Convoy SC 107 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Convoy SC 107 |
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| Part of Battle of the St. Lawrence, Battle of the Atlantic | |||||||
 RCAF Lockheed Hudson, like the one that sank U-658 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom Canada |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| VADM B C Watson LCDR D.W. Piers RCN |
Admiral Karl Dönitz | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 39 freighters 2 destroyers 6 corvettes |
17 submarines | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 15 freighters sunk (83,790GRT) 150 killed/drowned |
2 submarines sunk 100 killed/drowned (3 sunk, if counting U-520 before the subs attacked) |
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Convoy SC 107 was a group of merchant ships sailing together for safety during World War II. This particular convoy was the 107th "Slow Convoy" (SC) and traveled from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Liverpool. The ships left New York City on October 24, 1942.
During their journey, they were found by a group of German U-boats, known as a wolfpack. The U-boats attacked the convoy, sinking fifteen ships. This was the biggest loss of ships for any convoy crossing the Atlantic during the winter of 1942–43. One of the attacks caused a huge explosion. A German U-boat, U-132, torpedoed two ammunition ships, SS Hobbema and SS Hatimura. One of them exploded with such force that it also destroyed the U-boat itself!
Contents
Why Convoys Were Needed
During World War II, German U-boats were very dangerous. They tried to sink ships carrying supplies across the Atlantic Ocean. To protect these valuable ships, they traveled in groups called convoys. These convoys had warships, like destroyers and corvettes, to guard them.
Admiral Karl Dönitz, the leader of the German U-boat fleet, decided to focus his attacks on the middle of the Atlantic. This was because it was harder for Allied aircraft to patrol there. He hoped that more U-boats, along with secret information from intercepted messages, would help them find convoys. However, only about 20% of convoys were attacked by U-boats during this time.
How the Convoy Was Found
The Germans had a secret way to read British naval messages. This allowed them to learn about the route and ships of Convoy SC 107. Because of this, fifteen U-boats, part of a group called wolfpack Veilchen (which means "violet"), were sent to find it.
On October 29, a U-boat named U-522 spotted the convoy. The convoy's escorts, including the Canadian destroyer HMCS Restigouche, detected the U-boat's radio signals. The convoy tried to change course in the dark to escape. Soon after, an Allied plane sank another U-boat, U-520, which was patrolling nearby. Another U-boat from the wolfpack, U-658, was also sunk by a Canadian plane. Even with these losses, U-boat U-438 found the convoy again, allowing other U-boats to join the attack.
First Attacks: November 1-2
On the afternoon of November 1, the escort ships detected many U-boat radio signals. But with only one destroyer, they couldn't check every signal. As the sun set, the sky cleared, and the beautiful aurora borealis (Northern Lights) appeared. This bright light silhouetted the convoy, making it easier for the U-boats to see.
The destroyer Restigouche found a U-boat and attacked it with depth charges. At the same time, some nervous merchant sailors fired bright flares, accidentally showing the convoy's exact location. While Restigouche was busy, U-boat U-402 slipped past the destroyer. It torpedoed the British ship Empire Sunrise. This ship fired flares, and many other ships in the convoy also fired flares, making the convoy even more visible.
Restigouche quickly approached, but U-402 dived to safety. The convoy then changed course to confuse the U-boats. While one of the escort ships, HMS Celandine, was busy rescuing survivors, U-402 attacked again. It sank three more British ships: Dalcroy, Empire Antelope, and Empire Leopard, and also the Greek ship Rinos. Another U-boat, U-522, sank three more ships: the Greek Mount Pelion and the British Hartington and Maratima.
November 2 and Second Attacks
Rain and mist on November 2 helped the U-boats lose contact with the convoy for a while. But later, on November 3, nine U-boats found the convoy again when the weather cleared. The convoy's escorts were also joined by a new destroyer, Vanessa.
The escorts tried to attack the U-boats, but without success. A U.S. tanker, Hahira, was torpedoed by U-521. The rescue ship Stockport was already full of survivors, so two small tugboats, USS Uncas and Pessacus, were asked to help. They were told to keep their lights on at the back of the convoy so they wouldn't be mistaken for U-boats.
After sunset on November 3, U-boat U-89 torpedoed the convoy leader's ship, Jeypore. Most ships had already used up their flares, so there wasn't much light to show the U-boats. Then, at 11:10 PM, U-132 torpedoed the Dutch ship SS Hobbema and two British ships, Empire Lynx and Hatimura.
About thirty minutes later, a massive explosion shook the entire convoy and nearby U-boats. It was one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever made by humans! The explosion was so powerful that it temporarily stopped the engine of a rescue tug six miles away. Some ships even thought they had been torpedoed. It's believed that U-132 was destroyed by this explosion, which likely came from the ammunition cargo of either Hobbema or Hatimura as they sank.
