Convoy Faith
Encyclopedia
Convoy Faith was an Allied
convoy of World War II
that suffered heavy casualties after being attacked by German
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
long-range bomber aircraft on the night of 11/12 July 1943. The convoy
departed Greenock
, Scotland on 8 July bound for Freetown
in Sierra Leone and comprised two troopship
s, one transport and four escorting warships. On 11 July it was attacked by three Condors, and both the troopships were sunk, resulting in the death of over 100 personnel. The surviving transport was damaged in another air attack on 12 July before she reached Casablanca
. These losses delayed the movement of a division
of West African soldiers to India.
The Allies were surprised by the attack on Convoy Faith, as they believed that the Condors no longer posed a threat to shipping. In response, the convoy route between Britain and Africa was moved to the west and other ships were allocated to transport the West African troops. The German Condor force attempted to repeat its success against Convoy Faith, but suffered heavy losses from Allied anti-aircraft guns and aircraft.
and travelling between Britain and Gibraltar
with considerable success. In response, the Allies increased the anti-aircraft armament carried by many merchant ships and developed means of providing fighter protection to convoys through CAM ship
s and escort carriers. During the last six months of 1941 these improved defences inflicted heavy losses on the Condor force, and it ceased attacking shipping in early 1942. For the remainder of this year III./KG 40 mainly operated in the reconnaissance role, reporting targets for U-boat
s to attack. A small number of attacks were made on ships travelling between Britain and Gibraltar starting in May, but these cost the unit eight Condors destroyed in action and seven in accidents for no sinkings. As a result of their vulnerability to Allied defences, the commander of the Luftwaffe's Atlantic anti-shipping force recommended that the Condors be withdrawn from service in November 1942.
III./KG 40's ability to attack Allied shipping was improved in late 1942. During the last months of the year the unit received 18 C-4 variants of the Fw 200 which were fitted with the Lotfe 7D
bombsight. This sight reduced the Condors' vulnerability to anti-aircraft fire by allowing them to bomb targets from medium altitudes; previously they had only been able to bomb accurately from low levels. Several of the unit's Condors were also fitted with surface search radar, which improved their ability to locate Allied ships. In early 1943 it was decided to use these aircraft to renew attacks on convoys travelling to Gibraltar in an attempt to disrupt the Allied buildup in the Mediterranean during the Tunisia Campaign
. These attacks began in early March and were conducted off Portugal between Lisbon
and Cape St Vincent; this area was beyond the range of Gibraltar-based fighter aircraft
, and few escort carriers were available to escort convoys. Between March and the start of July III./KG 40 sank five merchant ships and damaged another two for the loss of at least five Condors. In response, the British began to use de Havilland Mosquito
fighters to patrol the Bay of Biscay
, deployed four additional squadron
s of patrol aircraft to Gibraltar and embarked signals intelligence teams on board warships in the Bay of Biscay to monitor KG 40's radio communications.
In March 1943 the British Government decided to transfer the newly raised 81st (West Africa) Division
from West Africa to India as reinforcements for the Burma Campaign
. This unit required much more shipping space than other British divisions, as its fighting units were supported by thousands of porters
. To facilitate the division's movement, additional troop ships were assigned to the regular WS series of convoys which traveled between Britain and the Indian Ocean via West Africa and South Africa. The 81st Division's advance parties departed Freetown with Convoys WS 29 and WS 30 in April and May, and the 6th (West Africa) Brigade embarked on ships of Convoy WS 31 at Lagos
between 2 and 10 July. It was planned to move the division's two remaining brigades in convoys WS 32 and WS 33.
, Largs Bay and Tamaroa were available in Freetown to carry 8,528 of these men, and it was decided to sail SS California
directly from the Clyde
in Scotland to provide the remaining berths. After completing repairs, California began to embark 470 personnel bound for West Africa on 4 July. She was to be accompanied on this voyage by SS Duchess of York, which had been tasked with carrying 600 Royal Air Force
personnel and civilians to West Africa, but had missed an earlier convoy due to electrical problems. Prior to the ships' departure it was decided to use Duchess of York to transport elements of the 5th (West Africa) Brigade to Bombay after the ships arrived at Freetown, while California would instead carry other West African personnel to the Middle East.
