Convoy PQ 12
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2010) |
Convoy PQ 12 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in March 1942, reaching Murmansk despite a sortie against it by the German battleship Tirpitz. All ships arrived safely.
Ships
PQ 12 consisted of 16 ships under the command of Commodore HT Hudson. The Close Escort comprised the minesweeper Gossamer and five whalers. These were joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort of two destroyers, Oribi, commanded by Cdr. JEH McBeath who took over as SOE, and Offa, supported by the cruiser Kenya.
Distant cover was provided by two Heavy Cover Forces; one comprising the battleship Duke of York (V. Adm. ATB Curteis commanding), the battlecruiser Renown, and six destroyers, sailing from Reykjavik, and another led by Adm. J Tovey comprising the battleship King George V, the carrier HMS Victorious, the cruiser Berwick and six destroyers, sailing from Scapa Flow.
Action
PQ 12 sailed from Reykjavik 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, V.Adm. Curteis from Reykjavik sailing on 3 March and Adm. Tovey from Scapa Flow on the 4th.
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 both PQ 12 and its reciprocal, QP 8, which was also at sea.
Shortly after sailing Tirpitz was sighted by the patrolling submarine Seawolf, and the Heavy Cover Forces, now joined together, sought to bring Tirpitz to action.
Over the next two days these groups of ships manoeuvered around each other, without coming into contact, though on two occasions they were just 60 miles apart. Tirpitz had no success, though her destroyers encounterd 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 one destroyer, Oribi, damaged by pack ice. On 24 March the Lancaster Castle was dive bombed alongside the quay in Murmansk. Eight men were killed. It was towed out and moored in the river. The crew continued to live on board. A few days later it was dive bombed again and received five direct hits. There were no casualties but the crew moved to shore.
Ships in the convoy[1]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMT Angle (FY201) |  Royal Navy
|
Escort 01 Mar - 04 Mar Anti-submarine trawler | |
| Artigas (1920) |  Panama
|
5,613 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar |
| HMS Ashanti (F51) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Ballot (1922) | Panama
|
6,131 | Dynamo Defects, Did Not Sail With Pq 12 |
| Bateau (1926) | Panama
|
4,687 | Arrived Rekyjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar, Returned |
| Beaconstreet (1927) |  United Kingdom
|
7,467 | |
| HMS Bedouin (F67) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Belomorcanal (1936) |  Soviet Union
|
2,900 | |
| HMS Berwick (65) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Capulin (1920) | Panama
|
4,977 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar |
| HMT Chiltern | Royal Navy
|
Escort 01 Mar - 04 Mar Anti-submarine trawler | |
| Dneprostroi (1919) | Soviet Union
|
4,756 | |
| HMS Duke of York (17) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Earlston (1941) | United Kingdom
|
7,195 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar |
| HMS Echo (H23) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Eclipse (H08) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| El Coston (1924) | Panama
|
7,286 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar |
| El Occidente (1910) | Panama
|
6,008 | |
| Empire Byron (1941) | United Kingdom
|
6,645 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar
Vice Commodore’s Ship |
| HMS Eskimo (F75) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Faulknor (H62) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Fury (H76) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 11 Mar | |
| HMS Gossamer[2] | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Gremyaschi | Soviet Union
|
Escort 11 Mar - 12 Mar | |
| HMS Grove (L77) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Harrier | Royal Navy
|
Escort 11 Mar - 12 Mar | |
| HMS Hussar | Royal Navy
|
Escort 11 Mar - 12 Mar | |
| HMS Icarus (D03) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 11 Mar | |
| HMS Inconstant (H49) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Intrepid (D10) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 11 Mar | |
| HMS Javelin (F61) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Kenya (14) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 12 Mar | |
| Kiev (1917) | Soviet Union
|
5,823 | Position probable but not definite |
| HMS King George V (41) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Lancaster (G05) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Lancaster Castle (1937) | United Kingdom
|
5,172 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar Lost In Russia |
| HMS Ledbury (L90) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Llandaff (1937) | United Kingdom
|
4,825 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar Capt H T Hudson RD RNR (Commodore) |
| HMS Lookout (G32) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 11 Mar | |
| Navarino (1937) | United Kingdom
|
4,841 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar |
| HMT Notts County (FY250) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 01 Mar - 04 Mar Anti-submarine trawler | |
| HMS Offa (G29) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 12 Mar | |
| HMS Onslow (G17) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Oribi (G66) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Punjabi | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 11 Mar | |
| HMS Renown | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Sevzaples (1932) | Soviet Union
|
3,974 | |
| HMS Shera (FY1724) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 09 Mar ASW whaler | |
| HMS Shusa (FY1702) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 12 Mar ASW whaler | |
| HMS Speedwell | Royal Navy
|
Escort 11 Mar - 12 Mar | |
| HMS Stefa | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 12 Mar ASW whaler | |
| HMS Stella Capella | Royal Navy
|
Escort 01 Mar - 04 Mar ASW trawler | |
| Stone Street (1922) | Panama
|
6,131 | |
| HMS Sulla (FY1874) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 12 Mar ASW whaler | |
| HMS Svega (FY294) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 04 Mar - 12 Mar ASW whaler | |
| HMS Tartar (F43) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 09 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| Temple Arch (1940) | United Kingdom
|
5,138 | Arrived Reykjavik 27 Feb, Sailed 1 Mar |
| HMS Verdun (L93) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Victorious (R38) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 06 Mar - 10 Mar Aircraft carrier | |
| HMS Wells | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar | |
| HMS Woolston | Royal Navy
|
Escort 10 Mar - 10 Mar |
Notes
- ^ "Convoy PQ.12". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "HMS Gossamer 1942". HALCYON CLASS - MINESWEEPERS AND SURVEY SHIPS OF WORLD WAR TWO. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
References
- Clay Blair : Hitler's U-Boat War Vol I (1996) ISBN 0-304-35260-8
- Paul Kemp : Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters (1993) ISBN 1-85409-130-1
- Bernard Schofield : (1964) The Russian Convoys BT Batsford ISBN (none)
- PQ 12 at Convoyweb