Convoy HX 112


HX 112 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It was notable in that it saw the loss of U-boats commanded by two of the Kriegsmarine's foremost U-boat aces, with Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer and with Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke.

Prelude

HX 112 was an east-bound convoy of ships which sailed from Halifax on 1 March 1941, making for Liverpool with war materials. Many of the ships in HX 112 were tankers carrying fuel oil to Britain.
It was escorted by 5th Escort Group which consisted of two destroyers, and and two corvettes, and was led by Commander Donald Macintyre of HMS Walker. 5th Escort Group was reinforced on this occasion by an additional two destroyers, in view of the importance of the cargo, and met the convoy as it entered the Western Approaches.
On 15 March 1941 HX 112 was sighted by commanded by Fritz-Julius Lemp, who sent in a sighting report and commenced shadowing the convoy. He was joined throughout the day by four other boats; U-99 U-100 and .

Action

On the night of 15th/16th the attack started; U-100 was able to torpedo a tanker, which burst into flames, but survived to reach port; all other attacks that night were frustrated by the activities of the escorts.
Keeping up with the convoy on the surface during the day, the pack tried again as night fell on the 16th.
U-99 managed to penetrate the convoy from the north, on its port side, and sank four tankers and a freighter in under an hour. Remaining with the central column of the convoy she sank another freighter 15 minutes later before making her getaway.
Meanwhile, the escorts, searching for U-boats outside the convoy perimeter, found U-100 around 1.30am moving in on the surface. She dived, but Walker attacked with a depth charge pattern at close range. U-100 evaded further damage, and surfaced, to be sighted and rammed by Vanoc just after 3am; Schepke was killed when Vanoc smashed into his periscope structure and U100 went down with most of her crew.
As this was happening, U-99 was making her escape; she nearly collided with a destroyer in the dark and dived. Picked up on ASDIC by Walker, she was depth-charged and severely damaged. Saving U-99 from being crushed as she sank deeper and deeper, Kretschmer brought her to the surface, where she was fired on by the encircling warships. U-99 was sunk, but Kretschmer and most of his crew were saved, to be taken prisoner.
There were no further attacks on HX.112 and the convoy arrived in Liverpool on 20 March.

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 41 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Halifax or later in the voyage.
NameFlagTonnage Notes
Ahamo 8,621
Auris 8,030
Beduin Norway8,136Torpedoed by, Wreck sunk by convoy escort
Bic Island 4,000
Black Condor 5,358
Bonde Norway1,570Returned
British Commodore 6,865Arrived after collision off Liverpool 20 Mar
British Sincerity 8,538Joined Ex BHX 112
Chaucer 5,792
Cistula Netherlands8,097Joined Ex BHX 112, Straggled 10 Mar 41
City Of Oxford 2,759
Dalcross 4,557
Diloma 8,146Joined Ex BHX 112
Elona 6,192Joined Ex BHX 112
Erodona 6,207Torpedoed by
Everleigh 5,222
Ferm Norway6,593Torpedoed by 16 Mar. Wreck sank 21 Mar
Franche-Comté 9,314Damaged by 16 Mar; Storing Hulk
Gloucester City 3,071Straggled 10 Mar 41
Ixion 10,263Joined Ex BHX 112, Straggled 10 Mar
J B White 7,375Sunk by
Katendrecht Netherlands5,099Joined Ex BHX 112
Korshamn Sweden6,673Sunk by 16 Mar
Lancaster Castle 5,172
Lima Sweden3,762
Margarita Chandris Greece5,401Straggled 10 Mar
Mosli Norway8,291
Mount Kassion Greece7,914
Norefjord Norway3,082
Ocana Netherlands6,256Joined Ex BHX 112
Oilreliance 5,666Joined Ex BHX 112
Reynolds 5,113
Robert F Hand 12,197Joined Ex BHX 112, Straggled 10 Mar
San Cipriano 7,966Joined Ex BHX 112
Silvercedar 4,354Later torpedoed and lost in Convoy SC 48 on 15 Oct 1941
Stad Haarlem Netherlands4,518
Tortuguero 5,285
Traveller 3,963Joined Ex BHX 112. Straggled 10 Mar
Trekieve 5,244
Venetia 5,728Sunk by 16 Mar
Westland Netherlands5,888Straggled 10 Mar, Returned New York City
Winamac 8,621Joined Ex BHX 112. Straggled 10 Mar

Convoy escorts

A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.
NameFlagTypeJoinedLeft
10 Mar 194110 Mar 1941
15 Mar 194118 Mar 1941
10 Mar 194110 Mar 1941
heavy cruiser05 Mar 194114 Mar 1941
RanpuraArmed merchant cruiser10 Mar 194114 Mar 1941
HMS Sardonyx Admiralty S-class destroyer15 Mar 194119 Mar 1941
HMS Scimitar Admiralty S-class destroyer15 Mar 194119 Mar 1941
HMS SyringaMinesweeper15 Mar 194118 Mar 1941
V-class destroyer15 Mar 194120 Mar 1941
W-class destroyer15 Mar 194115 Mar 1941
Modified W-class destroyer16 Mar 194120 Mar 1941
W-class destroyer15 Mar 194119 Mar 1941

Conclusion

HX.112 had lost six ships totalling 50,000 tons. However, the loss of two of the Kriegsmarine's U-boat aces, one of which was the highest scoring submarine commander of the Second World War, was a severe blow to the Kriegsmarine offensive. The defence of HX.112, coupled with the successful defence of Convoy OB 293 and the loss of U-boat ace Günther Prien along with his sub the previous week, marked a minor turning point in the Atlantic campaign.