Arctic Convoys

Arctic Convoys

21 Aug 1941 - 30 May 1945

ww2dbaseTo better maintain a pressure on the eastern border of Germany, the Soviet Union demanded a great amount of war supplies from the Anglo-Americans, which were readily supplies. While some goods were delivered via eastern Russia and through Persia, the most efficient route was by sea to the two far northern Russian ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. The first Anglo-Soviet link-up of naval forces took place on 31 Jul 1941 when Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny made rendezvous with British minelayer HMS Adventure near the Gorodetski lighthouse at the entrance to the White Sea in northern Russia. Before a month's time, Soviet destroyers were escorting in the first supply convoy, uniquely codenamed Dervish, into the Dvina River, which led to Arkhangelsk. Starting in Sep 1941, the convoys were codenamed in numerical sequence, with the prefix "PQ" denoting supply-laden convoys sailing from Iceland (with a few from Scotland, United Kingdom), and "QP" denoting returning convoys, either sailing in ballast or with passengers (generally survivors of sunken merchant ships, British servicemen, and Soviet diplomats). Sailing through the northern waters was not an easy task, as the waters of the Barents Sea as well as the neighboring Norwegian Sea and Kara Sea were known for unpredictable storms. The cold temperature in the arctic region also posed a risk in that sea splashes slowly formed a layer of ice on the decks of ships, which over time, if not tended to, could weigh so much that ships would become top-heavy and capsize. Of course, given the state of war, the German military also posed a great danger by means of surface warships, submarines, and aircraft. The threats, natural or otherwise, endangered the merchant ships throughout the entire length of the supply route. British destroyer HMS Matabele and Soviet trawler RT-68 Enisej of convoy PQ-8 were sunk by German submarine U-454 at the mouth of the Kola Inlet near the very end of their trip, British whaler HMS Sulla of PQ-9 capsized from ice build-up three days into her journey in the Norwegian Sea, while PQ-15 suffered the loss of three merchant ships on 2 May 1942 to German torpedo bomber attacks north of Norway.

ww2dbaseOf the PQ and QP series of convoys, PQ-17 suffered particularly heavy losses. It had an inauspicious start when a ship became grounded upon leaving Hvalfjörður north of Reykjavik, Iceland while another became damaged by floating ice in the Denmark Strait. The remaining 33 merchant ships, supported by a tanker and escorted by the usual array of destroyers, anti-aircraft vessels, corvettes, minesweepers, and trawlers were attacked by large formations of German torpedo bombers while two heavy cruisers, Lützow and Admiral Scheer, with supporting destroyers set sail to intercept. To deal with the surface threat, PQ-17 was ordered to scatter and the escorts ordered to return to Iceland, and the resulting small groups of merchant ships were picked off along the way for the next week. By the time the first of the PQ-17 merchant ships began to arrive at Arkhangelsk, 24 of them, about 60% of the convoy, were lost. 64,000 metrics tons of war goods went to the bottom of the sea with them. The heavy losses of PQ-17 were criticized, but convoying through this northern route would continue, albeit paused for the remainder of the summer of 1942, waiting for daylight hours to shorten. When the Soviets complained of this pause, a special convoy of US and UK warships were dispatched to deliver some goods in Jul and Aug.

ww2dbaseWhile PQ-17 stood out as one of the more disastrous missions, many of the other 77 arctic convoy missions suffered losses as well, including the later JW and RA series of convoys that ran between Dec 1942 and the end of the European War in May 1945. In total, 104 Allied merchant ships were sunk with the arctic convoys, along with 18 warships; 829 merchant mariners and 1,944 navy personnel were killed aboard them. The Soviet Union lost 30 merchant ships and an unknown number of personnel. In the attempt to disrupt the convoys, the Germans lost 5 surface warships, 31 submarines, and many aircraft.

ww2dbaseThe direct impact of these convoys was in the realm of supply and logistics, but they played a role in shaping the military strategy of the Battle of the Atlantic as well. Realizing the need to eliminate this source of supply of tanks, aircraft, ammunition, and other weapons and equipment for the Soviet forces, German Navy (Kriegsmarine) and German Air Force (Luftwaffe) had to deploy significant portions of their strengths in Norway to intercept these convoys, including major surface warships such as, but not limited to, Tirpitz, Lützow, and Admiral Scheer (and thus an array of escorting destroyers and supply ships) and aircraft, all of which could otherwise be used in battles raging on elsewhere in Europe. British and American navies had to make similar military commitments as well, at a time when trans-Atlantic convoys, the Pacific War, and the invasion of North Africa all competed for air and naval resources.

ww2dbaseSources:
Michael Walling, Forgotten Sacrifice
Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Nov 2012

Arctic Convoys Interactive Map

Photographs

Ice forming on a 20-inch signal projector on the cruiser HMS Sheffield while escorting a convoy in the Norwegian Sea or Barents Sea, Dec 1941

British cruiser HMS Trinidad escorting an Allied Arctic convoy, seen from HMS Fury, 1942

US and British ships gathering in Hvalfjörður, Iceland in preparation of a convoy, date unknown

Albacore aircraft of No. 820 Squadron, British Fleet Air Arm taking off from HMS Victorious, which was on distant cover for Arctic convoys, Mar 1942

