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Convoy JW 51B was an Arctic convoy sent from United Kingdom by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It sailed in late December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports in early January 1943.

Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Convoy JW 51B
Part of the Second World War

The Norwegian and the Barents seas, site of the Arctic convoys
Date30 December 1942 – 3 January 1943
Location
Arctic Ocean
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  Germany
Commanders and leaders
RN: John Tovey
Robert Burnett
Robert Sherbrooke  (WIA)
Convoy commodore: Robin Melhuish
Karl Doenitz
Oskar Kummetz
Hans-Jürgen Stumpff
Strength
2 light cruisers (after 3 hours)
6 destroyers
2 corvettes
1 minesweeper
2 trawlers
2 heavy cruisers
6 destroyers
Casualties and losses
250 killed
1 destroyer sunk
1 destroyer damaged
1 minesweeper sunk
330 killed
1 cruiser damaged
1 destroyer sunk
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Convoy JW 51B came under attack by German surface units, engaged in Operation Regenbogen, on 31 December. In the engagement, a British minesweeper and a British destroyer were sunk and a German destroyer were sunk; no ships were lost from the convoy in what became known as the Battle of the Barents Sea.

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Background

Convoy escorts

Convoy JW 51A consisted of 15 merchant ships which departed from Loch Ewe on 22 December 1942. Close escort was provided by the minesweeper HMS Bramble, two corvettes and two armed trawlers. The close escort was supported by six Home Fleet destroyers led by HMS Onslow (Captain Robert Sherbrooke). The convoy sailed with a local escort group from Britain and was joined later by a local escort group from Murmansk. A cruiser cover force comprising HMS Jamaica, HMS Sheffield and two destroyers, was also at sea, from Kola Inlet, to guard against attack by surface units. Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force from Iceland comprising the battleship HMS Anson, the cruiser Cumberland and five destroyers.

German forces

Convoy JW 51B was opposed by four U-boats in a patrol line in the Norwegian Sea and the aircraft of Luftflotte 5 based in Norway. A surface force comprising the heavy cruisers Admiral Hipper, Lützow and the destroyers Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt, Z4 Richard Beitzen, Z6 Theodor Riedel, Z29, Z30, Z31 was stationed at Altenfjord.

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Prelude

Convoy JW 51B departed Loch Ewe on 22 December 1942, accompanied by its local escort, of four destroyers, and its close escort. Three days later, on 25 December, it was joined by the ocean escort, while the local escort departed. On 27 December the convoy ran into a gale, which scattered the convoy over the next two days into several groups across a wide area. Dover Hill was forced to return with weather damage and five ships and two escorts had become separated. Three of the ships rejoined on 30 December, but Chester Valley, in company with the armed trawler Vizalma, and another, with the destroyer Oribi, remained separated. During 30 December, Bramble detached from the main body of the convoy to search for the stragglers.

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Action

On 24 December the convoy had been sighted by a patrolling aircraft, but was lost later during the storm. On 30 December it was found again by U-354, and Operation Regenbogen began. On 31 December the German ships, in two sections, met the ocean escort of Convoy JW 51B, and after a sharp engagement, which left the minesweeper Bramble and the destroyer Achates sinking and Onslow, damaged; the attacking force was driven off. The destroyer, Eckoldt was sunk and the cruiser Hipper was damaged. No further attacks developed, and on 1 January 1943 Vizalma and her charge rejoined the convoy. On 2 January Convoy JW 51B was met by its eastern local escort, two minesweepers from Murmansk. On 3 January the main body arrived in Kola Inlet, joined the following day by Oribi and her charge.

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Aftermath

Analysis

The 15 ships of Convoy JW 51B arrived at Murmansk without loss, though one had been damaged. Despite the loss of two warships, the convoy was a success and the failure of the German surface force against the convoy caused a loss of confidence by Hitler in the Kriegsmarine and its commander, Admiral Erich Raeder, which led to him resigning.[1] Thereafter, the main threat to the Allied convoy system was from U-boats.

