BTC-78

UK coastal convoys (UK coastal waters)

The Convoy	9 ships
First sighting	On 24 Feb 1945 by U-1208
Escorts	Canadian corvette HMCS Algoma (K 127) (T/Lt J.N. Finlayson, RCNVR), British minesweeper HMS Tadoussac (J 220) (Cdr G. Dibley, DSC, RD, RNR) and British motor launch HMS ML-344 Joined as reinforcement on 24 February: HMCS Baddeck (K 147) (T/Lt D.H. Tozer, RCNVR)
U-boats	U-1208* KrvKpt. Georg Hagene * U-boats that fired torpedo or used the deck gun
The battle	On 23 Feb, 1945, the convoy BTC-78 left Milford Haven consisting of nine ships in two columns, five in the port and four in the starboard column, with HMCS Algoma on the starboard bow, HMS Tadoussac on the port bow and HMS ML-344 astern of the convoy. At 04.15 hours on 24 February, the Oriskany, the ship of the convoy commodore, was sunk with all hands by U-1208 off Lands End. The convoy made an emergency turn to starboard under escort by HMS Tadoussac, while the motor launch tried to locate survivors and then joined HMCS Algoma in an unsuccessful search for the attacker, intermittently dropping scare and anti-gnat depth charges. They then returned to the convoy after several aircraft arrived in the area. The convoy BTC-78 arrived in Southend on 26 February. The warships of the 15th Escort Group and 3rd Escort Group were sent to the area and two frigates of the latter soon located and sank U-1208 at 12.30 hours on 24 February.