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Convoy SC 100
Part of World War II
Date 12–28 September 1942
Location
North Atlantic
Belligerents
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany  Canada
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Comm:Capt. NH Gale
SOE:Cdr. P Heineman
Strength
17 U-boats 26 merchant ships
21 escorts
Casualties and losses
5 ships sunk


Convoy SC 100 was a North Atlantic convoy, one of the SC series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was the 100th of the numbered series of slow convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. It came under attack, one of several convoy battles that occurred during the autumn and winter of 1942, losing five ships.

Background

SC 100, comprised twenty six merchant ships and deoarted Halifax for the UK under local escort on 12 September 1942. The Convoy Commodore was Capt. NH Gale in Athelsultan. SC 100 was met by its Ocean Escort, Group A-3, led by US Coast Guard cutter Campbell, under Cdr. P Heineman. Also in the group was the cutter Spencer and four RCN corvettes. A-3 was joined by the corvette Trillium, escorting ships from Wabana, and by three corvettes travelling in convoy for refit in the UK. During the action SC 100 was joined by several units as re-inforcement, including the newly formed convoy support group, 20EG, led by Comm. FJ Walker.

SC 100 was attacked by units of two U-boat patrol lines, Lohs, of 18 boats, and Pfiel, of 11 Uboats, under the guidance of U-boat Commander (BdU) Adm K Dönitz.

Action

The convoy departed Halifax on 12 September 1942 and was joined on 16 September by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group A-3. Ahead of the convoy were three U-boat patrol lines; Vorwarts, of 18 boats, off the east of North America; Lohs, of 19 boats, south of Greenland, and Pfeil, 11 boats, moving west from bases in Occupied France. SC 100 passed through the Vorwarts patrol line without being detected, and these boats took no further part in the action, but on 18 September the convoy was found and reported by U-599, of Lohs. U-599 commenced shadowing, while other U-boats of the group joined; first U-755, which had sunk the USCG weather ship Muskeget the previous week, then U-259 and U-569. These boats began their attack, but U-259 collided with a merchant ship and was forced to break off. Both boats were vigorously attacked by escort ships, but suffered no damage. Two more Lohs boats, U-373 and U-596 joined; the latter attacked and sank the freighter Empire Hartebeeste, but a claim by U-373 to have torpedoed a corvette was not substantiated.

At this point a massive storm blew up (described by U-boat reports as "a hurricane"), making further attempts impossible. Faced with this BdU called off the operation, but several boats remained in contact and on the third day U-617, of Pfeil made contact and torpedoed Athelsultan, the commodores ship. U-617 also sank the stragglers Tennessee and Roumanie, which had become separated in the storm. Meanwhile, SC 100 had been re-inforced by ships from nearby convoys, and from 20 EG, bringing the total number of warships to 15. On 24 September two more U-boats made contact; U-432 sank the freighter Penmar, but a claim by U-258 of two freighters sunk was mistaken. The next day, as the weather cleared, aircraft of RAF Coastal Command were able to give saturation cover, forcing all U-boats still in contact to break off contact. With this BdU dropped plans to re-engage with SC 100 and moved the U-boats present to other tasks. With no further attacks SC 100 arrived safely at Liverpool on 28 September.

Assessment

Despite the number of U-boats called to this action few were able to make contact, due to the storm. Those that did were driven off by the escorts; of the five ships sunk by enemy action only two were in convoy at the time. It has been suggested that the ships of Group A-3 were not fast enough to catch surfaced U-boats; but Donitz attributed the failure of the attack on the aggressive handling of the escorts as well as the appalling weather. The U-boats sank five scattered ships before losing contact on 25 September; another was lost in a collision. Twenty ships arrived safely.

SC 100 was one of three North Atlantic convoys attacked during September; in the same period the Allies sailed nineteen convoys comprising some 580 ships. Total losses were 19 ships and two escorts, (some 3% of ships involved); the cost to the U-Boat Arm was five boats lost, and another four damaged sufficiently to be returned to base.

