Convoy JW 56A

The convoy JW 56A was an Allied Nordmeergeleitzug, which was compiled in January 1944 in the Scottish Loch Ewe and essential war goods brought into the Soviet Murmansk. With German U- boat attacks, the Allies lost three freighters with 21,530 GRT.

Composition and assurance

The convoy JW 56A consisted of 20 cargo ships. On January 12, 1944, she left the Scottish Loch Ewe ( Lage57.83 - 5.61 ) in the direction of Murmansk ( Lage69.0933.39 ). The Western Local Escort with the destroyer HMS Inconstant, the corvettes HMS Borage, HMS Dianella, HMS Poppy, the minesweepers HMS Ready, HMS Orestes and the sloop HMS Cygnet took the fuse to Iceland. Then the Ocean Escort took over the convoy with the destroyers HMS Hardy, HMS Savage, HMS Venus, HMS Offa, HMS Obdurate, HMS Vigilant, HMS Virago and Stord ( Norwegian), and the corvettes HMS Poppy and HMS Dianella. The cruiser HMS Kent, HMS Norfolk and HMS Belfast stood ready near the convoy. From 26 January, the Eastern Local Escort secured with the Soviet destroyers Gremyashchi, Gromki and Razyarenny, the British minesweeper HMS Gleaner and HMS Speedwell and the Soviet minesweeper T -111, T -114 and T -117 the convoy to Murmansk.

Course

Due to a severe storm, the convoy on January 16, 1944 had the Icelandic port of Akureyri start where five freighters lay there for serious damage. On January 21, he continued his journey, but without the five freighters to continue. The Germans established between Bear Island and Norway on the submarine group " Isegrim ". It included the U- boats U 278, U 314, U 360, U 425, U 601, U 716, U 737, U 739 and U 965 were from 25 January, all submarines, up to U 739, at convoy and attacked. Despite repeated attacks on convoy vehicles by TV torpedoes, only damaged the destroyer HMS 360 U Obdurate. By fan attacks of U 278, U 360 and U 716 sank the Penelope Barker ( 7177 BRT), the flagship of the convoy Commodore Fort Bellingham ( 7153 BRT) and the Andrew G. Curtin (7200 BRT). The JW 56A reached on 28 January Murmansk. He lost a total of three freighters with 21,530 GRT. Nine merchant ships ran in the direction of Arkhangelsk.

HMS Norfolk (78) Dervish Convoy Convoy PQ 1 Convoy PQ 2 Convoy PQ 3 Convoy PQ 4 Convoy PQ 7 Convoy PQ 8 Convoy PQ 13 Convoy PQ 14 Convoy PQ 15 Convoy PQ 16 Convoy PQ 17 Convoy PQ 18 Operation FB Convoy JW 51B Convoy QP 14 Convoy JW 56B Convoy JW 57 Convoy JW 58
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