California and Duchess of York sailed from Greenock on the afternoon of 7 July. Early the next day they were joined by the storeship MV Port Fairy
, which was bound for Australia and New Zealand via West Africa and the Panama Canal
. These ships were escorted by the destroyer and frigate from 9 July, and the destroyer joined the convoy the next day. The route used by this convoy was similar to that of other recent convoys sailing between Britain and Africa, though the strength of the escort force was much weaker than that assigned to the regular convoys.
On the evening of 11 July Convoy Faith was detected by a German Condor while about 480 kilometres (298.3 mi) off the Portuguese coast. During the late evening three Condors bombed the ships from an altitude of about 15000 feet (4,572 m). Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, California was badly damaged by a near miss from the first plane to attack and was hit by two bombs dropped by the second attacker. These bombs set the ship on fire and she began to sink. Californias passengers were evacuated on board lifeboats while the crew tried to save the ship, but this proved unsuccessful, and they abandoned ship later that night. The liner was subsequently torpedoed and sunk by one of the escorting destroyers at 0045 hours on 12 July.
At the same time California was fighting for her life, Duchess of York also came under attack. Several bombs hit the ship, setting her on fire. This fire could not be brought under control, and she was abandoned at 2240 hours on 11 July. HMS Douglas subsequently sank Duchess of York with a torpedo so her burning hulk did not attract German submarines to the area.
While there are differing accounts of the casualties on board the two troop ships, the official casualty figures state that 89 people were killed on board Duchess of York and 26 on board California. The survivors were rescued by the two destroyers and Moyola, including 660 by Iroquois alone. They were subsequently taken to Casablanca by the warships, from where the seamen returned to Britain and military personnel continued to West Africa on board the SS Nea Hellas.
Later that night, the frigate sailed Gibraltar
to aid the remnants of the convoy. Swale escorted the undamaged Port Fairy towards Casablanca, where the escorts were to refuel. Later on 12 July, the storeship was attacked by two Condors returning from a reconnaissance mission; she was hit on her port quarter by a 50 kg bomb, which started a fire. Two United States Navy
PBY Catalina aircraft were sent to their aid, and succeeded in driving off the Condors with machine gun fire, seriously wounding one of the aircrew . Swale came alongside Port Fairy and extinguished the fire with her hoses; Port Fairy had not suffered any casualties in this attack, and continued to Casablanca, where she was repaired.
The loss of California and Duchess of York represented a heavy blow to the Allies' already stretched fleet of large troop ships. Duchess of Yorks role was filled by Nea Hellas after she disembarked the survivors of Convoy Faith at Freetown. Nea Hellas embarked the Gold Coast elements of the 5th (West Africa) Brigade at Takoradi
from 2 August while Britannic, Tamaroa and Largs Bay embarked the remainder of the brigade at other West African ports. Convoy WS 32 sailed from Freetown on 5 August, and Nea Hellas joined it at sea two days later. The liner was left behind at Durban
due to a mechanical fault, but eventually disembarked its soldiers at Bombay in late September after sailing there as part of Convoy CM 45. The West African personnel which were to be transported to the Middle East on board California were embarked on Convoy WS 33 in September and arrived at their destination in early November.
The Germans attempted to build on their success against Convoy Faith by carrying out further medium-altitude attacks on convoys. III./KG 40 sank another four ships between July and September 1943 but suffered heavy losses from Allied aircraft and anti-aircraft guns. From October Heinkel He 177
s largely took over the Condors' anti-shipping role, and the last Condor sorties were made over the Atlantic in early 1944.
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
convoy of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
that suffered heavy casualties after being attacked by German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
long-range bomber aircraft on the night of 11/12 July 1943. The convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
departed Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland on 8 July bound for Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
in Sierra Leone and comprised two troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
s, one transport and four escorting warships. On 11 July it was attacked by three Condors, and both the troopships were sunk, resulting in the death of over 100 personnel. The surviving transport was damaged in another air attack on 12 July before she reached Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. These losses delayed the movement of a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of West African soldiers to India.
The Allies were surprised by the attack on Convoy Faith, as they believed that the Condors no longer posed a threat to shipping. In response, the convoy route between Britain and Africa was moved to the west and other ships were allocated to transport the West African troops. The German Condor force attempted to repeat its success against Convoy Faith, but suffered heavy losses from Allied anti-aircraft guns and aircraft.
