Convoy HG-76
Encyclopedia
HG 76 was an Allied
convoy
of the HG (Homeward from Gibraltar
) series during World War II
.
It was notable in seeing the destruction of 4 U-Boat
s for the loss of 4 ships and is regarded as the first major victory for the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic.
There was a strong escort, consisting of 36th Escort Group
, usually 2 sloop
s
(Stork and Deptford)
and 7 corvette
s
(Convulvulus, Gardenia, Marigold, Penstemon, Rhodedendron, Samphire and Vetch)
under the command of FJ Walker
;
this force was augmented by the new escort carrier Audacity, and her 3 escorting destroyer
s,
HMS Blanckney, HMS Stanley (I73) and HMS Exmoor II
plus 5 other warships, the sloops HMS Fowey
and HMS Black Swan,
And the corvettes
Carnation and La Malouine:
A total of 17 warships.
Ranged against them was the wolfpack Seeräuber ( Sea Robber, or Pirate) of 6 U-boats (U-67, U-107, U-108, U-131, U-434
and U-574), reinforced later by a further 3 boats.
; these were able to report the convoy’s composition, escort strength and departure time.
HG 76 was also sighted later that day by U-74, on route to the Mediterranean, but was lost in poor visibility, while BdU was confused by an agents report that the convoy had returned to port.
The Sea Robbers were arrayed in a patrol line south of Cape St Vincent, but HG 76 was able to pass through he line without detection.
Meanwhile one of the boats, U-127 was detected on a routine ASW sweep by a group of 4 destroyers from Gibraltar; but after a brief but devastating attack U-127 was destroyed, the credit going to the Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor.
On 16 Dec HG 76 was sighted by a Fw 200 Condor
patrolling from Bordeaux
; from this U-108 gained contact and commenced shadowing whilst the other Sea Robbers closed in.
During the night of the 16th/17th the wolf pack closed in until by morning on the 17th 4 boats were in contact.
However vigorous patrolling by the escorts, and aircraft from Audacity, led to U-131 being detected; she was attacked by Stork, with Penstemon and the 3 destroyers in concert. U-131 was driven to the surface and sunk, though not before shooting down one of the Martlets.
On the night of 17/18th the U-boats attacked again; aggressive counter-measures prevented any hits, while at dawn on the 18th U-434 was sighted by the destroyers; she was attacked
and rammed by Blankney, which was damaged in the process.
During the rest of the day several of the escorts had to leave;
the sloops Black Swan , Fowey, with the corvettes Carnation and La Malouine returned to Gibraltar to re-fuel, while
Blankney departed for repairs, escorted by Exmoor II.
On the night of 18/19 Stanley sighted U-574 astern, shadowing the convoy; she attacked, but was herself torpedoed and sunk.
Stork and Samphire followed up the attack and destroyed U-574, picking up survivors from both.
Also during the night U-108 attacked successfully, torpedoing Ruckinge, which was abandoned, to be sunk later by Samphire.
On the 19th the convoy was attacked by a force of Condors; they caused no damage, but 2 were shot down, and another damaged, by Martlets from Audacity.
Also that day
the Sea Robbers were joined by
3 more boats from Bordeaux,
U-71
, U-567
(captained by U-boat ace KL Endrass
), and U-751
.
Were dispatched to join the sea robbers; they were to arrive on the 21st.
Over the next 3 days
The 3 remaining boats from Seeräuber, U-67, U-107 and U-108 continued to shadow, attacking without result.
On 21st the 3 boats from Bordeaux, and the U-boats again prepared to attack.
Walker attempted to draw off the attack by having Deptford make a demonstration some way off from the convoy;
This was unsuccessful, as some of the merchant ships were confused by the display, and also fired star-shells, revealing their position.
U-567 was able to sink Annavore, while Bigalk, in U-751 sighted Audacity, zig-zagging behind the convoy without her escort. He fired, and Audacity was sunk, hit by 3 torpedoes.
Marigold, Vetch and Samphire counter-attacked, but without result.
Later that night Deptford spotted a U-boat on the surface; she attacked, and dropped depth-charges, with no apparent result; however, post-war analysis revealed that she had sunk U-567.
