Convoy SC 7 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Convoy SC 7
Part of World War II
Date 16–19 October 1940 Location Western Approaches Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Karl Dönitz	L. D. I. Mackinnon
Strength
8 U-boats	35 ships 5 escorts
Casualties and losses
None	20 merchant ships sunk, 2 merchant ships damaged, 141 dead total 79,592 gross register tons (GRT)

During World War II, ships carrying important supplies across the Atlantic Ocean often sailed in groups called convoys. This was to protect them from enemy attacks. Convoy SC 7 was one such group. It included 35 merchant ships and six escort ships.

The convoy left Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, on October 5, 1940. Its goal was to reach Liverpool and other ports in the United Kingdom. But while crossing the Atlantic, the convoy ran into German submarines. These submarines used a new tactic called a "wolfpack."

The battle that followed was very tough for the convoy. The escort ships, which were supposed to protect the merchant vessels, were overwhelmed. Out of 35 cargo ships, 20 were sunk and 2 more were damaged. Sadly, 141 lives were lost. This event showed how powerful the German wolfpack tactics were. It also highlighted that British anti-submarine tactics needed to improve.

What Was Convoy SC 7?

Convoy SC 7 was a group of slow-moving ships. They were carrying essential goods for Britain during World War II. The convoy left Sydney, Nova Scotia on October 5, 1940. It was headed for Liverpool and other British ports.

The ships were supposed to travel at about 8 knots (about 9 miles per hour). But some ships were even slower. This meant the whole convoy had to slow down. Most of the ships were older and smaller. They carried important bulk goods.

What Kind of Cargo Did They Carry?

The cargo often came from Canada's east coast. This included things like pit props from New Brunswick for British coal mines. There was also lumber, pulpwood, and grain from the Great Lakes. Steel and steel ingots from Sydney, Canada, were also on board. Iron ore from Newfoundland was going to steel plants in Wales.

The largest ship was the oil tanker MV Languedoc. It weighed 9,512 tons. This ship was carrying fuel for the Royal Navy. Another British ship, the SS Empire Brigade, had a valuable cargo of trucks.

Who Was in the Convoy?

Many ships were British. But the convoy also included ships from Greece, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. The person in charge of the merchant ships was Vice Admiral Lachlan Donald Ian Mackinnon. He was a retired naval officer who volunteered for this job. He sailed on the British ship SS Assyrian.

Admiral Mackinnon was responsible for keeping the merchant ships in order. But he did not command the escort ships. For most of the journey, the only naval escort was the sloop HMS Scarborough. In 1940, there was no air protection for Allied ships in the Atlantic. Scarborough would have had little chance against a German surface raider.

Some merchant ship captains were not happy about sailing in a convoy. They felt it was too slow and preferred to sail alone. They were sometimes uncooperative. Once, the captain of Scarborough was surprised to see a Greek ship in the convoy sailing at night with its lights on!

The Battle Begins

The convoy started its journey on Saturday, October 5, 1940. On the first day, one ship, Winona, had mechanical problems. It had to return to port. On October 8, the convoy ran into a strong gale (a very bad storm).

Ships Get Separated

As bad weather continued on October 11, several ships got separated. They had to sail on their own. One of these was Trevisa. This small Canadian ship was carrying lumber to Scotland. On October 16, the German submarine U-124 spotted her and sank her.

The Greek ship Aenos was seen by U-38 and sunk on October 17. However, Eaglescliffe Hall, another Canadian ship, managed to avoid being sunk. It rescued survivors from Aenos and safely reached Rothesay on October 19. One more separated ship rejoined the convoy on October 15.

German Submarines Attack

On October 17, the convoy entered the Western Approaches (the waters west of Britain). The escort ship Scarborough was joined by two more ships: the sloop Fowey and the new corvette Bluebell.

Later that day, the German submarine U-48 spotted them. It attacked, sinking two ships, including the tanker Languedoc. Scarborough tried to fight back. It forced U-48 to go deep underwater. But Scarborough chased the submarine for too long. The convoy moved far ahead, and Scarborough could not catch up.

On October 18, two more escort ships joined Convoy SC 7. These were the sloop Leith and the corvette Heartsease. Leith took command of the escorts. Later that day, U-38 spotted the convoy again and attacked. It damaged Carsbreck. Leith and Heartsease attacked U-38 but did not sink it. U-38 was driven away. Heartsease then had to escort the damaged Carsbreck back home. This made the convoy's protection even weaker.

The Night of October 18/19

The night of October 18/19 was terrible for Convoy SC 7. Several German submarines, including U-46, U-99, U-100, U-101, and U-123, launched a coordinated attack. Two of these submarines, U-99 and U-100, were commanded by famous German submarine aces, Otto Kretschmer and Joachim Schepke. Admiral Karl Dönitz directed the attack from Lorient, France.

One of the first ships lost was Creekirk. It was carrying iron ore to Cardiff, Wales. With its heavy cargo, it sank quickly. All 36 crew members were lost. Many more ships were lost that night. This included Empire Brigade with its trucks. Six of its crew members were lost. Fiscus, carrying steel ingots, also sank quickly. 38 out of 39 crew members were lost.

The commodore's ship, Assyrian, also went down. 17 crew members were lost. Admiral Mackinnon was rescued after being in the cold water for a long time. In total, 16 ships were lost in just six hours that night.

After the Main Attack

On October 18, Blairspey was hit by a torpedo from U-101 and abandoned. It was hit again on October 19 by U-100 but stayed afloat. It was later towed to the Clyde and repaired.

The escort ships could not stop these losses. Their responses were not coordinated and not very effective. They did not realize that the submarines were attacking on the surface, often from inside the convoy itself. Because of this, the escorts could not launch serious attacks on the U-boats. They also spent a lot of time rescuing survivors.

On October 19, the escort ships, now full of survivors, gathered the remaining merchant ships. Fowey collected eight ships and headed for the Clyde. Scarborough passed through the battle area later that day. It found wreckage but no survivors. Later, Leith met Heartsease, which was still escorting the damaged Carsbreck. Together, they headed for Gourock, Renfrewshire, picking up two more separated ships. Bluebell, with over 200 survivors, went straight to the Clyde, arriving on October 20.

What Happened Next?

Convoy SC 7 lost 20 out of its 35 ships. Seven of these were sunk by Kretschmer's U-99. The total weight of goods lost was 79,592 tons.

Right after this battle, another convoy, convoy HX 79, arrived nearby. The U-boats then attacked HX 79, sinking 12 of its ships that same night. No U-boats were lost in either battle.

The loss of 28 ships in just 48 hours made October 18 and 19 the worst two days for shipping losses in the entire Battle of the Atlantic. The attack on SC 7 proved how successful the U-boat "wolfpack" tactic could be. It was the most successful U-boat attack of the Atlantic campaign.

The convoy's escort ships were not effective in defending against the attack. At this early stage of the war, convoy tactics were still new. The escorts' responses were not coordinated. The ships were not used to working together with a shared battle plan. Command often changed as new ships arrived. The escorts also faced a tough choice: stay with the convoy or rescue survivors. Rules said they should not stop for survivors, but it was hard to leave people in the water. Picking up survivors meant leaving the convoy unprotected and risking being torpedoed themselves.

See also

• Battle of the Atlantic