Convoy ON 144 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Convoy ON 144
Part of Battle of the Atlantic
Bow of the corvette HMS Vervain
Date 15–18 November 1942 Location North Atlantic Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Norway	Germany
Commanders and leaders
CAPT J K Brook RNR LCDR Monssen RNorN	Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
33 freighters 5 corvettes	10 submarines
Casualties and losses
5 freighters sunk (25,396 GRT) 86 killed/drowned 1 corvette sunk 47 killed/drowned	1 submarine sunk 50 killed/drowned

Convoy ON 144 was a group of merchant ships traveling together during World War II. These ships were part of a special series called "ON convoys." The "O" meant they were leaving the British Isles, and the "N" meant they were heading to North America.

This particular convoy, ON 144, left Liverpool on November 7, 1942. The next day, they were joined by a group of escort ships. These escorts were five small warships called corvettes. Their job was to protect the merchant ships from enemy attacks. The escort group also included a special rescue ship named Perth. Two destroyers that were supposed to join were damaged earlier. Later, three Coast Guard cutters also helped protect the convoy. Some ships left the convoy on November 15 to go to Iceland.

What Was Happening?

The Battle of the Atlantic

During World War II, the Battle of the Atlantic was a long fight. It was about controlling the shipping lanes across the Atlantic Ocean. Merchant ships carried vital supplies like food, fuel, and weapons. These supplies were needed in Britain and other Allied countries.

Germany used U-boats (submarines) to attack these convoys. Their goal was to stop supplies from reaching Britain. If they succeeded, Britain might have to surrender.

Germany's U-boat Strategy

At first, German U-boats attacked ships close to the American coast. This period was called the "second happy time" for U-boats. But then, coastal convoys were set up, making attacks harder.

So, Admiral Karl Dönitz, the leader of the German U-boats, changed his plan. He decided to focus attacks on the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This area was harder for planes to patrol. Germany was building more U-boats, so they hoped to find convoys more easily. They also used secret codes to try and figure out where British convoys were.

Even with these efforts, only a small number of convoys lost ships to U-boat attacks. From July 1942 to April 1943, only 20% of the 180 convoys were attacked.

Escort Group B-6

The corvettes protecting Convoy ON 144 were part of Escort Group B-6. Many of these corvettes were manned by brave Norwegian sailors. This group fought in three important convoy battles. Convoy ON 144 was the second of these battles.

The Battle for Convoy ON 144

November 15: The Convoy is Spotted

On November 15, Convoy ON 144 met up with other ships near Iceland. On the same day, a German U-boat, U-521, found the convoy. The U-boat then started following the convoy, waiting for more U-boats to arrive.

November 16: First Attack

The U-boat U-521 tried to call other U-boats for help. When they didn't arrive quickly, U-521 was allowed to attack alone. It fired six torpedoes, but they all missed the convoy. The escort ship Rose then tried to attack U-521 with depth charges, but it was not successful.

November 17: More U-boats Join the Fight

As the sun set on November 17, more U-boats arrived. U-184, U-262, and U-264 found the convoy. They launched a combined attack. U-262 fired three torpedoes, but they also missed.

However, the other U-boats were more successful. U-264 sank a Greek freighter named Mount Taurus. It weighed 6,696 tons. Soon after, U-184 sank the British freighter Widestone, which weighed 3,192 tons.

November 18: A Fierce Morning Battle

The fighting continued into the early hours of November 18. Several more U-boats joined the attack. These included U-624, U-522, U-521, U-224, U-383, U-454, and U-753.

U-624 sank two ships: the British tanker President Sergent (5,344 tons) and the American freighter Parismina (4,732 tons). U-624 also damaged another American freighter, Yaka (5,432 tons). Yaka was later sunk by U-522.

The corvettes fought back bravely. They used their special radar, called Type 271 radar, to find the U-boats. During these counterattacks, U-184 was sunk. Sadly, the corvette Montbretia was hit by a torpedo from U-262 and sank.

November 19: The Battle Ends

By November 19, the U-boats had stopped their attacks. Four corvettes were still protecting the convoy. They were then joined by two destroyers, HMS Firedrake and USS Badger. On November 20, a new group of escort ships took over the protection of the convoy.

In total, five merchant ships and one corvette were sunk during Convoy ON 144. One German U-boat was also sunk.

See also

• Convoy Battles of World War II