Convoy ON 154 - Main Attack On 28/29 December

Main Attack On 28/29 December

U-260 began shadowing the convoy on the morning of 28 December and directed 18 U-boats to the convoy. Fidelity attempted to launch a Kingfisher, but the plane capsized and sank at 1915. While St. Laurent rescued the Kingfisher crew, a coordinated night attack began with U-boats entering the starboard side of the convoy at 1958. U-591 torpedoed the Norwegian freighter Norse King at 2000. U-225 torpedoed the British freighters Melmore Head at 2003 and Ville de Rouen at 2005. U-260 torpedoed the British freighter Empire Wagtail at 2045. As Empire Wagtail disintegrated in an explosion that claimed all of her crew, Fidelity reported a main engine failure; Shediac was sent to assist her two miles astern of the convoy.

U-boats then entered the port side of the convoy. U-406 torpedoed the British freighters Lynton Grange at 2120, Zarian at 2123, and Baron Cochrane at 2124. U-662 hit the damaged Ville de Rouen again at 2210 and U-225 torpedoed the convoy commodore's freighter Empire Shackleton at 2215 and the Belgian freighter President Francoui at 2230.

Disabled ships were also being attacked astern of the convoy. Baron Cochrane was sunk at 2150 by U-123 and U-628 sank Lynton Grange a few minutes later. The crews had abandoned both ships when they were hit earlier. U-123 and U-435 sank Empire Shackleton at 2255. U-591 sank the abandoned Zarian just before midnight.

Shediac was ordered to leave Fidelity 30 miles astern and rejoin the convoy while searching for survivors. Shediac rescued 35 survivors from Melmore Head and 71 from Ville de Rouen between 0310 and 0330 and 24 from Empire Shackleton at 0530. Shediac rejoined the convoy at 1300 short of fuel and with inadequate provisions for the number of survivors aboard.

Two lifeboats abandoned the damaged President Francoui, but the remainder of the crew attempted to sail independently to the Azores. U-225 torpedoed the ship again at 0630; and it was sunk at 0930 by U-336. The damaged Norse King was similarly attempting to reach the Azores when she was sunk by U-435 at 1507. There were no survivors.

The convoy escort was reinforced by the M class destroyers HMS Milne and Meteor at 1400 on 29 December after the arriving destroyers rescued 42 survivors from Baron Cochrane at 0700, 52 survivors from Lynton Grange at 0720 and 49 survivors from Zarian at 0815.