43 B-6 was joined by the corvettes Kingcup and Vervain
HMS Vervain (K190)
HMS Vervain was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.On 28 February 1943 the liberty ship SS Wade Hampton was torpedoed by U-405 while sailing in a convoy from New York to Murmansk, Russia...
, bringing its strength up to 7 warships.
In February 1943 while escorting ON 165, the convoy was attacked by U-boats of Group Hardegen. Two U-boats were destroyed in this assault, (U-69 sunk by Fame and U-201 by Viscount) for the loss of 2 ships .
In late February and early March HX 227 was intercepted by group Neptun, but an aggressive defence and foul weather frustrated any co-ordinated attacks. 2 straggler were lost, while 2 U-boats were forced to return with damage.
Following the major convoy battles of May 1943, which left B-6 and their charges unscathed, the Battle of the Atlantic fell into a lull as the U-boat Arm withdrew from the battle.
Several uneventful convoys followed, until the renewal of the offensive in the autumn of 1943.
In this period B-6 was involved in one convoy battle, while escorting ON 206. This convoy, and ONS 20, both became embroiled in the last major convoy action of the campaign, which saw 6 U-boats destroyed, for one ships lost. None of these were accounted to ships of B-6 however.
Following this action the North Atlantic route was again quiet, with B-6 continuing escort duties, until in the spring of 1944 it was disbanded in a general re-organization prior to the invasion of Normandy.
In its 23 month career B-6 escorted 31 convoys, losing 19 ships, but seeing over 900 safely to harbour.
The group lost one of its number, the corvette Monbretia, but was credited with the destruction of five U-boats.
Ships lost
- Monbretia, torpedoed and sunk 18 November 1942 by U-262
U-Boats destroyed
- U-661 rammed by Viscount on 15 October 1942
- U-353 rammed by Fame on 16 October 1942
- U-184 depth-charged by Potentilla on 20 November 1942
- U-69 rammed by Viscount on 17 February 1943
- U-201 depth-charged by Fame on 17 February 1943
Convoys escorted
| Homebound | Outbound |
|---|---|
| SC 83 | ON 101 |
| SC 88 | ON 111 |
| HX 200 | ON 122 |
| HX 205 | ON 132 |
| SC 104 | ON 144 |
| HX 217 | ON 155 |
| SC 116 | ON 165 |
| HX 227 | ONS 1 |
| SC 125 | ONS 6 |
| HX 251 | ONS 17 |
| HX 257 | ON 206 |
| SC 145 | ON 212 |
| SC 148 | ON 218 |
| SC 151 | ONS 29 |
| HX 281 | ON 229 |
| HX 286 | |
Senior Officer Escort
| From | To | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| April 1942 | September 1942 | Cdr. JJ Waterhouse |
| September 1942 | July 1943 | Cdr. R Heathcote |
| July 1943 | April 1944 | Cdr. RA Currie |