Convoy
Part of World War II
Date16–30 October 1942
Location
North Atlantic
Result German victory
Belligerents
 Kriegsmarine  Royal Navy
Strength
12 U-boats 42 merchant ships
Casualties and losses
12 merchant ships sunk

Convoy SL 125 was the 125th of the numbered series of World War II SL convoys of merchant ships from Sierra Leone to Liverpool. Ships carrying commodities bound to the British Isles from South America, Africa, and the Indian Ocean travelled independently to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to be convoyed for the last leg of their voyage.[1] Thirty-seven merchant ships departed Freetown on 16 October 1942 and were joined at sea by five more.[2]

Initial contact

German cryptographers decoded message traffic containing tactical information about convoy SL 125, and wolf pack Streitaxt (battle axe),[3] consisting of U-103, U-134, U-203, U-409, U-440, U-509, U-510, U-572, U-604, and U-659[4] was assembled 23 October to intercept the convoy west of the Canary Islands.[3] The only United States merchant ship and escorting sloop HMS Bridgewater, Isles-class trawler HMS Copinsay and Free French corvette Commandant Drogou had been detached by the time U-203 found the convoy on 25 October.[2] U-203 was depth charged and damaged while attempting to attack the straggling British tanker Anglo Maersk.[3] The tanker was subsequently shadowed by U-134 and damaged by U-509.[3]

27 October

The armed merchant cruiser and troopship HMS Esperance Bay was detached with the Shakespearian-class trawler HMS Juliet, tugboat HMS Salvonia, and repair ship HMNZS Kelantan[2] when U-409 found and reported the main convoy of 37 ships on 27 October.[4] Forty-one merchant ships[5] were left in the care of Flower-class corvettes Petunia,[4] Cowslip, Crocus, HMS Dahlia, and Woodruff.[3][6] U-659 was depth charged and damaged while attempting to attack the convoy. After moonrise, U-604 sank the damaged Anglo Maersk[3] while U-509 torpedoed the British freighters Pacific Star and Stentor.[4]

28 October

After unsuccessful submerged daylight attacks on 28 October, U-509 sank the British freighter Nagpore and damaged the British freighter Hopecastle after sunset. U-203 sank the damaged Hopecastle before dawn.[7]

29 October

U-509 sank the British freighter Britanny during foul weather on the night of 29–30 October.[7] The British tanker Bullmouth (sailing in ballast) was damaged by U-409 and sunk by U-659.[7] The British freighter Corinaldo was damaged by both U-509 and U-659 before being sunk by U-203.[7]

30 October

Improved weather brought coordinated attacks on the night of 30–31 October. U-409 torpedoed the British freighter Silverwillow while U-604 torpedoed the British transport President Doumer and the British freighter Baron Vernon.[7] The British freighter Tasmania was damaged by U-659 and sunk by U-103.[7] The Norwegian freighter Alaska was damaged by U-510, but reached England safely with the help of newly arriving escorts.[7]

Aftermath

Long-range bombers of RAF Coastal Command arrived over the convoy on 31 October.[4] Admiral Dönitz cancelled operations on the morning of 1 November.[3] The convoy was reinforced with eleven more escorts[2] and reached Liverpool on 9 November.[5] It had suffered the greatest loss of any SL convoy,[8] but its timing focused the available U-boats in the area away from the Operation Torch convoys for the allied invasion of North Africa on 8 November 1942.[4] Some historians have suggested that the trade convoy SL 125 was an intentional tactical diversion to keep U-boats away from the loaded troop transports.[9] Eleven of the ships surviving this convoy sailed two months later with convoy ON 154, in which four of them were sunk.[10]

