Convoy SC 118 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Convoy SC 118 |
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| Part of Battle of the Atlantic | |||||||
 USS Schenck at sea |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom Canada United States Free French |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Captain H C C Forsyth RNR Commander Proudfoot RN |
Admiral Karl Dönitz | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 64 freighters 5 destroyers 2 cutters 4 corvettes |
20 submarines | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 8 freighters sunk (51,592 GRT) 445 killed/drowned |
3 submarines sunk 101 killed/drowned 45 captured |
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Imagine a long line of cargo ships sailing across the huge Atlantic Ocean during World War II. These ships, called a convoy, were carrying important supplies. Convoy SC 118 was one of these groups. It was the 118th "slow convoy" of merchant ships. These ships traveled from Sydney, Canada, to Liverpool, England.
The ships started their journey from New York City on January 24, 1943. They were joined by a group of warships called the Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-2. This escort group included destroyers like Vanessa and Vimy. It also had cutters such as Bibb and smaller ships called corvettes. Their job was to protect the cargo ships from enemy attacks.
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Why was this battle important?
During World War II, German U-boats (submarines) were a big threat. They tried to sink Allied supply ships. At first, U-boats attacked ships close to the American coast. This period was called the "second happy time" for the U-boats.
But then, Allied convoys started using better protection. 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 Allied planes to patrol.
Dönitz hoped that more U-boats would find convoys there. He also used secret information from decoded British messages. Even with these efforts, only a small number of convoys lost ships to U-boat attacks during this time.
Just before Convoy SC 118, a German U-boat, U-456, sank three ships from another convoy. A survivor from one of these sunken ships was rescued by U-632. This survivor accidentally told the Germans that a slower convoy was following behind. This information helped the U-boats find Convoy SC 118.
What happened during the battle?
February 4, 1943: The first attacks
The battle began in the early morning of February 4. A sailor on the Norwegian ship Vannik accidentally fired a flare. This flare lit up the convoy in the dark.
A German U-boat, U-187, saw the flare. It reported seeing the convoy. But the escort ships quickly found the U-boat using a special radio direction-finder (called Huff-Duff). The destroyers Beverly and Vimy then sank U-187. They rescued 44 of the submarine's crew.
Despite this success, the convoy was still in danger. The Polish ship Zagloba was hit by a torpedo from U-262. The American ship West Portal, which had fallen behind the convoy, was torpedoed by U-413.
February 5, 1943: More escorts arrive
On February 5, the convoy got more protection. Two more cutters, Ingham, and two destroyers, USS Babbitt and USS Schenck, joined the escort. These ships came from Iceland.
The stronger escort group fought back against the U-boats. They damaged U-262 and U-267.
February 7, 1943: Heavy losses
The early hours of February 7 were very tough for the convoy. Kapitänleutnant Siegfried von Forstner's U-boat, U-402, launched a series of attacks. It sank several ships:
- The British freighter Afrika
- The Norwegian tanker Daghild
- The Greek freighter Kalliopi
- The American tanker Robert E. Hopkins
- The American cargo ship Henry R. Mallory
- The convoy rescue ship Toward
The Henry R. Mallory was a fast ship. But it had fallen far behind the convoy. It was not zig-zagging to avoid torpedoes. Many people on board the Mallory were lost. This included crew members, Navy gunners, and American soldiers and sailors.
Another U-boat, U-614, sank the British ship Harmala, which had also fallen behind. However, the escort ship Lobelia managed to sink U-609.
Later that day, a B-17 Flying Fortress plane from the British Royal Air Force sank U-614. That night, U-402 sank one more ship, the British freighter Newton Ash.
For his success in this convoy battle, Kapitänleutnant von Forstner was given a special award. Convoy SC 118 finally reached Liverpool safely on February 12, without any more losses.