On November 4, some of the escort ships, along with Stockport and the two tugs carrying 590 survivors, headed to Iceland. U-boat U-89 torpedoed one more British ship, Daleby. Soon after, the convoy received more help from U.S. Coast Guard and Navy ships. Allied planes from Iceland also arrived, driving off the remaining U-boats. The convoy finally reached Liverpool on November 10.
Ships in Convoy SC 107
This table shows some of the ships that were part of Convoy SC 107.
| Name | Flag | Tonnage gross register tons (GRT) | Cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agios Georgios (1911) |  Greece |
4,248 | Grain & general cargo | Survived this convoy |
| Ann Skakel (1920) |  United States |
4,949 | Survived this convoy | |
| Benedick (1928) |  United Kingdom |
6,978 | Furnace fuel oil | Survived this convoy |
| Berkel (1930) |  Netherlands |
2,130 | Lumber | Survived this convoy |
| Bruarfoss (1927) |  Iceland |
1,580 | Detached to Iceland | |
| Carrier (1921) |  Norway |
3,036 | Grain | |
| Dalcroy (1930) | United Kingdom |
4,558 | Steel & lumber | Sunk by U-402 |
| Daleby (1929) | United Kingdom |
4,640 | Grain | Sunk by U-89 |
| Empire Antelope (1919) | United Kingdom |
4,945 | General cargo | Sunk by U-402 |
| Empire Leopard (1917) | United Kingdom |
5,676 | Zinc concentrates | Sunk by U-402 |
| Empire Lynx (1917) | United Kingdom |
6,379 | General cargo | Sunk by U-132 |
| Empire Shackleton (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,068 | Steel & lumber | Survived this convoy |
| Empire Sunrise (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,459 | Steel & lumber | Sunk by U-402 & U-84 |
| Empire Union (1924) | United Kingdom |
5,952 | General cargo | Survived this convoy |
| Fairwater (1928) | United Kingdom |
4,108 | Steel & lumber | |
| Geisha (1921) | Norway |
5,113 | General cargo | Convoy vice-commodore's ship |
| Granfoss (1913) | Norway |
1,461 | Flour | |
| Hahira (1920) | United States |
6,855 | Furnace fuel oil | Sunk by U-521 |
| Hartington (1932) | United Kingdom |
5,496 | Tanks & wheat | Sunk by U-522, U-438 & U-521 |
| Hatimura (1918) | United Kingdom |
6,690 | Food, steel, ammunition & explosives | Sunk by U-132 |
| Hobbema (1918) | Netherlands |
5,507 | Explosives & general cargo | Sunk by U-132 |
| Janeta (1929) | United Kingdom |
4,312 | Steel & lumber | Survived this convoy |
| Jeypore (1920) | United Kingdom |
5,318 | Explosives & general cargo | Carried convoy commodore; sunk by U-89 |
| L V Stanford (1921) | United States |
7,138 | Fuel oil | Survived this convoy |
| Maratima (1912) | United Kingdom |
5,804 | Explosives & general cargo | Sunk by U-522 |
| Marsa (1928) | United Kingdom |
4,405 | Steel & lumber | |
| Mount Pelion (1917) | Greece |
6,625 | General cargo & trucks | Sunk by U-522 |
| New York City (1917) | United Kingdom |
2,710 | General cargo | Survived this convoy |
| Olney (1928) | United States |
7,294 | Diesel | Survived this convoy |
| Oropos (1913) | Greece |
4,474 | Grain | |
| PLM 17 (1922) | United Kingdom |
4,008 | Phosphates | Survived, but damaged |
| Pacific (1914) |  Sweden |
4,978 | General cargo | |
| Parthenon (1908) | Greece |
3,189 | Paper | Sunk by U-522 |
| USS Pleiades (1939) | United States |
3,600 | Detached to Iceland | |
| Rinos (1919) | Greece |
4,649 | General cargo & trucks | Sunk by U-402 |
| Stockport (1911) | United Kingdom |
1,583 | Convoy rescue ship | |
| Tidewater (1930) | United States |
8,886 | Furnace fuel oil | |
| Titus (1930) | Netherlands |
1,712 | Flour | |
| Vest (1920) | Norway |
5,074 | Grain & lumber | Survived this convoy |
German U-boat Losses
During the battle for Convoy SC 107, three German U-boats were sunk:
- U-520 was sunk by a Canadian plane on October 30.
- U-658 was sunk by a Canadian plane on November 5.
- U-132 was destroyed on November 4 by the huge explosion it caused when it torpedoed the ammunition ships Hobbema or Hatimura.
Images for kids
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USS Schenck at sea
See also
- Convoy Battles of World War II
- Operation CHASE
