Convoy SL 125 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Convoy |
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| Part of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kriegsmarine |
 Royal Navy |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 12 U-boats | 42 merchant ships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 12 merchant ships sunk | |||||||
During World War II, Convoy SL 125 was a group of merchant ships sailing from Sierra Leone in Africa to Liverpool, England. These ships carried important goods like food and supplies to the United Kingdom. They would travel alone to Freetown, Sierra Leone, and then join a convoy for the last part of their journey across the dangerous Atlantic Ocean.
On 16 October 1942, thirty-seven merchant ships left Freetown. Five more ships joined them at sea later. Their goal was to reach Britain safely, but German U-boats (submarines) were hunting them.
Contents
First Contact with U-boats
German code-breakers found out about Convoy SL 125. They sent a group of U-boats called Streitaxt (which means "battle axe") to find the convoy. This wolf pack, a group of submarines hunting together, included 10 U-boats.
On 25 October, the U-boat U-203 found the convoy. It tried to attack a British oil tanker called Anglo Maersk. The U-203 was damaged by depth charges (underwater bombs). Another U-boat, U-134, then followed the tanker, and U-509 damaged it even more.
Attacks on 27 October
On 27 October, the U-409 found the main convoy of 37 ships. By this time, some ships and escorts had left the convoy. Now, 41 merchant ships were protected by four small warships called corvettes: Petunia, Cowslip, Crocus, and Woodruff.
The U-659 tried to attack the convoy but was also damaged by depth charges. Later that night, U-604 sank the already damaged Anglo Maersk. The U-509 also torpedoed two British cargo ships, the Pacific Star and the Stentor.
More Attacks on 28 and 29 October
On 28 October, the U-boats tried to attack during the day but failed. After sunset, U-509 sank the British cargo ship Nagpore. It also damaged another British cargo ship, the Hopecastle. Before dawn, U-203 sank the damaged Hopecastle.
On 29 October, the weather was bad. Despite this, U-509 sank the British cargo ship Brittany. The British oil tanker Bullmouth was damaged by U-409 and then sunk by U-659. The British cargo ship Corinaldo was damaged by both U-509 and U-659 before U-203 finally sank it.
Final Attacks on 30 October
The weather improved on the night of 30 October, allowing for more organized attacks. The U-409 torpedoed the British cargo ship Silverwillow. The U-604 torpedoed the British troop transport President Doumer and the British cargo ship Baron Vernon.
The British cargo ship Tasmania was damaged by U-659 and then sunk by U-103. The Norwegian cargo ship Alaska was damaged by U-510. However, it managed to reach England safely with the help of new escort ships that arrived.
What Happened Next
On 31 October, long-range bomber planes from the RAF Coastal Command arrived to help protect the convoy. Because of this, Admiral Dönitz, the German U-boat commander, called off the attacks on 1 November.
The convoy was joined by eleven more escort ships and finally reached Liverpool on 9 November. Convoy SL 125 suffered the biggest losses of any SL convoy. However, its timing was important. The U-boats were busy attacking this convoy, which kept them away from other convoys carrying troops for Operation Torch. Operation Torch was a secret Allied invasion of North Africa that began on 8 November 1942. Some historians believe that Convoy SL 125 was intentionally used as a way to distract the U-boats.
Even after surviving this battle, eleven of the ships from Convoy SL 125 sailed again two months later in convoy ON 154. Sadly, four of those ships were sunk in that later convoy.
