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]
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Legacy
This convoy was known as "Nightmare Convoy".[3] Eight merchant ships,[2] two naval escorts and over 400 lives were lost, 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) |  |
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) |  |
1,406 | Retreated to Oporto |
| Aldergrove (1918) | |
1,974 | Sunk by U-201[12] on 23 Aug, with 1 dead |
| Alva (1934) | |
1,584 | Sunk by U-559[13] on 19 Aug |
| Cervantes (1919) | |
1,810 | Retreated to Lisbon |
| Ciscar (1919) | |
1,808 | Sunk by U-201[14] on 19 Aug |
| Clonlara (1926) |  |
1,203 | Retreated towards Lisbon Sunk by U-201[15] on 22 Aug, with 19 dead |
| Copeland (1923) | |
1,526 | Rescue Ship |
| Ebro (1920) |  |
1,547 | Reached Gibraltar |
| Empire Oak (1941) | |
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) | |
2,911 | Retreated to Lisbon. Vice-Commodore’s Ship |
| Grelhead (1915) | |
4,274 | Retreated to Lisbon |
| Lanarhone (1928) | |
1,221 | Retreated to Lisbon |
| Lapwing (1920) | |
1,348 | Reached Gibraltar |
| Lyminge (1919) | |
2,499 | Retreated to Lisbon |
| Marklyn (1918) | |
3,090 | Reached Gibraltar |
| Meta (1930) | |
1,575 | Retreated to Lisbon |
| Petrel (1920) | |
1,354 | Retreated to Oporto |
| Spero (1922) | |
1,589 | Reached Gibraltar |
| Spind (1917) |  |
2,197 | Torpedoed and damaged by U-564 & finally sunk by U-552[17] on 23 Aug, with no deaths |
| Starling (1930) | |
1,320 | Reached Gibraltar |
| Stork (1937) | |
787 | Sunk by U-201[18] on 23 Aug, with 19 dead |
| Switzerland (1922) | |
1,291 | Retreated to Lisbon |
Convoy escorts
A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[10]
See also
References
- Hague, pp. 175–176
- Rohwer, Jürgen; Hummelchen (1999). Axis submarine successes of World War Two. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781853673405. p. 78
- Lund, Paul; Ludlam, Harry; Shuttleworth, Tom (1987). Nightmare Convoy. Foulsham. ISBN 978-0-572-01452-0.
- Mason, Ursula (1992). Britannia's daughters: the story of the WRNS. Barnsley: Leo Cooper. ISBN 978-0-85052-271-6. page 46.
- Markwell, June (5 May 2005). "12 Scarborough Wrens sunk by U-boat". On the Fourth Watch. Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
- Forde, Frank (1988). Maritime Arklow. Dún Laoghaire: Glendale Press. ISBN 0-907606-51-2., page 198.
- Monsarrat, Nicholas (1970). Life is a Four Letter Word. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-330-02294-1., page 114.
- Forde, Frank (2000) [1981]. The Long Watch. Dublin: New Island Books. ISBN 1-902602-42-0., page 87.
- "Convoy OG.71". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Aguila – British Steam Passenger Ship". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Aldergrove – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Alva – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Ciscar – British Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Clonlara – Irish Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Empire Oak – British Steam Tug". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Spind – Norwegian Steam Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "Stork – British Motor Merchant". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "HNoMS Bath (I 17) – Norwegian Destroyer". www.Uboat.Net. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- "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.
External links
- OG.71 at convoyweb
- Convoy OG 71 at uboat.net