Convoy JW 56A facts for kids

Convoy JW 56A was an Arctic convoy that sailed from Great Britain in January 1944. Its mission was to deliver important supplies to the Soviet Union during World War II. These convoys were very dangerous because they had to travel through icy, often stormy, waters in the Arctic.

This convoy had 20 merchant ships, which are ships that carry goods. They were protected by many warships, called escorts. During its journey, Convoy JW 56A was attacked by German U-boats (submarines). Sadly, three merchant ships were sunk, and one of the escorting warships was damaged. Despite these attacks, twelve ships made it safely to the Soviet northern ports by the end of January 1944.

What Was Convoy JW 56A?

Convoy JW 56A was a group of ships traveling together for safety. They left Loch Ewe in Scotland on January 12, 1944. The main goal was to deliver supplies to the Soviet Union, which was fighting against Germany. Traveling in a convoy helped protect the ships from enemy attacks.

The Ships That Sailed

The convoy included 20 merchant ships. These ships carried all sorts of important supplies for the war effort. To keep them safe, many warships sailed alongside them.

Protecting the Convoy

The warships that protected the convoy were called escorts. They included:

• Close Escort: This group stayed very near the merchant ships. It was led by the destroyer Inconstant and included two smaller warships called corvettes. Two more destroyers joined them later.
• Ocean Escort: This was a larger group of warships, including the destroyer Hardy and five other destroyers. They provided protection for the longer parts of the journey.
• Local Escorts: These groups joined the convoy at the start and end of its journey. One group was from Britain, and another joined from Murmansk in the Soviet Union.
• Cruiser Cover Force: Even bigger warships, like the cruisers Kent, Berwick, and Bermuda, followed the convoy. Their job was to protect against attacks from large German surface ships.

German U-boats Waiting

The German navy knew about these convoys. They had a group of 10 U-boats, code-named Isengrim, waiting in the Norwegian Sea. Their mission was to find and sink the convoy's ships.

The Journey and Attacks

The journey for Convoy JW 56A was full of challenges, from terrible weather to dangerous enemy attacks.

Facing the Storm

After leaving Scotland, the convoy ran into a huge storm on January 15. The weather was so bad that the ships had to find shelter. They reached Akureyri in Iceland on January 18 and stayed there for three days. Five ships were too damaged by the storm to continue and had to turn back.

On January 21, the storm calmed down, and the convoy set sail again. The main escort group, including Hardy, joined them. The local escort from Britain left the next day, leaving ten warships to protect the convoy.

U-boat Attacks Begin

German aircraft tried to find the convoy, but the dark polar night made it hard. However, on January 25, a German U-boat, U-739, spotted the convoy. It sent out an alert and started following the ships.

Later that day, the U-boat attacks began. Seven U-boats made 17 attacks over 12 hours.

• The first ship hit was the destroyer Obdurate by U-360. It was damaged and had to leave the convoy.
• Then, U-278 hit the merchant ship Penelope Barker, which sank.
• Just after midnight, U-360 hit Fort Bellingham, severely damaging it.
• At the same time, U-716 hit Andrew G Curtin, which also sank.
• Later, around 5 AM, U-957 hit Fort Bellingham again, and it sank.

The escort ships fought back, and all other U-boat attacks were stopped. By January 26, the convoy managed to escape from the U-boats.

The Final Stretch

On January 27, three Soviet destroyers from Murmansk met Convoy JW 56A. These new escorts took over, and the main British escort ships turned back. They went to help another convoy, JW 56B, which was following behind.

Convoy JW 56A arrived safely at Kola in the Soviet Union on January 28, 1944, without any more losses.

What Was the Outcome?

Even though three ships were sunk and five had to turn back because of storm damage, twelve ships from Convoy JW 56A arrived safely. This meant the mission was a success, as many vital supplies reached the Soviet Union. Another convoy, JW 56B, arrived in Murmansk five days later.