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Convoy OG 82
Part of World War II
Date 14 April 1942
Location
Eastern Atlantic
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
BdU: Admiral Karl Dönitz Commodore:Capt. AJ Baxter
SO Escort: Cdr. Frederic John Walker
Strength
1 U-boat 17 ships
5 escorts
Casualties and losses
1 U-boat destroyed No ships sunk


OG 82 was an Allied convoy of the OG (Outward to Gibraltar) series during World War II. The action involving this convoy resulted in the destruction of a U-boat, and also had consequences for German U-boat strategy.

Forces involved

OG 82 comprised 17 ships outward bound to Gibraltar, carrying war materials and trade goods. The convoy commodore was Captain AJ Baxter in Baron Yarborough, and the convoy was protected by an understrength escort group. This was 36th Escort Group, led by Cdr FJ "Johnnie" Walker, consisting of the sloop Stork and the Flower-class corvettes Convolvulus, Pentstemon, Vetch and Gardenia (joined 13 April). The convoy's protection was enhanced by armed merchants— the CAM ships Empire Eve and Empire Heath, and the rescue ship Toward.

Action

OG 82 left Liverpool on 8 April 1942. On 14 April 1942 OG 82 was at the western edge of the Bay of Biscay when it was encountered by U-252, inbound to France after completing her first war patrol. Her skipper, KL Kai Lerchner, sent a sighting report stating that the convoy was lightly escorted and that he was starting to shadow.

His radio signal was picked up and DFed by Royal Navy land stations and reported to Walker. He quickly dispatched his four corvettes to search for the U-boat, which was picked up on radar by Vetch. As Vetch closed to attack, U-252 crash-dived and launched two torpedoes which narrowly missed the corvette. Arriving in Stork, Walker then sent the others corvettes back to the convoy and commenced a hunt with Vetch Together they made several attacks, dropping 45 depth charges in total, and U-252 was destroyed.

No further attacks took place and OG 82 arrived at Gibraltar on 20 April without loss.

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 17 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Liverpool or later in the voyage.

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

The 36th Escort Group of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various strengths 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

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 / 47.000; -18.233
contact by Vetch, d/c by Vetch, Stork

Aftermath

This small action resulted in the destruction of one U-boat, but had far-reaching consequences. U-252’s disappearance, after reporting an encounter with a lightly escorted convoy, was similar to the disappearance six weeks previously of U-82 in the same area. From this, Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) Karl Dönitz reached the erroneous conclusion that the Allies were running a decoy operation, sending heavily armed anti-submarine vessels disguised as a weak convoy to act as a U-boat trap. He therefore instructed his U-boat force to avoid attacking convoys in the Biscay area, an unexpected benefit to the Allies from this brief action.

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