Ships involved

Allied ships

More information Name, Year ...
Merchant ships 22 December 1942 – 4 January 1943[2]
Name Year Flag GRT Notes
Ballot 1922  Panama 6,131
Calobre 1919  Panama 6,891
Chester Valley 1919  United States 5,078
Daldorch 1930  United Kingdom 5,571
Dover Hill 1918  United Kingdom 5,815
Empire Archer 1942  United Kingdom 7,031 Captain Robin Melhuish, convoy commodore
Empire Emerald 1941  United Kingdom 8,032
Executive 1920  United States 4,978
Jefferson Myers 1920  United States 7,582
John H. B. Latrobe 1942  United States 7,191
Pontfield 1940  United Kingdom 8,319
Puerto Rican 1919  United States 6,076
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1942  United States 7,176
Vermont[3] 1919  United States 5,670
Yorkmar 1919  United States 5,612
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Western escort

More information Name, Flag ...
Western escort[4]
Name Flag Type Notes
HMS Bulldog  Royal Navy B-class destroyer 22–23 December
HMS Blankney  Royal Navy Hunt-class destroyer 22–25 December
HMS Chiddingfold  Royal Navy Hunt-class destroyer 22–25 December
HMS Ledbury  Royal Navy Hunt-class destroyer 22–25 December
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Close escort

More information Name, Flag ...
Close convoy escort[2]
Name Flag Type Notes
HMS Bramble  Royal Navy Halcyon-class minesweeper 22–29 December
HMS Hyderabad  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 22 December – 4 January
HMS Rhododendron  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 22 December – 4 January
HMT Vizalma  Royal Navy ASW trawler 22 December – 4 January
HMT Northern Gem  Royal Navy ASW trawler 22 December – 4 January
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Ocean escort

More information Name, Flag ...
Ocean convoy escort[2]
Name Flag Type Notes
HMS Achates  Royal Navy A-class destroyer 25 December – 3 January
HMS Obdurate  Royal Navy O-class destroyer 25 December – 3 January
HMS Obedient  Royal Navy O-class destroyer 25 December – 3 January
HMS Onslow  Royal Navy O-class destroyer 25 December – 3 January
HMS Oribi  Royal Navy O-class destroyer 25–31 December, separated, sailed independently
HMS Orwell  Royal Navy O-class destroyer 25 December – 3 January
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Force R

More information Name, Flag ...
Cruiser covering force[4]
Name Flag Type Notes
HMS Jamaica  Royal Navy Fiji-class cruiser 27–31 December, from Kola Inlet
HMS Sheffield  Royal Navy Town-class cruiser 27–31 December, from Kola Inlet
HMS Matchless  Royal Navy M-class destroyer 27–29 December, from Kola Inlet
HMS Opportune  Royal Navy O-class destroyer 27–29 December, from Kola Inlet
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Distant cover

Allied submarines

More information Name, Flag ...
Allied submarines[4]
Name Flag Type Notes
HMS Sea Nymph  Royal Navy S-class submarine Patrolled vicinity Bear Island
HMS Taurus  Royal Navy T-class submarine Patrolled vicinity Bear Island
HMS Torbay  Royal Navy T-class submarine Patrolled vicinity Bear Island
ORP Sokół  Polish Navy U-class submarine Patrolled vicinity Bear Island
HMS Trespasser  Royal Navy T-class submarine Norway inshore watch
HMS Seadog  Royal Navy S-class submarine Norway inshore watch
HMS Unruly  Royal Navy U-class submarine Norway inshore watch
HMS Graph  Royal Navy Type VIIC submarine Norway inshore watch
O 14  Royal Netherlands Navy O 12-class submarine Norway inshore watch
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German order of battle

U-boats

More information Name, Flag ...
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Surface force

More information Ship, Flag ...
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Footnotes

References

Further reading

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