Background
From August 1940 to June 1941 the German Luftwaffe unit III./KG 40 used its Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors to attack Allied shipping in the Western ApproachesWestern Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
and travelling between Britain and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
with considerable success. In response, the Allies increased the anti-aircraft armament carried by many merchant ships and developed means of providing fighter protection to convoys through CAM ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
s and escort carriers. During the last six months of 1941 these improved defences inflicted heavy losses on the Condor force, and it ceased attacking shipping in early 1942. For the remainder of this year III./KG 40 mainly operated in the reconnaissance role, reporting targets for U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s to attack. A small number of attacks were made on ships travelling between Britain and Gibraltar starting in May, but these cost the unit eight Condors destroyed in action and seven in accidents for no sinkings. As a result of their vulnerability to Allied defences, the commander of the Luftwaffe's Atlantic anti-shipping force recommended that the Condors be withdrawn from service in November 1942.
III./KG 40's ability to attack Allied shipping was improved in late 1942. During the last months of the year the unit received 18 C-4 variants of the Fw 200 which were fitted with the Lotfe 7D
Lotfernrohr 7
The Carl Zeiss Lotfernrohr 7, or Lotfe 7, was the primary bombsight used in most Luftwaffe level bombers, similar to the United States' Norden bombsight, but much simpler to operate and maintain. Several models were produced and eventually completely replaced the simpler Lotfernrohr 3 and BZG 2...
bombsight. This sight reduced the Condors' vulnerability to anti-aircraft fire by allowing them to bomb targets from medium altitudes; previously they had only been able to bomb accurately from low levels. Several of the unit's Condors were also fitted with surface search radar, which improved their ability to locate Allied ships. In early 1943 it was decided to use these aircraft to renew attacks on convoys travelling to Gibraltar in an attempt to disrupt the Allied buildup in the Mediterranean during the Tunisia Campaign
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
. These attacks began in early March and were conducted off Portugal between Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and Cape St Vincent; this area was beyond the range of Gibraltar-based fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, and few escort carriers were available to escort convoys. Between March and the start of July III./KG 40 sank five merchant ships and damaged another two for the loss of at least five Condors. In response, the British began to use de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
fighters to patrol the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, deployed four additional squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s of patrol aircraft to Gibraltar and embarked signals intelligence teams on board warships in the Bay of Biscay to monitor KG 40's radio communications.
In March 1943 the British Government decided to transfer the newly raised 81st (West Africa) Division
81st (West Africa) Division
The 81st Division was formed under British control during World War II. It took part in the Burma Campaign.-History:The inspiration for the division's formation came from General George Giffard, commander of the British Army's West Africa Command, who subsequently commanded India Command's Eastern...
from West Africa to India as reinforcements for the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. This unit required much more shipping space than other British divisions, as its fighting units were supported by thousands of porters
Porter (carrier)
A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
. To facilitate the division's movement, additional troop ships were assigned to the regular WS series of convoys which traveled between Britain and the Indian Ocean via West Africa and South Africa. The 81st Division's advance parties departed Freetown with Convoys WS 29 and WS 30 in April and May, and the 6th (West Africa) Brigade embarked on ships of Convoy WS 31 at Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
between 2 and 10 July. It was planned to move the division's two remaining brigades in convoys WS 32 and WS 33.
Attack
The 5th (West Africa) Brigade was the second of the 81st Division's brigades to be shipped from West Africa. The brigade comprised 12,000 personnel and was scheduled to depart with Convoy WS 32 on 31 July. The liners BritannicRMS Britannic (1929)
RMS Britannic was an ocean liner of the White Star Line, the company's third ship to bear the name. She was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast. She was launched on 6 August 1929. Like her running mate , Britannic was a motorship powered by diesel engines. She measured 26,943 gross tons and was ...
, Largs Bay and Tamaroa were available in Freetown to carry 8,528 of these men, and it was decided to sail SS California
SS California (1923)
SS California was a British steam-powered passenger ship of 16,792 tons built in 1923 for the Henderson Brothers Ltd, Glasgow.-Construction:...
directly from the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
in Scotland to provide the remaining berths. After completing repairs, California began to embark 470 personnel bound for West Africa on 4 July. She was to be accompanied on this voyage by SS Duchess of York, which had been tasked with carrying 600 Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
personnel and civilians to West Africa, but had missed an earlier convoy due to electrical problems. Prior to the ships' departure it was decided to use Duchess of York to transport elements of the 5th (West Africa) Brigade to Bombay after the ships arrived at Freetown, while California would instead carry other West African personnel to the Middle East.
