Convoy HX-79
Encyclopedia
HX 79 was a North Atlantic convoy
of the HX series
which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II
.
It suffered major losses from a U-boat
attack, and, with the attack on convoy SC 7
the previous day, represents the worst two days shipping losses in the entire Atlantic campaign.
on the 8 October 1940 making for Liverpool
with war materials.
On 19 October, 4 days from landfall, HX 79 was entering the Western Approaches
, and had caught up with the position of SC 7, which was under attack.
The escort for the crossing had been meagre, being provided by two Armed Merchant Cruisers against the possibility of attack by a surface raider, but even these had departed when HX 79 was sighted by , commanded by submarine ace KL Günther Prien
.
At this point HX 79 was unescorted; Prien sent a sighting report and set to shadowing the convoy, while Donitz ordered the pack to assemble.
Those U-boats which had attacked SC 7 and were still able to fight (three had departed to re-arm, having spent all their torpedoes) were directed to the scene.
Four did so, (Joachim Schepke
), (Engelbert Endrass
), (Heinrich Bleichrodt
) and (Heinrich Liebe
) joining U-47 during the day.
However the Admiralty
, Concerned by the fate of SC 7 and anticipating an attack, rushed reinforcements to the scene; throughout the day a large escort force of 11 warships also arrived to provide cover.
This consisted of destroyer
s , ; corvette
s , , , and ; and armed naval trawler
s, a minesweeper
and a submarine
.
Over the next six hours, 13 ships were torpedoed; 6 by U-47 alone (4 of which were sunk). 10 ships were sunk from the convoy, and 2 stragglers were lost later in the day. These were Shirak, which had been torpedoed in the night, and Loch Lomond, sailing with the convoy as a rescue ship.
Another, Athelmonarch, was damaged but was able to make port.
HX 79 had lost 12 ships out of 49, a total tonnage of .
None of the attacking U-boats were damaged.
Altogether, the 18th and 19 October 1940 constitute the worst days shipping losses of the war.
The escorts had arrived singly, being dispatched as and when available, this being the common practice at the time. Command of the escort force fell to the senior officer present, and could change as each new ship arrived. Any tactical arrangements had to be made on the spot, and communicated by signal lamp
to each ship in turn.
Finally, the presence of an allied submarine was less than helpful; O-14 had no targets, and was twice attacked by mistake by other escorts.
The failure of such a substantial escort led to a number of changes in escort policy. The first to take effect was the formation of escort groups, collections of escort ships that would operate together, under defined leadership. This would allow the development of consistent tactics, and teamwork, and an increasing effectiveness.
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...
of the HX series
HX convoys
The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom...
which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in 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...
.
It suffered major losses from a 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...
attack, and, with the attack on convoy SC 7
Convoy SC-7
SC-7 was the code name for a large Allied World War II convoy of 35 merchant ships and six escorts which sailed eastbound from Sydney, Nova Scotia for Liverpool and other United Kingdom ports on 5 October 1940. While crossing the Atlantic, the convoy was intercepted by one of the German Navy's...
the previous day, represents the worst two days shipping losses in the entire Atlantic campaign.
Prelude
HX 79 was an east-bound convoy of 49 ships which sailed from HalifaxHalifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
on the 8 October 1940 making for Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
with war materials.
On 19 October, 4 days from landfall, HX 79 was entering the Western Approaches
Western 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 had caught up with the position of SC 7, which was under attack.
The escort for the crossing had been meagre, being provided by two Armed Merchant Cruisers against the possibility of attack by a surface raider, but even these had departed when HX 79 was sighted by , commanded by submarine ace KL Günther Prien
Günther Prien
Lieutenant Commander Günther Prien was one of the outstanding German U-boat aces of the first part of the Second World War, and the first U-boat commander to win the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Under Prien's command, the submarine sank over 30 Allied ships totaling about...
.
At this point HX 79 was unescorted; Prien sent a sighting report and set to shadowing the convoy, while Donitz ordered the pack to assemble.
Those U-boats which had attacked SC 7 and were still able to fight (three had departed to re-arm, having spent all their torpedoes) were directed to the scene.
Four did so, (Joachim Schepke
Joachim Schepke
Lieutenant-Commander Joachim Schepke was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was the seventh recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded by the Third Reich to recognise extreme...
), (Engelbert Endrass
Engelbert Endrass
Lieutenant Engelbert Endrass was a German U-boat commander in World War II. He commanded the Type VIIB U-boat and the Type VIIC , sinking twenty-two ships on ten patrols, for a total of 118,528 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 23rd highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II...
), (Heinrich Bleichrodt
Heinrich Bleichrodt
Lieutenant Commander Heinrich Bleichrodt was one of the most successful German U-boat commander of the Second World War. From October 1939 until retiring from front line service in December 1943, he sank 25 ships for a total of . For this he received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, among other...
) and (Heinrich Liebe
Heinrich Liebe
Commander Heinrich Liebe was a highly decorated German naval officer who served as a U-boat commander during World War II until transferred to Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine . He sank 34 ships for a total of , placing him fourth on the Aces of the Deep list...
) joining U-47 during the day.
However the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, Concerned by the fate of SC 7 and anticipating an attack, rushed reinforcements to the scene; throughout the day a large escort force of 11 warships also arrived to provide cover.
This consisted of destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s , ; corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s , , , and ; and armed naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
s, a minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
and a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
.
Action
Undeterred by their presence however, the pack attacked as night fell; using the darkness to cover an approach on the surface, Prien penetrated the escort screen from the south to attack from within the convoy, while Endrass (who had learned his trade as Prien’s 1st officer), did the same from the north.Over the next six hours, 13 ships were torpedoed; 6 by U-47 alone (4 of which were sunk). 10 ships were sunk from the convoy, and 2 stragglers were lost later in the day. These were Shirak, which had been torpedoed in the night, and Loch Lomond, sailing with the convoy as a rescue ship.
Another, Athelmonarch, was damaged but was able to make port.
HX 79 had lost 12 ships out of 49, a total tonnage of .
None of the attacking U-boats were damaged.
The blackest days
Of the 63 ships lost in October 1940, more than half (32 ships) were lost from SC 7 and HX 79; and most of those (28 ships) on just two days.Altogether, the 18th and 19 October 1940 constitute the worst days shipping losses of the war.
Conclusion
Despite the strength of the escort, it was ineffective; the ships were un-co-ordinated, being unused to working together, and having no common battle plan or tactics.The escorts had arrived singly, being dispatched as and when available, this being the common practice at the time. Command of the escort force fell to the senior officer present, and could change as each new ship arrived. Any tactical arrangements had to be made on the spot, and communicated by signal lamp
Signal lamp
A signal lamp is a visual signaling device for optical communication . Modern signal lamps are a focused lamp which can produce a pulse of light...
to each ship in turn.
Finally, the presence of an allied submarine was less than helpful; O-14 had no targets, and was twice attacked by mistake by other escorts.
The failure of such a substantial escort led to a number of changes in escort policy. The first to take effect was the formation of escort groups, collections of escort ships that would operate together, under defined leadership. This would allow the development of consistent tactics, and teamwork, and an increasing effectiveness.