Convoy JW 56B was an

Arctic convoy The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...

sent from

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by the

Western Allies The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy. ...

to aid the

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during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It sailed in late January 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the beginning of February. All ships arrived safely. During the voyage JW 56B was attacked by a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

force; no merchant ships were sunk, though one of the escorts was lost. One attacking U-boat was destroyed in the operation.

Ships

The convoy consisted of 17 merchant ships which departed from

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on 22 January 1944. Close escort was provided by a force of two destroyers and three other escort vessels. There was also an ocean escort, comprising the destroyer ''Milne'' (Capt. IMR Campbell commanding) and six other destroyers. The convoy was accompanied initially by a local escort group from Britain, and was also joined later by a further escort force, from the preceding convoy JW 56A. A cruiser cover force comprising ''Kent'' (R.Adm AFE Palliser), ''Berwick'' and ''Bermuda'' was also at sea, to guard the two convoys against attack by surface units. JW 56B was opposed by a U-boat force of fifteen boats, code-named ''Werewolf'', in the

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Action

JW 56B departed

on 22 January 1944, ten days after the preceding convoy, JW 56A. It was accompanied by its local escort, the destroyer ''Wrestler'', a corvette, and two minesweepers, and the close escort of five warships. On 26 January, the day JW 56A came under attack, the local escort departed, to be replaced by the ocean escort of six Home Fleet destroyers. On 29 January the convoy came into the area where JW 56A had been attacked. Waiting there were the ten U-boats of wolfpack ''Isengrim'', re-inforced with five newcomers and re-organized as the group ''Werewolf''. At midday on 29 January JW 56B was sighted by ''U-956'' and reported, though ''U-956'' came under heavy attack when she was detected. By the morning of 30 January the U-boats had assembled, but JW 56B had also been re-inforced, being joined by the ocean escort of JW 56A, seven destroyers led by ''Hardy''. Six of the U-boats made contact, mounting a total of thirteen attacks during that day. They were unable to reach the merchant ships, but ''U-278'' hit ''Hardy'' with an

acoustic torpedo An acoustic torpedo is a torpedo that aims itself by listening for characteristic sounds of its target or by searching for it using sonar (acoustic homing). Acoustic torpedoes are usually designed for medium-range use, and often fired from a subm ...

. She was crippled and abandoned, to be sunk later by an attending destroyer. In response ''U-314'' was destroyed by ''Whitehall'' and ''Meteor''. Following this the ''Werewolf'' pack abandoned its assault, and JW 56B arrived at

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three days later, on 2 February.

Conclusion

German U-boat Command (

BdU The ''Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote'' or BdU (Eng: "Commander of the U-boats") was the supreme commander of the German Navy's U-boat Arm (''Ubootwaffe'') during the First World War, First and Second World Wars. The term also referred to the Comma ...

) was delighted with the actions against convoys JW 56A and 56B, believing they had sunk seven escorts and damaged another four, with four ships sunk and a further six damaged.Blair p514 The actual losses from the two convoys were three ships, and one escort sunk and one damaged. Twenty nine ships from both convoys arrived safely.

Notes

References

* Clay Blair : ''Hitler's U-Boat War olume 2 The Hunted 1942–1945'' (1998) (2000 UK paperback ed.) * Paul Kemp : ''Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters'' (1993) * Paul Kemp : ''U-Boats Destroyed'' (1997) . * Axel Neistle : ''German U-Boat Losses during World War II'' (1998). * Bob Ruegg, Arnold Hague : ''Convoys to Russia'' (1992) * Bernard Schofield : (1964) ''The Russian Convoys'' BT Batsford ISBN (none)
JW 56B at Convoyweb
{{Arctic convoys JW 56B Naval battles of World War II involving Canada C