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Convoy HX 237

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Convoy HX 237
Part of World War II
Date9–13 May 1943
Location
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg Germany Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
 Canada
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Comm: R Gill
C-2 Group: EH Chavasse
Strength
19 U-boats 47 ships
5 escorts
Casualties and losses
3 U-boats destroyed
144 dead
3 ships sunk
(21,389 GRT)
58 dead

HX 237 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was one of several convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of May 1943.

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Convoy

Convoy

A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.

HX convoys

HX convoys

The HX convoys were a series of North Atlantic convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. They were east-bound convoys and originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from where they sailed to ports in the United Kingdom. They absorbed the BHX convoys from Bermuda en route. Later, after the United States entered the war, HX convoys began at New York.

Battle of the Atlantic

Battle of the Atlantic

The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. The campaign peaked from mid-1940 through to the end of 1943.

World War II

World War II

World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. Many participants threw their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind this total war, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war.

Background

HX 237 was an east bound convoy of 47 ships, plus local contingents, which sailed from New York on 1 May 1943 bound for Liverpool and carrying war materials. Convoy commodore was Capt. R Gill RNR in Pacific Enterprise. Mid-Ocean Escort Force group C2 joined the convoy from St Johns on 7 May. Escort group C2 was led by Cdr EH Chavasse in destroyer Broadway; other ships of this group were frigate Lagan and three corvettes. These were joined on the same day by a Support Group, SG 5, comprising escort carrier Biter and four destroyers.

Arrayed against them in the North Atlantic were the patrol lines Rhein, Elbe and Drossel, though although in the event only Rhein and Drossel, comprising 19 U-boats, engaged HX 237.[1]

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New York City

New York City

New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km2), New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States and more than twice as populous as Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city. New York City is located at the southern tip of New York State. It constitutes the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area. With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York is one of the world's most populous megacities, and over 58 million people live within 250 mi (400 km) of the city. New York City is a global cultural, financial, entertainment, and media center with a significant influence on commerce, health care and life sciences, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, dining, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy, and is sometimes described as the capital of the world.

Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in North West England. With a population of 486,100 in 2021, it is located within the county of Merseyside and is the principal city of the wider Liverpool City Region. Its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.24 million.

Mid-Ocean Escort Force

Mid-Ocean Escort Force

Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) referred to the organisation of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and Newfoundland, and the British Isles. The allocation of United States, British, and Canadian escorts to these convoys reflected preferences of the United States upon their declaration of war, and the organisation persisted through the winter of 1942–43 despite withdrawal of United States ships from the escort groups. By the summer of 1943, United States Atlantic escorts were focused on the faster CU convoys and the UG convoys between Chesapeake Bay and the Mediterranean Sea; and only British and Canadian escorts remained on the HX, SC and ON convoys.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.

Escort carrier

Escort carrier

The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the United States Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers, slower, more-lightly armed and armored, and carried fewer planes. Escort carriers were most often built upon a commercial ship hull, so they were cheaper and could be built quickly. This was their principal advantage as they could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable, and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier was a similar concept to the escort carrier in most respects, but was fast enough to operate alongside fleet carriers.

HMS Biter (D97)

HMS Biter (D97)

HMS Biter was a Royal Navy escort carrier during the Second World War. She was laid down as a merchant ship at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company yard at Chester, Pennsylvania. Laid down on 28 December 1939, she was converted to an escort carrier and commissioned in the Royal Navy on 6 May 1942. She was returned to the United States in 1945 and subsequently lent to France.

Action

First contact was made on 9 May by U-359, which called up other boats from Rhein and commenced shadowing. U-359 was attacked by an escort, and lost contact, but the following day, 10 May, contact was regained by U-454. She also was driven off, by aircraft from Biter, but by evening a number of U-boats from both groups were in contact and began their attack. These were unable to penetrate the escort screen, though three ships that had become separated were sunk; the Liberty ship Fort Concord, sunk by U-403 and U-456 in the early hours of 11 May; the Norwegian tanker Sandanger, sunk by U-221 on 12 May, and Norwegian freighter Brand, sunk by U-603 on the night of 12/13 May.[2]

On 12 May U-89 was sighted by a Swordfish from Biter and destroyed by Broadway and Lagan.[3][4] Later the same day HX 237 came within range of Coastal Command aircraft, and Biter and her group detached to go to the aid of SC 129, which was coming under attack 200 miles to the south-west. That night U-456 was attacked by a Liberator flying at long range. The aircraft used FIDO, a new and secret homing torpedo, on the rapidly diving U-boat; she was damaged, but was able to surface and drive off the aircraft with anti-aircraft fire. The Liberator was able to summon help, however, and the next morning the destroyer Opportune found U-456 and attacked. The U-boat crash-dived, but was not seen again; it was later presumed she had been fatally damaged by the aircraft attack, the first instance of a U-boat being sunk by FIDO.[3][5]

