Convoy OG 82 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Convoy OG 82 |
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| Part of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Germany |
 United Kingdom |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| BdU: Admiral Karl Dönitz | Commodore:Capt. AJ Baxter SO Escort: Cdr. Frederic John Walker |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1 U-boat | 17 ships 5 escorts |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 U-boat destroyed | No ships sunk | ||||||
Imagine a group of ships sailing together for safety during a war. That's what a convoy is! OG 82 was one such convoy during World War II. It was made up of Allied ships heading from Britain to Gibraltar. This particular journey became famous because the ships and their protectors managed to sink a German U-boat (a submarine). This event also changed how German U-boats operated for a while.
Contents
What Was Convoy OG 82?
Convoy OG 82 was a group of 17 merchant ships. They were sailing from Liverpool, England, to Gibraltar, a British territory at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. These ships carried important war supplies and trade goods.
The convoy was led by Captain AJ Baxter. Protecting the convoy was a group of warships called the 36th Escort Group. This group was commanded by Commander FJ "Johnnie" Walker, a famous anti-submarine expert. His ships included the Template:Sloop-of-war Stork and four smaller ships called Flower-class corvettes: Convolvulus, Pentstemon, Vetch, and Gardenia. Some merchant ships also had special defenses, like the CAM ships Empire Eve and Empire Heath, which could launch a fighter plane if needed. There was also a rescue ship named Toward.
The Battle: Hunting the U-boat
Convoy OG 82 left Liverpool on April 8, 1942. Six days later, on April 14, 1942, the convoy was near the Bay of Biscay (a large bay off the coast of France and Spain). Here, they were spotted by a German submarine, U-252.
The U-boat's captain, KL Kai Lerchner, sent a radio message. He reported that the convoy seemed to have only a few escort ships and that he was going to follow it. But the British Navy had a secret weapon: DFed (or "Huff-Duff"). This technology could pinpoint where radio signals came from. They picked up Lerchner's message and quickly told Commander Walker.
Walker immediately sent his four corvettes to search for the U-boat. One of them, Vetch, found U-252 using its radar. As Vetch got closer to attack, U-252 quickly dived deep underwater and fired two torpedoes. Luckily, they missed Vetch!
Commander Walker arrived in his ship, Stork. He sent the other corvettes back to protect the main convoy. Then, Stork and Vetch began a determined hunt for U-252. They dropped a total of 45 depth charges (special underwater bombs) to destroy the submarine. Their efforts paid off, and U-252 was sunk.
After this intense battle, no more attacks happened. Convoy OG 82 safely reached Gibraltar on April 20, 1942, without losing any ships.
Ships in the Convoy
Here are the 17 merchant ships that were part of Convoy OG 82. They carried important goods for the war effort.
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baron Ramsey (1929) |  United Kingdom |
3,650 | |
| Baron Yarborough (1928) | United Kingdom |
3,388 | |
| Cara (1929) | United Kingdom |
1,760 | |
| City of Lancaster (1924) | United Kingdom |
3,041 | |
| Crane (1937) | United Kingdom |
785 | |
| Empire Eve (1941) | United Kingdom |
5,979 | CAM ship |
| Empire Heath (1941) | United Kingdom |
6,643 | CAM ship |
| Empire Snipe (1919) | United Kingdom |
2,497 | Bound for Lisbon |
| Guido (1920) | United Kingdom |
3,921 | |
| Leadgate (1925) | United Kingdom |
2,125 | Joined late and straggled (18 April) |
| Macbrae (1924) | United Kingdom |
2,117 | |
| Newton Pine (1925) | United Kingdom |
4,212 | |
| Ogmore Castle (1919) | United Kingdom |
2,481 | |
| Ousel (1922) | United Kingdom |
1,533 | |
| Pencarrow (1921) | United Kingdom |
4,841 | Bound for Lisbon |
| Shuna (1937) | United Kingdom |
1,575 | |
| Toward (1923) | United Kingdom |
1,571 | Rescue ship |
Convoy Escorts
These are the warships from the 36th Escort Group that protected the convoy during its journey.
| Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Convolvulus (K45) |  Royal Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
| HMS Gardenia (K99) | Royal Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 13 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
| HMS Pentstemon (K61) | Royal Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
| HMS Stork (L81) | Royal Navy |
Bittern-class anti-submarine sloop | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
| HMS Vetch (K132) | Royal Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
U-boats Involved
Only one German U-boat was involved in this action.
| Date | Number | Type | Captain | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 April 1942 | U-252 | Type VIIC | KL Kai Lerchen | NW of Cape Finisterre 47°00′N 18°14′W / 47.000°N 18.233°W |
Contacted by Vetch, sunk by depth charges from Vetch and Stork |
What Happened Next?
Even though this was a small battle, sinking just one U-boat had a big impact. The German U-boat command, led by Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) Karl Dönitz, was confused. U-252 disappeared after reporting a "lightly escorted" convoy. This was similar to another U-boat, U-82, which had disappeared in the same area six weeks earlier.
Dönitz mistakenly thought the Allies were setting a trap. He believed they were sending heavily armed anti-submarine ships disguised as weak convoys to lure U-boats. Because of this, he ordered his U-boat fleet to avoid attacking convoys in the Bay of Biscay area. This was a huge, unexpected benefit for the Allies, all thanks to this short but important battle!