See all 14 photographs of Arctic Convoys

Arctic Convoys Timeline

31 Jul 1941	Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny made rendezvous with British minelayer HMS Adventure near the Gorodetski lighthouse at the entrance to the White Sea in northern Russia.
1 Aug 1941	British minelayer HMS Adventure arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia and delivered a supply of naval mines.
8 Aug 1941	Soviet destroyer Valerian Kuibyshev made rendezvous with British submarine HMS Tigris off northern Russia.
21 Aug 1941	The first Allied Arictic convoy, codenamed Dervish, set sail from Hvalfjörður, Iceland for Arhangelsk, Russia.
22 Aug 1941	Soviet passenger ship Pomorie hit a mine and sank in the White Sea in northern Russia; 60 were killed, 20 survived.
30 Aug 1941	Soviet destroyers Grozny, Oritsky, and Kuibyshev escorted the Allied convoy Dervish into the Dvina River and on to Arkhangelsk, Russia. Crewmen of the merchant ships of this first Allied convoy to arrive in Arkhangelsk reported poor cooperation from the Soviets. No stevedores were found so the crewmen attempted to unload the cargo themselves, only to be stopped by Soviet armed guards because they did not have the proper passes to step onto the shore; the situation was only improved after the arrival of higher ranking Soviet officers later in the day.
28 Sep 1941	Allied convoy QP-1, which was consisted of 14 British and Soviet merchant ships escorted by British cruiser HMS London and four minesweepers, departed Arkhangelsk, Russia at about 1200 hours for Britain.
29 Sep 1941	Allied convoy PQ-1 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.
9 Oct 1941	Allied convoy QP-1 arrived at Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
10 Oct 1941	Allied convoy QP-1, which was consisted of 14 British and Soviet merchant ships escorted by British cruiser HMS London and four minesweepers, from Arkhangelsk, Russia arrived at Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
11 Oct 1941	Allied convoy PQ-1, consisted of 11 merchant ships escorted by 7 British warships, arrived in Arkhangelsk, Russia.
13 Oct 1941	Allied convoy PQ-2 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
30 Oct 1941	Allied convoy PQ-2 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.
3 Nov 1941	Allied convoy QP-2 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia.
16 Nov 1941	Allied convoy PQ-3 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland in stormy weather.
17 Nov 1941	Allied convoy QP-2 arrived at Kirkwall, Scotland, United Kingdom and convoy PQ-4 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.
20 Nov 1941	One of the ships of Allied convoy PQ-3 struck an iceberg and another developed mechanical problems; both were turned back toward Iceland.
22 Nov 1941	Allied convoy PQ-3 crossed the Arctic Circle west of Norway. Later in the same day, German Stuka dive bombers attacked the convoy without success; two dive bombers were lost during the mission.
27 Nov 1941	Allied convoy QP-3 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia and convoy PQ-5 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.
28 Nov 1941	Allied convoy PQ-4 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.
3 Dec 1941	Dispersed ships of Allied convoy QP-3 began to arrive in Allied waters.
8 Dec 1941	Allied convoy PQ-6 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.
10 Dec 1941	Russian ship Kuzbass and tug Arcos, Stragglers of Allied convoy QP-3, were found by Soviet ice breaker Fyodor Litke, rescue ship Squall, and Soviet patrol ship SKR-19 at 0900 hours.
13 Dec 1941	Allied convoy PQ-5 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.
17 Dec 1941	British minesweepers HMS Hazard and HMS Speedy, in escort of Allied convoy PQ-6 30 miles north of Cape Gorodetski in northern Russia, were attacked by German destroyers Z23, Z24, Z25, and Z27; Speedy was hit 4 times (2 were killed) and was forced to turn back.
20 Dec 1941	Allied convoy PQ-6 arrived at Murmansk, Russia.
26 Dec 1941	Allied convoy PQ-7a departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland. Russian ship Kuzbass, straggler of Allied convoy QP-3, arrived at Iokanka, Russia under tow by Soviet icebreaker Fyodor Litke.
29 Dec 1941	Allied convoy QP-4 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia.
31 Dec 1941	Allied convoy PQ-7b departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.
2 Jan 1942	German submarine U-134 sank British freighter Waziristan of Allied convoy PQ-7A; Waziristan was already damaged by German aircraft at the time of this attack; all 47 aboard were killed.
8 Jan 1942	Allied convoy PQ-8 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.
9 Jan 1942	Dispersed ships of ALlied convoy QP-4 began to arrive in Allied waters.
11 Jan 1942	Allied convoy PQ-7b arrived at Murmansk, Russia.
12 Jan 1942	Allied convoy PQ-7a arrived at Murmansk, Russia.
13 Jan 1942	Allied convoy QP-5 departed Murmansk, Russia.
15 Jan 1942	USS Wichita collided with US freighter West Nohno and British trawler HMS Ebor Wyke and was grounded near Hrafneyri Lighthouse in poor weather in northern Russia.
16 Jan 1942	At Murmansk, HMS CUMBERLAND, Embarked Foreign Secretary, Sir Stafford Cripps, for return passage to UK and escorted return Convoy QP5 from Murmansk, Russia with HM Destroyers ICARUS and TARTAR.
17 Jan 1942	German submarine U-454 attacked Allied convoy PQ-8 20 miles off the Kola Inlet in northern Russia at 2221 hours, sinking British Tribal-class destroyer HMS Matabele (under Commander A. C. Stafford; 236 were killed, 2 survived), sinking Soviet trawler RT-68 Enisej, and damaging British merchant ship Harmatris (civilian convoy commodore's flagship). Later in the day, surviving ships of PQ-8 arrived in Murmansk, Russia.
19 Jan 1942	Dispersed ships of Allied convoy QP-5 began to arrive in Allied waters.
19 Jan 1942	HMS Cumberland resumed Home Fleet duties after arrival from Murmansk, Russia.
24 Jan 1942	Allied convoy QP-6 departed Murmansk, Russia.
25 Jan 1942	British merchant ship Harmatris, the civilian convoy commodore's flagship of Allied convoy PQ-8, damaged by German submarine U-454 on 17 Jan 1942, arrived at Kola in northern Russia in tow by two tugs.
28 Jan 1942	Dispersed ships of Allied convoy QP-6 began to arrive in Allied waters.
1 Feb 1942	Allied convoys PQ-9 and PQ-10 departed Reykjavík, Iceland together.
7 Feb 1942	Allied convoy PQ-11 departed Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
10 Feb 1942	Allied convoys PQ-9 and PQ-10 arrived at Murmansk, Russia together.
12 Feb 1942	Allied convoy QP-7 departed Murmansk, Russia.
14 Feb 1942	Allied convoy PQ-11 departed Kirkwall, Scotland, United Kingdom.
15 Feb 1942	Dispersed ships of Allied convoy QP-7 began to arrive in Allied waters.
22 Feb 1942	Allied convoy PQ-11 arrived at Murmansk, Russia.
1 Mar 1942	Allied convoy PQ-12 departed Reykjavík, Iceland and convoy QP-8 departed Murmansk, Russia.
3 Mar 1942	Soviet transport Kiev fell out of Allied convoy PQ-12 in poor weather.
4 Mar 1942	Light cruiser HMS Sheffield (Captain A. W. Clarke, RN) was mined off Iceland. She was under repair until Jul 1942.
6 Mar 1942	Merchant ship El Occidente and Soviet anti-submarine whaler Stefa fell out of Allied convoy PQ-12 in poor weather.
7 Mar 1942	The 2,815-ton Russian passenger-cargo vessel Ijora went missing near the Kola Inlet. It was reported to have been sunk by the German destroyer Friedrich Ihn during operations against Convoy QP-8.
8 Mar 1942	German battleship Tirpitz and escorting destroyers got as close as 60 miles from Allied convoy PQ-12 but poor weather prevented the Germans from realizing this fact. German destroyer Friedrich Ihn, however, did catch sight of old Russian coal-burning merchant ship Izhora (commanded by Vasily Belov), a straggler of the convoy, and promptly sank her at 1715 hours; only 1 person survived this sinking. In the evening, Admiral Otto Ciliax turned his fleet back toward its home port.
9 Mar 1942	British anti-submarine whaler HMS Shera, escorting Allied convoy PQ-12, capsized possibly due to being top-heavy from heavy ice build-up and having low levels of fuel, although the weather was not particularly bad on this date; only 3 of those aboard survived the sinking.
10 Mar 1942	Soviet transport Kiev and merchant ship El Occidente, both of which fell out of Allied convoy PQ-12 several days prior, arrived at Iokanka, Russia.
11 Mar 1942	Merchant ship Sevaples fell out of Allied convoy PQ-12 in poor weather. Allied convoy QP-8 arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland.
12 Mar 1942	Allied convoy PQ-12 arrived at Murmansk, Russia.
13 Mar 1942	Merchant ship Sevaples and Soviet anti-submarine whaler Stefa, both of which fell out of Allied convoy PQ-12 several days prior, found each other while at sea as Sevaples was being attacked by a German aircraft; Stefa shot down the German attacker.
14 Mar 1942	Adolf Hitler ordered the German naval and air forces to focus on hitting the Allied Arctic convoys.
21 Mar 1942	Allied convoy PQ-13, consisted of 19 merchant ships, set sail from Reykjavík, Iceland, with 1 destroyer and 5 trawlers in escort.
22 Mar 1942	Allied convoy QP-9, consisted of 19 merchant ships, departed Murmansk, Russia with cruiser HMS Nigeria, destroyer HMS Offa, and 2 minesweepers in close escort.
24 Mar 1942	Minesweeper HMS Sharpshooter, escorting Allied convoy QP-9, spotted German submarine U-655 in a distance; she forced the submarine to surface by depth charges, rammed, and sank her; all 47 aboard U-655 were killed.
25 Mar 1942	Allied convoy PQ-9 ran into a storm west of Norway; ice accumulated on British whaler/minesweeper HMS Sulla (FY1874), causing her to gain too much top weight, eventually capsizing her; all 21 aboard were killed.
26 Mar 1942	Allied convoy PQ-14 departed Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom.
28 Mar 1942	In the morning, German submarine U-209 attacked Polish ship Tobruk of Allied convoy PQ-13 with all torpedoes missing the target; the convoy escorts counterattacked with depth charges with similar dismal results. Later in the day, German aircraft attacked the same convoy and sank British ship Empire Ranger and damaged Panamanian merchant ship Raceland (which would eventually sink at 2230 hours). In the evening, German destroyers Z24, Z25, and Z26 departed Kirkenes in far northern Norway to hunt for ships of the PQ-13; 61 of Empire Ranger's survivors were rescued by German destroyer Z24 at 2245 hours, but many other survivors died in the freezing water.
29 Mar 1942	German destroyer Z26 sank Panamanian ship Bateau of Allied convoy PQ-13 in the Barents Sea shortly after 0000 hours; 37 were killed, 6 survived. At 0943 hours, British cruiser HMS Trinidad spotted Z26 along with Z24 and Z25, hitting Z26 with gunfire; at 1024 hours, HMS Trinidad was hit by a torpedo that she fired and circled around, killing 31. At 1032 hours, British destroyer HMS Eclipse continued the attack, hitting Z26 with 6 more shells; at 1120 hours, Z24 and Z25 coordinated an attack on HMS Eclipse, hitting her with two shells, killing 23. Shortly after, Z26 sank from the heavy damage. 243 of those aboard Z26 were killed, 96 survived; 88 of the survivors were picked up by Z24 and Z25, while German submarine U-376 picked up the remaining 8. HMS Trinidad was given temporary repairs in Murmansk, Russia and sailed for home on 13 May 1942.
30 Mar 1942	German submarines U-209 and U-376 attacked British Induna of Allied convoy PQ-13 at 0552 hours (41 survived the sinking, but 11 would die in the freezing water and 2 more would die in the hospital after being rescued); U-209's attack failed, but U-376 would sink Induna at 0807 hours; 38 were killed, 28 survived. At 1035 hours, U-456 and U-435 also attacked the convoy, stopping US transport Effingham; 2 were killed, 41 survived (some of the survivors would die of exposure before being rescued); the transport was scuttled by U-435 at 1219 hours.