Ships in Convoy
| Name | Flag | Dead | Tonnage (GRT) | Cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (1918) |  Norway |
5,681 | Torpedoed and damaged by U-510 on 31 Oct, while picking up survivors from Président Doumer and Tasmania which had been sunk earlier. She reached Lisbon safely on 11 Nov | ||
| Alexandre Andre (1928) |  Belgium |
5,322 | |||
| Amstelkerk (1929) |  Netherlands |
4,457 | Romped 30 Oct | ||
| Anglo Maersk (1930) |  United Kingdom |
7,705 | Straggled 19 Oct; torpedoed by U-509 26 Oct but survived; sunk by U-604 27 Oct | ||
| Baron Elgin (1933) | United Kingdom |
3,942 | Detached to Funchal; survived this convoy, convoy ON 154, convoy SC 122 & convoy ONS 5 | ||
| Baron Kinnaird (1927) | United Kingdom |
3,355 | |||
| Baron Vernon (1929) | United Kingdom |
0 | 3,642 | 5,500 tons iron ore | Sunk by U-604 30 Oct. 0 dead. Survivors picked up by Baron Elgin |
| Belnor (1926) | Norway |
2,871 | Joined at sea 19 Oct | ||
| Bornholm (1930) | United Kingdom |
3,177 | Survived this convoy, convoy ON 154, & convoy ONS 5 | ||
| Bothnia (1928) | United Kingdom |
2,407 | Joined at sea 23 Oct, survived this convoy & convoy HX 228 | ||
| British Ardour (1928) | United Kingdom |
7,124 | Joined at sea 19 Oct as escort oiler | ||
| Brittany (1928) | United Kingdom |
14 | 4,772 | 7,132 tons general cargo | Veteran of convoy HX 79; sunk by U-509 28 Oct |
| Bullmouth (1927) | United Kingdom |
50 | 7,519 | Ballasted tanker | Torpedoed and damaged by U-409, then finally sunk by U-659 on 30 Oct. 50 of the 56 crew died. |
| Calgary (1921) | United Kingdom |
7,206 | Survived this convoy & convoy ON 154 | ||
| Clan Murray (1918) | United Kingdom |
5,953 | |||
| Corinaldo (1921) | United Kingdom |
8 | 7,131 | 5,141 tons frozen meat | Damaged by both U-509 and U-659, then finally sunk by U-203 on 30 Oct. 8 dead. Survivors picked up by HMS Cowslip (K196) |
| Debrett (1940) | United Kingdom |
6,244 | |||
| Dundrum Castle (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,259 | Veteran of convoy SC 42; survived this convoy & convoy ON 154 | ||
| Empire Cougar (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,758 | Arrived with engine defects & later survived convoy ON 154 | ||
| Empire Simba (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,691 | Survived this convoy & convoy ON 154 | ||
| Germa (1920) | Norway |
5,282 | |||
| Guinean (1936) | United Kingdom |
5,205 | |||
| Henry Stanley (1929) | United Kingdom |
5,026 | |||
| Hopecastle (1937) | United Kingdom |
5 | 5,178 | 5,500 tons general cargo | Sunk by U-509 & U-203 29 Oct |
| King Edward (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,224 | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154 | ||
| Lafonia (1911) | United Kingdom |
1,961 | |||
| Lynton Grange (1937) | United Kingdom |
5,029 | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154 | ||
| Mano (1925) | United Kingdom |
1,418 | Joined at sea 23 Oct; survived this convoy & convoy ONS 5 | ||
| Marquesa (1918) | United Kingdom |
8,979 | |||
| Nagpore (1920) | United Kingdom |
19 | 5,283 | 1,500 tons copper & 5,500 tons general cargo | Carried convoy commodore RADM Sir C N Reyne KBE; sunk by U-509 28 Oct |
| Pacific Star (1920) | United Kingdom |
0 | 7,591 | 5,037 tons refrigerated meat & general cargo | Sunk by U-509 27 Oct |
| Président Doumer (1934) | United Kingdom |
260 | 11,898 | 63 passengers & general cargo | Troopship. Joined at sea 19 Oct; sunk by U-604 30 Oct |
| San Francisco (1915) |  Sweden |
4,933 | |||
| Sembilan (1922) | Netherlands |
6,566 | |||
| Silver Willow (1930) | United Kingdom |
5 | 6,373 | 9,000 tons general cargo | Sunk by U-409 30 Oct |
| Stentor (1926) | United Kingdom |
44 | 6,148 | 6,000 tons West African produce | Carried convoy vice commodore Capt R H Garstin CBE RIN; sunk by U-509 27 Oct |
| Tasmania (1935) | United Kingdom |
2 | 6,405 | 8,500 tons food & iron | Sunk by U-103 31 Oct |
| Tynemouth (1940) | United Kingdom |
3,168 | Veteran of convoy SC 94; survived this convoy & convoy ON 154 | ||
| Ville de Rouen (1919) | United Kingdom |
5,083 | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154 | ||
| Welsh Trader (1938) | United Kingdom |
4,974 | |||
| West Kebar (1920) |  United States |
5,620 | Detached 20 Oct | ||
| Zarian (1938) | United Kingdom |
4,871 | Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154 |
See also
- Convoy Battles of World War II