Ships in convoy

Allied merchant ships

Name Flag Casualties Tonnage (GRT) Cargo Fate Notes
Ary Lensen  United Kingdom 3,214 Sugar
Athelsultan  United Kingdom 51 8,882 Molasses, alcohol Sunk by U-617 on 23 September SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland. Convoy commodore's ship, Capt N H Gale DSO Rd RNR. Survivors picked up by HMCS Weyburn and HMS Nasturtium and landed at Londonderry Port.
Atland  Sweden 5,203 Wabana iron ore
Atlantic  United Kingdom 5,414 Steel, lumber
Belgian Fisherman  Belgium 4,714 General cargo
Boris  Greece 5,166 Wabana iron ore
Dux  Norway 1,590 Lumber
Empire Guinevere  United Kingdom 7,072 Steel and tobacco
Empire Hartebeeste  United Kingdom 0 5,676 General cargo Sunk by U-596 on 20 September SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland.
Empire Opal  United Kingdom 9,811 Benzene, paraffin
Empire Razorbill  United Kingdom 5,118 Steel, tobacco
Empire Soldier  United Kingdom 4,539 General cargo Marine accident Sunk in a collision with tanker F. J. Wolfe
Empire Stour  United Kingdom 4,696 General cargo
Esturia  United Kingdom 6,968 Fuel oil
Greylock  United States 7,460 General cargo
Gunvor Maersk  United Kingdom 1,977 Sydney lumber
Innesmoor  United Kingdom 4,392 General cargo
Mount Evans  Panama 5,598 General cargo
Norhauk  Norway 6,086 General cargo Rescued crew from Empire Hartebeeste
Panama  United Kingdom 6,650 Sugar
Pennmar  United States 2 5,868 General cargo Straggled and was sunk by U-432 on 24 September. Survivors picked up by USCGC Bibb
Rio Verde  Norway 3,223 General cargo
Roumanie  Belgium 42 3,658 General cargo Straggled and was sunk by U-617 on 24 September. Sole survivor was picked up by U-617 as a PoW and landed at St Nazaire.
Spurt  Norway 2,061 Lumber Turned back
Tennessee  United Kingdom 15 2,342 Sydney grain Straggled and sunk by U-617 on 23 September SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland. Survivors picked up by HMS Nasturtium and USCGC Ingham
Tore Jarl  Norway 1,514 Lumber

Convoy escorts

Name Flag Type Joined Left
HMCS Bittersweet  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 16 September 1942 28 September 1942
ORP Błyskawica  Polish Navy Grom-class destroyer 16 September 1942 26 September 1942
USCGC Campbell  United States Coast Guard Treasury-class cutter 16 September 1942 16 September 1942
HMS Deptford  Royal Navy Grimsby-class sloop 25 September 1942 25 September 1942
HMCS Kenogami  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 12 September 1942 26 September 1942
HMT Kingston Beryl  Royal Navy ASW naval trawler 27 September 1942 27 September 1942
HMCS Louisburg  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 21 September 1942 26 September 1942
HMCS Lunenburg  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 21 September 1942 27 September 1942
HMCS Matapedia  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 12 September 1942 16 September 1942
HMCS Mayflower  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 16 September 1942 28 September 1942
HMCS Moose Jaw  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 12 September 1942 16 September 1942
HMT Narvik  Royal Navy ASW naval trawler 27 September 1942 28 September 1942
HMS Nasturtium  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 16 September 1942 27 September 1942
HMCS Niagara  Royal Canadian Navy Town-class destroyer 12 September 1942 16 September 1942
HMCS Prescott  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 21 September 1942 26 September 1942
HMCS Rosthern  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 25 September 1942 25 September 1942
HMS Rother  Royal Navy River-class frigate 25 September 1942 25 September 1942
USCGC Spencer  United States Coast Guard Treasury-class cutter 16 September 1942 16 September 1942
HMCS Trillium  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 15 September 1942 28 September 1942
HMCS Weyburn  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 16 September 1942 27 September 1942
HMCS Woodstock  Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette 21 September 1942 26 September 1942

U-boats

The convoy was attacked by both Wolfpack Lohs comprising 9 U-boats, and 8 U-boats from Wolfpack Pfeil, namely

Wolfpack Lohs

  • U-135
  • U-176
  • U-259
  • U-373
  • U-410
  • U-432
  • U-569
  • U-599
  • U-755

Wolfpack Pfeil

  • U-216
  • U-221
  • U-258
  • U-356
  • U-595
  • U-607
  • U-615
  • U-617
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