Convoy OG 82
Convoy OG 82 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of World War II | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
BdU: Admiral Karl Dönitz | Commodore:Capt. AJ Baxter SO Escort: Cdr. Frederic John Walker | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
1 U-boat | 17 ships 5 escorts | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 U-boat destroyed | No ships sunk |
- v
- t
- e
- Americas
- Northern Barrage
- Blockade of Germany
- Gibraltar
1939
1940
1941
- SC 19
- SC 20
- Berlin
- HG 53
- OB 293
- HX 112
- 4 April
- OB 318
- HX 126
- Rheinübung
- Denmark Strait
- Bismarck
- HX 133
- OG 69
- OG 71
- SC 42
- HG 73
- SC 48
- HX 156
- HG 76
1942
- Postmaster
- 2nd Happy Time
- Torpedo Alley
- SC 67
- Neuland
- ON 67
- 27 March
- OG 82
- Connecticut
- ON 92
- 6 June
- HG 84
- SL 78
- QS 15
- ON 113
- ON 115
- SC 94
- ON 122
- Bell Island
- QS 33
- ON 127
- Laconia
- SQ 36
- SC 100
- 27 September
- SG 6/LN 6
- SC 104
- HX 212
- SL 125
- SC 107
- ON 144
- ON 153
- ON 154
1943
- TM 1
- SG 19
- SC 118
- ON 166
- UC 1
- SC 121
- HX 228
- UGS 6
- HX 229/SC 122
- HX 231
- Black May
- Faith
- ONS 18/ON 202
- SC 143
- ONS 20/ON 206
- Sept-Îles
- ON 207
- SL 138/MKS 28
- SL 139/MKS 30
- SL 140/MKS 31
- Stonewall
1944
- Lyme Bay
- 26 April 1944
- Capture of U-505
- HX 300
- WEP 3
- BX 141
1945
- Teardrop
- Point Judith
- 5–6 May 1945
- 7–8 May 1945
OG 82 was an Allied convoy of the OG (Outward to Gibraltar) series during World War II. The action involving this convoy resulted in the destruction of a U-boat, and also had consequences for German U-boat strategy.
Forces involved
OG 82 comprised 17 ships outward bound to Gibraltar, carrying war materials and trade goods. The convoy commodore was Captain AJ Baxter in Baron Yarborough, and the convoy was protected by an understrength escort group. This was 36th Escort Group, led by Cdr FJ "Johnnie" Walker, consisting of the sloop Stork and the Flower-class corvettes Convolvulus, Pentstemon, Vetch and Gardenia (joined 13 April). The convoy's protection was enhanced by armed merchants— the CAM ships Empire Eve and Empire Heath, and the rescue ship Toward.[1]
Action
OG 82 left Liverpool on 8 April 1942. On 14 April 1942 OG 82 was at the western edge of the Bay of Biscay when it was encountered by U-252, inbound to France after completing her first war patrol. Her skipper, KL Kai Lerchner, sent a sighting report stating that the convoy was lightly escorted and that he was starting to shadow.
His radio signal was picked up and DFed by Royal Navy land stations and reported to Walker. He quickly dispatched his four corvettes to search for the U-boat, which was picked up on radar by Vetch. As Vetch closed to attack, U-252 crash-dived and launched two torpedoes which narrowly missed the corvette. Arriving in Stork, Walker then sent the others corvettes back to the convoy and commenced a hunt with Vetch Together they made several attacks, dropping 45 depth charges in total, and U-252 was destroyed.[2]
No further attacks took place and OG 82 arrived at Gibraltar on 20 April without loss.
Ships in the convoy
Allied merchant ships
A total of 17 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Liverpool or later in the voyage.[3][4]
Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Baron Ramsey (1929) | ![]() | 3,650 | |
Baron Yarborough (1928) | ![]() | 3,388 | |
Cara (1929) | ![]() | 1,760 | |
City of Lancaster (1924) | ![]() | 3,041 | |
Crane (1937) | ![]() | 785 | |
Empire Eve (1941) | ![]() | 5,979 | CAM ship |
Empire Heath (1941) | ![]() | 6,643 | CAM ship |
Empire Snipe (1919) | ![]() | 2,497 | Bound for Lisbon |
Guido (1920) | ![]() | 3,921 | |
Leadgate (1925) | ![]() | 2,125 | Joined late and straggled (18 April) |
Macbrae (1924) | ![]() | 2,117 | |
Newton Pine (1925) | ![]() | 4,212 | |
Ogmore Castle (1919) | ![]() | 2,481 | |
Ousel (1922) | ![]() | 1,533 | |
Pencarrow (1921) | ![]() | 4,841 | Bound for Lisbon |
Shuna (1937) | ![]() | 1,575 | |
Toward (1923) | ![]() | 1,571 | Rescue ship |
Convoy escorts
The 36th Escort Group of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various strengths during its journey.[3]
Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMS Convolvulus (K45) | ![]() | Flower-class corvette | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
HMS Gardenia (K99) | ![]() | Flower-class corvette | 13 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
HMS Pentstemon (K61) | ![]() | Flower-class corvette | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
HMS Stork (L81) | ![]() | Bittern-class anti-submarine sloop | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
HMS Vetch (K132) | ![]() | Flower-class corvette | 9 Apr 1942 | 20 April 1942 |
U-boats
Date | Number | Type | Captain | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 April 1942 | U-252 | Type VIIC | KL Kai Lerchen | NW of Cape Finisterre 47°00′N 18°14′W / 47.000°N 18.233°W / 47.000; -18.233 | contact by Vetch, d/c by Vetch, Stork[5] |
Aftermath
This small action resulted in the destruction of one U-boat, but had far-reaching consequences. U-252’s disappearance, after reporting an encounter with a lightly escorted convoy, was similar to the disappearance six weeks previously of U-82 in the same area. From this, Befehlshaber der U-Boote (BdU) Karl Dönitz reached the erroneous conclusion that the Allies were running a decoy operation, sending heavily armed anti-submarine vessels disguised as a weak convoy to act as a U-boat trap. He therefore instructed his U-boat force to avoid attacking convoys in the Biscay area, an unexpected benefit to the Allies from this brief action.[2]
Notes
References
- Blair, Clay (2000). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939-1942. ISBN 0-304-35260-8.
- Arnold Hague The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 (2000). ISBN 1-55125-033-0 (Canada) . ISBN 1-86176-147-3 (UK)
- Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed, German submarine losses in the World Wars. Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
- Stephen Roskill : The War at Sea 1939–1945 Vol II (1956). ISBN (none)
- DEG Wemyss : Walker's Groups in the Western Approaches (1948). ISBN (none)
External links
- OG 82 at convoyweb.org.uk
- U-252 at uboat.net