30 Mar 1942	German submarine U-585 probably struck one of the many mines that drifted from the German defensive barrage Bantos-A in the Barents Sea on this day.
31 Mar 1942	Surviving ships of Allied convoy PQ-13 began to arrive at Murmansk, Russia after several attacks by German destroyers, submarines, and aircraft.
3 Apr 1942	Allied convoy QP-9 arrived at Reykjavik, Iceland without any losses. At Murmansk, Russia, German aircraft sank British merchant ship Empire Starlight, British merchant ship New Westminster City, and Polish merchant ship Tobruk; Soviet ship was also damaged in the attack.
8 Apr 1942	Allied convoy PQ-14 departed Reykjavík, Iceland; it was consisted of 24 merchant ships, escorted by 2 minesweepers and 3 anti-submarine trawlers.
10 Apr 1942	Allied convoy PQ-14 found itself scattered shortly after dawn after a stormy night; 16 ships decided to return to Iceland while 8 ships sailed on for Russia. On the same day, Allied convoy QP-10 departed Murmansk, Russia; it was consisted of 16 merchant ships, escorted by 5 destroyers, 3 corvettes, 1 minesweeper, and 2 trawlers; QP-10 was almost immediately detected by German aircraft. Far to the west, PQ-15 departed Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom.
11 Apr 1942	German Ju 88 aircraft attacked Allied convoy QP-10, damaging ship Stone Street and sinking British ship Empire Cowper (19 were killed); a heavy snow storm prevented the Germans from launching another air attack on the Arctic convoy.
13 Apr 1942	German submarines attacked Allied convoy QP-10 150 miles north of Norway; U-436 sank Russian merchant ship Kiev at 1300 hours (6 were killed, 62 survived), and U-435 sank Panamanian ship El Occidente at 1329 hours (20 were killed, 21 survived).
14 Apr 1942	A German Fw 200 Condor aircraft located Allied convoy QP-10 at dawn; 20 Ju 88 aircraft attacked at 0600 hours, damaging the rudder of British freighter Harpalion (she would be scuttled shortly after) at the cost of 4 aircraft shot down.
15 Apr 1942	Allied convoy PQ-14, how down to 6 cargo ships and 2 tankers, was spotted by a German BV 138 flying boat. Later in the day, Fw 200 Condor aircraft relieved the BV 138 aircraft in keeping track of this convoy. They called in several air attacks, but none of them succeeded in sinking any ships.
16 Apr 1942	German submarine U-403 fired 5 torpedoes at Allied convoy PQ-14 and made 2 hits on the civilian commodore's ship Empire Howard 200 miles north of Norway at 1245 hours; 29 were killed, 37 survived. Many of victims were killed by depth charges meant to hit U-403. Captain W. H. Lawrence of merchant ship Briarwood took over the civilian commodore role as his predecessor E. Rees was also killed.
17 Apr 1942	Soviet destroyers Sokrushitelny and Gremyashchy were transferred from Allied convoy QP-10 to convoy PQ-14 at 0430 hours.
19 Apr 1942	The 7 surviving ships of Allied convoy PQ-14 arrived at Murmansk, Russia.
21 Apr 1942	Allied convoy QP-10 arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland.
26 Apr 1942	Allied convoy PQ-15, consisted of 24 merchant ships, 1 fleet auxiliary oiler, and 2 icebreakers departed Reykjavík, Iceland for Murmansk, Russia with 4 destroyers, 1 corvette, 3 minesweepers, 4 trawlers, 1 catapult aircraft merchantman, and 1 anti-aircraft ship in escort.
28 Apr 1942	Allied convoy PQ-15, which had departed Iceland two days prior, was joined by British battleship HMS King George V, American battleship USS Washington, British aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers, and 4 submarines for its journey toward Murmansk, Russia; the convoy was spotted by German aircraft 200 miles northwest of Tromsø, Norway. On the same day, returning convoy QP-11 departed Kola Inlet in northern Russia; it was consisted of 13 merchant ships and was escorted by 6 destroyers, 4 corvettes, 1 trawler, and 4 minesweepers.
29 Apr 1942	4 minesweepers departed from the close escort force of Allied convoy QP-11 off northern Russia; later on the same day, the convoy was spotted by a German Ju 88 aircraft.
30 Apr 1942	A German Fw 200 Condor aircraft spotted Allied convoy PQ-15 250 miles southwest of Bear Island, Norway.
1 May 1942	Four Ju 88 aircraft attacked Allied convoy QP-11 at 0540 hours 150 miles southeast of Bear Island, Norway; all torpedoes missed. At 1345 hours, German destroyers Z7 Hermann Schoemann, Z24, and Z25 were sighted; the first round of the exchange of torpedoes by QP-11 and the Allied escorts at 1407 hours all missed, but a shortly after British destroyer HMS Amazon was hit by gunfire and Russian freighter Tsiolkovsky was sunk by torpedo. Through 1742 hours, the German destroyed attempted to close in five more times, but they were not successful; they broke off after 1742 hours to pursue HMS Edinburgh in the direction of Murmansk, Russia. Elsewhere, six German Ju 88 bombers attacked Allied convoy PQ-15 west of Norway at 2200 hours without success, losing one aircraft in the process.
2 May 1942	British destroyer HMS St Albans and minesweeper HMS Seagull, while escorting Allied convoy PQ-15, attacked an ASDIC contact 200 miles northwest of Tromsø, Norway at 1950 hours. As the target surfaced, she turned out to be Polish submarine Jastrzab, which suffered serious damage and 5 killed. The submarine was written off and scuttled shortly after the 35 survivors were taken off. Also on this day, German torpedo bombers attacked PQ-15, sinking freighters Cape Corso, Jutland, and Botavon.
3 May 1942	Six He 111 aircraft of German Luftwaffe unit I./KG 26 from the airfield at Bardufoss, Norway attacked Allied convoy PQ-15 between North Cape and Bear Island (Bjørnøya), sinking ships Botavon (20 were killed), Jutland, and Cape Corso (all 50 aboard were killed) at 0127 hours; the convoy recorded 3 German aircraft shot down, but KG 26 records showed only 1 loss. At 2230 hours, another air attack came upon PQ-15, damaging the ship Cape Palliser while one Ju 88 aircraft was shot down; the arrival of Soviet Pe-3 aircraft drove off the rest of the German attackers.
4 May 1942	Soviet destroyers Sokrushitelny and Gremyashchy made rendezvous with Allied convoy PQ-15.
5 May 1942	Soviet patrol ship Rubin, Soviet patrol ship Brilliant, British minesweeper Harrier, British minesweeper Niger, and British minesweeper Gossamer set sail from Polyarny, Russia; they made rendezvous with Allied convoy PQ-15 in the Kola Inlet at 2300 hours.
7 May 1942	Allied convoy QP-11 arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland at 0700 hours.
13 May 1942	HMS Trinidad departed Murmansk, Russia, escorted by 4 destroyers.
14 May 1942	A German Fw 200 Condor aircraft discovered Trinidad off northern Russia at 0730 hours; at 1852 hours, two BV 138 aircraft relieved the Fw 200 aircraft in shadowing the cruiser; at 2200 hours, a wave of aircraft attacked and damaged the cruiser.
15 May 1942	Damaged by German aircraft two hours prior on the previous date, the abandon ship order was given by the captain of HMS Trinidad at 0000 hours; at 0120 hours, she was scuttled by a torpedo from HMS Matchless north of Russia.
21 May 1942	Allied convoy QP-12 departed Murmansk, Russia; it was consisted of 17 merchant ships, escorted by 1 catapult aircraft merchantman, 6 destroyers, 4 trawlers, and 1 anti-aircraft vessel. From the other end of the Arctic convoy route, PQ-16 departed Reykjavík, Iceland with 35 merchant ships, 1 minesweeper, and 4 trawlers.
23 May 1942	The close escort force for Allied convoy PQ-16 was reinforced by 4 corvettes, 2 submarines, and 1 anti-aircraft vessel.
24 May 1942	British trawler HMS Retriever broke away from Allied convoy PQ-16 and returned for Iceland.
25 May 1942	German He 111 torpedo bombers and Ju 88 bombers attacked Allied convoy PQ-16 475 miles northeast of Iceland; one He 111 was shot down by a British Hurricane fighter. To the east, German Fw 200, Bv 138, and two Ju 88 aircraft successively shadowed QP-12 starting at 1400 hours; British catapult aircraft merchantman Empire Moon launched her Hurricane fighter which shot down a Ju 88 aircraft but Flying Officer John Kendal would die when his parachute failed to open in time after he bailed out. At 1910 hours, 6 German Ju 88 and 7 He 111 aircraft attacked QP-12, damaging US freighter City of Joliet.
26 May 1942	German submarine U-703 attacked Allied convoy PQ-16 780 miles northeast of Iceland at 0259 hours, sinking US merchant ship Syros (two torpedo hits, detonating cargo of ammunition); 9 were killed, 30 survived (but 2 of the survivors would later die from exposure). 8 German He 111 and 3 Ju 88 aircraft also attacked PQ-16, but they failed to cause any damage.
27 May 1942	He 111 bombers of German Luftwaffe unit I./KG 26 and Ju 88 dive bombers of KG 30 attacked Allied convoy PQ-16 southeast of Bear Island (Bjørnøya), Norway in multiple waves. The first attack arrived over PQ-16 at 0320 hours, causing no damage. At 1100 hours, US freighter City of Joliet suffered a near miss. At 1310 hours, US freighter Alamar was hit by two bombs and was abandoned 20 minutes after with all aboard surviving. At 1315 hours, US ship Mormacsul was sunk by 1 bomb hit and 3 near misses; 3 were killed, 45 survived. At 1410 hours, British catapult aircraft merchantman Empire Lawrence was sunk after receiving 5 hits; 25 were killed. In the afternoon, Russian ship Stari Bolshevik, British ship Empire Baffin, and Polish destroyer Garland were damaged by German attacks, followed by US ship City of Joliet being damaged after being struck by a crashing German dive bomber (she would be abandoned at the end of the day). At 1945 hours, British merchant ship Empire Purcell was hit by 2 bombs and was abandoned. Finally, at 1950 hours, British merchant ship Lowther Castle was hit by a torpedo from a I./KG26 He 111 bomber and sank. I./KG 26 recorded the loss of two crews on this day.
28 May 1942	Allied convoy PQ-16 encountered heavy fog but managed to remain with each other by keeping eyes on fog buoys towed by the ship immediately in front of each trailing ship.
29 May 1942	Allied convoy QP-12 arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland. To the east, PQ-16 sailed in the opposite direction. As PQ-16 neared Murmansk, Russia, they were joined by Soviet destroyers Grozny, Sokrushitelny, and Kuibyshev at 1150 hours and then 6 British destroyers several hours later. At 2200 hours, the convoy broke into two groups, one sailing for Murmansk and another sailing for Arkhangelsk further east. At 2330 hours, the Murmansk group came under attack by 18 German aircraft and the Arkhangelsk group by 15 German aircraft; no ships were sunk, and several aircraft on both sides were shot down, including one piloted by Double Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Safonov, killing him.
30 May 1942	21 ships of the Allied convoy PQ-16 arrived in the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia at 1600 hours.
1 Jun 1942	8 ships of the Allied convoy PQ-16 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia. On the same day, German Ju 88 bombers attacked the harbor at Archangelsk, sinking the ship Steel Worker and damaging Soviet submarine ShCh-404.
14 Jun 1942	German Admiral Otto Schniewind issued the order to commence Operation Rösselsprung ("Knight's Move"); in turn German warships Tirpitz, Admiral Hipper, Lützow, and 12 destroyers departed from their home ports toward the Barents Sea.
24 Jun 1942	Five German Ju 88 bombers attacked Allied shipping at anchor in the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia starting at 0908 hours, sinking British minesweeper HMS Gossamer at 0921 hours (23 were killed, 12 were wounded).
