Convoy PQ-18 Part 1

It is my belief however, that should the prohibition of liquor aboard the vessels be rigidly enforced, that much better conditions would follow. Under the trying conditions in the attack zones, a couple of the officers tried to allay their tenseness and fear by a little overindulgence in liquor.

ANOTHER SHIP IS HIT BY BOMBS

At 0615, 24 June, 1942, the gun crews sighted what they believed to be a submarine periscope on our port quarter. One shot from each the 5” and 4” guns were fired. Results unknown and object not seen again. This occurred just prior to our entry into Sidney, NS (Canada) harbor.

Due to the transfer of the gunner on No. 4, 20m/m. gun, to the hospital in Scotland, the writer asked the Officer in charge of the Armed Guard to be assigned in his place. My offer was gladly accepted and was assigned accordingly.

At 1300 on 12 September, 1942, an enemy reconnaissance plane was sighted. General quarters were sounded and all guns manned. Hurricane planes from the escorting carrier took off and pursued the enemy plane, which, however, turned and headed back toward the east. A few shots from the escorting vessels.

At 0735, 13 September, 1942, position 8. 54 E x 75. 59 N, enemy aircraft sighted. All guns manned. Planes from carrier pursued them for a distance and then returned to the carrier. Secured about 0800. At 0810 we sighted two disturbances in the water about 1,000 yards off our starboard quarter. Some thought them to be a whale blowing. At about 0815 while still watching for further disturbance of the water, we observed an explosion about amidships of a vessel in the outer column to our starboard beam. The water shot up to about 50 feet in the air with part of the ship or its deck cargo, flying in the air. The ship began to settle and the crew abandoned ship in three life boats. The ship began settling and disappeared in its final dive within 8 minutes. At about 0825 a similar explosion was noted about amidships of a Liberty ship which was in the same column but just astern of the first ship torpedoed. This ship began settling by the head but remained afloat. The crew abandoned ship and a British destroyer fired on the ship and sank it. The survivors of the two ships were picked up by the rescue vessels.

HARRY’S NOTE - the first ship appears to have been hit by torpedoes from both U-405 (Hopmann) and U-408 (von Hymmen). The second was the victim of U-589 (Horrer).

At about 1030 a large number of enemy aircraft were heard above the clouds (ceiling about 500 feet). A large number of bombs were dropped over the entire convoy - four of which straddled our ship, two hitting about 300 feet off out starboard beam and two hitting about the same distance on our port beam. No explosions from these bombs - only very large splashes. At about 1045, a ship which was about 300 feet off our starboard bow was hit by what apparently seemed to be a heavy bomb (the whistling sound of the falling bomb was very loud and seemed to be directly over our head) and the ship exploded and there was a rather loud explosion with one huge mass of flames shooting up into the air. The flames died down and in less than 30 second there remained nothing of the ship except a few pieces of smoking cork or wood no larger than a football.

As the ships were zigzagging, our vessel passed directly over the oil slick where the destroyed vessel was. We felt about 50 or 60 light explosions under our hull and one rather large explosion which was followed by apparently pieces of metal hitting the bottom of our hull. There were no survivors. The ship was a British vessel of about 9000 tons. We did hear someone scream loudly immediately after the explosion.

At about 1055 a submarine’s periscope was seen on our port beam. We put helm hard right and a torpedo was seen by the forward gun crews to pass immediately in front of our bow. About 1000 another torpedo apparently launched from the same submarine was seen heading in our general direction but it went ‘wild’ also. We all fired at the spot where the periscope was seen. Results unknown, but believed that no damage done as no oil slick was observed then. A corvette dropped depth a charge and a small slick of about 75 square feet was observed. It was believed however that it was caused by the depth charge.

Small groups of enemy planes appeared overhead and were fired upon. No bombs dropped during this period. At about 1500, torpedo planes were sighted flying about 100 feet above the water just on the horizon on our starboard bow. All ships commenced firing on them as they came within range. The fire did not seem to distract them as they continued on toward us. As they came nearer they increased their altitude to about 300 to 400 feet. Our guns were firing on them when I observed one flying about 75 feet above the water and apparently heading in so as to get head on our starboard beam. I opened fire on it and it began smoking and then started burning. It stopped its torpedoes which went astern of us and it then fell into the sea about 200 feet off our port quarter.

As the Liberty ship just astern of us was torpedoed at about that time some of the gun crew seemed to think one of the torpedoes from that plane hit the Liberty ship. The ship began settling by the stern and remained about half afloat. The crew took to the life boats and were rescued by the rescue ships. The ship was then sunk by a British destroyer. The Liberty ships seemed to have pretty good watertight integrity.

HARRY’S NOTE - that was possibly the OLIVER ELLSWORTH, hit by either U-589 (Horrer) or U-408 (von Hymmen)

The planes continued their attack and the escort vessels commenced an intense fire at the planes which had now increased their altitude to about 1000 feet. One plane heading directly at our port bow was destroyed by the gunner on No. 2 forward 20 m/m gun. Hurricane planes were launched from the carrier and caused the attacking planes to scatter. the planes as they were scattering dropped bombs wildly and two cargo vessels on the extreme port side of the convoy were hit. Both began burning. One started settling and sunk while the other after fighting the flames fiercely managed to extinguish the fire and continued afloat. Later she resumed her regular position in the convoy.

The attacking planes then scattered seemed to head for their base. the attack lasted about 55 minutes.

At about 1630 another group of about 10 enemy planes were sighted flying low on the horizon, coming in from our starboard bow. By this time the escorting destroyers had formed a ring around the convoy at about a mile off. These vessels set up an intense fire and caused the planes to scatter in all directions.

At about 1700 seven planes made an attempt to attack ‘enmass’ on the rear of our column. They were dispersed by heavy fire from our vessel and the heavy cruiser just to our port. Some planes were observed to fall into the sea. Three planes were then seen to take more altitude and head for their base. We secured from general quarters and maintained condition II watch. At about 1800, it being twilight, another group of planes appeared. We were unable to determine how many but estimated about 15. the escorting vessels began a heavy fire as well as all the cargo vessels on our side of the convoy. The planes scattered and made individual attacks. The gunner on No. 1. 20 m/m gun got a direct hit and the plane was seen to fall flaming into the sea on our starboard bow.

This attack lasted about 35 minutes. We estimated that we had lost 7 ships during the day. Unable to estimate the number of planes shot down. We secured at about 2230. We had light westerly winds and temperature about 30 degrees. A light snow was falling.

More Convoy PQ-18

Convoy PQ-18 Part 1
Convoy PQ-18 Part 2
Convoy PQ-18 Part 3
Convoy PQ-18 Part 4