Convoy JW 55B

The German battleship Scharnhorst

Convoy JW 55B was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1943, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely.

During the voyage JW 55B was approached by a German force centred on the battleship Scharnhorst; no contact was made with the convoy, but Scharnhorst was sunk, in the Battle of the North Cape, by the battleship HMS Duke of York, a handful of Royal Navy light surface combatants, and Norwegian destroyer HNoMS Stord.

Ships

The convoy, comprising 19 merchant ships, departed Loch Ewe on 20 December 1943. Close escort was provided by two destroyers and three other escort vessels. There was also an Ocean escort, comprising the destroyer Onslow (Captain J A McCoy commanding) and seven other Home Fleet destroyers. The convoy was initially accompanied by a local escort group, and joined later by the ocean escort of convoy JW 55A, out of Murmansk. A cruiser cover force comprising Belfast (Vice Admiral R Burnett commanding), Norfolk, and Sheffield also followed the convoy, to guard against attack by surface units. Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force comprising the battleship Duke of York, the cruiser Jamaica and four destroyers under the command of Vice Admiral Bruce Fraser.^[1]

JW 55B was opposed by a force of thirteen U-boats in a patrol line, code-named Eisenbart, in the Norwegian Sea. A surface force comprising the battleship Scharnhorst and five destroyers was also in readiness, stationed at Altenfjord.

Action

JW 55B departed Loch Ewe on 20 December 1943 accompanied by its local escort of two minesweepers and two corvettes, and its close escort. Two days later on 22 December, it was joined by the ocean escort, while the local escort returned. At the same time the Cruiser Force, from Murmansk, and the Distant Cover Force, waiting at Akureyri, in Iceland, also put to sea, taking station in the Norwegian Sea. The convoy was sighted the same day by a patrolling German aircraft which commenced shadowing; a succession of aircraft were able to maintain contact over the next few days, sending accurate reports of course and speed to the surface force at Altenfjord.

On 25 December the convoy was sighted by U-601, an Eisenbart boat, and later that day Admiral Bey, in Scharnhorst, received permission to sortie with his force. That evening U-716 came close enough to fire on one of the escorts, while another was depth charged. Also on 25 December, JW 55B was joined by the ocean escort of JW 55A, which was accompanying the returning convoy RA 55A. Fraser was concerned a German surface force would reach JW 55B before he would, and ordered the convoy to reverse course. In the event this proved too difficult, but the convoy was slowed to 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) to assist the rendezvous.^[2]

Scharnhorst was unable to make contact with JW 55B, but on 26 December was intercepted, first by Burnett's cruisers, then by Fraser's heavy units, and sunk in the Battle of the North Cape, after scoring only two minor hits on both Duke of York and destroyer Saumarez. Meanwhile, contact by the U-boats had been lost, and no further contact with JW 55B was made by the Eisenbart wolfpack.

On 28 December the convoy was met by the eastern local escort force, three Soviet destroyers and two minesweepers, and arrived at Kola without further incident on 30 December 1943.

Conclusion

The 19 ships of JW 55B arrived at Murmansk without loss, while the German attempt to attack the convoy had led to the loss of their last operational capital ship in Norway. Thereafter, until Tirpitz was returned to active service, the Allied Arctic convoys were under no serious threat from the German Navy's surface forces.

Ships involved

Allied ships

Name	Flag	Tonnage (GRT)	Notes
HMS Belfast	Royal Navy		Cruiser cover force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Light cruiser
Bernard N Baker (1943)	United States	7,191
HMS Borage	Royal Navy		Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Corvette
British Statesman (1923)	United Kingdom	6,991
Brockholst Livingston (1942)	United States	7,176
Cardinal Gibbons (1942)	United States	7,191
HMS Duke of York	Royal Navy		Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Battleship
Fort Kullyspell (1943)	United Kingdom	7,190	Commodore
Fort Nakasley (1943)	United Kingdom	7,132
Fort Vercheres (1942)	United Kingdom	7,128
HMS Gleaner	Royal Navy		Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Minesweeper
HMCS Haida	Royal Canadian Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Halcyon	Royal Navy		Escort 28 Dec – 30 Dec. Minesweeper
Harold L Winslow (1943)	United States	7,176
HMS Honeysuckle	Royal Navy		Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Corvette
HMS Hound	Royal Navy		Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Minesweeper
HMCS Huron	Royal Canadian Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Hussar	Royal Navy		Escort 28 Dec – 30 Dec. Minesweeper
HMS Hydra	Royal Navy		Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Minesweeper
HMS Impulsive	Royal Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMCS Iroquois	Royal Canadian Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Jamaica	Royal Navy		Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Cruiser
John J Abel (1943)	United States	7,191
John Vining (1942)	United States	7,191
John Wanamaker (1943)	United States	7,176
HMS Matchless	Royal Navy		Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Musketeer	Royal Navy		Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Norfolk	Royal Navy		Cruiser cover force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Heavy cruiser
Norlys (1936)	Panama	9,892
Ocean Gypsy (1942)	United Kingdom	7,178
Ocean Messenger (1942)	United Kingdom	7,178
Ocean Pride (1942)	United Kingdom	7,173
Ocean Valour (1942)	United Kingdom	7,174
Ocean Viceroy (1942)	United Kingdom	7,174
HMS Onslaught	Royal Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Onslow	Royal Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Opportune	Royal Navy		Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Orwell	Royal Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Oxlip	Royal Navy		Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Corvette
HMS Saumarez	Royal Navy		Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Savage	Royal Navy		Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Scorpion	Royal Navy		Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Scourge	Royal Navy		Ocean escort 22 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Sheffield	Royal Navy		Cruiser cover force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Cruiser
HNoMS Stord	Royal Norwegian Navy		Distant Cover Force 23 Dec – 27 Dec. Destroyer
Thomas U Walter (1943)	United States	7,176
HMS Virago	Royal Navy		Escort 25 Dec – 26 Dec. Destroyer
HMS Wallflower	Royal Navy		Escort 20 Dec – 22 Dec. Corvette
HMS Whitehall	Royal Navy		Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer
Will Rogers (1942)	United States	7,200
HMS Wrestler	Royal Navy		Close escort 20 Dec – 29 Dec. Destroyer.

Axis ships

U-boat force U-314 U-354 U-387 U-601 U-716 U-957

Surface force Scharnhorst Z29 Z30 Z33 Z34 Z38

Notes

1. Kemp (1993) p. 163
2. Kemp (1993) p. 164

References

• Blair, Clay (1998). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942-1945. ISBN 0-304-35261-6.
• Paul Kemp : Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters (1993) ISBN 1-85409-130-1
• Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed, German submarine losses in the World Wars. Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
• Niestle, Axel (1998). German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-352-8.
• Bob Ruegg, Arnold Hague : Convoys to Russia (1992) ISBN 0-905617-66-5
• Bernard Schofield : (1964) The Russian Convoys BT Batsford ISBN (none)
• JW 55B at Convoyweb

72.2600°N 28.6800°E / 72.2600; 28.6800