Convoy HX 228 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Convoy HX 228
Part of World War II
Date 10–11 March 1943 Location North Atlantic Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
Germany	Free France United Kingdom Poland
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz	Comm: JO Dunn B-3 Group: AA Tait   †
Strength
9 U-boats	60 ships 8 escorts
Casualties and losses
2 U-boats	4 ships (24,175 GRT) 1 warship

Convoy HX 228 was a group of ships traveling together across the North Atlantic Ocean during World War II. This event was part of the larger Battle of the Atlantic, where Allied convoys tried to deliver vital supplies while German U-boats (submarines) tried to sink them. This particular battle happened in March 1943, a very intense time for convoy attacks. It's especially remembered because Commander AA "Harry" Tait, a brave leader of the escort ships, was lost during the fighting.

Getting Ready for the Journey

HX 228 was a convoy of 60 merchant ships. These ships were heading east from New York, USA, to Liverpool, England. They set sail on February 28, 1943, carrying important war materials.

A group of warships joined the convoy to protect it. This escort group, called B3, was led by Commander AA Tait on his ship, HMS Harvester. Other ships in the group included the destroyers HMS Escapade, ORP Burza (from Poland), and ORP Garland (also from Poland). There were also smaller escort ships called corvettes: HMS Narcissus and three French ships, Aconit, Renoncule, and Roselys. An aircraft carrier, USS Bogue, with two destroyers, was supposed to help, but bad weather kept them away.

The German navy had many U-boats waiting in the North Atlantic. They had set up three lines of submarines, named Wildfang, Burggraf, and Neuland. Only the Neuland group, with 13 U-boats, ended up attacking Convoy HX 228. The British navy tried to steer HX 228 away from another battle, but this accidentally sent them right into the path of the Neuland U-boats.

The Battle Begins

On March 10, a German U-boat, U-336, spotted the convoy in stormy weather. Soon, eight more U-boats were called to join the attack. The bad weather was so severe that the aircraft carrier Bogue couldn't launch its planes. It had to leave the area, so it couldn't help the convoy.

The main attacks started on the evening of March 10, continuing into March 11. It was snowing heavily.

• U-221 attacked three ships. It sank two ships carrying ammunition, named Tucurinca and Andrea F. Luckenbach. It also damaged a third ship, SS Lawton B. Evans. After this, U-221 was attacked back and had to leave to fix its damage.
• U-444 and U-757 both fired at the ship William C Gorgas. This ship fell behind the convoy and sank later.
• U-757 also attacked Brant County, another ship carrying ammunition. Brant County caught fire and exploded. The explosion damaged U-757, forcing it to return to its base.
• U-86 and U-406 used new types of torpedoes. The ship Jamaica Provider was damaged during these attacks.

On the morning of March 11, HMS Harvester spotted U-444 on the surface of the water. Harvester attacked with its guns and then rammed the U-boat. This damaged Harvester's propellers. At first, everyone thought Harvester had sunk U-444. But later, the French corvette Aconit found U-444 still floating and finished it off.

Harvester rescued 50 sailors from the sunken William Gorgas and one survivor from U-444. As Harvester tried to rejoin the convoy, its engines broke down. It called Aconit for help. While Harvester was unable to move, U-432 found it and fired a torpedo. Harvester sank, and 149 people, including Commander Tait, were lost.

When Aconit arrived, it detected U-432 underwater. The U-boat's crew was celebrating their victory. Aconit attacked with depth charges, forcing U-432 to the surface. Aconit then sank the U-boat with gunfire.

Aconit rescued many survivors: 20 from U-432, 48 from Harvester, 12 from William C Gorgas, and one from U-444.

Despite more fighting that day and night, no more ships or U-boats were lost. On March 12, Admiral Karl Dönitz, the German U-boat commander, called off the attack. Convoy HX 228 safely reached Liverpool on March 15, 1943.

What Happened in the End?

The battle for Convoy HX 228 didn't result in a clear victory for either side. The convoy lost four merchant ships and one warship, HMS Harvester. The loss of Commander Tait, a respected leader, was also a big blow. The German U-boat group, Neuland, lost two of its submarines. Losing two U-boats in one battle was a significant loss for the Germans.

Ships Lost in the Battle

Here are the ships that were sunk during the Convoy HX 228 battle:

Allied merchant ships sunk

Date	Name	Nationality	Casualties	Tonnage	Sunk by...
10 March 1943	Tucurinca	United Kingdom	1	5,412	U-221
10 March 1943	Andrea F Luckenbach	United States	21	6,565	U-221
11 March 1943	Brant County	Norway	6	5,001	U-757
11 March 1943	William C Gorgas	United States	?55	7,197	U-444, U-757

Allied warships sunk

Date	Name	Nationality	Casualties	Type	Sunk by...
11 March 1943	HMS Harvester (H19)	Royal Navy	149	H-Class Destroyer	U-432

U-boats destroyed