Convoy battles

ONS-92

Outward, northbound, slow (North Atlantic)

11 May 1942 - 13 May 1942

The Convoy41 ships
First sightingOn 11 May 1942 by U-94
Escorts

The American escort group A3 (Cdr Heffermann) consisting of the destroyer Gleaves, the cutter Ingham and 4 Canadian corvettes : Algoma, Arvida, Bittersweet and Shediac. In the convoy is the rescue vessel Bury equipped with HF/DF.


U-boats

The wolfpack Hecht of 6 boats
U-94 (Oblt Ites) *, U-96 (Oblt Hellriegel), U-124 (Korvkpt Mohr) *, U-406 (Kptlt Dieterichs) *, U-569 (KptLt Hinsch) *, U-590 (KptLt Muller-Edzards)

* U-boats that fired torpedo or used the deck gun


The battle

After the disastrous chase on the convoy HG-76 in December 41, the BdU has given up for a while convoy battle. Most of the boats are sent to the unprotected coasts of America. As the defence gets more and more organised and the opposition gets tougher, plans arise to attack again the vital North Atlantic convoy routes. Apart from some chance meetings (e.g. ONS-67) there weren't for the past six months any convoy battle to speak off when the group Hecht is sent out in May.

U-569 makes contact on the 11th and leads U-94 and U-124 to the convoy. The boats attack in the night and U-124 sinks 4 ships in 2 approaches, U-94 sinks one and U-569 gets a possible hit on a ship.

In the next night the other boats get to the convoy but only U-94 sinks 2 ships in 2 approaches. U-406 misses an escort due to torpedo failure. Then contact is lost in bad weather.

The failure of the escort is in part explained by their inadequate use of the HF/DF bearings provided by the Bury.

Article compiled by Tom Linclau

Ships hit from convoy ONS-92


Date U-boat Commander Name of ship Tons Nat.Map
12 May 1942U-124Johann Mohr Empire Dell7,065brA
12 May 1942U-124Johann Mohr Llanover4,959brB
12 May 1942U-94Otto Ites Cocle5,630paC
12 May 1942U-124Johann Mohr Mount Parnes4,371grD
12 May 1942U-124Johann Mohr Cristales5,389brE
13 May 1942U-94Otto Ites Batna4,399brF
13 May 1942U-94Otto Ites Tolken4,471swG
18 May 1942U-588Victor Vogel Fort Binger (d.)5,671brH
 41,955

7 ships sunk (36,284 tons) and 1 ship damaged (5,671 tons).

Legend
We have a picture of this vessel.
(d.) means the ship was damaged.


19 convoys on route ONS were hit by U-boats in the war. Read more about them.


Media links


North atlantic run

Milner. Marc

Return to convoy information - convoy battles page.



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