27 Jun 1942	Allied convoy PQ-17 under Commodore J. C. K. Dowding sailed from Hvalfjord, north of Reykjavik, Iceland, where it had assembled. One ship grounded on leaving harbour and another was damaged by ice in the Denmark Strait, so the convoy that set course for Arkhangelsk, Russia comprised 33 ships plus a tanker, escorted by six destroyers, two anti-aircraft ships, four corvettes, three minesweepers, four trawlers and two submarines; which it was hoped would discourage enemy attacks. On the same date, convoy QP-13 set sail from Arkhangelsk, Russia; it was consisted of 35 merchant ships and was escorted by 3 destroyers, 1 minesweeper, 4 corvettes, 1 anti-aircraft vessel, and 2 trawlers.
28 Jun 1942	The British Royal Navy Home Fleet (carrier HMS Victorious, battleship HMS Duke of York, with cruisers and destroyers), reinforced by US battleship USS Washington, departed from Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom to provide distant cover for Allied convoy PQ-17 sailing from Iceland to Arkhangelsk, Russia.
29 Jun 1942	Allied convoy QP-13 was spotted by a German Fw 200 aircraft.
1 Jul 1942	German submarine U-456 and a German Bv 138 aircraft spotted Allied convoy PQ-17 in the Barents Sea and began shadowing it.
2 Jul 1942	6 German aircraft attacked Allied convoy PQ-17 but was driven off without causing any damage.
3 Jul 1942	German pocket battleship Lützow, pocket battleship Admiral Scheer, and six destroyers departed from Narvik, Norway to intercept Allied convoy PQ-17 in the Barents Sea; en route, Lützow and three destroyers ran aground. The group was detected by the British and the Soviets, leading to the dispatching of 9 British and 7 Soviet submarines to intercept the German fleet; en route, Soviet submarines D-3 and M-176 hit German naval mines and sank.
4 Jul 1942	Allied convoy PQ-17 was attacked by 24 He 111 aircraft of German Luftwaffe unit I./KG 26 about 60 miles north of Bear Island (Bjørnøya), Norway, fatally damaging US freighter Christopher Newport which would later be scuttled by a British submarine (3 were killed, 47 survived); at 1930 hours, another attack wave came upon the convoy, causing no damage; at 2020 hours, the convoy was attacked by 25 aircraft, sinking British freighter Navarino, sinking US freighter William Hooper (3 were killed, 55 survived), and damaging Soviet tanker Azerbaijan; at 2100 hours, believing that German battleships might be in the area, PQ-17 was ordered to scatter and the convoy escorts were withdrawn. Sailing in the opposite direction, QP-13 broke up to two convoys, one of which ran into a minefield; several ships struck mines and sank (British minesweeper HMS Niger (149 were killed), freighter Hybert, freighter Heffron, freighter Massmar (17 were killed), and Soviet passenger ship Rodina (several family members of Soviet diplomats were killed)), and several others were damaged (civilian commodore's ship American Robin, freighter Exterminator, and freighter John Randolph); HMS Hussar was able to lead the survivors out of the minefield.
5 Jul 1942	The scattered Allied convoy PQ-17 was hunted down by German submarines and aircraft piecemeal throughout the day; British freighter Empire Byron (by U-703 at 0827 hours; 7 were killed, 63 survived), civilian commodore J. C. K. Dowding's ship River Afton (by U-703 at 2102 hours; 26 were killed, 38 survived)), British ship Earlston (by U-334 at 1747 hours; all 52 aboard survived), Washington, Bolton Castle, Paulus Potter (abandoned after Ju 88 attack; carrying 34 tanks, 15 aircraft, 103 trucks, and 2,250 tons of general goods; 51 crew, 14 gunners, and 11 passengers took to boats), Pan Kraft, US ship Carlton (by U-88 at 1015 hours; 3 were killed, 42 survived), Fairfield City, Daniel Morgan (by U-88 at 2252 hours; 3 were killed, 51 survived), Peter Kerr, British fleet oiler Aldersdale (fatally damaged by aircraft and abandoned), British rescue ship Zaafaran, and Honomu (by U-456 at 1431 hours; 13 were killed, 28 survived) were all destroyed. Meanwhile, Allied convoy QP-13 was sailing in the opposite direction; British minesweeper HMS Niger, in escort, entered a British minefield due to navigation error, struck a mine, and sank 10 miles north of Iceland at 2240 hours, killing 149; the 36 merchant ships of the convoy, following Niger's lead, also entered the minefield; 5 merchant ships would sink, 1 would sustain damage.
6 Jul 1942	German submarine U-255 sank US ship John Witherspoon; 1 was killed, 49 survived. German aircraft sank US ship Pan Atlantic. Both ships were of Allied convoy PQ-17, traveling in the Barents Sea.
7 Jul 1942	German submarine U-457 sank abandoned British fleet oiler RFA Alderdale of Allied convoy PQ-17 with her deck gun in the Barents Sea. In the same area, U-355 sank British ship Hartlebury (8 were killed, 52 survived, but only 20 would remain alive before being rescued) also of PQ-17. U-255 also attacked PQ-17 ships, sinking US ship Alcoa Ranger (all 40 aboard survived).
7 Jul 1942	Allied convoy QP-13 arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland.
8 Jul 1942	German submarine U-255 sank US ship Olopana of Allied convoy PQ-17 at 0100 hours; 7 were killed, 34 survived).
9 Jul 1942	German Ju 88 bombers attacked Allied convoy PQ-17 in the Barents Sea at 2000 hours, damaging Panamanian freighter El Capitan (all 67 aboard survived), US freighter Hoosier (all 53 aboard survived), US Liberty Ship Samuel Chase, and rescue ship Zamalck; 4 German aircraft were shot down in the attack.
10 Jul 1942	German submarine U-251 sank Panamanian freighter El Capitan and German submarine U-376 sank US ship Hoosier, both of Allied convoy PQ-17, in the Barents Sea.
11 Jul 1942	Allied convoy PQ-17, after losing 24 of the 33 vessels, finally arrived in ports in northern Russia, delivering 64,000 tons of war goods; it was the worst convoy loss of the war, with some 430 tanks, 210 aircraft, 3,350 lorries and jeeps and 100,000 tons of materials lost at the hands of repeated German attacks. Joseph Stalin, suspicious of the western powers, believed that the British were unwilling to provide the Soviets with large amounts of goods and had made up the heavy losses.
13 Jul 1942	The floating wreck of Dutch merchant steamer Paulus Potter, damaged by German air attack 8 days prior, was discovered by German submarine U-225. The ship was a member of Allied convoy PQ-17. The second officer and two crew boarded the deserted ship and made an attempt to get her under way. However, the flooding in the engine room was too deep and after taking food, cigarettes and other useful material including a heavy chest from the bridge, they returned to the submarine. The chest contained the confidential papers pertaining to the convoy codes and positions which the Dutch in their haste had forgotten to throw overboard. U-225 then torpedoed and sank the Dutch merchant.
20 Jul 1942	British steam merchant Empire Tide arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia and disembarked the survivors of Dutch merchant steamer Paulus Potter and US merchant steamer Washington.
24 Jul 1942	Allied convoy PQ-17 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia. Also arriving Arkhangelsk were destroyers HMS Marne, HMS Martin, HMS Middleton, and HMS Blankney, carrying ammunition and other war supplies.
27 Jul 1942	German submarine U-601 bombarded the Soviet polar station Malye Karmakuly near Belushya Bay in the Novaya Zemlya islands, Russia. Several buildings and one seaplane were destroyed.
1 Aug 1942	German submarine U-601 received orders to go into the Kara Sea as a part of Operation Wunderland. En route, she would sink Soviet transport Krestyanin with one torpedo, killing 7.
8 Aug 1942	German submarine U-601 entered the Kara Sea as a part of Operation Wunderland.
13 Aug 1942	USS Tuscaloosa, USS Rodman, USS Emmons, and HMS Onslaught departed Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom with ammunition, aircraft parts, and other war goods for the Soviet Union.
15 Aug 1942	German aircraft detected an Allied westbound convoy in the Kara Sea.
16 Aug 1942	Soviet ocean tug Komsomelets, ocean tug Nord departed Chabarovo on the shore of Yugorsky peninsula in northern Russia, with barge P4 (328 people on board, most of whom were penal construction workers), lighter Sh-500, and tug Komiles in tow.
17 Aug 1942	German submarine U-209 spotted Soviet ocean tug Komsomelets and ocean tug Nord at 0700 hours east of the Yugorsky Peninsula in northern Russia; the two tugs were towing barge P4, lighter Sh-500, and tug Komiles. U-209 immediately shelled Komsomelets and fired a torpedo at P4, which missed. At 0800 hours, U-209 shelled Komiles, forcing her crew to abandon ship. At 0810, U-209 shelled and sank Sh-500. Shortly after, U-209 fired another torpedo at P4; 305 were killed (most of whom were penal construction workers), 23 survived.
19 Aug 1942	German submarine U-209 attempted to approach Belushya Guba in the Novaya Zemlya islands in northern Russia, but was spotted by Soviet motor boat Poliarny, minesweeper T-39, and minesweeper T-58, which drove off U-209.
20 Aug 1942	USS Tuscaloosa, USS Rodman, USS Emmons, and HMS Onslaught, carrying war goods for the Soviet Union, were spotted by German aircraft.
23 Aug 1942	USS Tuscaloosa, USS Rodman, USS Emmons, and HMS Onslaught arrived at Vaenga Bay near Murmansk, Russia; they disembarked personnel of two RAF Bomber Command squadrons, torpedoes, ammunition, and medical supplies.
24 Aug 1942	USS Tuscaloosa, USS Rodman, USS Emmons, and HMS Onslaught departed Murmansk, Russia. HMS Marne, HMS Martin, HMS Middleton, and HMS Blankney departed Arkhangelsk, Russia. Both groups of Allied warships were sailing for Iceland; some of them carried Soviet diplomats and survivors of various sunken or damaged merchant ships. At 2002 hours, German minelayer Ulm, which had departed Narvik, Norway at 0400 hours earlier on the same day, was attacked by HMS Onslaught, HMS Marne, and HMS Martin; Marne was hit twice in the engagement (4 were killed), but the British ships were able to sink Ulm at 2235 hours; 132 were killed, 54 survived (30 to 40 of whom were captured by the British).
2 Sep 1942	Allied convoy PQ-18 departed Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom; it was supported by two tankers and one rescue ship and was escorted by two anti-aircraft vessels, three destroyers, four corvettes, and four trawlers.
8 Sep 1942	A German aircraft detected Allied arctic convoy PQ-18 late in the day, but it would lose track of the convoy due to heavy fog.
9 Sep 1942	The escort force of Allied convoy PQ-18 was joined by Rear Admiral Robert Burnett's force including escort carrier HMS Avenger and several small warships.
12 Sep 1942	German aircraft re-established contact with Allied convoy PQ-18 at 1320 hours. At 2100 hours, German submarine U-88 attacked PQ-18 400 miles north of Norway; U-18 was instead counterattacked and sunk by depth charges from British destroyer HMS Faulknor, killing all 46 aboard.
13 Sep 1942	Allied convoy QP-14 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia with 15 merchant ships and two rescue ships under the civilian commodore J. C. K. Dowding; it was escorted by two anti-aircraft vessels, two destroyers, four corvettes, three minesweepers, and three trawlers under British Royal Navy Captain J. F. Crombie. Elsewhere, Allied convoy PQ-18 sailed in the opposite direction; PQ-18 would be subjected to repeated attacks all day. The first casualty occurred at 0855 hours when U-408 and U-589 sank Soviet freighter Stalingrad (hit by three torpedoes; 21 were killed) and US tanker Oliver Ellsworth 150 miles northwest of Bear Island (Bjørnøya), Norway; these two ships were on the outside starboard column of PQ-18. At 1500 hours, 6 Ju 88 aircraft attacked without success. At 1530 hours, 30 Ju 88 dive bombers of German Luftwaffe unit III./KG 26 and 55 He 111 bombers of I./KG 26 attacked, sinking the ships Wacosta (scoring a direct hit with a torpedo before the torpedo entered water), Empire Stevenson, Macbeth, Gregonian (US ship; 28 were killed, 27 survived), Sukhona (Russian ship), Afrikaner (Panamanian ship), Empire Beaumont, and John Penn at the cost of only 5 aircraft.
