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 with the battleship ; no contact was made with the convoy but Scharnhorst was sunk, in the Battle of the North Cape, by the battleship , a handful of Royal Navy light surface combatants and the Norwegian destroyer .

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 (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, from Murmansk. A cruiser cover force comprising (Vice Admiral Robert Burnett commanding), , and also followed the convoy, to guard against attack by surface units. Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force comprising the battleship , the cruiser and four destroyers under the command of Vice Admiral Bruce Fraser.

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 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 , an Eisenbart boat, and later that day Admiral Bey, in Scharnhorst, received permission to sortie with his force. That evening 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 to assist the rendezvous.

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 . 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 was returned to active service, the Allied Arctic convoys were under no serious threat from the German Navy's surface forces.

Allied order of battle

Ships convoyed +Convoy NameYearFlagGRTNotesBernard N Baker19437,191British Statesman19236,991Brockholst Livingston19427,176Cardinal Gibbons19427,191Fort Kullyspell19437,190CommodoreFort Nakasley19437,132Vice-commoodoreFort Vercheres19427,128Harold L Winslow19437,176John J Abel19437,191John Vining19427,191John Wanamaker19437,176Norlys19369,892Escort oiler19427,17819427,17819427,173Rear-commodore19427,17419427,174Thomas U. Walter19437,176Will Rogers19427,200

Convoy escorts +Escorts (in relays) NameFlagTypeNotesWestern local escort20–22 December20–22 December20–22 December20–22 DecemberCruiser cover23–27 December23–27 December23–27 DecemberOcean escort20–29 December20–29 December20–29 DecemberW-class destroyer20–29 DecemberW-class destroyer20–29 December22–29 DecemberO-class destroyer22–29 DecemberO-class destroyer22–29 DecemberO-class destroyer22–29 DecemberS-class destroyer22–29 December22–29 December22–29 December22–29 DecemberM-class destroyer25–26 DecemberM-class destroyer25–26 DecemberO-class destroyer25–26 DecemberV-class destroyer25–26 DecemberDistant cover (Home Fleet)23–27 December23–27 DecemberS-class destroyer23–27 DecemberS-class destroyer23–27 DecemberS-class destroyer23–27 DecemberS-class destroyer23–27 DecemberEastern local escort28–30 December28–30 December

German order of battle

+ NameFlagClassNotesU-boatsType VIIC submarineType VIIC submarineType VIIC submarineType VIIC submarineType VIIC submarineType VIIC submarineShipsType 1936 destroyerType 1936 destroyerType 1936A (Mob) destroyerType 1936A (Mob) destroyerType 1936A (Mob) destroyer

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