On 13 May U-753 was found and attacked by a Sunderland, but the U-boat chose not to dive to escape, driving off the aircraft with flak. The Sunderland commenced circling and summoned help, which came in the form of Lagan and Drumheller. As U-753 dived away the Sunderland attacked with depth charges, followed by depth charges from the two ships. Nothing more was heard from U-753 and post-war analysis credited the aircraft and two ships with her destruction.[3][6]

With these losses, and little success in breaching the convoy's defences, BdU called off the attack.

HX 237 continued without further interference and arrived at Liverpool on 17 May 1943.

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German submarine U-359

German submarine U-359

German submarine U-359 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-454

German submarine U-454

German submarine U-454 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-403

German submarine U-403

German submarine U-403 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-456

German submarine U-456

German submarine U-456 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 3 September 1940 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 287, launched on 21 June 1941 and commissioned on 18 September 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Max-Martin Teichert.

German submarine U-221

German submarine U-221

German submarine U-221 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-603

German submarine U-603

German submarine U-603 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 27 February 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 579, launched on 16 November 1941 and commissioned on 2 January 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Kurt Kölzer.

German submarine U-89 (1941)

German submarine U-89 (1941)

German submarine U-89 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Fairey Swordfish

Fairey Swordfish

The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), as well as several overseas operators, including the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was initially operated primarily as a fleet attack aircraft. During its later years, the Swordfish was increasingly used as an anti-submarine and training platform. The type was in frontline service throughout the Second World War.

Convoy SC 129

Convoy SC 129

SC 129 was a North Atlantic convoy of the SC series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was one of several convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of May 1943.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s, in the Land Bomber design category.

HMS Opportune (G80)

HMS Opportune (G80)

HMS Opportune was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was ordered from John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston on 3 September 1939 for the 1st Emergency Flotilla. She was commissioned on 14 August 1942. She was the second Royal Navy ship borne Opportune.

German submarine U-753

German submarine U-753

German submarine U-753 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Commissioned on 18 June 1941, she served with 3rd U-boat Flotilla until 30 November as a training boat, and as a front boat until 13 May 1943 under the command of Fregattenkapitän Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein.

Ships in the convoy

Name[7] Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Aedanus Burke (1943)  United States 7,176 Returned
Alcoa Trader (1920)  United States 4,986
Avristan (1942)  United Kingdom 7,266
Belgian Gulf (1929)  Panama 8,237
HMS Biter (D97)  Royal Navy Escort 7 May - 13 May
Escort carrier
Braga (1938)  Norway 1,671 Uk For Iceland
Brand (1927)  Norway 4,819 Straggled and sunk by U-603 on 12 May
British Valour (1927)  United Kingdom 6,952 Escort Oiler
HMS Broadway (H90)  Royal Navy Escort 7 May - 16 May
HMCS Chambly  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 7 May - 16 May
Corvette
City Of Dundee (1921)  United Kingdom 5,273
City Of Eastbourne (1923)  United Kingdom 5,563
Clan Macarthur (1936)  United Kingdom 10,528
Consuelo (1937)  United Kingdom 4,847 Vice-Commodore
Delhi (1925)  Sweden 4,571
Dorcasia (1938)  United Kingdom 8,053
Dromore (1920)  United Kingdom 4,096
HMCS Drumheller  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 7 May - 16 May
Corvette
Empire Emerald (1941)  United Kingdom 8,032
Ernebank (1937)  United Kingdom 5,388
Fort Aklavik (1943)  United Kingdom 7,132
Fort Concord (1942)  United Kingdom 7,138 Straggled 7 May, Sunk 11 May by U-403 and U-456
Frontenac (1928)  Norway 7,350
G C Brovig (1930)  Norway 9,718
Gdynia (1934)  Sweden 1,636
Gulfwing (1928)  United States 10,217 Escort Oiler
Henry Villard (1942)  United States 7,176
Herbrand (1935)  Norway 9,108
James Turner (1942)  United States 7,177
John F Appleby (1942)  United States 7,181
Joseph Warren (1943)  United States 7,176 Fitted With Anti-torpedo Net Device (AND)
HMS Kirkella (FY174)  Royal Navy Escort 16 May - 17 May
ASW trawler
Kong Sverre (1941)  Norway 7,238
Lady Rodney (1929)  United Kingdom 8,194 Halifax to St. Johns, Newfoundland
HMS Lagan  Royal Navy Escort 7 May - 16 May
Frigate
Laurent Meeus (1930)  Belgium 6,429
Leerdam (1921)  Netherlands 8,815
Magdala (1931)  Netherlands 8,248
HMCS Morden  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 7 May - 16 May
Corvette
Mormacmar (1920)  United States 5,453
Moses Cleaveland (1943)  United States 7,176
HMCS Noranda  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 1 May - 4 May
Norefjord (1920)  Norway 3,082
Norholm (1941)  Norway 9,813
Northern Sun (1931)  United States 8,865
HMS Obdurate  Royal Navy Escort 9 May - 13 May
Destroyer
Opalia (1938)  United Kingdom 6,195
HMS Opportune  Royal Navy Escort 9 May - 13 May
Destroyer
Pacific Enterprise (1927)  United Kingdom 6,736 Capt R Gill CBE Rd RNR (Commodore)
HMS Pathfinder (G10)  Royal Navy Escort 9 May - 13 May
Destroyer
HMS Primrose (K91)  Royal Navy Escort 7 May - 16 May
Corvette
Richard Hovey (1943)  United States 7,176 Fitted With Anti-torpedo Net Device (AND)
Saint Bertrand (1929)  United Kingdom 5,522
Sandanger (1938)  Norway 9,432 Straggled 8 May and sunk by U-221
Spinanger (1927)  Norway 7,429 Escort Oiler
HNoMS St. Albans  Royal Norwegian Navy Escort 4 May - 7 May
Destroyer
Stanmore (1940)  United Kingdom 4,970
Stephen A Douglas (1942)  United States 7,176 Returned
Strinda (1937)  Norway 10,973 Escort Oiler
HMCS Timmins  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 1 May - 6 May
Corvette
HMCS Trail  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 1 May - 7 May
Corvette
Trondheim (1939)  Norway 8,258
USS Yukon (1919)  United States Navy 5,970 Store ship
Warfield (1917)  United Kingdom 6,070
Wendell Phillips (1942)  United States 7,176 Joined Convoy ON 180 & returned St John's, Newfoundland
Winona (1919)  United States 6,197 Returned to St John's, Newfoundland

