Convoy Battles of World War II occurred when convoys of warships protected cargo ships assembled for mutual defence and were attacked by submarines, surface ships and/or aircraft. Most were in the North Atlantic from 1939 to 1943 and involved attacks by U-boat wolfpacks. Convoy battles also occurred in the Arctic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and western Pacific Ocean.

Battles

ConvoyEscortLocatedShipsBombersU-boatsSunkGRTConvoy HX 65 —24 August 1940 —123742,311Convoy HX 72 —20 September 1940 — —91172,727Convoy SC 7 —16 October 1940 — —72079,592Convoy HX 79 —19 October 1940 — —51275,069Convoy HX 845 November 1940Scheer — —533,331Convoy HX 90 —1 December 1940 — —71173,958Convoy HG 53 —8 February 1941Hipper51915,218Convoy SL 64 —12 February 1941Hipper — —732,806Convoy OB 293 — 7 March 1941 — — 4 227,206Convoy HX 1125th EG15 March 1941 — —5534,505Convoy SC 261 April 1941 — —81051,969Convoy OB 3183rd EG7 May 1941 — —4950,985Convoy HX 12619 May 1941 — —11951,862Convoy OG 69 —24 July 1941 — —8711,303Convoy OG 71 —17 August 1941 — —81015,185Convoy SC 42NEF 24th EG9 September 1941 — —191668,259Convoy HG 73 —19 September 1941 — —51025,818Operation HalberdForce H25 September 19412 × BB6211112,427Convoy SC 48EG 4.1.1515 October 1941 — —91149,835Convoy HG 7636th EG16 December 1941 — —10418,383Convoy NA 2 —31 January 1942 — —411,190ON 67TU 4.1.521 February 1942 — —5854,750Second Battle of Sirte (Convoy MW 10) —21 March 1942Littorio93217,031Convoy PQ 13 —28 March 1942 — —9211,507Convoy ON 92A-311 May 1942 — —6736,284Convoy ON 100C-18 June 1942 — —6520,478Operation Vigorous (Convoy MW 11) —12 June 1942 — —6212,915Operation Harpoon (Convoy GM 4)Force X14 June 1942 — — —429,129Convoy PQ 171st EG1 July 1942 —202 sorties916102,311Convoy ON 115C-329 July 1942 — —12321,456Convoy SC 94C-15 August 1942 — —171153,421Operation Pedestal (Convoy WS.5.21.S) —10 August 1942 —3162988,812Convoy ON 122B-622 August 1942 — —14417,235Convoy ON 127C-49 September 1942 — —12851,619Convoy PQ 18 —12 September 1942 —775319,689Convoy SC 100C-418 September 1942 — —17526,331Convoy QP 14 —20 September 1942 — —7623,474Convoy RB 1 —23 September 1942 — —9311,525Convoy SC 104B-612 October 1942 — —17843,970Convoy HX 212A-326 October 1942 — —13651,918Convoy SL 125 —27 October 1942 — —101280,005Convoy SC 107C-430 October 1942 — —161582,817Convoy ON 144B-615 November 1942 — —13626,321Convoy ON 153B-715 December 1942 — —13419,551Convoy JW 51B —24 December 19422 × Heavy cruiser —1 — —Convoy ONS 154C-126 December 19420 —161466,922Convoy TM 1B-53 January 1943 — —14756,453Convoy SC 118B-24 February 1943 — —201159,765Convoy ON 166A-321 February 1943 — —191488,001Convoy UC 144th EG22 February 1943 — —11326,682Battle of the Bismarck Sea (Convoy 81)8 × DD1 March 194310 × MTB114 —837,324Convoy SC 121A-36 March 1943 — —261255,661Convoy HX 228B-310 March 1943 — —19525,515Convoy UGS 612 March 1943 — —17428,018Convoy HX 229B-416 March 1943 — —431393,502Convoy SC 122B-517 March 1943 — —43953,094Convoy RS 327 March 1943 — —7315,389Convoy HX 231B-74 April 1943 — —11641,494Convoy ONS 5B-728 April 1943 — —551361,958Convoy TS 37 —30 April 1943 — —1743,255Convoy SC 130 —18 May 1943 — —25 — —Convoy JW 55B —22 December 1943Scharnhorst —2 — —Convoy JW 56A —25 January 1944 — —4321,584Convoy Hi-40Shimushu19 February 1944 — —2528,075Convoy Hi-716th EG17 August 1944 — —6573,071Convoy Hi-818th EG15 November 1944 —16336,100

Notes

References

Further reading