| Conflict: | Convoy JW 51B |
| Partof: | the Second World War |
| Date: | 30 December 1942 – 3 January 1943 |
| Place: | Arctic Ocean |
| Result: | British victory |
| Combatant1: |  |
| Commander1: | Robert Burnett Robert Sherbrooke R. A Melhuish John Tovey |
| Commander2: | Oskar Kummetz Hans-Jürgen Stumpff Karl Doenitz |
| Strength1: | 2 light cruisers (after 3 hours) 6 destroyers 2 corvettes 1 minesweeper 2 trawlers |
| Strength2: | 2 heavy cruisers 6 destroyers |
| Casualties1: | 250 killed 1 destroyer sunk 1 destroyer damaged 1 minesweeper sunk |
| Casualties2: | 330 killed 1 cruiser damaged 1 destroyer sunk |
Convoy JW 51B was an Arctic convoy sent from United Kingdom by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It sailed in late December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports in early January 1943.
Convoy JW 51B came under attack by German surface units, engaged in Operation Regenbogen, on 31 December. In the engagement, a British minesweeper and a British destroyer were sunk and a German destroyer were sunk; no ships were lost from the convoy in what became known as the Battle of the Barents Sea.
Convoy JW 51A consisted of 15 merchant ships which departed from Loch Ewe on 22 December 1942. Close escort was provided by the minesweeper, two corvettes and two armed trawlers. The close escort was supported by six Home Fleet destroyers led by (Captain Robert Sherbrooke). The convoy sailed with a local escort group from Britain and was joined later by a local escort group from Murmansk. A cruiser cover force comprising, and two destroyers, was also at sea, from Kola Inlet, to guard against attack by surface units. Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force from Iceland comprising the battleship, the cruiser and five destroyers.
See main article: Operation Regenbogen. Convoy JW 51B was opposed by four U-boats in a patrol line in the Norwegian Sea and the aircraft of Luftflotte 5 based in Norway. A surface force comprising the heavy cruisers, Lützow and the destroyers,,,,, was stationed at Altenfjord.
Convoy JW 51B departed Loch Ewe on 22 December 1942, accompanied by its local escort, of four destroyers, and its close escort.Three days later, on 25 December, it was joined by the ocean escort, while the local escort departed. On 27 December the convoy ran into a gale, which scattered the convoy over the next two days into several groups across a wide area. was forced to return with weather damage and five ships and two escorts had become separated. Three of the ships rejoined on 30 December, but Chester Valley, in company with the armed trawler, and another, with the destroyer Oribi, remained separated. During 30 December, Bramble detached from the main body of the convoy to search for the stragglers.
See main article: Battle of the Barents Sea. On 24 December the convoy had been sighted by a patrolling aircraft, but was lost later during the storm. On 30 December it was found again by U-354, and Operation Regenbogen began. On 31 December the German ships, in two sections, met the ocean escort of Convoy JW 51B, and after a sharp engagement, which left the minesweeper Bramble and the destroyer Achates sinking and Onslow, damaged; the attacking force was driven off. The destroyer, Eckoldt was sunk and the cruiser Hipper was damaged. No further attacks developed, and on 1 January 1943 Vizalma and her charge rejoined the convoy. On 2 January Convoy JW 51B was met by its eastern local escort, two minesweepers from Murmansk. On 3 January the main body arrived in Kola Inlet, joined the following day by Oribi and her charge.
The 15 ships of Convoy JW 51B arrived at Murmansk without loss, though one had been damaged. Despite the loss of two warships, the convoy was a success and the failure of the German surface force against the convoy caused a loss of confidence by Hitler in the German: Kriegsmarine and its commander, Admiral Erich Raeder, which led to him resigning. Thereafter, the main threat to the Allied convoy system was from U-boats.
| Name | Year | Flag | GRT | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot | 1922 |  | 6,131 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| Calobre | 1919 | | 6,891 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| Chester Valley | 1919 |  | 5,078 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| Daldorch | 1930 | 5,571 | 22 December – 4 January | ||
| Dover Hill | 1918 | 5,815 | 22 December – 4 January | ||
| 1942 | 7,031 | 22 December – 4 January | |||
| 1941 | 8,032 | 22 December – 4 January | |||
| Executive | 1920 | | 4,978 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| Jefferson Myers | 1920 | | 7,582 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| 1942 | | 7,191 | 22 December – 4 January | ||
| Pontfield | 1940 | 8,319 | 22 December – 4 January | ||
| Puerto Rican | 1919 | | 6,076 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| 1942 | | 7,176 | 22 December – 4 January | ||
| Vermont | 1919 | | 5,670 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| Yorkmar | 1919 | | 5,612 | 22 December – 4 January | |
| Name | Flag | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-class destroyer | 22–23 December | |||
| 22–25 December | ||||
| 22–25 December | ||||
| 22–25 December | ||||
| Name | Flag | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22–29 December | ||||
| 22 December – 4 January | ||||
| 22 December – 4 January | ||||
| ASW trawler | 22 December – 4 January | |||
| Northern Gem | ASW trawler | 22 December – 4 January | ||
| Name | Flag | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January | |||
| O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January | |||
| O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January | |||
| O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January | |||
| O-class destroyer | 25–31 December, separated, sailed independently | |||
| O-class destroyer | 25 December – 3 January | |||
| Name | Flag | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27–31 December, from Kola Inlet | ||||
| 27–31 December, from Kola Inlet | ||||
| M-class destroyer | 27–29 December, from Kola Inlet | |||
| O-class destroyer | 27–29 December, from Kola Inlet | |||
| Ship | Flag | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-class destroyer | ||||
| +Allied submarines | Name | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-class submarine | Patrolled vicinity Bear Island | |||
| T-class submarine | Patrolled vicinity Bear Island | |||
| T-class submarine | Patrolled vicinity Bear Island | |||
| U-class submarine | Patrolled vicinity Bear Island | |||
| T-class submarine | Norway inshore watch | |||
| S-class submarine | Norway inshore watch | |||
| U-class submarine | Norway inshore watch | |||
| Type VIIC submarine | Norway inshore watch | |||
| Norway inshore watch | ||||
| Name | Flag | Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type VIIC submarine | |||
| Type VIIC submarine | |||
| Ship | Flag | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sailed 30 December | ||||
| Lützow | Deutschland-class cruiser | Sailed 30 December | ||
| Sailed 30 December | ||||
| Sailed 30 December | ||||
| Sailed 30 December | ||||
| Sailed 30 December | ||||
| Sailed 30 December | ||||
| Sailed 30 December | ||||