Following this Deptford collided with Stork, damaging them both.
During 22 Dec U-71 and U-751 remained in contact, to be joined by U-125 (en route to America), while HG 76 was reinforced by the destroyers Vanquisher and Witch.
On 23 Dececember Donitz, shaken by his losses, and the lack of success, called off the attack; U-67, U-107, U-108 and U-751 returned to bases in France.
It also confirmed Walker as the Royal Navy’ s foremost expert in anti submarine warfare.
By contrast Adm Donitz and the U-boat Arm was shaken by their losses, particularly Endrass, who was the leading U-boat ace at that time.
Allied warships lost
Axis submarines destroyed
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
of the HG (Homeward 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...
) series during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
It was notable in seeing the destruction of 4 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 for the loss of 4 ships and is regarded as the first major victory for the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Background
HG 76 comprised 32 ships homeward bound from Gibraltar, many in ballast, or carrying trade goods.There was a strong escort, consisting of 36th Escort Group
36th Escort Group (Royal Navy)
36th 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....
, usually 2 sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
s
(Stork and Deptford)
and 7 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
(Convulvulus, Gardenia, Marigold, Penstemon, Rhodedendron, Samphire and Vetch)
under the command of FJ Walker
Frederic John Walker
Captain Frederic John Walker, CB, DSO and three Bars, RN was a British Royal Navy officer noted for his exploits during World War II...
;
this force was augmented by the new escort carrier Audacity, and her 3 escorting 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,
HMS Blanckney, HMS Stanley (I73) and HMS Exmoor II
plus 5 other warships, the sloops HMS Fowey
HMS Fowey
Seven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Fowey, either after the Cornish town of Fowey, or the River Fowey which runs through it, whilst another two were planned:...
and HMS Black Swan,
And the corvettes
Carnation and La Malouine:
A total of 17 warships.
Ranged against them was the wolfpack Seeräuber ( Sea Robber, or Pirate) of 6 U-boats (U-67, U-107, U-108, U-131, U-434
U-434
Soviet submarine B-515 was a of the Soviet and Russian Navies. She was built in 1976 and remained in active service until 2000. She is currently docked in Hamburg and is open to the public as a museum exhibit...
and U-574), reinforced later by a further 3 boats.
Action
HG 76 sailed from Gibraltar on 15 December 1941, and was reported almost immediately by German agents across the bay in neutral SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
; these were able to report the convoy’s composition, escort strength and departure time.
HG 76 was also sighted later that day by U-74, on route to the Mediterranean, but was lost in poor visibility, while BdU was confused by an agents report that the convoy had returned to port.
The Sea Robbers were arrayed in a patrol line south of Cape St Vincent, but HG 76 was able to pass through he line without detection.
Meanwhile one of the boats, U-127 was detected on a routine ASW sweep by a group of 4 destroyers from Gibraltar; but after a brief but devastating attack U-127 was destroyed, the credit going to the Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor.
On 16 Dec HG 76 was sighted by a Fw 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
patrolling from Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
; from this U-108 gained contact and commenced shadowing whilst the other Sea Robbers closed in.
During the night of the 16th/17th the wolf pack closed in until by morning on the 17th 4 boats were in contact.
However vigorous patrolling by the escorts, and aircraft from Audacity, led to U-131 being detected; she was attacked by Stork, with Penstemon and the 3 destroyers in concert. U-131 was driven to the surface and sunk, though not before shooting down one of the Martlets.
On the night of 17/18th the U-boats attacked again; aggressive counter-measures prevented any hits, while at dawn on the 18th U-434 was sighted by the destroyers; she was attacked
and rammed by Blankney, which was damaged in the process.
During the rest of the day several of the escorts had to leave;
the sloops Black Swan , Fowey, with the corvettes Carnation and La Malouine returned to Gibraltar to re-fuel, while
Blankney departed for repairs, escorted by Exmoor II.
On the night of 18/19 Stanley sighted U-574 astern, shadowing the convoy; she attacked, but was herself torpedoed and sunk.
Stork and Samphire followed up the attack and destroyed U-574, picking up survivors from both.
Also during the night U-108 attacked successfully, torpedoing Ruckinge, which was abandoned, to be sunk later by Samphire.
