Convoy SL 138/MKS 28 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Convoy SL 138/MKS 28 |
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| Part of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Convoy Comm AM Hekking Escort:Lt Cdr. F Ardern |
Admiral Karl Dönitz | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 60 ships 14 escorts |
8 U-boats | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 ship sunk | 1 U-boat destroyed | ||||||
Convoys SL 138/MKS 28 were two groups of Allied merchant ships traveling together for safety during World War II. They sailed through the Atlantic Ocean in October 1943. SL 138 was a convoy from the South Atlantic heading to Britain. MKS 28 was another convoy traveling between Britain and the Mediterranean Sea.
These two convoys met near Gibraltar. They then sailed together towards Britain. This allowed them to have a very strong escort of warships. In October 1943, they faced a big attack from German U-boats. This was the first major battle in the German navy's new plan for the autumn.
Why This Battle Happened
After a tough time in May 1943, when many German U-boats were lost, Karl Dönitz, the head of the German U-boat forces, pulled his submarines back. He wanted to wait for better tactics and new technology. By September 1943, he felt ready to attack again in the North Atlantic.
However, these new attacks also went badly for the U-boats. They lost 32 submarines but sank only a few Allied ships. So, Dönitz changed his plan again. He decided to focus on the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic routes. He thought these areas would be easier targets. To do this, he created a group of U-boats called the "wolfpack" Schill. This group waited off the coast of Portugal to attack convoys near Gibraltar.
For the Allies, things had changed too. After their success in Operation Torch (an invasion of North Africa), the Mediterranean Sea was safer for Allied ships. The convoy system was updated. New convoy routes, MKS/KMS, replaced older ones. The OS/SL convoys from Freetown (in West Africa) still ran. Now, SL convoys from Freetown would meet MKS convoys from North Africa. They would then travel together to Britain. This gave them more protection.
Who Was Involved
Convoy SL 138 left Freetown on October 13, 1943. It had 44 ships. It was protected by Escort Group 39, which included seven warships. The frigate Tavy led this group.
Convoy MKS 28 sailed from Alexandria on October 14. One of its ships, SS Tivives, was sunk by a German aircraft. MKS 28 then arrived near Gibraltar on October 24. There, it met SL 138.
The combined group had 60 ships. They were protected by 12 warships. This strong force then set sail for Britain.
The German Schill wolfpack started with eight U-boats. But one, U-441, was attacked by Allied planes and had to go back. So, seven U-boats remained. They formed a patrol line west of Portugal. German Luftwaffe aircraft also searched the ocean for the convoys.
On October 27, 1943, a German reconnaissance plane spotted Convoys SL 138 and MKS 28. It reported their location.
The Battle Begins
The German plane sighted the convoys on October 27, 1943. This was three days after they left the Strait of Gibraltar. They were west of Lisbon. After this sighting, the Schill U-boats began to gather for an attack.
On October 29, U-262, commanded by Francke, found the convoy. It started to follow them. By evening, two more U-boats, U-333 and U-306, joined the attack. They began their assault. One ship, the Norwegian freighter Hallfried, was hit. But the convoy's escorts managed to drive off the other U-boat attacks.
On October 30, two more destroyers, Whitehall and Wrestler, joined the escort. They were sent as extra help. During that day and the following night, the Schill U-boats could not hit any more ships.
On October 31, the convoy came within range of air cover from Britain. This meant planes from Britain could now help protect them. During this time, Whitehall and Geranium found U-306. They attacked it with depth charges and destroyed the U-boat.
After two days and nights of trying, the U-boats had not succeeded. They had also lost one of their own. So, the German attack was called off, and the wolfpack pulled back.
Convoys SL 138 and MKS 28 continued their journey without any more problems. They arrived safely at Liverpool on November 5, 1943.
What Happened Next
The attack on Convoys SL 138/MKS 28 was not a good start for the German U-boat forces' new offensive. They sank only one ship but lost one U-boat, and another was damaged.
The Royal Navy (Britain's navy) was encouraged by this success. They had been very successful in protecting convoys in the North Atlantic. This battle showed they could also protect ships on the route through the Bay of Biscay.
