Convoy PQ 12


Convoy PQ 12 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in March 1942, reaching Murmansk despite a sortie against it by the German battleship Tirpitz.
All ships arrived safely.

Ships

PQ 12 consisted of 16 ships under the command of Commodore HT Hudson.
The Close Escort comprised the minesweeper Gossamer and five whalers. These were joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort of two destroyers, Oribi, commanded by Cdr. JEH McBeath who took over as SOE, and Offa, supported by the cruiser Kenya.
Distant cover was provided by two Heavy Cover Forces; one comprising
the battleship Duke of York, the battlecruiser Renown, and six destroyers, sailing from Reykjavik, and another led by Adm. J Tovey comprising the battleship King George V, the carrier, the cruiser Berwick and six destroyers, sailing from Scapa Flow.

Action

PQ 12 sailed from Reykjavik on 1 March 1942 with its Close Escort. It was joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort, and on 6 March by the cruiser Kenya. Also at sea were the Heavy Cover Forces, V.Adm. Curteis from Reykjavik sailing on 3 March and Adm. Tovey from Scapa Flow on the 4th.
On 5 March the convoy was sighted by a German reconnaissance aircraft, and on 6 March, after obtaining permission from Hitler to do so, Tirpitz sortied from Trondheim with three destroyers as escort. This was Operation Sportpalast, and was intended to find and destroy both PQ 12 and its reciprocal, QP 8, which was also at sea.
Shortly after sailing Tirpitz was sighted by the patrolling submarine Seawolf, and the Heavy Cover Forces, now joined together, sought to bring Tirpitz to action.
Over the next two days these groups of ships manoeuvered around each other, without coming into contact, though on two occasions they were just 60 miles apart. Tirpitz had no success, though her destroyers encountered one straggler from QP 8, the freighter Ijora, and sank her. Finally on 9 March as Tirpitz headed for home, she was sighted by aircraft from Victorious and attacked, though also without success.
PQ 12 arrived at Murmansk on 12 March. No ships were lost, though the escort suffered one whaler lost, Shera, capsized by ice buildup, and one destroyer, Oribi, damaged by pack ice. On 24 March the Lancaster Castle was dive bombed alongside the quay in Murmansk. Eight men were killed. It was towed out and moored in the river. The crew continued to live on board. A few days later it was dive bombed again and received five direct hits. There were no casualties but the crew moved to shore.
PQ 12 provided valuable military equipment and other materials for the Soviet war effort. The distribution of equipment and supplies delivered with PQ 12 was the subject of a Soviet State Defence Committee decree.

Ships in the convoy

Allied merchant ships

The ships of the convoy arrived at Reykjavik on 27 February.
NameFlagTonnage Notes
Panama5,613
Panama6,131Dynamo defects, did not sail with PQ 12
Panama4,687Returned
7,467
Soviet Union2,900
Panama4,977
Soviet Union4,756
7,195
Panama7,286
Panama6,008
6,645Convoy Vice Commodore's ship
Soviet Union5,823Position probable but not definite
5,172Lost in Russia
4,825Convoy Commodore's ship, Captain H T Hudson RD RNR
4,825
Soviet Union3,974
Panama6,131
5,138

Convoy escorts

A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.
NameFlagTypeJoinedLeft
HMT Angle Naval trawler1 March 19424 March 1942
Tribal-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
Tribal-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
County-class cruiser6 March 194210 March 1942
HMT ChilternAnti-submarine naval trawler1 March 19424 March 1942
King George V-class battleship6 March 194210 March 1942
E-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
E-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
E-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
E-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
F-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
F-class destroyer6 March 194211 March 1942
Halcyon-class minesweeper4 March 194210 March 1942
GremyaschiSoviet UnionGnevny-class destroyer11 March 194212 March 1942
Hunt-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942
Halcyon-class minesweeper11 March 194212 March 1942
Halcyon-class minesweeper11 March 194212 March 1942
I-class destroyer6 March 194211 March 1942
I-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942
I-class destroyer6 March 194211 March 1942
J-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942
Crown Colony-class cruiser6 March 194212 March 1942
King George V-class battleship6 March 194210 March 1942
HMS Lancaster Town-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942
Hunt-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942
L-class destroyer6 March 194211 March 1942
HMT Notts County Anti-submarine naval trawler1 March 19424 March 1942
O-class destroyer4 March 194212 March 1942
O-class destroyer6 March 194210 March 1942
O-class destroyer4 March 194210 March 1942
Tribal-class destroyer6 March 194211 March 1942
Renown-class battlecruiser6 March 194210 March 1942
HMT Shera Anti-submarine whaler4 March 19429 March 1942
HMT Shusa Anti-submarine whaler4 March 194212 March 1942
Halcyon-class minesweeper11 March 194212 March 1942
HMT Stefa Anti-submarine whaler4 March 194212 March 1942
HMT Stella CapellaAnti-submarine naval trawler1 March 19424 March 1942
HMT Sulla Anti-submarine whaler4 March 194212 March 1942
HMT Svega Anti-submarine whaler4 March 194212 March 1942
Tribal-class destroyer9 March 194210 March 1942
V-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942
Illustrious-class aircraft carrier6 March 194210 March 1942
HMS WellsTown-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942
HMS WoolstonW-class destroyer10 March 194210 March 1942