On the 19th the convoy was attacked by a force of Condors; they caused no damage, but 2 were shot down, and another damaged, by Martlets from Audacity.
Also that day
the Sea Robbers were joined by
3 more boats from Bordeaux,
U-71
German submarine U-71 (1940)
German submarine U-71 was a type VII C submarine of the German Kriegsmarine during the Second World War.Ordered on 25 January 1939, her keel was laid down on 21 December that year. She was launched on 31 October 1940 and commissioned on 14 December the same year...
, U-567
German submarine U-567
German submarine U-567 was a type VII C submarine of the German Kriegsmarine during the Second World War.She was commissioned on 24 October 1939 and her keel laid down on 27 April the following year. She was launched on 6 March 1941 and entered service in 3rd U-boat Flotilla on 24 April the same...
(captained by U-boat ace KL Endrass
Engelbert Endrass
Lieutenant Engelbert Endrass was a German U-boat commander in World War II. He commanded the Type VIIB U-boat and the Type VIIC , sinking twenty-two ships on ten patrols, for a total of 118,528 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 23rd highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II...
), and U-751
German submarine U-751
German submarine U-751 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Built as werk 134 of the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, she was commissioned on 31 January 1941, she served with 7th U-Boat Flotilla until 1 June as a training boat, and...
.
Were dispatched to join the sea robbers; they were to arrive on the 21st.
Over the next 3 days
The 3 remaining boats from Seeräuber, U-67, U-107 and U-108 continued to shadow, attacking without result.
On 21st the 3 boats from Bordeaux, and the U-boats again prepared to attack.
Walker attempted to draw off the attack by having Deptford make a demonstration some way off from the convoy;
This was unsuccessful, as some of the merchant ships were confused by the display, and also fired star-shells, revealing their position.
U-567 was able to sink Annavore, while Bigalk, in U-751 sighted Audacity, zig-zagging behind the convoy without her escort. He fired, and Audacity was sunk, hit by 3 torpedoes.
Marigold, Vetch and Samphire counter-attacked, but without result.
Later that night Deptford spotted a U-boat on the surface; she attacked, and dropped depth-charges, with no apparent result; however, post-war analysis revealed that she had sunk U-567.
Following this Deptford collided with Stork, damaging them both.
During 22 Dec U-71 and U-751 remained in contact, to be joined by U-125 (en route to America), while HG 76 was reinforced by the destroyers Vanquisher and Witch.
On 23 Dececember Donitz, shaken by his losses, and the lack of success, called off the attack; U-67, U-107, U-108 and U-751 returned to bases in France.
Conclusion
Despite the loss of Audacity and the 3 other ships, the safe arrival of 30 ships and the destruction of 3 U-boats ( U-127 was not included, and U-567 not confirmed until after the war) was judged to be an outstanding victory.It also confirmed Walker as the Royal Navy’ s foremost expert in anti submarine warfare.
By contrast Adm Donitz and the U-boat Arm was shaken by their losses, particularly Endrass, who was the leading U-boat ace at that time.
Tables
Allied ships lost| Date | Name | Nationality | Casualties | Tonnage | Sunk by… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Dec | Ruckinge. | British | 2 | 2869 GRT | U-108 |
| 21 Dec | Annavore | British | 34 | 3324GRT | U-567 |
Allied warships lost
| Date | Name | Nationality | Casualties | Type | Sunk by… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Dec | HMS Stanley | British | Destroyer | U-574 | |
| 21 Dec | HMS Audacity | British | Escort Carrier | U-571 |
Axis submarines destroyed
| Date | Number | Type | Captain | Casualties | Sunk by… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec | U-131 | Type IX | KK Bauran | none | HMS Stork |
| 18 Dec | U-434 | Type VIIC | KL Heyda | 2 | HMS Blankney, HMS Stanley |
| 19 Dec | U-574 | Type VIIC | OL Gengelbach | 27 | HMS Stork |
| 21 Dec | U-567 | Type VIIC | KL Endrass | 47 | HMS Deptford |
External links
- HG 76 at convoyweb
- http://uboat.net/ops/convoys/convoys.php?convoy=HG-76