Convoy ON 115 was a trade convoy of 43 merchant ships with 12 escort ships during the Second World War. The convoy departed Liverpool on 24 July 1942 and arrived at Boston on 8 August. Three ships were lost to U-boats during the crossing and two were damaged.
| Convoy ON.115 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Germany |
 Canada United Kingdom | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Admiral Karl Dönitz | Admiral Sir A J Davies (Commodore) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 13 U-boats |
43 merchant ships 12 escorts | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 U-boat sunk |
3 ships sunk 2 Damaged 67 killed | ||||||
Name
editIt was the 115th of the numbered series of ON convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America.
Action
editThe ships departed Liverpool on 24 July 1942 and were joined on 25 July[1] by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-3. They were found on 29 July by the seven U-boats of Wolfpack Wolf. Six U-boats formed Wolfpack Pirat on 1 August and reached the convoy on 2 August. Three ships were sunk before contact was lost in misty weather on 3 August.[2] Surviving ships reached Boston on 8 August.[1]
Ships in the convoy
edit| Name[1] | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMCS Agassiz | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 31 Jul – 3 Aug Corvette | |
| Agwidale (1918) |  United States
|
4,763 | Collision then straggled |
| Arletta (1925) |  United Kingdom
|
4,870 | Straggled and sunk by U-458[3] on 5 Aug SSW of Cape Race. 36 of the 41 crew died. Survivors were picked up by USS Menemsha (AG-39) |
| Asbjorn (1935) | United Kingdom
|
4,387 | Bound for Sydney |
| Athelchief (1939) | United Kingdom
|
10,000 | Bound for Curaçao |
| Belgian Soldier (1941) |  Belgium
|
7,167 | Torpedoed and damaged by U-553 then straggled and was sunk by U-607[4] on 4 Aug 21 dead. |
| Brimanger (1929) |  Norway
|
4,883 | Bound for New York City |
| Cistula (1939) |  Netherlands
|
8,097 | Bound for Halifax |
| Collingsworth (1920) | United States
|
5,101 | Bound for New York City |
| Corner Brook (1925) | United Kingdom
|
5,767 | Bound for Halifax |
| Delhi (1925) |  Sweden
|
4,571 | Bound for New York City |
| Dorcasia (1938) | United Kingdom
|
8,053 | Bound for New York City |
| El Lago (1920) |  Panama
|
4,221 | Straggled |
| Emma Bakke (1929) | Norway
|
4,721 | 13 passengers, bound for New York City |
| Empire Heywood (1942) | United Kingdom
|
7,030 | Bound for New York City |
| Empire Ocean (1941) | United Kingdom
|
6,765 | Ashore 4 Aug 42; Sank in tow 5 Aug 42 |
| Empire Southey (1942) | United Kingdom
|
7,041 | |
| Empire Spray (1941) | United Kingdom
|
7,242 | Bound for Halifax |
| Empire Trader (1908) | United Kingdom
|
9,990 | Bound for New York City then Auckland |
| G S Walden (1935) | United Kingdom
|
10,627 | Tanker. Torpedoed by U-552[5] on 3 Aug east of Cape Race and towed into St. John's, Newfoundland. 1 dead |
| HMCS Galt | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 3 Aug Corvette | |
| Gyda (1934) | United Kingdom
|
1,695 | Bound for Halifax |
| HMCS Hamilton | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 2 Aug Destroyer | |
| Herbrand (1935) | Norway
|
9,108 | Bound for Halifax |
| Hoegh Hood (1936) | Norway
|
9,351 | Bound for Halifax |
| Jamaica Planter (1936) | United Kingdom
|
4,098 | Bound for New York City |
| Katy (1931) | Norway
|
6,825 | Bound for New York City |
| HMCS La Malbaie | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 3 – 8 Aug Corvette | |
| Lochkatrine (1922) | United Kingdom
|
9,419 | Freighter. In ballast. Sunk by U-553.[6] 9 dead. Survivors picked up by HMCS Hamilton And HMCS Agassiz |
| HMCS Louisburg | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 3 Aug . Took in damaged G S Walden to St. John's, Newfoundland | |
| Lucellum (1938) | United Kingdom
|
9,425 | Returned |
| Manchester Trader (1941) | United Kingdom
|
5,671 | Bound for Halifax thence Saint John, New Brunswick. Rear-Admiral H C Rawlings (Vice-Commodore) |
| Montreal City (1920) | United Kingdom
|
3,066 | Bound for New York City |
| Mount Evans (1919) | Panama
|
5,598 | Bound for New York City |
| Norsk Tank (1928) | Norway
|
9,720 | Bound for Halifax |
| Ornefjell (1937) | Norway
|
1,334 | Bound for Halifax |
| Otina (1938) | United Kingdom
|
6,217 | Bound for Halifax |
| Pacific Grove (1928) | United Kingdom
|
7,117 | 17 Passengers, Bound for New York City. Admiral Sir A J Davies (Commodore) |
| Regent Panther (1937) | United Kingdom
|
9,556 | Bound for New York City |
| HMCS Rimouski | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 3 – 8 Aug Corvette | |
| Robert F Hand (1933) | United Kingdom
|
2,197 | Bound for Halifax |
| HMCS Sackville | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 4 Aug Corvette | |
| HMCS Saguenay | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 1 Aug Destroyer | |
| San Ernesto (1939) | United Kingdom
|
8,078 | Bound for New York City |
| Seminole (1936) | United Kingdom
|
10,389 | Bound for New York City |
| HMCS Skeena | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 – 31 Jul Destroyer sunk U-588 with depth charges on 31 Jul | |
| Solfonn (1939) | Norway
|
9,925 | Bound for Aruba |
| Tilapa (1928) | United Kingdom
|
5,392 | Bound for Halifax |
| Topdalsfjord (1921) | Norway
|
4,271 | Bound for Hampton Roads |
| Tudor Prince (1940) | United Kingdom
|
1,914 | Bound for Halifax |
| USS Swanson | United States Navy
|
Escort. Destroyer | |
| HMS Verity | Royal Navy
|
Escort 3 – 8 Aug Destroyer | |
| Westland (1931) | Netherlands
|
5,888 | 9 Passengers, Bound for New York City |
| HMCS Wetaskiwin | Royal Canadian Navy
|
Escort 25 Jul – 2 Aug Corvette. Sunk U-588 with depth charges on 31 Jul | |
| HMS Witch | Royal Navy
|
Escort 2 Aug Destroyer |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Convoy ON.115". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp. 144, 152 & 153
- ^ "Arlette – British steam tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Belgian Soldier – Belgian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "G S Walden – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Lochkatrine – British motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
Bibliography
edit- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.