Convoy PQ 15 facts for kids
Convoy PQ 15 was a group of ships traveling together for safety. It was one of many Arctic convoys sent during the Second World War. These convoys sailed from Iceland to help the Soviet Union, which was fighting against Germany. Convoy PQ 15 set sail in late April 1942. It faced air attacks on its journey. Three out of twenty-five ships were sunk, but most made it safely to the Soviet northern ports.
Contents
What Was Convoy PQ 15?
This convoy included 25 merchant ships. These were ships carrying important supplies. There was also one support ship, the oiler RFA Gray Ranger. This ship carried fuel for the warships. A group of destroyers protected the oiler.
Ships Protecting the Convoy
The main escort group was led by Commander John Crombie. He was on the minesweeper HMS Bramble. This group also had two other minesweepers and four trawlers. Later, four destroyers and the anti-aircraft ship HMS Ulster Queen joined them. This ship was designed to shoot down enemy planes.
There was also a larger group of warships called the Cruiser Cover Force. This group was led by Rear Admiral Harold Burrough. It included the light cruiser HMS Nigeria, the heavy cruiser HMS London, and two destroyers.
Even further away, a Distant Covering Force provided extra protection. This powerful group was led by Admiral John Tovey. It had two huge battleships: HMS King George V and USS Washington (BB-56). The aircraft carrier HMS Victorious was also part of this force. Aircraft carriers carry planes that can take off and land from the ship. Two heavy cruisers, USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and USS Wichita (CA-45), and the light cruiser HMS Kenya were also there. Ten destroyers completed this strong force.
Four submarines also patrolled off Norway. They were watching for any German warships that might try to attack the convoy.
The Journey and Attacks
Convoy PQ 15 started its journey from Reykjavík, Iceland, on April 26, 1942. It had its local escort ships with it. On April 28, the larger ocean escort joined, bringing the total number of escort warships to twelve.
German aircraft spotted the convoy on April 28. It was about 250 nautical miles (460 km) southwest of Bear Island. However, the Germans did not attack right away. They were busy dealing with another convoy, Convoy QP 11, which had left Murmansk in the Soviet Union.
First Attacks and Collisions
On May 1, the German air force, called the Luftwaffe, launched its first attack on PQ 15. Six Junkers Ju 88 planes attacked. The German bombers did not cause any damage. They lost one of their own planes.
The Distant Cover Force had its own problems. The battleship King George V and the destroyer HMS Punjabi crashed into each other in thick fog. The Punjabi sank. The King George V was damaged and had to go back to port for repairs. The battleship HMS Duke of York took its place. It sailed from Scapa Flow to join the convoy's protection.
Friendly Fire Incident
On May 2, the escort ships detected something underwater using asdic (a type of sonar). The destroyer HMS St. Albans and the minesweeper HMS Seagull attacked it. The submarine was damaged and forced to the surface. It turned out to be the Polish submarine Jastrzab. This submarine was supposed to be patrolling off Norway, but it was far from its assigned area. The Jastrzab was too badly damaged to continue. It had to be sunk by its own crew.
Torpedo Bomber Attack
On May 3, at 1:30 AM, in the dim light of the midnight sun (which makes the Arctic nights bright in summer), six Heinkel He 111 bombers attacked. These were new torpedo bombers from the Luftwaffe. This was the first time German torpedo bombers were used in the war. Three ships were hit. Two were sunk right away: Botavon and Cape Corso. The third ship, Jutland, was damaged. It was later sunk by the German submarine German submarine U-251. Two German planes were shot down, and a third crashed later. Another attack by German high-level bombers that evening was not successful.
Arrival in Russia
Bad weather on May 4 stopped further attacks. An Arctic gale quickly turned into a snowstorm. Convoy PQ 15 arrived at the Kola Inlet in Russia at 9:00 PM on May 5. There were no more losses after the storm.
After the Convoy
The merchant ships Botavon and Cape Corso were sunk by torpedo bombers. Jutland was damaged by torpedo bombers and later sunk by the German submarine U-251. Among the escorting warships, the submarine Jastrzab and the destroyer Punjabi were sunk. The battleship King George V was damaged.
However, 22 fully loaded merchant ships arrived safely in Murmansk. This was the largest Allied convoy to reach the Soviet Union at that time. The Allies considered the convoy a success. But it also showed them how difficult future Arctic convoy journeys would be.
Ships in the Convoy
This information comes from the Arnold Hague Convoy Database.