14 Sep 1942	German submarine U-457 attacked Allied convoy PQ-18 20 miles south of Spitzbergen, Svalbard, Norway; destroyer HMS Impulsive detected U-457's approach, but she failed to deter the attack; U-457 fatally damaged British tanker Atheltemplar at 0400 hours (3 were killed, 58 survived but 16 would die of wounds later; the floating burning wreck would be sunk by U-408 at 1430 hours). Shortly after, U-589 attempted to attack, but was sunk by destroyer HMS Onslow and a Swordfish aircraft from escort carrier HMS Avenger (all 44 aboard were killed). At 1235 hours, about 20 German He 111 torpedo bombers of I./KG 26 attacked in failure with 11 of them shot down. Shortly after, 12 Ju 88 attacked, again losing 11 aircraft without scoring any hits. A third round of 25 aircraft (He 111 of I./KG 26 and Ju 88 of III./KG 26) attacked, sinking US ship Mary Luckenbach (189 were killed, 1 survived; detonation of her cargo of ammunition on board damaged nearby US ship Nathanael Greene and US ship Wacosta) at the cost of 9 aircraft lost. Finally, at 1430 hours, the final wave of 20 German aircraft attacked, scoring no hits and losing one aircraft.
15 Sep 1942	Soviet destroyers Gremyashchy, Sokrushitelny, Uritsky, and Kuibyshev joined Allied convoy PQ-18.
16 Sep 1942	British destroyer HMS Impulsive (escorting Allied convoy PQ-18) sank U-457 with depth charges 200 miels northeast of Murmansk, Russia, killing all 45 aboard. Later in the day, some of the warships escorting PQ-18 transferred to convoy sailing in the opposite direction QP-14.
18 Sep 1942	12 German He 111 torpedo bombers attacked Allied convoy PQ-18 at the entrance of the Kola Inlet, Russia, sinking US ship Kentucky (all aboard survived) at the cost of 3 aircraft shot down.
19 Sep 1942	The 28 surviving merchant ships of Allied convoy PQ-18 reached the Dvina River near Arkhangelsk, Russia.
20 Sep 1942	German submarine U-435 sank British minesweeper HMS Leda of Allied convoy QP-14 180 miles west of Spitsbergen, Norway at 0631 hours; 14 were killed, 66 survived. At 1815 hours, U-255 sank US freighter Silver Sword of QP-14; 1 was killed, 63 survived. At about 1900 hours, escort carrier HMS Avenger and cruiser HMS Scylla were detached from QP-14 to head back to base. At 1955 hours, U-703 damaged British destroyer HMS Somali also of QP-14; 47 were killed, 67 survivors were taken off, and 80 survivors remained aboard as she was taken in tow by destroyer HMS Ashanti.
21 Sep 1942	German submarine U-606 approached Allied convoy QP-14 between Greenland and Jan Mayen Island, Norway at 1114 hours but was driven off by a Norwegian-piloted British Catalina aircraft; U-606 fought back and shot down the aircraft. To the east, convoy PQ-18 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.
22 Sep 1942	German submarine U-435 attacked Allied convoy QP-14 50 miles west of Jan Mayen Island, Norway at 0718 hours, sinking US merchant ship Bellingham (all 75 aboard survived), British merchant ship Ocean Voice (civilian commodore J. C. K. Dowding's ship; all 89 aboard survived), and British fleet oiler RFA Grey Ranger (6 were killed, 33 survived).
24 Sep 1942	HMS Somali (Lieutenant Commander C. D. Maud) broke apart and sank while under tow by HMS Ashanti 185 miles north of Iceland; 77 were killed, 35 survived.
26 Sep 1942	Allied convoy QP-14 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
29 Oct 1942	US freighter Richard H. Alvey and British freighter Empire Galliard departed Iceland in Operation FB.
30 Oct 1942	Russian freighter Dekabrist, US freighter John Walker, and British freighter Empire Gilbert departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland in Operation FB.
31 Oct 1942	US freighter John H. B. Latrobe and British freighter Chulmleigh departed Iceland in Operation FB.
1 Nov 1942	US freighter Hugh Williamson and British freighter Empire Sky departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland in Operation FB.
2 Nov 1942	German submarine U-586 sank British freighter Empire Gilbert of Operation FB southwest of Jan Mayen island, Norway at 0118 hours; 60 were killed, 3 survived. In Iceland, US Liberty ship William Clark and British freighter Empire Scott departed; they were also of Operation FB.
3 Nov 1942	British freighter Daldorch departed Iceland in Operation FB.
4 Nov 1942	German submarine U-354 damaged US Liberty ship William Clark of Operation FB off Jan Mayen island, Norway at 1333 hours; at 1400 hours, U-354 struck again and sank William Clark (31 were killed, 61 survived). Russian freighter Dekabrist, also of Operation FB, was attacked by German Ju 88 aircraft, suffering fatal damage (she would sink shortly after east of Spitzbergen, Norway). During the day, British freighter Briarwood departed Iceland in Operation FB.
5 Nov 1942	British freighter Chulmleigh of Operation FB got stuck on a reef off Norway at 2300 hours.
6 Nov 1942	British freighter Chulmleigh of Operation FB, stuck on a reef off Norway, was abandoned by her crew at 0400 hours; at 1558 hours, German submarine U-625 found Chulmleigh and destroyed her with gunfire. At 2224 hours, U-625 found British freighter Empire Sky, also of Operation FB, and sank her south of Spitzbergen, Norway at 2224 hours, killing all 60 aboard.
7 Nov 1942	German destroyer Z27 sank Soviet ship Donbass; 49 were kiled, 16 survived and captured by the Germans.
17 Nov 1942	Allied convoy QP-15 departed Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia. It was consisted of 28 freighters and was escorted by one anti-aircraft vessel, five minesweepers, four corvettes, and two destroyers.
20 Nov 1942	While escorting Allied convoy QP-15, a severe storm severed the stem of Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny, killing six men. Most of the officers abandoned ship before the crewmen; the captain was shot for cowardice and the executive officer was sent to a penal battalion. The same storm also seriously damaged Soviet destroyer Baku.
21 Nov 1942	Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny, which was disabled on the previous day after a severe storm tore off its stem, sank. The skeleton crew of 16 men which remained aboard was lost.
22 Nov 1942	While escorting Allied convoy QP-15, Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny foundered after sustaining damage in heavy weather.
23 Nov 1942	German submarine U-625 sank British freighter Goolistan at 0145 hours; shortly after, U-601 sank Russian merchant ship Kuznets Lesov; all 82 people aboard the two ships were killed.
30 Nov 1942	Ships of Allied convoy QP-15 began to arrive at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
3 Dec 1942	All remaining ships of Allied convoy QP-15 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
15 Dec 1942	Allied convoy JW-51A departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom; it was consisted of 16 freighters and was escorted by seven destroyers and four smaller warships.
20 Dec 1942	Ships of Allied convoy JW-51A began to arrive at Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
22 Dec 1942	Convoy JW-51B departed from Liverpool, England, United Kingdom for Murmansk, Russia; it was consisted of 14 freighters and was escorted by six destroyers, two corvettes, one minesweeper, and two trawlers under the command of Captain Robert Sherbrooke; British cruisers of Force R covered the convoy from a distance.
25 Dec 1942	All ships of Allied convoy JW-51A arrived in the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia; this convoy suffered no losses.
26 Dec 1942	Allied convoy JW-51B was hit by a major storm about half way between Bear Island and Jan Mayen island north of Norway; five ships lost contact with the convoy.
30 Dec 1942	Allied convoy RA-51 departed Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia. To the west, German submarine U-354 detected Allied convoy JW-51B; Admiral Erich Raeder ordered Lützow, Admiral Hipper, and six destroyers to sortie from Altafjord, Norway to intercept.
4 Jan 1943	Allied convoy JW-51B arrived in the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
11 Jan 1943	Allied convoy RA-51 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
17 Jan 1943	Allied convoy JW-52 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
24 Jan 1943	12 German aircraft were launched to attack Allied convoy JW-52; only three of them found and attacked the convoy, and all three were shot down.
27 Jan 1943	Allied convoy JW-52 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
29 Jan 1943	German submarine U-255 sank Soviet cargo ship Ufa south of Bear Island, Norway at 0622 hours. To the east, Allied convoy RA-52 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
3 Feb 1943	German submarine U-255 sank US freighter Greylock of Allied convoy RA-52; all 70 aboard survived.
9 Feb 1943	Allied convoy RA-52 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
15 Feb 1943	Allied convoy JW-53 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
27 Feb 1943	Allied convoy JW-53 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
1 Mar 1943	Allied convoy RA-53 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia; it was consisted of 30 freighters and was escorted by 31 warships.
5 Mar 1943	German submarine U-255 sank freighter Executive (9 were killed, 51 survived) and damaged freighter Richard Bland of Allied convoy RA-53 at 0924 hours; shortly after, 12 German He 111 aircraft attacked the convoy, but none of them were able to break through the escort screen.
7 Mar 1943	US Liberty Ship J. L. M. Curry of Allied convoy RA-53 broke in two in a storm.
9 Mar 1943	German submarine U-586 sank US merchant ship Puerto Rican of Allied convoy RA-53 northeast of Iceland; 61 were killed, 1 survived.
10 Mar 1943	German submarine U-255 sank freighter Richard Bland of Allied convoy RA-53; 61 were killed, 1 survived.
11 Mar 1943	The destroyer HMS Harvester, flagship of the escort group B3, escorting convoy HX-228, stopped and picked up survivors from the American Liberty ship William C. Gorgas which had been sunk by German submarine U-757. The destroyer returned to the convoy and sighted German submarine U-444 which dived but was forced to the surface by depth charges. Harvester then rammed the submarine and the two vessels became locked for a while. The submarine then pulled away but was again rammed, this time by the French corvette FFL Aconit (K 58), and sank. The badly damaged British destroyer could not make way and was soon hit by two torpedoes from German submarine U-432. The ship sank quickly and seven officers, 136 crew and 39 survivors were lost. The French corvette then returned to the scene and sank U-432 with depth charges and ramming. She then picked up four crewmen from U-444, 20 from U-432 plus 60 from the Harvester, including 12 from the American Liberty ship. The 5,001-ton Norwegian steam merchant Brandt County was also sunk in the attack on convoy HX-228. Brandt County was carrying 5330 tons of general cargo, a large amount of carbide and 670 tons of ammunition. She was hit by one torpedo, which ignited her load of carbide. Of the five men on the bridge, three managed to get to the lifeboat and the other two died. Three of the four men in the engine room died and the fourth was unable to stop the engine but managed to get on deck. Among the dead were also eight military passengers. The 24 survivors abandoned ship in one lifeboat and when it was about 200 metres away the flames reached the cargo of explosives. The Brant County disappeared in a huge explosion, which sent pieces of metal and other debris in the air. The survivors were picked up after 30 minutes by the British steam merchant Stuart Prince. One of them was badly burned and died shortly thereafter. At 0215 hours German submarine U-590 joined in the attack and reported a ship sunk, in actual fact one torpedo hit the 5,464-ton British cargo ship Jamaica Producer the ship was able to continue and get to port where she was repaired and returned to service in May 1943.