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United States

United States

The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations. The United States is also in free association with three Pacific Island sovereign states: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. It is the world's third-largest country by both land and total area. It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. With a population of over 333 million, it is the most populous country in the Americas and the third most populous in the world. The national capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. and its most populous city and principal financial center is New York City.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in Northwestern Europe that comprised the entirety of the British Isles between 1801 and 1922. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into a unified state. The establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 led to the remainder later being renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927.

Panama

Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Its capital and largest city is Panama City, whose metropolitan area is home to nearly half the country's 4 million people.

HMS Biter (D97)

HMS Biter (D97)

HMS Biter was a Royal Navy escort carrier during the Second World War. She was laid down as a merchant ship at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company yard at Chester, Pennsylvania. Laid down on 28 December 1939, she was converted to an escort carrier and commissioned in the Royal Navy on 6 May 1942. She was returned to the United States in 1945 and subsequently lent to France.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

Norway

Norway

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of Norway. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency of Norway; it also lays claims to the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. The capital and largest city in Norway is Oslo.

German submarine U-603

German submarine U-603

German submarine U-603 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 27 February 1941 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 579, launched on 16 November 1941 and commissioned on 2 January 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Kurt Kölzer.

USS Hunt (DD-194)

USS Hunt (DD-194)

USS Hunt (DD-194) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She also served in the United States Coast Guard, as USCGD Hunt (CG-18). She was later transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Broadway (H90).

Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The Royal Canadian Navy is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submarines, 12 coastal defence vessels, eight patrol class training vessels, two offshore patrol vessels, and several auxiliary vessels. The RCN consists of 8,570 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by 3,800 civilians. Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee is the current commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and chief of the Naval Staff.

Aftermath

HX 237 was seen as a success by the Allies. Three ships had been lost, but 38 ships arrived safely; another four had been forced to return and two had detached to other destinations.[8] In return, three U-boats had been destroyed, though two of these were unconfirmed at the time. Several others had been damaged and forced to return to base. The convoy was another in a series of set-backs suffered by the U-boat Arm, collectively known as Black May.

Source: "Convoy HX 237", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, January 8th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convoy_HX_237.

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Notes
  1. ^ Blair p327
  2. ^ Blair p328
  3. ^ a b c Kemp p116
  4. ^ Neistle p44
  5. ^ Neistle p67
  6. ^ Neistle p87
  7. ^ "Convoy HX.237". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  8. ^ Hague p
References

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