Convoy PQ 17 - Convoy Losses

Convoy Losses

When the order to scatter the convoy was received, it had covered more than half of its route with the loss of only three ships. The consequences for the merchantmen were dire. Now the ships were spread over a wide area, stripped of mutual protection as well as trained escort. The Germans took advantage of this situation. As the escort moved off to hunt for the suspected German surface force, messages on Merchant Navy wavelengths began to be received by the destroyers: "Am being bombed by a large number of planes", "On fire in the ice", "Abandoning ship", "Six U-boats approaching on the surface." With the majority of the escorts ordered to return to Scapa Flow, only the close escort of anti-aircraft auxiliaries, corvettes, minesweepers, and armed trawlers was left to attempt to protect the scattered convoy. On 5 July, six merchantmen, including SS Fairfield City and SS Daniel Morgan, were sunk by Luftwaffe and six more by four U-boats. Among the losses that day were SS Pan Kraft, Washington, Carlton, Honomu, the Commodore's flagship River Afton, Empire Byron and Peter Kerr. Kerr was abandoned after a fire got out of control. Commodore Dowding's refusal to accept defeat contributed to the rescue of most of the ships that eventually survived the convoy. SS Paulus Potter had been abandoned by her crew after an aerial attack on 5 July. The ship was then boarded by sailors from U-255 on 13 July; after taking the ship's documents and flag, Kptlt. Reche then sank the Potter with one torpedo.

On 6 July, SS Pan Atlantic was sunk by the Luftwaffe, and SS John Witherspoon by U-255. On 7-8 July, five more ships were sunk (two by U-255), including SS Olapana and SS Alcoa Ranger. The remaining escort withdrew into the Arctic Ocean on 9 July, but the merchant ships suffered no more that day. The last losses were SS Hoosier and SS El Capitan on 10 July. The Luftwaffe flew over 200 sorties, and lost only five planes in exchange for the eight merchantmen they destroyed.

In the ensuing voyage to the Russian ports, some ships took refuge along the frozen coast of Novaya Zemlya, landing at Matochkin. Additionally, the Soviet tanker Azerbaijan had lost her cargo of linseed oil, and much of SS Winston-Salem's cargo had been jettisoned in Novaya Zemlya. Many of the ships' locations were unknown, in spite of widespread searches by Coastal Command aircraft which had proceeded to North Russia after their patrols, and by minesweepers and corvettes in these waters. A fortnight elapsed before the results of these attacks and the fate of the various ships of the convoy were fully known. Of the 34 ships which left Iceland, 23 were sunk. Two British, four American, one Panamanian, and two Russian merchant ships reached Arkhangelsk. Two American ships, the SS Samuel Chase and Benjamin Harrison landed at Murmansk. The total deliveries amounted to 70,000 short tons (64,000 t) out of the 200,000 short tons (180,000 t) which had started from Iceland.