Convoy SC 19 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Convoy SC.19
Part of World War II
Date 12 January – 2 February 1941 Location North Sea
Belligerents
Kriegsmarine	Royal Canadian Navy  Royal Navy
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
~4 U-boats	28 merchant ships 11 escorts (9 during attack)
Casualties and losses
	7 ships sunk

Imagine a long line of ships sailing across the stormy Atlantic Ocean during World War II. These groups of ships were called convoys. Their job was to carry vital supplies like food, fuel, and equipment from places like Canada to Great Britain. This was a very dangerous journey because enemy submarines, known as U-boats, were always on the lookout to sink them.

Convoy SC 19 was one of these important convoys. The "SC" stood for "Slow Convoy" because the ships in it moved at 8 knots (about 9 miles per hour) or less. This particular convoy started its journey from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on January 12, 1941. Its destination was Liverpool, England.

What Was Convoy SC 19?

Convoy SC 19 was the 19th "slow convoy" to make this risky trip. It was a crucial part of the Battle of the Atlantic, a long and tough fight to keep supply lines open during World War II. Without these convoys, Britain would have struggled to get the resources it needed to continue the war.

The Journey Begins

The convoy set sail with 28 merchant ships. These were regular cargo ships carrying all sorts of goods. To protect them, a series of military ships, called "escorts," joined the convoy at different points along the way. These escorts included destroyers and corvettes, which were smaller warships designed to hunt submarines and defend the merchant ships.

Facing the U-boats

For many days, the convoy sailed safely. But on January 29, 1941, German U-boats from the 7th U-boat Flotilla found Convoy SC 19. The U-boats were like silent hunters in the deep ocean, trying to sneak up on the convoy and sink its ships.

The battle lasted for several days. The U-boats attacked, and the escort ships fought back, trying to protect the valuable cargo ships. It was a tense and dangerous time for everyone on board.

Ships That Were Lost

Sadly, during the attacks, seven ships from Convoy SC 19 were sunk. These ships were:

• The Greek ship Aikaterini, sunk by the U-boat U-93.
• The British ship Grelrosa, which was bombed and sunk by a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft after it fell behind the main group.
• The British ship King Robert, also sunk by U-93.
• The British ship Rushpool, sunk by U-94 after it became separated from the convoy.
• The Egyptian ship Sesostris, sunk by U-106 after it also fell behind.
• The British ship W B Walker, sunk by U-93.
• The British ship West Wales, sunk by U-94 after the convoy had scattered.

These losses were a reminder of how dangerous the Atlantic crossing was during the war. Many brave sailors lost their lives trying to deliver essential supplies.

Who Protected the Convoy?

The escort ships worked hard to defend the convoy. Over the course of the journey, 11 different escort ships helped protect the merchant vessels. Some of these included:

• The British destroyers HMS Antelope and HMS Anthony.
• The Canadian corvette HMCS Arrowhead.
• The British armed merchant cruiser HMS Aurania, which was a passenger ship converted into a warship.
• Other British ships like the corvette HMS Heather and the anti-submarine trawler HMT Lady Madeleine.

These ships used their weapons and sonar (a system that uses sound waves to detect objects underwater) to try and find the U-boats and drive them away.

Why Were Convoys Important?

Despite the attacks and the ships lost, Convoy SC 19 eventually reached Liverpool on February 2, 1941. The supplies that made it safely were crucial for the war effort. Convoys like SC 19 were vital because they allowed Allied countries to transport goods and troops across the oceans, even when facing constant threats from enemy submarines and aircraft. They played a huge role in the outcome of World War II.