Convoy PQ 12 explained

Conflict:Convoy PQ 12
Partof:Arctic Convoys of the Second World War
Date:1–12 March 1942
Place:Arctic Ocean
Combatant1: Royal Navy
Merchant Navy
Combatant2: Luftwaffe
Kriegsmarine

Convoy PQ 12 was an Arctic convoy sent from Reykjavík in Iceland by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It sailed 1 March 1942, reaching Murmansk on 12 March 1942 for no losse despite a sortie against it by the .

Ships

PQ 12 consisted of 16 ships under the command of the Convoy Commodore, Hubert Hudson. The Close Escort comprised the minesweeper and five whalers. These were joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort of the destroyers, (Commander J. E. H. McBeath, Senior Officer Escort) and with the cruiser . Distant cover was provided by two Heavy Cover Forces; one comprising the battleship (Vice Admiral Alban Curteis commanding), the battlecruiser and six destroyers, sailing from Reykjavík and another led by Admiral John Tovey comprising the battleship, the carrier, the cruiser and six destroyers, sailing from Scapa Flow.

Action

PQ 12 sailed from Reykjavík on 1 March 1942 with its Close Escort. It was joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort and on 6 March by the cruiser Kenya. Also at sea were the Heavy Cover Forces, Curteis from Reykjavík sailing on 3 March and Tovey from Scapa Flow on 4 March. On 5 March the convoy was sighted by a German reconnaissance aircraft and on 6 March, after obtaining permission from Hitler to do so, Tirpitz sortied from Trondheim with three destroyers as escort. This was Operation Sportpalast, and was intended to find and destroy PQ 12 and its reciprocal, QP 8, which was also at sea.

Shortly after sailing Tirpitz was sighted by the patrolling submarine and the Heavy Cover Forces, now joined, sought to bring Tirpitz to action. Over the next two days these groups of ships manoeuvred around each other without coming into contact, though on two occasions they were apart. Tirpitz had no success, though her destroyers encountered one straggler from QP 8, the freighter Ijora, and sank her. Finally on 9 March as Tirpitz headed for home, she was sighted by aircraft from Victorious and attacked, though also without success.

PQ 12 arrived at Murmansk on 12 March. No ships were lost, though the escort suffered one whaler lost, Shera, capsized by ice buildup and Oribi, damaged by pack ice. On 24 March, Lancaster Castle was dive-bombed alongside the quay in Murmansk and ten men were killed. It was towed out and moored in the river, the crew remaining on board. A few days later it was dive-bombed again and received five hits. There were no casualties but the crew moved to shore. PQ 12 provided valuable military equipment and other materials for the Soviet war effort. The distribution of equipment and supplies delivered with PQ 12 was the subject of a Soviet State Defence Committee decree.

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

+Ships convoyedNameYearFlagGRTNo.Notes
19205,61312
19226,13141Dynamo defects, did not sail
19264,68723Returned
19277,46732
19362,90043
19204,97752
19194,75642
19417,19553
19247,28633
19106,00822
19416,64551Vice-Convoy Commodore
19175,82313
19375,17263Sunk Luftwaffe Murmansk, 9 killed, 48 survivors
19374,82531
19374,82521Rear-Convoy Commodore
19323,97462
19226,13111
19405,13861

Convoy escorts

Iceland escorts

+Iceland local escortsNameFlagTypeNotes
ASW trawler1–4 March 1942
ASW trawler1–4 March 1942
ASW trawler1–4 March 1942
ASW trawler1–4 March 1942

Close cover

+Close escortNameFlagTypeNotes
Detached to convoy 6–12 March 1942
O-class destroyer4–12 March 1942
O-class destroyer4–10 March 1942
ASW whaler4–9 March 1942 capsized in storm, 3 survivors
ASW whaler4–12 March 1942
ASW whaler4–6 March 1942, lost contact
ASW whaler4–12 March 1942
ASW whaler4–11 March 1942, arrived independently

Distant cover

+Distant coverNameFlagTypeNotes
King George V-class battleship6–10 March 1942
Renown-class battlecruiser6–10 March 1942
6–11 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
9–10 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
E-class destroyer6–10 March 1942
E-class destroyer6–10 March 1942
E-class destroyer6–10 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
F-class destroyer6–10 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
F-class destroyer6–11 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
I-class destroyer10 March 1942
J-class destroyer10 March 1942
HMS LancasterTown-class destroyer10 March 1942
HMS WellsTown-class destroyer10 March 1942
V-class destroyer10 March 1942
W-class destroyer10 March 1942
Hunt-class destroyer10 March 1942
Hunt-class destroyer10 March 1942

Home Fleet

+Home FleetNameFlagTypeNotes
6–10 March 1942
6–10 March 1942
6–10 March 1942
6–10 March 1942
6–10 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
I-class destroyer6–11 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
I-class destroyer6–11 March 1942, 11–12 March sortied against Tirpitz
L-class destroyer6–11 March 1942
O-class destroyer6–10 March 1942

Murmansk escort

+Murmansk local escortNameFlagTypeNotes
Gremyaschi11–12 March 1942
4–10 March 1942
11–12 March 1942
11–12 March 1942
11–12 March 1942

Allied submarines

+Allied submarinesNameFlagTypeNotes
S-class submarine
S-class submarine
South flank convoy cover
South flank convoy cover
South flank convoy cover
South flank convoy cover
South flank convoy cover
South flank convoy cover

U-boats

U-boats
NameFlagClassNotes
Type VIIC submarine
Type VIIC submarine
Type VIIC submarine
Type VIIC submarine

German ships

References

Further reading

External links

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