Operation FB
Encyclopedia
Operation FB was part of the Arctic Convoys of World War II. This operation consisted of independent sailings by unescorted transport ships between Iceland
and Murmansk
in the Autumn of 1942.
and other activity, the western allies
suspended convoys between Iceland and Murmansk in the autumn of 1942. At that time the Soviets were fighting the Germans in the battle of Stalingrad
and the suspension of the convoys caused a great deal of ill feeling among the Soviet Leadership. Woodman p
It was decided to sail single ships independently until convoys could resume. After PQ 17 in July 1942 two Russian vessels, the Frederich Engels and the Belamorkanal, sailed in late August; both reached Russia safely.
Stalin demanded further supplies and the return of Russian vessels in western ports. After PQ 18 in September it was therefore decided to let a number of ships sail independently, against normal allied naval practice.
This was Operation FB.
, leaving at roughly twelve hour intervals between 29 October and 2 November 1942. Seven British
and five American
vessels took part, departing alternately. A Soviet
ship also sailed in the same operation.
No escort was provided though a number of warships were involved. Four ASW trawler
s from Iceland were stationed along the route, and a further three from Murmansk
covered the eastern end of the voyage, a reversion to the "patrol and independent sailing" strategy of World War I
.
Three ships were forced to turn back. Five ships were sunk, and five arrived safely.
Between the end of October 1942 and January 1943 twenty-three Soviet ships sailed independently, relying on the darkness of the polar night
. All but one arrived safely, just one ship was sunk by a German warship in November.
In January 1943, again separate to the convoys of that month (JW 52 and RA 52 ), a further six Soviet ships were sailed independently. Four of these were west-bound, to Iceland; two were sunk and two arrived safely. Two others were east-bound to the Soviet Union; both arrived safely, though both were subsequently damaged in air raids.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
in the Autumn of 1942.
Background
Following the severe losses of convoys PQ 17 and PQ 18 together with demands for allied shipping and escort vessels due to Operation TorchOperation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
and other activity, the western allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
suspended convoys between Iceland and Murmansk in the autumn of 1942. At that time the Soviets were fighting the Germans in the battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
and the suspension of the convoys caused a great deal of ill feeling among the Soviet Leadership. Woodman p
It was decided to sail single ships independently until convoys could resume. After PQ 17 in July 1942 two Russian vessels, the Frederich Engels and the Belamorkanal, sailed in late August; both reached Russia safely.
Stalin demanded further supplies and the return of Russian vessels in western ports. After PQ 18 in September it was therefore decided to let a number of ships sail independently, against normal allied naval practice.
This was Operation FB.
Operation FB
A total of 13 ships sailed independently from IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, leaving at roughly twelve hour intervals between 29 October and 2 November 1942. Seven British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and five American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vessels took part, departing alternately. A Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
ship also sailed in the same operation.
No escort was provided though a number of warships were involved. Four ASW 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 from Iceland were stationed along the route, and a further three from Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
covered the eastern end of the voyage, a reversion to the "patrol and independent sailing" strategy of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Three ships were forced to turn back. Five ships were sunk, and five arrived safely.
Independent sailings
Following Operation FB a further series of independent sailings were staged by the Soviets, involving their own ships. These were separate from the Allied effort and overlapped with the resumption of the convoy cycle in December.Between the end of October 1942 and January 1943 twenty-three Soviet ships sailed independently, relying on the darkness of the polar night
Polar night
The polar night occurs when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, the polar day, or midnight sun, occurs when the sun stays above the horizon for more than 24 hours.-Description:...
. All but one arrived safely, just one ship was sunk by a German warship in November.
In January 1943, again separate to the convoys of that month (JW 52 and RA 52 ), a further six Soviet ships were sailed independently. Four of these were west-bound, to Iceland; two were sunk and two arrived safely. Two others were east-bound to the Soviet Union; both arrived safely, though both were subsequently damaged in air raids.
Operation FB, November 1942
- Chulmleigh (British) First aground 05.november, then bombed by JU-88 and HE-111, then torpedo and shelling by submarine U-625 on 6 November 1942 (Ship had already grounded on South Cape of Spitzbergen and abandoned)
- Dekabrist (USSR) bombed 4th November 1942
- Empire Gilbert(British) - submarine U-586 on 2nd November 1942
- William Clark (USA) submarine U-354 on 4th November 1942
- Empire Sky (British) by submarine U-625 on 6th November 1942
Soviet independents 1942
- Donbass (USSR) sunk by destroyer Z27Narvik class destroyerThe Zerstörer 1936A-class destroyers, or Narvik-class destroyers as they were known to the Allies, were a class of German destroyers of the Second World War...
on 7 November 1942
Independents 1943
- Krasnyy Partizan (USSR) - submarine U-255 29 January 1943
- Ufa (USSR) - submarine U-255 26 January 1943