Convoy SC 94 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Convoy SC 94 |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Battle of the Atlantic | |||||||
 U-210 photographed from Assiniboine's deck, 6 August 1942 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom Canada Poland |
 Germany |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| VADM D F Moir LCDR A. Ayer RNR |
BdU:Karl Dönitz | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 35 freighters 3 destroyers 6 corvettes |
19 submarines | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 11 freighters sunk (50,780GRT) 1 destroyer damaged 1 corvette damaged 61 killed/drowned |
2 submarines sunk 46 killed/drowned 42 captured |
||||||
Convoy SC 94 was a group of merchant ships sailing together for safety during World War II. This convoy was the 94th in a series of "Slow Convoys" (SC). It traveled from Sydney, Nova Scotia in Canada to Liverpool in the United Kingdom.
The ships left Sydney on July 31, 1942. They were protected by a group of warships called Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-1. This journey was a key part of the larger Battle of the Atlantic.
Contents
Why Convoys Were Important
During World War II, many ships carried important supplies across the Atlantic Ocean. These ships were called merchant ships or freighters. They carried food, fuel, and military equipment.
German submarines, known as U-boats, tried to sink these supply ships. To protect them, merchant ships traveled in large groups called convoys. Warships, like destroyers and corvettes, sailed with them as escorts.
The U-boat Strategy
At first, U-boats attacked ships close to the American coast. But as coastal convoys became safer, German Admiral Karl Dönitz changed his plan. He moved his U-boats to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This area was harder for Allied aircraft to patrol.
Dönitz hoped that more U-boats would find convoys in the open ocean. He also used secret information to help his submarines. Even so, only a small number of convoys were attacked by U-boats during this time.
The Battle for Convoy SC 94
The journey for Convoy SC 94 was very dangerous. German U-boats launched several attacks over five days.
First Contact: August 5
On August 5, 1942, a German submarine, U-593, spotted the convoy. It quickly attacked and sank the Dutch freighter Spar. This was the first ship lost from Convoy SC 94.
Fierce Fight: August 6
The next day, August 6, was foggy. The Canadian destroyer Assiniboine used its radar to find U-210. The destroyer moved closer, but the fog made it hard to see the submarine.
Suddenly, U-210 appeared very close to Assiniboine. Both ships started firing their weapons. The destroyer's large guns couldn't aim at such a close target. But its smaller machine guns hit the submarine's deck. This stopped the German crew from using their main deck gun.
However, U-210's anti-aircraft gun was already firing. It hit Assiniboine, causing a fire on its deck. The destroyer's front gun was also damaged.
- Assiniboine rams U-210*
Then, a shell from Assiniboines rear gun hit U-210s command tower. This killed the entire crew there. The submarine's surviving officer ordered it to dive. But to do this, it had to go straight.
Assiniboine took advantage of this. It rammed U-210 from behind. This damaged the submarine's engines and propellers. Water began to flood the U-boat. The German crew had to abandon ship.
As U-210 came back to the surface, Assiniboine rammed it again. The destroyer also dropped depth charges, which are underwater bombs. Finally, another shell hit U-210, and it sank.
More Attacks: August 8
On August 8, more U-boats joined the attack.
- U-379 sank the British freighter Anneberg and the American freighter Kaimoku.
- U-176 sank the British freighters Kelso and Trehata, and the Greek freighter Mount Kassion.
Some ships that were not hit were abandoned by their crews in the panic. One of these, the British freighter Radchurch, was later sunk by U-176.
- Reinforcements Arrive*
Two more warships arrived to help protect the convoy. These were the British destroyer leader Broke and the Polish destroyer Błyskawica. Meanwhile, the British corvette Dianthus had to leave the convoy. It was damaged after ramming and sinking U-379.
Final Attacks: August 10
The U-boat attacks continued on August 10.
- U-438 sank the Greek freighter Condylis during the day.
- U-660 sank the British freighters Cape Race, Empire Reindeer, and Oregon.
Despite these losses, the remaining ships of Convoy SC 94 reached Liverpool safely on August 13.