California and Duchess of York sailed from Greenock on the afternoon of 7 July. Early the next day they were joined by the storeship MV Port Fairy
MV Port Fairy
MV Port Fairy was a UK merchant vessel built in 1928 for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd shipping company and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus...
, which was bound for Australia and New Zealand via West Africa and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. These ships were escorted by the destroyer and frigate from 9 July, and the destroyer joined the convoy the next day. The route used by this convoy was similar to that of other recent convoys sailing between Britain and Africa, though the strength of the escort force was much weaker than that assigned to the regular convoys.
On the evening of 11 July Convoy Faith was detected by a German Condor while about 480 kilometres (298.3 mi) off the Portuguese coast. During the late evening three Condors bombed the ships from an altitude of about 15000 feet (4,572 m). Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, California was badly damaged by a near miss from the first plane to attack and was hit by two bombs dropped by the second attacker. These bombs set the ship on fire and she began to sink. Californias passengers were evacuated on board lifeboats while the crew tried to save the ship, but this proved unsuccessful, and they abandoned ship later that night. The liner was subsequently torpedoed and sunk by one of the escorting destroyers at 0045 hours on 12 July.
At the same time California was fighting for her life, Duchess of York also came under attack. Several bombs hit the ship, setting her on fire. This fire could not be brought under control, and she was abandoned at 2240 hours on 11 July. HMS Douglas subsequently sank Duchess of York with a torpedo so her burning hulk did not attract German submarines to the area.
While there are differing accounts of the casualties on board the two troop ships, the official casualty figures state that 89 people were killed on board Duchess of York and 26 on board California. The survivors were rescued by the two destroyers and Moyola, including 660 by Iroquois alone. They were subsequently taken to Casablanca by the warships, from where the seamen returned to Britain and military personnel continued to West Africa on board the SS Nea Hellas.
Later that night, the frigate sailed Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to aid the remnants of the convoy. Swale escorted the undamaged Port Fairy towards Casablanca, where the escorts were to refuel. Later on 12 July, the storeship was attacked by two Condors returning from a reconnaissance mission; she was hit on her port quarter by a 50 kg bomb, which started a fire. Two United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
PBY Catalina aircraft were sent to their aid, and succeeded in driving off the Condors with machine gun fire, seriously wounding one of the aircrew . Swale came alongside Port Fairy and extinguished the fire with her hoses; Port Fairy had not suffered any casualties in this attack, and continued to Casablanca, where she was repaired.
Aftermath
The losses suffered by Convoy Faith shocked the British military, as it had been believed that the Condor force no longer posed a significant threat. The decision to use a similar route to other convoys despite the relatively weak escort contributed to the attack. In order to prevent a repetition of the attack, the convoy routes between Britain and West Africa were moved further to the west so that they were almost at the limit of the Condors' range.The loss of California and Duchess of York represented a heavy blow to the Allies' already stretched fleet of large troop ships. Duchess of Yorks role was filled by Nea Hellas after she disembarked the survivors of Convoy Faith at Freetown. Nea Hellas embarked the Gold Coast elements of the 5th (West Africa) Brigade at Takoradi
Sekondi-Takoradi
Sekondi-Takoradi, population 335,000 , comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi, is the capital of the Western Region of Ghana. It is Ghana's fourth largest city and an industrial and commercial center. The chief industries are timber, plywood, shipbuilding and railroad repair and...
from 2 August while Britannic, Tamaroa and Largs Bay embarked the remainder of the brigade at other West African ports. Convoy WS 32 sailed from Freetown on 5 August, and Nea Hellas joined it at sea two days later. The liner was left behind at Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
due to a mechanical fault, but eventually disembarked its soldiers at Bombay in late September after sailing there as part of Convoy CM 45. The West African personnel which were to be transported to the Middle East on board California were embarked on Convoy WS 33 in September and arrived at their destination in early November.
The Germans attempted to build on their success against Convoy Faith by carrying out further medium-altitude attacks on convoys. III./KG 40 sank another four ships between July and September 1943 but suffered heavy losses from Allied aircraft and anti-aircraft guns. From October Heinkel He 177
Heinkel He 177
The Heinkel He 177 Greif was the only operational long-range bomber to be operated by the Luftwaffe. Starting its existence as Germany's first purpose-built heavy bomber just before the war, and built in large numbers during World War II, it was also mistakenly tasked, right from its beginnings,...
s largely took over the Condors' anti-shipping role, and the last Condor sorties were made over the Atlantic in early 1944.