Ships in convoy

Name[2] Flag[2] Dead[11] Tonnage (GRT)[2] Cargo[11] Notes[2]
Alaska (1918) Norway5,681Torpedoed and damaged by U-510[12] 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) Belgium5,322
Amstelkerk (1929) Netherlands4,457 Romped 30 Oct
Anglo Maersk (1930) United Kingdom7,705Straggled 19 Oct; torpedoed by U-509 26 Oct but survived; sunk by U-604[13] 27 Oct
Baron Elgin (1933) United Kingdom3,942Detached to Funchal; survived this convoy, convoy ON 154, convoy SC 122 & convoy ONS 5
Baron Kinnaird (1927) United Kingdom3,355
Baron Vernon (1929) United Kingdom03,6425,500 tons iron oreSunk by U-604[14] 30 Oct. 0 dead. Survivors picked up by Baron Elgin
Belnor (1926) Norway2,871Joined at sea 19 Oct
Bornholm (1930) United Kingdom3,177Survived this convoy, convoy ON 154, & convoy ONS 5
Bothnia (1928) United Kingdom2,407Joined at sea 23 Oct, survived this convoy & convoy HX 228
British Ardour (1928) United Kingdom7,124Joined at sea 19 Oct as escort oiler
Brittany (1928) United Kingdom144,7727,132 tons general cargoVeteran of convoy HX 79; sunk by U-509[15] 28 Oct
Bullmouth (1927) United Kingdom507,519Ballasted tankerTorpedoed and damaged by U-409, then finally sunk by U-659[16] on 30 Oct. 50 of the 56 crew died.
Calgary (1921) United Kingdom7,206Survived this convoy & convoy ON 154
Clan Murray (1918) United Kingdom5,953
Corinaldo (1921) United Kingdom87,1315,141 tons frozen meatDamaged by both U-509 and U-659, then finally sunk by U-203[17] on 30 Oct. 8 dead. Survivors picked up by HMS Cowslip (K196)
Debrett (1940) United Kingdom6,244
Dundrum Castle (1919) United Kingdom5,259Veteran of convoy SC 42; survived this convoy & convoy ON 154
Empire Cougar (1919) United Kingdom5,758Arrived with engine defects & later survived convoy ON 154
Empire Simba (1919) United Kingdom5,691Survived this convoy & convoy ON 154
Germa (1920) Norway5,282
Guinean (1936) United Kingdom5,205
Henry Stanley (1929) United Kingdom5,026
Hopecastle (1937) United Kingdom55,1785,500 tons general cargoSunk by U-509 & U-203 29 Oct
King Edward (1919) United Kingdom5,224Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154
Lafonia (1911) United Kingdom1,961
Lynton Grange (1937) United Kingdom5,029Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154
Mano (1925) United Kingdom1,418Joined at sea 23 Oct; survived this convoy & convoy ONS 5
Marquesa (1918) United Kingdom8,979
Nagpore (1920) United Kingdom195,2831,500 tons copper & 5,500 tons general cargoCarried convoy commodore RADM Sir C N Reyne KBE; sunk by U-509 28 Oct
Pacific Star (1920) United Kingdom07,5915,037 tons refrigerated meat & general cargoSunk by U-509 27 Oct
Président Doumer (1934) United Kingdom26011,89863 passengers & general cargoTroopship. Joined at sea 19 Oct; sunk by U-604 30 Oct
San Francisco (1915) Sweden4,933
Sembilan (1922) Netherlands6,566
Silver Willow (1930) United Kingdom56,3739,000 tons general cargoSunk by U-409 30 Oct
Stentor (1926) United Kingdom446,1486,000 tons West African produceCarried convoy vice commodore Capt R H Garstin CBE RIN; sunk by U-509 27 Oct
Tasmania (1935) United Kingdom26,4058,500 tons food & ironSunk by U-103 31 Oct
Tynemouth (1940) United Kingdom3,168Veteran of convoy SC 94; survived this convoy & convoy ON 154
Ville de Rouen (1919) United Kingdom5,083Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154
Welsh Trader (1938) United Kingdom4,974
West Kebar (1920) United States5,620Detached 20 Oct
Zarian (1938) United Kingdom4,871Survived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy ON 154

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Hague 2000 p.138
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "SL convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Blair 1998 p.69
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.172
  5. 1 2 Hague 2000 p.142
  6. ↑ Edwards 1999 p.116
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Blair 1998 p.70
  8. ↑ Hague 2000 pp.141-143
  9. ↑ Edwards 1999 p.115
  10. ↑ "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  11. 1 2 Hague 2000 p.146
  12. ↑ "Alaska – Norwegian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Anglo Mærsk – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "Baron Vernon – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  15. ↑ "Brittany – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "Bullmouth – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "Corinaldo – British steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 18 November 2013.

References

  • Blair, Clay (1998). Hitler's U-Boat War The Hunted 1942–1945. Random House. ISBN 0-679-45742-9.
  • Edwards, Bernard (1999). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs. Brockhampton Press. ISBN 1-86019-927-5.
  • Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
  • Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
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