Ships in the Convoy
Allied Merchant Ships
A total of 35 merchant ships joined Convoy SC 94. Some joined in Sydney, and others later along the way.
| Name | Flag | Dead | Tonnage (GRT) | Cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aghios Spyridon (1905) |  Greece |
3,338 | Grain | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 104 | |
| Anneberg (1902) |  United Kingdom |
0 | 2,537 | 3,200 tons woodpulp | Sunk by U-379 8 Aug |
| Bifrost (1923) |  Sweden |
4,949 | Flour | ||
| Boston City (1920) | United Kingdom |
2,870 | General cargo | Survived this convoy, convoy ON 127, convoy SC 104 & convoy SC 122 | |
| Brisk (1923) |  Norway |
1,594 | Flour & general cargo | ||
| Cape Race (1930) | United Kingdom |
0 | 3,807 | 13 passengers, 3,979 tons lumber & 1,040 tons steel | Sunk by U-660 10 Aug |
| Castilian (1919) | United Kingdom |
3,067 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy HX 84 | |
| Condylis (1914) | Greece |
9 | 4,439 | 6,924 tons grain & trucks | Sunk by U-660 & U-438 10 Aug |
| Daleby (1929) | United Kingdom |
4,640 | General cargo | ||
| Drakepool (1924) | United Kingdom |
4,838 | (in ballast) | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 122 | |
| Empire Antelope (1919) | United Kingdom |
4,945 | General cargo | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy SC 107 | |
| Empire Moonbeam (1941) | United Kingdom |
6,849 | Phosphates | Survived to be sunk the following month in convoy ON 127 | |
| Empire Reindeer (1919) | United Kingdom |
0 | 6,259 | 5,950 tons woodpulp & general cargo | Sunk by U-660 10 Aug |
| Empire Scout (1936) | United Kingdom |
2,229 | Grain | Ship's master was convoy vice-commodore | |
| Hagood (1919) |  United States |
6,866 | Diesel | ||
| Illinoian (1918) | United States |
6,473 | Mail & general cargo | ||
| Inger Lise (1939) | Norway |
1,582 | Lumber | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 104 | |
| Ingerfem (1912) | Norway |
3,987 | Iron ore | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 104 | |
| Kaimoku (1919) | United States |
4 | 6,367 | US Army stores | Sunk by U-379 8 Aug |
| Kelso (1924) | United Kingdom |
3 | 3,956 | 2,000 tons ammunition & 2,618 tons general cargo | Sunk by U-176 8 Aug |
| Mars (1925) |  Netherlands |
1,582 | Flour | Survived this convoy and convoy SC 104 | |
| Melmore Head (1918) | United Kingdom |
5,273 | General cargo | Veteran of convoy SC 7; survived to be sunk 4 months later in convoy ON 154 | |
| Mount Kassion (1918) | Greece |
0 | 5,273 | 9,700 tons general cargo | Sunk by U-176 8 Aug |
| Mount Pelion (1917) | Greece |
5,655 | General cargo | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy SC 107 | |
| Norelg (1920) | Norway |
6,103 | General cargo | ||
| Oregon (1920) | United Kingdom |
11 | 6,008 | 1 passenger & 8,107 tons general cargo | Sunk by U-660 & U-438 10 Aug |
| Osric (1919) | Sweden |
1,418 | Timber | ||
| Panos (1920) | United Kingdom |
4,914 | Coal | ||
| Penolver (1912) | United Kingdom |
3,721 | Grain & general cargo | ||
| Radchurch (1910) | United Kingdom |
0 | 3,701 | Iron ore | Abandoned undamaged & sunk by U-176 9 Aug |
| Spar (1924) | Netherlands |
3 | 3,616 | Mail & 4,900 tons general cargo | Sunk by U-593 5 Aug |
| Trehata (1928) | United Kingdom |
31 | 4,817 | 3,000 tons steel & 3,000 tons food | Carried convoy commodore VADM Dashwood Fowler Moir DSO; sunk by U-176 8 Aug |
| Tynemouth (1940) | United Kingdom |
3,168 | Lumber & steel | Survived this convoy, convoy SL 125 & convoy ON 154 | |
| Veni (1901) | Norway |
2,982 | Steel & woodpulp | Survived this convoy & convoy ON 154 | |
| Willemsplein (1910) | Netherlands |
5,489 | Iron ore | Survived this convoy & convoy ON 127 |
Convoy Escorts
These are the military ships that protected Convoy SC 94 during its journey.
| Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMCS Assiniboine |  Royal Canadian Navy |
Canadian River-class destroyer | 31 Jul 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
| HMCS Battleford | Royal Canadian Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 31 Jul 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
| ORP Błyskawica |  Polish Navy |
Grom-class destroyer | 8 Aug 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
| HMS Broke |  Royal Navy |
Shakespeare-class destroyer leader | 8 Aug 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
| HMCS Chilliwack | Royal Canadian Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 31 Jul 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
| HMS Dianthus | Royal Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 31 Jul 1942 | 8 Aug 1942, due to damage from sinking U-379 |
| HMS Nasturtium | Royal Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 31 Jul 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
| HMCS Orillia | Royal Canadian Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 31 Jul 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
| HMS Primrose | Royal Navy |
Flower-class corvette | 31 Jul 1942 | 13 Aug 1942 |
See also
- Convoy Battles of World War II