14 Mar 1943	Allied convoy RA-53 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
24 Jul 1943	German submarine U-703 was ordered to go to Hopen island, Norway to pick up stranded Russian sailors (from Russian freighter Dekabrist which was sunk many months prior).
25 Jul 1943	German submarine U-703 arrived at Hopen island, Norway and picked up four survivors of Russian freighter Dekabrist, including the skipper Beliaev.
27 Jul 1943	German submarine U-255 sank Soviet survey ship Akademik Shokalski off Novaya Zemlya archipelago in northern Russia.
21 Aug 1943	German submarine U-354 pursued an Allied convoy off northern Russia to no success.
31 Aug 1943	German submarine U-703 arrived at Narvik, Norway and dropped off four survivors of Russian freighter Dekabrist.
18 Sep 1943	German submarine U-711 shelled the Soviet wireless telegraph station at Pravdy in northern Russia.
24 Sep 1943	German submarine U-711 shelled the Soviet wireless telegraph station at Blagopoluchiya in northern Russia.
30 Sep 1943	A wolfpack consisted of German submarines U-703, U-601, and U-960 attacked Soviet convoy VA-18 near the Sergey Kirov Islands in the eastern Kara Sea and sank freighter Arhangelsk.
1 Oct 1943	In the Kara Sea off northern Russia, German submarine U-703 sank freighter Sergei Kirov of Soviet convoy VA-18 and U-960 sank escort vessel T-42.
7 Oct 1943	German submarine U-703 rescued survivors of sunken Russian freighter Dekabrist.
9 Oct 1943	German submarine U-703 arrived at Harstad, Norway and dropped off two survivors of Russian freighter Dekabrist.
1 Nov 1943	Allied convoy RA-54A departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
14 Nov 1943	Allied convoy RA-54A arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
15 Nov 1943	Allied convoy JW-54A departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
22 Nov 1943	Allied convoy JW-54B departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
24 Nov 1943	Allied convoy JW-54A arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
26 Nov 1943	Allied convoy RA-54B departed Arkhangelsk, Russia.
3 Dec 1943	Allied convoy JW-54B arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.
9 Dec 1943	Allied convoy RA-54B arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
12 Dec 1943	Allied convoy JW-55A departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
22 Dec 1943	Allied convoy JW-55A arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia and convoy RA-55A departed Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
30 Dec 1943	Allied convoy JW-55B arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.
31 Dec 1943	Allied convoy RA-55B departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
1 Jan 1944	Allied convoy RA-55A arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
8 Jan 1944	Allied convoy RA-55B arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
12 Jan 1944	Allied convoy JW-56A departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom; it was consisted of 20 freighters and was escorted by 2 cruisers and 9 destroyers.
15 Jan 1944	Allied convoy JW-56A sailed into a storm off the Faroe Islands; it was redirected to Akureyri, Iceland for shelter.
21 Jan 1944	Allied convoy JW-56A continued her journey from Akureyri, Iceland.
22 Jan 1944	Allied convoy JW-56B departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
25 Jan 1944	German submarine U-278 sank US freighter Penelope Barker (16 were killed, 56 survived) and U-360 damaged destroyer HMS Obdurate which was forced to leave the escort force of the Allied arctic convoy.
26 Jan 1944	German submarine U-716 sank US freighter Andrew G. Curtin of Allied convoy JW-56A; 3 were killed, 68 survived. U-360 damaged British freighter Fort Bellingham (convoy civilian commodore's ship), which was later sunk by U-957; 36 were killed, 35 survived.
28 Jan 1944	Allied convoy JW-56A arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.
30 Jan 1944	German submarine U-278 fatally damaged Allied arctic convoy escort HMS Hardy; HMS Venus scuttled HMS Hardy after the damaged destroyer was abandoned.
1 Feb 1944	Allied convoy JW-56B arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
3 Feb 1944	Allied convoy RA-56 departed at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
11 Feb 1944	Allied convoy RA-56 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
20 Feb 1944	Allied convoy JW-57 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. It was consisted of 42 merchant ships, was supported by 2 tankers and 1 rescue ship, and was escorted by 4 corvettes (and later reinforced with destroyers and frigates).
23 Feb 1944	A British Swordfish aircraft sank German submarine U-713 near Allied convoy JW-57; all 50 aboard were killed.
25 Feb 1944	A British Catalina aircraft sank German submarine U-601 near Allied convoy JW-57; all 51 aboard were killed. At 2055 hours the British destroyer HMS Mahratta (G 23) (Lieutenant Commander E. A. F. Drought, DSC, RN) was hit by a G7es acoustic torpedo from German submarine U-990 about 280 miles from the North Cape, Norway, while escorting the stern sector of convoy JW-57. The destroyer exploded and sank within minutes. HMS Impulsive (D 11) (Lieutenant Commander P. Bekenn, RN) and HMS Wanderer (D 74) (Lieutenant Commander R. F. Whinney, DSC, RN) were quickly on the scene to pick up survivors, but only 16 survivors could be recovered from the freezing waters. The commander, ten officers and 209 ratings lost their lives.
28 Feb 1944	Allied convoy JW-57 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
2 Mar 1944	Allied convoy RA-57 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
10 Mar 1944	Allied convoy RA-57 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
27 Mar 1944	Allied convoy JW-58 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
31 Mar 1944	Aircraft from ships Beagle and Tracker in Allied convoy JW-58 sank German submarine U-355 in the Arctic Sea.
4 Apr 1944	Allied convoy JW-58 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
7 Apr 1944	Allied convoy RA-58 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
14 Apr 1944	Allied convoy RA-58 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
28 Apr 1944	Allied convoy RA-59 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
6 May 1944	Allied convoy RA-59 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
8 Aug 1944	Soviet convoy BD-5 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia, escorted by 3 trawlers.
12 Aug 1944	German submarine U-365 sank Russian freighter Marina Raskova and Soviet trawler T-114 of Soviet convoy BD-5 in western Kara Sea off northern Russia; a total of 362 were killed and 256 survived.
15 Aug 1944	Allied convoy JW-59 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom; it was consisted of 33 freighters.
25 Aug 1944	Allied convoy JW-59 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
28 Aug 1944	Allied convoy RA-59A departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
5 Sep 1944	Allied convoy RA-59A arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
15 Sep 1944	Allied convoy JW-60 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
23 Sep 1944	Allied convoy JW-60 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
28 Sep 1944	Allied convoy RA-60 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
5 Oct 1944	Allied convoy RA-60 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
20 Oct 1944	Allied convoy JW-61 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
28 Oct 1944	Allied convoy JW-61 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
31 Oct 1944	Allied convoy JW-61A departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
2 Nov 1944	Allied convoy RA-61 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
6 Nov 1944	Allied convoy JW-61A arrived at Murmansk, Russia.
9 Nov 1944	Allied convoy RA-61 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
11 Nov 1944	Allied convoy RA-61A departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
17 Nov 1944	Allied convoy RA-61A arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
29 Nov 1944	Allied convoy JW-62 departed Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
7 Dec 1944	Allied convoy JW-62 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
10 Dec 1944	Allied convoy RA-62 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
19 Dec 1944	Allied convoy RA-62 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
30 Dec 1944	Allied convoy JW-63 departed Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
8 Jan 1945	Allied convoy JW-63 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
11 Jan 1945	Allied convoy RA-63 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
21 Jan 1945	Allied convoy RA-63 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
3 Feb 1945	Allied convoy JW-64 departed Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.
15 Feb 1945	Allied convoy JW-64 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
17 Feb 1945	Allied convoy RA-64 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
28 Feb 1945	Allied convoy RA-64 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
11 Mar 1945	Allied convoy JW-65 departed Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.
20 Mar 1945	In the afternoon, German submarine U-968 attacked convoy JW-65 near the mouth of the Kola Inlet and reported a destroyer and a Liberty sunk and another Liberty ship damaged. In fact, the sloop HMS Lapwing (U-62; Commander J. A. Binnie, Rtd, RN) of the 7th Escort Group and the Liberty ship Thomas Donaldson were sunk. The sixty-one survivors of the sloop were rescued by the destroyer HMS Savage (G 20). The Thomas Donaldson, carrying 7,679 tons of general cargo, including 6,000 tons of ammunition, foodstuffs and locomotives and tenders as deck cargo was the twentieth ship as convoy formed into one column to enter Kola Inlet and was hit at 1315 hours on the starboard side by one torpedo about 20 miles from the mouth of Kola Inlet. The torpedo struck the engine room, killed one officer and two crewmen on watch below and destroyed the engines. Due to her dangerous cargo the master ordered the crew of eight officers, 34 crewmen and 27 armed guards to abandon ship after 10 minutes. Most left in the two port lifeboats and a raft and were picked up by the corvette HMS Bamborough Castle (K 412) while others jumped overboard and were picked up by HMS Oxlip (K 123). One man died after being rescued. The master and eight crew members remained aboard and were later taken off by HMS Honeysuckle (K 27), which took the ship in tow toward Kola Inlet. At 1630 hours, a Soviet tug took over the tow but the Thomas Donaldson sank stern first at 1745 hours, one-half miles from Kilden Island.
21 Mar 1945	Allied convoy JW-65 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
23 Mar 1945	Allied convoy RA-65 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
1 Apr 1945	Allied convoy RA-65 arrived at Loch Ewe, Scotland, United Kingdom.
16 Apr 1945	Allied convoy JW-66 departed Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.
25 Apr 1945	Allied convoy JW-66 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
29 Apr 1945	Allied convoy RA-66 departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
8 May 1945	Allied convoy RA-66 arrived at Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.
12 May 1945	Allied convoy JW-67 departed Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.
20 May 1945	Allied convoy JW-67 arrived at the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
23 May 1945	Allied convoy RA-67, the last outgoing Allied arctic convoy, departed the Kola Inlet near Murmansk, Russia.
30 May 1945	Allied convoy RA-67, the last returning Allied arctic convoy, arrived at Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. John T Rostron says:
24 Sep 2012 01:09:50 AM

