Convoy JW 56B
Encyclopedia
Convoy JW 56B was an Arctic convoy
sent from Great Britain
by the Western Allies
to aid the Soviet Union
during World War II
. It sailed in late January 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the beginning of February. All ships arrived safely.
During the voyage JW 56B was attacked by a German
U-boat
force; no merchant ships were sunk, though one of the escorts was lost. One attacking U-boat was destroyed in the operation.
on 22 January 1944.
Close escort was provided by a force of two destroyers and three other escort vessels. There was also an Ocean escort, comprising the destroyer Milne
(Capt. IMR Campbell commanding) and six other destroyers.
The convoy was accompanied initially by a local escort group from Britain, and was also joined later by a further escort force, from the preceding convoy JW 56A.
A cruiser cover force comprising Kent
(R.Adm AFE Palliser), Berwick
and Bermuda was also at sea, to guard the two convoys against attack by surface units.
JW 56B was opposed by a U-boat force of fifteen boats, code-named Werewolf, in the Barents Sea
.
on 22 January 1944, ten days after the preceding convoy, JW 56A
. It was accompanied by its local escort, the destroyer Wrestler
, a corvette, and two minesweepers, and the close escort of five warships.
On 26 January, the day JW 56A came under attack, the local escort departed, to be replaced by the ocean escort of six Home Fleet destroyers.
On 29 January the convoy came into the area where JW 56A had been attacked. Waiting there were the ten U-boats of wolfpack Isengrim, re-inforced with five newcomers and re-organized as the group Werewolf.
At midday on 29 January JW 56B was sighted by U-956 and reported, though U-956 came under heavy attack when she was detected.
By the morning of 30 January the U-boats had assembled, but JW 56B had also been re-inforced, being joined by the ocean escort of JW 56A, seven destroyers led by Hardy.
Six of the U-boats made contact, mounting a total of thirteen attacks during that day. They were unable to reach the merchant ships, but U-278 hit Hardy with an acoustic torpedo
. She was crippled and abandoned, to be sunk later by an attending destroyer.
In response U-314 was destroyed by Whitehall and Meteor.
Following this the Werewolf pack abandoned its assault, and JW 56B arrived at Kola three days later, on 2 February.
) was delighted with the actions against convoys JW 56A and 56B, believing they had sunk seven escorts and damaged another four, with four ships sunk and a further six damaged.
The actual losses from the two convoys were three ships, and one escort sunk and one damaged. Twenty nine ships from both convoys arrived safely.
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
sent from Great Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
to aid the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
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 sailed in late January 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the beginning of February. All ships arrived safely.
During the voyage JW 56B was attacked by a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
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...
force; no merchant ships were sunk, though one of the escorts was lost. One attacking U-boat was destroyed in the operation.
Ships
The convoy consisted of 17 merchant ships which departed from Loch EweLoch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on 22 January 1944.
Close escort was provided by a force of two destroyers and three other escort vessels. There was also an Ocean escort, comprising the destroyer Milne
HMS Milne (G14)
HMS Milne was a M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy which served during World War II.She was built by Scotts, of Greenock, laid down 24 January 1940, launched 30 December 1941 and completed 6 August 1942....
(Capt. IMR Campbell commanding) and six other destroyers.
The convoy was accompanied initially by a local escort group from Britain, and was also joined later by a further escort force, from the preceding convoy JW 56A.
A cruiser cover force comprising Kent
HMS Kent (54)
HMS Kent was a heavy cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the late 1920s. She was the lead ship of the Kent subclass. After completion the ship was sent to the China Station where she remained until the beginning of the Second World War, aside from a major refit in 1937–38...
(R.Adm AFE Palliser), Berwick
HMS Berwick (65)
HMS Berwick was a Royal Navy County class heavy cruiser, of the Kent subclass. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company , with the keel being laid down on 15 September 1924...
and Bermuda was also at sea, to guard the two convoys against attack by surface units.
JW 56B was opposed by a U-boat force of fifteen boats, code-named Werewolf, in the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
.
Action
JW 56B departed Loch EweLoch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on 22 January 1944, ten days after the preceding convoy, JW 56A
Convoy JW 56A
Convoy JW 56A was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in January 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month...
. It was accompanied by its local escort, the destroyer Wrestler
HMS Wrestler (1918)
HMS Wrestler was a W class destroyer launched by the Royal Navy in the latter stages of the First World War and active from 1939 to 1944 during the Second World War. She was the first Royal Navy ship to bear that name, and the only one to do so to date.-Construction:She was the tenth order in the...
, a corvette, and two minesweepers, and the close escort of five warships.
On 26 January, the day JW 56A came under attack, the local escort departed, to be replaced by the ocean escort of six Home Fleet destroyers.
On 29 January the convoy came into the area where JW 56A had been attacked. Waiting there were the ten U-boats of wolfpack Isengrim, re-inforced with five newcomers and re-organized as the group Werewolf.
At midday on 29 January JW 56B was sighted by U-956 and reported, though U-956 came under heavy attack when she was detected.
By the morning of 30 January the U-boats had assembled, but JW 56B had also been re-inforced, being joined by the ocean escort of JW 56A, seven destroyers led by Hardy.
Six of the U-boats made contact, mounting a total of thirteen attacks during that day. They were unable to reach the merchant ships, but U-278 hit Hardy with an acoustic torpedo
Acoustic torpedo
An acoustic torpedo is a torpedo that aims itself by listening for characteristic sounds of its target or by searching for it using sonar. Acoustic torpedoes are usually designed for medium-range use, and often fired from a submarine....
. She was crippled and abandoned, to be sunk later by an attending destroyer.
In response U-314 was destroyed by Whitehall and Meteor.
Following this the Werewolf pack abandoned its assault, and JW 56B arrived at Kola three days later, on 2 February.
Conclusion
German U-boat Command (BdUBDU
The abbreviation BDU may refer to:*Battle Dress Uniform, United States' combat uniforms.*Befehlshaber der U-Boote , commander-in-chief of Germany's submarine fleets in WW-II.*FAA location identifier for Boulder Municipal Airport...
) was delighted with the actions against convoys JW 56A and 56B, believing they had sunk seven escorts and damaged another four, with four ships sunk and a further six damaged.
The actual losses from the two convoys were three ships, and one escort sunk and one damaged. Twenty nine ships from both convoys arrived safely.