Convoy JW 56B facts for kids
Convoy JW 56B was a group of ships that traveled together for safety. This convoy was part of the Arctic convoys during World War II. It was sent from Great Britain by the Allied countries to help Russia. The ships sailed in January 1944 and reached northern Russian ports in early February. All the supply ships arrived safely.
During its journey, Convoy JW 56B was attacked by German submarines. No merchant ships were sunk, which was a big success! However, one of the escort ships was lost. In return, the Allied forces managed to destroy one of the attacking German submarines.
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What Was Convoy JW 56B?
Convoy JW 56B was a vital mission to deliver supplies to Russia. These supplies were crucial for the war effort against Germany. The journey through the Arctic waters was very dangerous. It was cold, stormy, and German submarines were always a threat.
Ships That Sailed
The convoy included 17 merchant ships. These ships carried important supplies like tanks, planes, and food. They started their journey from Loch Ewe in Scotland on January 22, 1944.
To protect these valuable supply ships, many warships sailed with them:
- Close Escort: Two destroyers and three other smaller escort ships stayed very close to the convoy.
- Ocean Escort: A larger group of seven destroyers provided protection further out. This group included HMS Milne.
- Cruiser Cover: Even bigger warships, called cruisers, were also nearby. These included HMS Kent, HMS Berwick, and HMS Bermuda. Their job was to guard against attacks from large German surface ships.
The German navy also had a plan to stop the convoy. They gathered 15 submarines, called the Werewolf group, in the Barents Sea.
The Battle at Sea
Convoy JW 56B left Scotland on January 22, 1944. It was ten days after another convoy, JW 56A, had sailed. At first, a local escort group helped guide the convoy out of British waters.
The Attack Begins
On January 26, the local escort ships left. A larger group of six destroyers from the Home Fleet took over. By January 29, the convoy entered the same area where Convoy JW 56A had been attacked. The German submarines were waiting. They had formed a new group called Werewolf.
At midday on January 29, a German submarine, U-956, spotted Convoy JW 56B. It reported the convoy's position. However, U-956 was quickly detected and came under heavy attack from the Allied escorts.
A Ship is Hit
By the morning of January 30, the German submarines had gathered. But Convoy JW 56B also received more help! Seven more destroyers joined them. These destroyers had been with the previous convoy, JW 56A, and were led by HMS Hardy.
Six German submarines managed to get close enough to attack. They launched 13 attacks that day. The Allied escort ships did a great job protecting the merchant ships. The submarines could not reach them.
However, one German submarine, U-278, managed to hit HMS Hardy with a special torpedo. This torpedo was designed to home in on the sound of a ship. HMS Hardy was badly damaged and had to be abandoned. Later, another Allied destroyer sank HMS Hardy to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
In response, the Allied ships fought back. The destroyers HMS Whitehall and HMS Meteor worked together to destroy the German submarine U-314. After this, the German Werewolf submarine group gave up their attack. Convoy JW 56B arrived safely at Kola in Russia three days later, on February 2.
What Happened Next?
The German U-boat Command was very happy with their attacks on convoys JW 56A and 56B. They thought they had sunk many Allied ships. They believed they had sunk seven escort ships and damaged four more. They also thought they had sunk four merchant ships and damaged six others.
However, the actual losses were much smaller. From both convoys (JW 56A and JW 56B), only three merchant ships were sunk. One escort ship was sunk, and one was damaged. A total of 29 merchant ships from both convoys arrived safely in Russia. This showed that the Allied convoys were very successful in getting vital supplies through.
