Convoy OG 71

Convoy OG 71 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the second World War. It was the 71st of the numbered OG convoys Outbound from the British Isles to Gibraltar. The convoy departed Liverpool on 13 August 1941[1] and was found on 17 August by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor of Kampfgeschwader 40. Starting on August 19, it became the first convoy of the war to be attacked by a German submarine wolfpack, when reached by eight U-boats from 1st U-boat Flotilla, operating out of Brest. Ten ships comprising a total tonnage of 15,185 tons were sunk before the U-boats lost contact on 23 August.[2]

Convoy OG.71
Part of World War II
Date13–25 August 1941
Location
North Atlantic
Belligerents
Germany

United Kingdom

 Royal Norwegian Navy
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Vice-Admiral P E Parker DSO
Strength
8 U-boats 23 merchant ships
13 escorts
Casualties and losses
10 ships sunk
(8 merchants, 2 escorts)

Legacy

This convoy was known as "Nightmare Convoy".[3] Eight merchant ships,[2] two naval escorts and over 400 people died, including 152 from the commodore's ship, Aguila (146 on August 19 and 6 survivors lost on August 22 when Empire Oak sank). The Aguila losses included the 22 "lost Wrens" (members of the Women's Royal Naval Service, or WRNS) who had volunteered for duties at Gibraltar. After this, Wrens were never sent again on passenger liners in convoys, but transported on HM ships.[4] In their honour, a new Black Swan-class sloop, launched in 1942, was named HMS Wren, while a Liverpool-class lifeboat, launched in 1951, was named Aguila Wren.[5]

Of the convoy's surviving merchant ships, five reached Gibraltar while 10 retreated to neutral Portugal.[6][7] This was described as the most "bitter act of surrender could ever come our way".[8]

The two ships from neutral Ireland were carrying British coal—after this incident, the Irish ship owners decided not to sail their vessels in British convoys and by the early months of 1942 the practice had ceased.[9]

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 23 merchant vessels joined the convoy in Liverpool.[10]

Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Aguila (1917)  UK 3,255 Passenger ship sunk by U-201[11] on 19 Aug, with 146 dead
(another 6 survivors died when Empire Oak was lost 3 days later)
Convoy Commodore's ship (Vice-Admiral P E Parker DSO)
Aighai (1896)  Greece 1,406 Retreated to Oporto
Aldergrove (1918)  UK 1,974 Sunk by U-201[12] on 23 Aug, with 1 dead
Alva (1934)  UK 1,584 Sunk by U-559[13] on 19 Aug
Cervantes (1919)  UK 1,810 Retreated to Lisbon.
Ciscar (1919)  UK 1,808 Sunk by U-201[14] on 19 Aug
Clonlara (1926)  Ireland 1,203 Retreated towards Lisbon.
Sunk by U-201[15] on 22 Aug, with 19 dead
Copeland (1923)  UK 1,526 Rescue Ship
Ebro (1920)  Denmark 1,547 Reached Gibraltar.
Empire Oak (1941)  UK 484 Sunk by U-564[16] on 22 Aug, with 19 dead
(including 6 of 6 originally rescued from Aguila and 9 of 11 rescued from Alva)
Empire Stream (1941)  UK 2,911 Retreated to Lisbon. Vice-Commodore's Ship
Grelhead (1915)  UK 4,274 Retreated to Lisbon
Lanarhone (1928)  Ireland 1,221 Arrived in Lisbon, her intended destination.
Lapwing (1920)  UK 1,348 Reached Gibraltar.
Lyminge (1919)  UK 2,499 Retreated to Lisbon.
Marklyn (1918)  UK 3,090 Reached Gibraltar.
Meta (1930)  UK 1,575 Retreated to Lisbon.
Petrel (1920)  UK 1,354 Retreated to Oporto
Spero (1922)  UK 1,589 Reached Gibraltar.
Spind (1917)  Norway 2,197 Torpedoed and damaged by U-564 & finally sunk by U-552[17] on 23 Aug, with no deaths
Starling (1930)  UK 1,320 Reached Gibraltar.
Stork (1937)  UK 787 Sunk by U-201[18] on 23 Aug, with 19 dead
Switzerland (1922)  UK 1,291 Retreated to Lisbon.

Convoy escorts

A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[10]

Name Flag Type Joined Left
HNoMS Bath (I17)  Royal Norwegian Navy Wickes-class destroyer 13 Aug 1941 Sunk by U-204[19] on 19 Aug 1941, 88 Dead
HMS Bluebell (K80)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Boreas (H77)  Royal Navy B-class destroyer 22 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Campanula (K18)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Campion (K108)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Gurkha (G63)  Royal Navy L-class destroyer 20 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Hydrangea (K39)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Lance (G87)  Royal Navy L-class destroyer 20 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Leith (U36)  Royal Navy Grimsby-class sloop 13 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Vidette (D48)  Royal Navy Admiralty V-class destroyer 21 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Wallflower (K44)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 15 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Wivern (D66)  Royal Navy Modified W-class destroyer 22 Aug 1941 23 Aug 1941
HMS Zinnia (K98)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 13 Aug 1941 Sunk by U-564[20] on 23 Aug 1941, 68 Dead

See also

References
  1. Hague, pp. 175–176
  2. Rohwer, Jürgen; Hummelchen (1999). Axis submarine successes of World War Two. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781853673405. p. 78
  3. Lund, Paul; Ludlam, Harry; Shuttleworth, Tom (1987). Nightmare Convoy. Foulsham. ISBN 978-0-572-01452-0.
  4. Mason, Ursula (1992). Britannia's daughters: the story of the WRNS. Barnsley: Leo Cooper. ISBN 978-0-85052-271-6. page 46.
  5. Markwell, June (5 May 2005). "12 Scarborough Wrens sunk by U-boat". On the Fourth Watch. Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  6. Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
  7. Forde, Frank (1988). Maritime Arklow. Dún Laoghaire: Glendale Press. ISBN 0-907606-51-2., page 198.
  8. Monsarrat, Nicholas (1970). Life is a Four Letter Word. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-330-02294-1., page 114.
  9. Forde, Frank (2000) [1981]. The Long Watch. Dublin: New Island Books. ISBN 1-902602-42-0., page 87.
  10. "Convoy OG.71". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  11. "Aguila – British Steam Passenger Ship". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  12. "Aldergrove – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  13. "Alva – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  14. "Ciscar – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  15. "Clonlara – Irish Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  16. "Empire Oak – British Steam Tug". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  17. "Spind – Norwegian Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  18. "Stork – British Motor Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  19. "HNoMS Bath (I 17) – Norwegian Destroyer". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  20. "HMS Zinnia (K 98) – British Corvette". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.

Bibliography
  • Edwards, Bernard (2009). The Cruel Sea Retold. South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84415-863-8.
  • Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
  • Rohwer, J; Hummelchen, G (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
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