Merchant Ships
| Name | Flag | Tonnage gross register tons (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoa Cadet (1919) |  United States |
4,823 | Lost in Northern Russia after arrival |
| Alcoa Rambler (1919) | United States |
5,500 | |
| Bayou Chico (1920) | United States |
5,401 | |
| Botavon (1912) |  United Kingdom |
5,848 | Sunk by torpedo attack |
| Cape Corso (1929) | United Kingdom |
3,807 | Sunk by torpedo-bomber |
| Cape Race (1930) | United Kingdom |
3,807 | |
| Capira (1920) |  Panama |
5,625 | |
| Deer Lodge (1919) | United States |
6,187 | |
| Empire Bard (1942) | United Kingdom |
3,114 | Heavy-lift crane ship |
| Empire Morn (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,092 | CAM ship (carried a fighter plane) |
| Expositor (1919) | United States |
4,959 | |
| Francis Scott Key (1941) | United States |
7,191 | |
| Gray Ranger (1941) | United Kingdom |
3,313 | Replenishment oiler (fuel ship) |
| Hegira (1919) | United States |
7,588 | |
| Jutland (1928) | United Kingdom |
6,153 | Damaged by bombing, later sunk by U-251 |
| Krassin (1917) |  Soviet Union |
4,902 | Icebreaker |
| Lancaster (1918) | United States |
7,516 | |
| Montcalm (1904) | United Kingdom |
1,432 | Icebreaker |
| Mormacrey (1919) | United States |
5,946 | |
| Mormacrio (1919) | United States |
5,940 | |
| Paul Luckenbach (1913) | United States |
6,606 | |
| Seattle Spirit (1919) | United States |
5,627 | |
| Southgate (1926) | United Kingdom |
4,862 | |
| Texas (1919) | United States |
5,638 | |
| Topa Topa (1920) | United States |
5,356 | |
| Zebulon B Vance (1942) | United States |
7,177 |
Escort Forces
This information comes from the Arnold Hague Convoy Database.
| Name | Flag | Ship Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Badsworth (L03) |  Royal Navy |
Escort destroyer | Rescued survivors from Jutland |
| HMS Belvoir | Royal Navy |
Escort destroyer | |
| HMS Boadicea (H65) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Bramble (J11) | Royal Navy |
Minesweeper | |
| HMS Cape Palliser (FY256) | Royal Navy |
ASW trawler | |
| HMS Chiltern | Royal Navy |
Minesweeper | |
| HMS Duke of York (17) | Royal Navy |
Battleship | Joined after King George V was damaged |
| HMS Escapade (H17) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Faulknor (H62) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| Gray Ranger (1941) | United Kingdom |
Replenishment oiler | |
| HMS Hursley (L84) | Royal Navy |
Escort destroyer | |
| HMS Inglefield (D02) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Kenya (14) | Royal Navy |
Cruiser | |
| HMS King George V (41) | Royal Navy |
Battleship | Damaged in collision with Punjabi |
| HMS Lamerton (L88) | Royal Navy |
Escort destroyer | |
| HMS Leda (J93) | Royal Navy |
Minesweeper | |
| HMS Ledbury (L90) | Royal Navy |
Escort destroyer | |
| HMS London (69) | Royal Navy |
Heavy cruiser | |
| HMS Marne (G35) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Martin (G44) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Matchless (G52) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Middleton (L74) | Royal Navy |
Escort destroyer | |
| Minerve |  Free French Naval Forces |
Submarine | |
| HMS Nigeria (60) | Royal Navy |
Light Cruiser | |
| HMS Northern Pride (FY105) | Royal Navy |
ASW trawler | |
| HMS Oribi (G66) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Unison (P43) | Royal Navy |
Submarine | |
| ORP Jastrząb (P551) |  Polish Navy |
Submarine | Lost in friendly fire incident |
| HMS Punjabi | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | Lost in collision with HMS King George V |
| HMS Seagull (J85) | Royal Navy |
Minesweeper | |
| HMS Somali (F33) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HNoMS St. Albans (I15) |  Royal Norwegian Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Sturgeon (73S) | Royal Navy |
Submarine | |
| HMS Ulster Queen | Royal Navy |
AA Auxiliary Cruiser | |
| HNoMS Uredd (P-41) | Royal Norwegian Navy |
Submarine | |
| USS Madison (DD-425) | United States |
Destroyer | |
| USS Plunkett (DD-431) | United States |
Destroyer | |
| USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) | United States |
Heavy cruiser | |
| USS Wainwright (DD-419) | United States |
Destroyer | |
| USS Washington (BB-56) | United States |
Battleship | |
| USS Wichita (CA-45) | United States |
Heavy cruiser | |
| USS Wilson (DD-408) | United States |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Venomous (D75) | Royal Navy |
Destroyer | |
| HMS Victorious (R38) | Royal Navy |
Aircraft carrier | |
| HMT Vizalma | Royal Navy |
ASW trawler |
See also
- List of shipwrecks in May 1942
