Convoy SC.19
Part of World War II
Date12 January – 2 February 1941
Location
North Sea
Belligerents
 Kriegsmarine  Royal Canadian Navy
 Royal Navy
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
~4 U-boats 28 merchant ships
11 escorts (9 during attack)
Casualties and losses
7 ships sunk

Convoy SC 19 was the 19th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. The trade convoy left Halifax, Nova Scotia on 12 January 1941[1] and was found by U-boats of the 7th U-boat Flotilla on 29 January. Seven ships were sunk before the convoy reached Liverpool on 2 February.[2]

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 28 merchant vessels joined the slow convoy, composed of ships making 8 knots or less.[3]

Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Aikaterini (1913)  Greece 4,929 1 dead. 30 survivors. Sunk by U-93[4]
Baltara (1918)  United Kingdom 3,292
Barrhill (1912)  United Kingdom 4,972
Basil (1928)  United Kingdom 4,913 Commodore: Capt R Gill CBE Rd RNR
Brynhild (1907)  United Kingdom 2,195
Carperby (1928)  United Kingdom 4,890
Culebra (1919)  United Kingdom 3,044
Dimitrios Chandris (1910)  Greece 4,643 Returned, must Dry-Dock
Grelrosa (1914)  United Kingdom 4,574 Straggled, bombed & sunk by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft
King Robert (1920)  United Kingdom 5,886 Sunk by U-93[5]
Kul (1907)  Norway 1,310
Kyriakoula (1918)  Greece 4,340
Merchant Royal (1928)  United Kingdom 5,008
Penhale (1924)  United Kingdom 4,071
Rockpool (1927)  United Kingdom 4,892 Wrecked, then salved and became Empire Trent
Rushpool (1928)  United Kingdom 5,125 Straggled and sunk by U-94[6]
Ruth I  Norway 3,531
Sesostris (1915)  Egypt 2,962 Straggled and sunk by U-106[7]
Shirvan (1925)  United Kingdom 6,017
Snar (1920)  Norway 3,176 Ashore, re-floated, beached Bannatyne Cove
Stad Arnhem (1920)  Netherlands 3,819
Tovelil (1925)  United Kingdom 2,225
Varanger (1925)  Norway 9,305
Vestland (1916)  Norway 1,934
Vigsnes (1930)  Norway 1,599
W B Walker (1935)  United Kingdom 10,468 Sunk by U-93[8]
West Wales (1925)  United Kingdom 4,353 Sunk by U-94[9] after convoy had scattered
Winkleigh (1940)  United Kingdom 5,468

Convoy escorts

A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[3]

Name Flag Type Joined Left
HMS Antelope  Royal Navy A-class destroyer 27 Jan 1941 31 Jan 1941
HMS Anthony  Royal Navy A-class destroyer 27 Jan 1941 31 Jan 1941
HMCS Arrowhead  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 12 Jan 1941 12 Jan 1941
HMS Aurania  Royal Navy Armed merchant cruiser 12 Jan 1941 26 Jan 1941
HMS Heather  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 26 Jan 1941 1 Feb 1941
HMS Jackal  Royal Navy J-class destroyer 29 Jan 1941 29 Jan 1941
HMS/HMT Lady Madeleine  Royal Navy ASW (anti-submarine warfare) trawler 26 Jan 1941 31 Jan 1941
HMS Pegasus  Royal Navy Seaplane tender/prototype fighter catapult ship 26 Jan 1941 31 Jan 1941
HMS Picotee  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 26 Jan 1941 01 Feb 1941
HMS Sardonyx  Royal Navy Admiralty S-class destroyer 29 Jan 1941 30 Jan 1941
HMS Scimitar  Royal Navy Admiralty S-class destroyer 29 Jan 1941 30 Jan 1941

References

  1. ^ Hague pp.133&134
  2. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen p.48
  3. ^ a b "Convoy SC.19". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Aikaterini – Greek Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  5. ^ "King Robert – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Rushpool – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Sesostris – Egyptian Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  8. ^ "W B Walker – British Motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  9. ^ "West Wales – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 29 October 2013.

Bibliography

External links

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