Convoy PQ 12 facts for kids

Convoy PQ 12 was a group of ships that sailed together for safety during World War II. These ships were sent by the Allied countries from Great Britain to help the Soviet Union. They carried important supplies through the very cold and dangerous Arctic Ocean. This particular convoy sailed in March 1942. It successfully reached Murmansk, a port in the Soviet Union, even though a powerful German warship, the battleship Tirpitz, tried to stop it. Amazingly, all the ships in Convoy PQ 12 arrived safely at their destination.

What Was Convoy PQ 12?

Convoy PQ 12 was made up of 16 merchant ships. These were cargo ships carrying vital supplies for the Soviet war effort. To protect them, many navy ships sailed alongside them. These navy ships were called "escorts." The convoy was led by Commodore H.T. Hudson.

The Escort Ships

The escort ships were divided into different groups:

• Close Escort: These ships stayed very close to the merchant ships. They included a minesweeper called HMS Gossamer and five smaller ships called whalers.
• Ocean Escort: These joined the convoy later. They were two destroyers, HMS Oribi and Offa, along with a cruiser, HMS Kenya. Destroyers are fast warships, and cruisers are larger, powerful warships.
• Distant Cover: Even more powerful warships provided protection from further away. There were two main groups for this:

* One group included the battleship HMS Duke of York and the battlecruiser HMS Renown, plus six destroyers. * Another group, led by Admiral John Tovey, had the battleship HMS King George V, the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, a cruiser HMS Berwick, and six more destroyers. Aircraft carriers are like floating airfields for planes.

The Journey and Action

Convoy PQ 12 started its journey from Reykjavik, Iceland, on March 1, 1942, with its Close Escort. The other escort groups joined them over the next few days.

On March 5, a German reconnaissance aircraft spotted the convoy. The next day, after getting permission from Hitler, the German battleship Tirpitz left its base in Trondheim, Norway. It was joined by three destroyers. This mission, called Operation Sportpalast, aimed to find and destroy Convoy PQ 12 and another convoy, QP 8, which was also at sea.

Soon after Tirpitz sailed, a British submarine, HMS Seawolf, saw it. The British Heavy Cover Forces, which had now joined up, tried to find Tirpitz to fight it.

A Near Miss

For the next two days, these huge groups of ships moved around the icy waters. They came very close to each other, sometimes only about 60 miles apart, but they never actually met in battle. The Tirpitz didn't find Convoy PQ 12. However, its destroyers did find a ship that had fallen behind from Convoy QP 8, a freighter called Ijora, and sank it.

Finally, on March 9, as Tirpitz was heading back home, planes from the British aircraft carrier Victorious spotted it. They attacked Tirpitz, but they didn't manage to hit it.

Arrival and Aftermath

Convoy PQ 12 safely reached Murmansk on March 12. No merchant ships were lost during the journey! However, one of the escort whalers, Shera, sadly capsized (flipped over) because of too much ice building up on it. The destroyer Oribi was also damaged by thick pack ice.

Later, on March 24, one of the convoy's ships, Lancaster Castle, was attacked by German dive-bombers while it was docked in Murmansk. Eight men were killed. The ship was moved, but it was bombed again a few days later. Luckily, no one else was hurt, but the crew had to move ashore.

Convoy PQ 12 was a big success. It delivered important military equipment and other supplies that were crucial for the Soviet Union's fight in the war.

Ships in the Convoy

Here is a list of the merchant ships that were part of Convoy PQ 12. These ships carried the supplies.

Name	Flag	Tonnage (GRT)	Notes
Artigas (1920)	Panama	5,613
Ballot (1922)	Panama	6,131	Had engine problems, did not sail with PQ 12
Bateau (1926)	Panama	4,687	Returned
Beaconstreet (1927)	United Kingdom	7,467
Belomorcanal (1936)	Soviet Union	2,900
Capulin (1920)	Panama	4,977
Dneprostroi (1919)	Soviet Union	4,756
Earlston (1941)	United Kingdom	7,195
El Coston (1924)	Panama	7,286
El Occidente (1910)	Panama	6,008
Empire Byron (1941)	United Kingdom	6,645	Convoy Vice Commodore's ship
Kiev (1917)	Soviet Union	5,823	Position probable but not definite
Lancaster Castle (1937)	United Kingdom	5,172	Damaged in Russia
Llandaff (1937)	United Kingdom	4,825	Convoy Commodore's ship, Captain H T Hudson RD RNR
Navarino (1937)	United Kingdom	4,825
Sevzaples (1932)	Soviet Union	3,974
Stone Street (1922)	Panama	6,131
Temple Arch (1940)	United Kingdom	5,138