My farther John Rostron was onboard Paulus Potter when it was sunk, he was in an open boat for reportedly eleven days with the Captain and other crew members. Dad was one of the few servivers, have you any more details.

2. PT Aust says:
29 Apr 2013 12:22:31 AM

I am trying to find references to two atlantic convoy ships the Nieuwe kerk and Amstel Kerk on which my Grandfather severed as a Doctor before being called back to RAMC in 1943. I can find no references to the Nieuwe kerk which he said also took him down to Argentina, any help would be welcome.

3. Steve Robertson says:
19 Jan 2014 10:51:23 PM

Sirs,

Am inquiring generally if anyone has knowledge of my grandfather ROBERT GRAHAM ROBERTSON (NUMBER J10152) who served on the artic convoys from 1941-45. His trade I believe was an electrician.

Thanks Grandson Stephen.

4. Claus Kvist Hansen says:
4 Feb 2014 05:29:35 AM

If anyone have information on Ludvig Islin Larsen, who did 3 convoys, I'd be happy to know more of it. We think he was the only survivor in the sinking of his last ship.
Claus Kvist Hansen, clkvha@gmail.com

5. Anonymous says:
23 Aug 2014 10:50:43 PM

The USA Merchant Mariner Liberty Ship SS Edward H. Crockett, Hull # 2211 was launched in South Portland, Maine in January 1944. It was in arctic convoy JW 59, arriving at the Kola Inlet 25 August 1944. The Archangel Committee of Greater Portland, Maine is trying to find out if the Edward H. Crockett safely arrived in Archangel'sk, Russia with its cargo and what the cargo contents were before it departed Archangel'sk for the Kola Inlet as part of Convoy RA60. It was sunk via a torpedo from the German
Submarine U-310 on September 29, 1944. The writer is a Vice Co-Chair of the Archangel Committee, in Portland, Maine, the Sister City of Archangel'sk, Russia since November 1988.

6. S. Fosse says:
12 Jun 2015 06:22:47 PM

Thanks so much for the listing of convoys. I am researching my Dad's US Navy years, and he was involved in the convoys to Murmansk and Archangel by way of Iceland. He spent 7 weeks at a Naval hospital in Boston, with pneumonia due to the brutal conditions on the convoys.

