Convoy OA 178
Encyclopedia
Convoy OA 178 was an Atlantic convoy that sailed in July 1940 from the Thames Estuary
via the English Channel
, prior to dispersal to various trans-Atlantic destinations.
on the coast of Essex
and departed on 3 July. It consisted of 35 merchant ships, escorted by the Flower class corvette
. Convoy Commodore was Capt. RP Galer, in SS Peterton.
OA 178 passed though the Straits of Dover during the night of 3/4 July and by the afternoon of 4 July was in the Channel, some 20 miles south of Portland Bill
.
dive bomber
s from StG 2
attacked the convoy in the English Channel off Portland Bill
. The Stukas were armed with 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) bombs and attacked in waves of six aircraft. There was no Allied air cover and the attack lasted about two hours.
In this attack one ship, was sunk and five ships , SS Antonio, SS Argos Hill
, SS Briarwood, SS Eastmoor and Danish turbine steamer TS Lifland were damaged. The Antonio rescued 67 survivors, including two with serious injuries, from ships that were sunk.
Some ships of the convoy took shelter in Portland Harbour
, where the Luftwaffe attacked them again. Also in Portland Harbour were a number of other ships, which were hit in the attack. The Royal Navy
anti-aircraft ship was severely damaged, and sank the next day with the loss of 176 lives. The tug Silverdial was also sunk and the cargo ships SS City of Melbourne, SS East Wales and MV William Wilberforce were damaged.
Bombs had damaged the Antonios rudder and the stanchions supporting her propellor shaft. She had to reduce speed and did not reach anchorage in Portland Harbour until about 2300 hrs. The continuing air raid prevented her from landing the survivors she had rescued until mid-day on 5 July.
At dusk those members of the convoy that had remained at sea were 13 miles (20.9 km) south of Portland when they were attacked by German E-boats. Four ships were sunk, and one damaged. The cargo ship was sunk by a torpedo and 16 of her crew were lost.. SS Hartlepool was damaged.
Also lost were the Dutch ships and , and the Estonian ship . The Deucalions wreck lies south of Selsey Bill
, which suggests that either she was a straggler or she was dive-bombed before the main air raid off Portland Bill.
.
The severity of loss and damage that OA 178 sustained was such that all subsequent OA convoys were re-routed, from Methil
in Fife
around the north of Scotland to avoid the English Channel.
Thames Estuary
The Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
via the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, prior to dispersal to various trans-Atlantic destinations.
Departure and escort
OA 178 assembled off Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
on the coast of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and departed on 3 July. It consisted of 35 merchant ships, escorted by the Flower class corvette
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...
. Convoy Commodore was Capt. RP Galer, in SS Peterton.
OA 178 passed though the Straits of Dover during the night of 3/4 July and by the afternoon of 4 July was in the Channel, some 20 miles south of Portland Bill
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England....
.
Attack
At about 1300 hrs on 4 July two Gruppen of Junkers Ju 87Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s from StG 2
Sturzkampfgeschwader 2
Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II. It was named after Max Immelmann in 1939.The unit was originally formed as Fliegergruppe Schwerin in 1934; the first Stuka wing of its type, attaining the sobriquet 'Immelmann' in 1935...
attacked the convoy in the English Channel off Portland Bill
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England....
. The Stukas were armed with 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) bombs and attacked in waves of six aircraft. There was no Allied air cover and the attack lasted about two hours.
In this attack one ship, was sunk and five ships , SS Antonio, SS Argos Hill
SS Canadian Constructor
SS Canadian Constructor was a 7,178 ton refrigerated ship built in 1922 by Halifax Shipyards Ltd in Nova Scotia. She was supplied to Canadian National Steamships who set up a one-ship company, Canadian Constructor Ltd, to own her....
, SS Briarwood, SS Eastmoor and Danish turbine steamer TS Lifland were damaged. The Antonio rescued 67 survivors, including two with serious injuries, from ships that were sunk.
Some ships of the convoy took shelter in Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
, where the Luftwaffe attacked them again. Also in Portland Harbour were a number of other ships, which were hit in the attack. The Royal Navy
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...
anti-aircraft ship was severely damaged, and sank the next day with the loss of 176 lives. The tug Silverdial was also sunk and the cargo ships SS City of Melbourne, SS East Wales and MV William Wilberforce were damaged.
Bombs had damaged the Antonios rudder and the stanchions supporting her propellor shaft. She had to reduce speed and did not reach anchorage in Portland Harbour until about 2300 hrs. The continuing air raid prevented her from landing the survivors she had rescued until mid-day on 5 July.
At dusk those members of the convoy that had remained at sea were 13 miles (20.9 km) south of Portland when they were attacked by German E-boats. Four ships were sunk, and one damaged. The cargo ship was sunk by a torpedo and 16 of her crew were lost.. SS Hartlepool was damaged.
Also lost were the Dutch ships and , and the Estonian ship . The Deucalions wreck lies south of Selsey Bill
Selsey Bill
Selsey Bill is a headland into the English Channel on the south coast of England in the county of West Sussex.The southern most town in Sussex is Selsey which is at the end of the Selsey Peninsula and Selsey Bill is situated on the towns southerncoastline...
, which suggests that either she was a straggler or she was dive-bombed before the main air raid off Portland Bill.
Aftermath
On 5 July OA 178's lone escort was reinforced by the destroyer . She remained with the convoy until 6 July when it dispersed in the Southwest ApproachesSouthwest Approaches
The Southwest Approaches is the name given to the offshore waters to the southwest of Great Britain. The area includes the Celtic Sea, the Bristol Channel and sea areas off southwest Ireland...
.
The severity of loss and damage that OA 178 sustained was such that all subsequent OA convoys were re-routed, from Methil
Methil
Methil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
around the north of Scotland to avoid the English Channel.
Table
Allied ships sunk| Date | Name | Nationality | Casualties | Tonnage (GRT Gross Register Tonnage Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e... ) |
Sunk by… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 1940 | Dallas City | British | 4,952 | aircraft | |
| 4 July 1940 | Britsum | Dutch | 5,255 | aircraft | |
| 4 July 1940 | Deucalion | Dutch | 1,796 | aircraft | |
| 4 July 1940 | Kolga | Estonian | 1 | 3,526 | S-boat S-19 |
| 4 July 1940 | Elmcrest | British | 16 | 4,343 | S-boat S-20 |