Convoy PQ 8 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in January 1942 and arrived in Murmansk with the loss of one escort sunk, and one ship damaged.
Ships[]
PQ 8 consisted of eight merchant ships; five British,one Soviet, one American, one of Panamanian registry. The convoy was escorted by two minesweepers, joined by an Ocean escort of two destroyers Matabele and Somali, supported by the cruiser Trinidad. The convoy was joined in the last stage of the voyage by two Royal Navy minesweepers based at Murmansk.
Voyage[]
PQ 8 sailed from Hvalfjord on 8 January 1942. and was joined on 10 January by the Ocean escort. The German navy (Kriegsmarine) had established a patrol line of four U-boats from Kirkenes to search for the convoy, but it was undetected by German aircraft or U-boats in the continuous darkness of the polar night, until the last day of the voyage. On 16 January the Eastern Local Escort joined; on 17 January the convoy was found by U-454, which attacked and torpedoed the freighter Hamatris. She was taken in tow by the minesweeper Speedwell, and brought into Kola escorted by Matabele. However U-454 struck again, torpedoing and sinking Matabele. Just two of her 200 crew survived. All other ships of PQ 8 arrived safely. The German navy planned to attack the convoy with the battleship German battleship Tirpitz, but shortages of fuel and insufficient destroyer escorts forced a postponement of the attack.[1]
Complete List of Ships[2][]
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Pride (1931) |  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
|
7,106 | |
| British Workman (1922) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
|
6,994 | |
| Dartford (1930) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
|
4,093 | |
| El Almirante (1917) |  Panama
|
5,248 | |
| Harmatris (1932) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
|
5,395 | Torpedoed, Towed In By HMS Speedwell |
| HMS Harrier |  Royal Navy
|
Escort 08 Jan - 17 Jan | |
| HMS Hazard | Royal Navy
|
Escort 16 Jan - 17 Jan | |
| Larranga (1917) |  United States
|
3,804 | |
| HMS Matabele (F26) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 11 Jan - 17 Jan | |
| HMS Sharpshooter | Royal Navy
|
Escort 16 Jan - 17 Jan | |
| HMS Somali (F33) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 11 Jan - 17 Jan | |
| Southgate (1926) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
|
4,862 | |
| HMS Speedwell | Royal Navy
|
Escort 08 Jan - 17 Jan | |
| Stary Bolshevik (1933) |  Soviet Union
|
3,974 | |
| HMS Trinidad (46) | Royal Navy
|
Escort 11 Jan - 17 Jan |
Citations[]
- ↑ Garzke & Dulin, p. 250
- ↑ "Convoy PQ.8". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/pq/index.html. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
References[]
- Blair, Clay : Hitler's U-Boat War Vol I (1996) ISBN 0-304-35260-8
- Garzke, William H.; Dulin, Robert O. (1985). Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-101-0.
- Kemp, Paul: Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters (1993) ISBN 1-85409-130-1
- Schofield, Bernard: (1964) The Russian Convoys BT Batsford ISBN (none)
- PQ 8 at Convoyweb
The original article can be found at Convoy PQ 8 and the edit history here.