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ARCTIC CONVOYS 141

Norwegian

Sea

Hvalfjrđur

Scapa

Flow

Loch

Ewe

Firth

of Clyde

Altafjord

Barents

Sea

Matochkin

Strait

Gulf of

Bothnia

N

o

v

a

y

a

Z

e

m

l

y

a

ICELAND

UNITED

KINGDOM

Hopen

Kolguyev

Island

Bear Island

Jan Mayen

Island

North

Cape

Kola

Peninsula

Washington

Paulus

Potter

River Afton

Peter Kerr

Fairfield City

Zaafaran

Empire Byron

Scharnhorst

Daniel

Morgan

Aldersdale

Carlton

Honomu

Waziristan

Tirpitz

Earlston

Bolton Castle

Pankroft

Hartlebury

Olopana

John Witherspoon

Alcoa Ranger

Pan Atlantic

Winston Salem

(run aground)

Hoosier

El Capitan

Matabele

Leningrad

Liverpool

Reykjavík Hammerfest

Trondheim

Bergen

Skellefteå

Murmansk

Mo i

Rana Archangel

Tromsø

Svolvær

Kokkola

Segezha

Oban

Glasgow

Joensuu

Bugrino

Rørvik

Vadsø

Shoyna

Narvik

Onega

Mezen

Bodø

Pskov

Nikkeli

Luga

Kem

Alta

Lake

Ladoga

U

S

S

R

S

W

E

D

E

N

IR

E

LA

N

D

F

I

N

L

A

N

D

N

O

R

W

A

Y

AR

C

T

IC

O

C

E

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T I C

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A N

▷ Battling the ice

The crew of HMS Scylla—

a Royal Navy cruiser that

served as an escort to

Arctic convoys—are seen

using steam hoses to clear

the decks of accumulated

ice. Temperatures on

patrol in the Arctic

could drop as low as

-58°F (-50°C).

Aug 1941–May 1945

Murmansk provides

the only year-round

ice-free anchorage on

Russia’s northern coast.

Jul 6, 1942 The Master

of the Winston Salem

runs his ship aground

on Novaya Zemlya.

Dec 31, 1942 Hitler threatens

to scrap the German surface fleet

after its heavy cruisers are crushed

by the Allied light destroyers.

Dec 26, 1943 The

German battleship

Scharnhorst is sunk

in the Battle of the

Northern Cape.

Jan 2, 1942

Britain loses its

first merchant

ship, the

Waziristan, in

the Arctic.

Mar 6–9, 1942 Tirpitz

fails to engage with

convoy PQ-12.

1 2

Summer route Winter route

Sinking of British freighter Waziristan, Jan 2, 1942

Sinking of British destroyer Matabele, Jan 17, 1942

Failed assault on PQ-12, Mar 6–9, 1942

THE CONVOY SCATTERS

JUNE 27–JULY 4, 1942

When PQ-17 left Iceland for Archangel on June 27,

the Allies became aware that Germany was planning

Operation Rösselsprung—an attack by their surface

and U-boat fleets, and the Luftwaffe. PQ-17 was

well protected, but the loss of two of its ships to the

Luftwaffe and the news that the Tirpitz and the cruiser

Hipper had moved to Altafjord on July 4 prompted the

Admiralty to order the convoy to scatter. The convoy’s

escort vessels raced west, thinking they would intercept

the Tirpitz, but failed to sight the enemy.

3

Route of PQ-17, Jun 27–Jul 4, 1942

First attacks on PQ-17, Jul 4, 1942

Cruiser escorts leave convoy

Aug 31, 1941

“Dervish,” the first

Arctic convoy, arrives.

THE CONVOY IS DECIMATED

JULY 5–24, 1942

By July 5, the ships of PQ-17 were scattered over 25 sq

miles (64 sq km), all trying to reach safety. While some

headed north into the ice before making their way into

the Matochkin Strait, others sought cover in the fog or

headed for Novaya Zemlya, only to be picked off by

U-boats. The first survivors reached Archangel on

July 9; by July 24, only 11 of the 35 ships of PQ-17 had

made it to safety. After this episode, the Royal Navy

improved its cover for the Arctic convoys, adding

fighters and reconnaissance planes to their escorts.

4

Merchant ships of PQ-17 sunk

A REDUCED THREAT

DECEMBER 1942–MAY 1945

In late 1942, increased conflict on the Eastern Front

forced Germany to scale back their air operations in

the Arctic. The loss of the Admiral Hipper at the Battle

of the Barents Sea, the Scharnhorst (December 1943),

and the Tirpitz (December 1944) further reduced the

threat the German fleet posed to convoys. Out of

550 ships that sailed to Russia in 22 convoys between

December 1942 and May 1945, only nine were lost.

5

Scharnhorst sunk

Tirpitz sunk

Battle of the Barents

Sea, Dec 31, 1942

THE FIRST ARCTIC CONVOYS

AUGUST 12–DECEMBER 31, 1941

The first convoy, code named “Dervish,” sailed from

Liverpool on August 12, 1941, reaching Archangel

on August 31. By the end of the year, six convoys

(designated PQ for outbound and QP for homebound)

had delivered 750 tanks, 800 fighter aircraft, 1,400

vehicles, and more than 110,000 tons (100,000 metric

tons) of supplies to the USSR. No ships were yet lost.

THE THREAT INCREASES

JANUARY– JUNE 1942

America’s entry into the war resulted in an increase

in supplies to the Soviets. Germany responded by

sending more resources to the Arctic: the battleships

Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer moved to Norway and the

number of submarines was increased. The British

Merchant and Royal Navies lost their first ships in

January 1942, and in March the Tirpitz headed out

to make the first direct assault on PQ-12. Although

the attack failed, overall losses began to increase.

US_140-141_Arctic_convoys.indd 141 19/03/19 7:27 PM