Ships in convoy
| Name | Flag | Dead | Tonnage (GRT) | Cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acme (1916) |  United States |
6,878 | Petrol & oil | ||
| Adamas (1918) |  Greece |
0 | 4,144 | Steel & lumber | Sank on Feb 8 after hitting another ship |
| African Prince (1939) |  United Kingdom |
8,031 | Bauxite and ammunition | Carried the convoy leader | |
| Afrika (1920) | United Kingdom |
23 | 8,597 | Steel & general cargo | Sunk by U-402 on Feb 7 |
| Ann Skakel (1920) | United States |
4,949 | General cargo | Left the convoy for Iceland on Feb 9 | |
| Arizpa (1920) | United States |
0 | 5,437 | Stores | |
| Athelprince (1926) | United Kingdom |
8,782 | Diesel & naptha | The ship's captain was the convoy's vice-leader | |
| Baron Haig (1926) | United Kingdom |
3,391 | Sugar | ||
| Baron Ramsey (1929) | United Kingdom |
3,650 | Iron ore | ||
| Bestik (1920) |  Norway |
2,684 | Steel & lumber | ||
| Blairdevon (1925) | United Kingdom |
3,282 | Steel & lumber | ||
| Celtic Star (1918) | United Kingdom |
5,575 | refrigerated & general cargo | ||
| Cetus (1920) | Norway |
2,614 | Sugar | Survived this convoy and another one later | |
| City of Khios (1925) | United Kingdom |
5,574 | Sugar | ||
| Daghild (1927) | Norway |
0 | 9,272 | Diesel | Sunk by U-402, U-614 & U-608 |
| Dallington Court (1929) | United Kingdom |
6,889 | Wheat | Survived this convoy and another one later | |
| Danae II (1936) | United Kingdom |
2,660 | Bauxite | ||
| Danby (1937) | United Kingdom |
4,281 | Linseed & grain | ||
| Daylight (1931) | United States |
9,180 | General cargo | Left the convoy for Iceland on Feb 9; survived another convoy | |
| Deido (1928) | United Kingdom |
3,894 | Petrol | ||
| Dettifoss (1930) |  Iceland |
1,564 | General cargo | Left the convoy for Iceland on Feb 9 | |
| Dordrecht (1928) |  Netherlands |
4,402 | Palm oil | Returned to Halifax | |
| Empire Gareth (1942) | United Kingdom |
2,847 | Bauxite | ||
| Empire Liberty (1941) | United Kingdom |
7,157 | General cargo | ||
| Glarona (1928) | Norway |
9,912 | fuel oil & Diesel | ||
| Gogra (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,190 | General cargo | ||
| Gold Shell (1931) | United Kingdom |
8,208 | Petrol | ||
| Grey County (1918) | Norway |
3 | 5,194 | General cargo | |
| Gulf of Mexico (1917) | United States |
7,807 | Oil & petrol | ||
| H M Flagler (1918) |  Panama |
8,208 | Furnace fuel oil | Used to refuel escort ships | |
| Harmala (1935) | United Kingdom |
53 | 5,730 | Iron ore | Fell behind and sunk by U-614 on Feb 7 |
| Helder (1920) | Netherlands |
3,629 | General cargo | ||
| Henry Mallory (1916) | United States |
272 | 6,063 | Passengers & general cargo | Sunk by U-402 on Feb 7 |
| Ioannis Frangos (1912) | Greece |
3,442 | Grain | ||
| Julius Thomsen (1927) |  Denmark |
1,151 | Left the convoy for Greenland | ||
| Kalliopi (1910) | Greece |
4 | 4,965 | Steel & lumber | Sunk by U-402 on Feb 7 |
| King Stephen (1928) | United Kingdom |
5,274 | Grain | ||
| Kiruna (1921) |  Sweden |
5,484 | General cargo | ||
| Lagarfoss (1904) | Iceland |
1,211 | General cargo | Left the convoy for Iceland on Feb 9; survived another convoy | |
| Makedonia (1942) | Greece |
7,044 | Flour | ||
| Mana (1920) |  Honduras |
3,283 | General cargo | Left the convoy for Iceland on Feb 9 | |
| Maud (1930) | Norway |
3,189 | Sugar | ||
| New York City (1917) | United Kingdom |
2,710 | General cargo | ||
| Newton Ash (1925) | United Kingdom |
32 | 4,625 | Grain, mail & military stores | Sunk by U-402 on Feb 7 |
| Norbryn (1922) | Norway |
5,087 | Tea & rubber | ||
| Permian (1931) | Panama |
8,890 | Survived this convoy and another one later | ||
| Petter II (1922) | Norway |
7,417 | Gas oil | ||
| Polyktor (1914) | Greece |
4,077 | Grain | Sunk by U-266 | |
| Radmanso (1914) | Sweden |
4,280 | Sulphur | ||
| Radport (1925) | United Kingdom |
5,355 | General cargo | ||
| Redgate (1929) | United Kingdom |
4,323 | General cargo | ||
| Robert E. Hopkins (1921) | United States |
0 | 6,625 | Furnace fuel oil | Used to refuel escort ships; sunk by U-402 on Feb 7 |
| Samuel Huntington (1942) | United States |
7,181 | General cargo | Liberty ship | |
| Sheaf Holme (1929) | United Kingdom |
4,814 | Potash & general cargo | Survived this convoy and another one later | |
| Sommerstad (1926) | Norway |
5,923 | Lubricating oil | ||
| Stad Arnhem (1920) | Netherlands |
3,819 | Phosphates | ||
| Tilemachos (1911) | Greece |
3,658 | Grain | ||
| Toward (1923) | United Kingdom |
58 | 1,571 | Rescue ship; sunk by U-402 on Feb 7 | |
| Vacuum (1920) | United States |
7,020 | Petrol | ||
| Vannik (1940) | Norway |
1,333 | General cargo | Left the convoy for Iceland on Feb 9 | |
| West Portal (1920) | United States |
5,376 | Stores | Fell behind and sunk by U-413 on Feb 4 | |
| William Penn (1921) | United States |
8,447 | Petrol | ||
| Yemassee (1922) | Panama |
2,001 | General cargo | Left the convoy for Iceland on Feb 9 | |
| Zagloba (1938) |  Poland |
2,864 | Ammunition & general cargo | Sunk by U-262 on Feb 4 |
See also
- Convoy Battles of World War II