7. EythorAnonymous says:
23 Jun 2015 02:30:17 PM

Re: 7 Jul 1942 Allied convoy QP-13 it should read arrived at Hvalfjördur Iceland after running into a British minefield by mistake in navagation in foggy weather. Some ships mined and sank. Regars Eythor

8. EythorAnonymous says:
26 Jun 2015 06:52:51 AM

Thank you for your reply to my note 23 Jun-2015 abt. QP-13 also your wonderful web. I should have mentioned that all PQ and QP convoyes gathered or left from Hvalfjördur, Iceland. Re: request abt. Ludvig Islin Larsen in your Visitors Comments, shall I pass info. through you or to the E-mail adr. given. I don't have Webside or blog. New at this game. Only I-Pad. Best regards Eythor

9. Anonymous says:
6 Aug 2015 12:05:25 PM

outstanding staring point for research

10. Jos Odijk says:
17 Oct 2015 11:52:26 AM

I have more info for Rostron about the Paulus Potter, but do not have his email adress

11. Monte Ice says:
17 Mar 2016 09:15:41 AM

My father, George Ice, was on the S.S. Hawkins Fudske, a Liberty freighter, on a convoy to Murmansk, Russia. I believe it was convoy JW-59 in August, 1944. Can I obtain a confirmation or listing of ships in that convoy and/or convoys that the S.S. Hawkins Fudske was involved? He still is living at the age of 92!

12. Jos Odijk says:
14 Apr 2016 09:19:33 AM

George Lee Ice was on the SS Hawkins Fudske in convoy JW60 and RA 61 at the age of 20 as messman

13. Laura Korotky McGeough says:
9 Jun 2016 05:15:43 PM

I am researching my Great Uncle Samuel Lewis Korotky I have a postcard he sent to the family dated Oct. 12, 1944 he was on the SS Frederick W. Taylor. Any information you can provide about his service would be greatly appreciated.

14. Alexander Nomerkov says:
30 Aug 2016 12:42:48 PM

Здравствуйте. Низкий поклон от граждан России за арктические конвои и неоценимый вклад в борьбе с общим врагом под названием фашизм.
Hello. A low bow from the citizens of Russia in the Arctic convoys and invaluable contribution to the fight against the common enemy called fascism.
Documentary. Arctic convoy “Dervish”. 75 anniversary.
https://youtu.be/zV1lsh_BMX0
Arkhangelsk to mark 75th anniversary of Arctic convoys.
https://youtu.be/oW20CV2L0Hg

15. Michael says:
15 Sep 2016 07:19:46 AM

Recently I have completed assembling my grandfather’s papers and have had 100 copies printed for his grandchildren & great grandchildren and a few places with which he was associated. Called A Parson’s Son. 257 pages about half are Annexes / Appendices.

He was Admiral Sir Harold Burrough 4th July 1888 to 22nd October 1977.
He had a remarkable career in the Royal Navy which included commanding (or being closely associated with) PQ3, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17.

I may have a spare paper copy of his story – else I am very willing to send anyone a pdf copy via Dropbox – all I need is an email address.

16. Robert Conway says:
19 Dec 2016 07:40:15 PM

Unknown to anyone, Convoy PQ17 was carrying the first of a series of silver and gold bullion to the Soviet Union. The 22 American Merchant ships were carrying 28,125 tons of silver bullion, worth $640,000,000.
The configuration was:
8 ships carrying 1,875 tons/silver
14 ships carrying 937.5 tons/silver

I have irrefutable US documentation confirming not only this shipment, but the total classified program initiated by President Roosevelt.
To sum this up:
1942/22ships/28,125 tons silver
1943/4ships/ 700 tons gold
1944/22ships/28,125 tons silver
1,000 tons gold
1945/8ships/ 11,250 tons silver
500 tons gold
Value:$ 1,536,000,000 / silver
$ 2,464,000,000 / gold
============
$ 4,000,000,000

There's much much more to this highly classified covert operation, and anyone seeking further information must contact me at:
Cell-phone number: (703) 987-3742
E-mail: rconway1951@yahoo.com

Hope that someone found this intriguing.

17. Robert Conway says:
22 Dec 2016 09:41:35 PM

Sorry for a misprint - the lettering is kinda small on my phone.
My correct cell-phone number is:
(703) 987-3743

As an added comment to my earlier posting, if anyone wants to get a much clearer understanding of the most classified clandestine Lend-Lease program ever undertaken, then please acquire Stalin's Silver by John Beasant. The documents in the back are of prime importance - but the book's main focus is on the $57,000,000 bribe paid to King Saud, in order for him to cease the trans-shipments of Lend-Lease arms to the Palestinians. The USS John Barry was carrying 1,125 tons of Saudi silver when it was sunk. The USS Sydney Sherman was carrying the other 1,375 tons of Saudi silver, and both ships were carrying Soviet silver and gold consignments as well.
The 2,500 tons of silver was worth $56,888,888, and was the largest bribery to have ever been paid in history. Well there's a whole lot more to the story, but I believe that I've given out enough details to clarify certain issues.
Thankyou,
Rob Conway

18. Keith Bostel says:
13 Feb 2017 12:37:16 PM

I doubt you are unaware of the events in the Barents Sea on December 31st 1942 & their effect on German naval strategy following the sacrifice of HMS Achates escorting JW51B. I wonder why you have not cited the Battle of the Barents Sea & its significance ?

19.

David Stubblebine says:
13 Feb 2017 06:17:30 PM

Keith Bostel (above):
See: Battle of the Barents Sea at http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=107

20. Claus Kvist Hansen says:
26 May 2017 04:40:43 PM

Hello " EythorAnonymous"
Info about Mr. Ludvig Islin Larsen can be sent to my e-mail CLKVHA@gmail.com
Hope to hear from you
Kind regards
Claus Kvist Hansen

21. John Crawford says:
17 Nov 2017 05:59:16 AM

I want to know if my father Henry Crawford served on the arctic convoys on HMS Rodney

22. Anonymous says:
27 Nov 2017 07:59:55 AM

The entry for PQ 3 for PQ 3 is factually incorrect as no such attack took place and the convoy had arrived in North Russia on the 22nd. Also there is no entry to show the date of arrival.

23. Brian Hill says:
26 Dec 2017 03:01:47 PM

Just had a great conversation about the russian convoys with my wifes grandad hes 92 and served on hms myngs just wonderd if there was anyone out there knows if there are anyone else still alive who served on the myngs in 1943/45

24. Claus Kvist Hansen says:
19 Feb 2019 02:23:35 PM

If somebody has the contactinformations for “EythorAnonymous”, please mail it to me. He seems to have info about Ludvig Islin Larsen - see above.
Kind regards, Claus
CLKVHA@gmail.com

25. Peter Thomas says:
20 Jul 2019 02:54:30 AM

I have a list of the merchant navy ships my father served on. How do I find out if they were in one of the arctic convoys?
Many thanks
Peter

26. David Carmichael says:
30 Dec 2019 03:38:53 PM

My father served as 2nd Mate on an oil tanker on an Arctic convoy. He served on a ship owner by Anglo Saxon Petroleum. Is there a list of the ships that sailed in these convoys I can reference?

27. Anonymous says:
24 Feb 2020 11:23:24 AM

I am tracing my family history and have been told that an uncle, born in Scotland in 1904, died in the Arctic Convoy in WW2. I have his full name and date of birth but don't know whether he was Royal Navy or Merchant Navy . How can I find out IF /WHEN he died in Arctic Convoy ? Thank you

28. Anonymous says:
18 Mar 2020 07:58:05 AM

Soviet Destroyer Baku was not lost in QP15 as cited, but repaired and returned to service.

29. Anonymous says:
18 Mar 2020 08:00:45 AM

The quotation from Wallings: "The Soviet Union lost 30 merchant ships and an unknown number of personnel", appears at variance with known facts and should not be relied upon.

30.

C. Peter Chen says:
22 Mar 2020 07:24:43 AM

Thank you, Anonymous of 18 Mar 2020, the error about Baku has been corrected.

31. Anonymous says:
2 Aug 2020 04:33:02 PM

Useful detail here. But what were these convoys carrying? Did the cargos make a significant difference?

32. Anonymous says:
29 Aug 2020 02:53:25 AM

Good article, spotted one inaccuracy: HMS Sulla was lost during PQ13 in March 1942, not PQ9. While it is likely she capsized due to topweight of ice, there were no survivors, no witnesses and no enemy reports of sightings or attacks that could be this ship, so this is the assumed cause of her loss.

33. Claus Kvist Hansen says:
9 Jan 2021 01:15:42 PM

If anyone have information on Ludvig Islin Larsen, who did 3 convoys, I'd be happy to know more of it. We think he was the only survivor in the sinking of his last ship.
Claus Kvist Hansen, clkvha@gmail.com

34. Ray Purcell says:
29 Dec 2021 02:15:28 AM

My late father Rowland Thomas Purcell was a DEMS Gunner and sailed on the ARTIGAS on convoys PQ12 and returned on QP10 ,i am trying to get a photograph for the vessel ARTIGAS which was Panamanian registered but so far have not found one ,anyone know if one exists ??

35. Heidi O'Donnell says:
22 May 2022 06:33:16 PM

Looking for information about my father, William G. O'Donnell born 1920, from Port Glasgow, UK, who did a few arctic convoys to Murmansk. I would love to know how to research this--any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

36. Irene Sawyer says:
8 May 2024 03:20:13 AM

Looking for information if my father Edward Joseph Fegan was part of the PQ17 Arctic Convoy.

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