Convoy HX-112

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Convoy HX-112
partof=World War II
date=15th/17th March 1941
place=Western Approaches
result=Allied Victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=Admiral Karl Dönitz
commander2=convoy:
escort : Cdr D MacIntyre
strength1=5 U-boats
strength2= 41 ships
6 escorts
casualties1=2 U-boats sunk
casualties2=6 ships sunk

HX-112 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was notable in that it saw the loss of U-boats commanded by two of Kriegsmarine's (KM) foremost U-boat aces, "U-99" with KK Otto Kretschmer and "U-100" with KL Joachim Schepke.

Prelude

HX.112 was an east-bound convoy of ships which sailed from Halifax on 1st 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 2 destroyers, HMS "Walker" and HMS "Vanoc" and 2 corvettes, and was led by Cdr. D Macintyre of HMS "Walker". 5th Escort Group was re-inforced on this occasion by an additional 2 destroyers, in view of the importance of the cargo, and met the convoy as it entered the Western Approaches.

On 15th March 1941 HX.112 was sighted by "U-110" commanded by FJ Lemp, who sent in a sighting report and commenced shadowing the convoy. He was joined throughout the day by 4 other boats; "U-99" (Kretschmer) "U-100" (Schepke) "U-37" (Clausen) and "U-74" (Kentrat).

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 4 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 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 20th March.

Conclusion

HX.112 had lost 6 ships totalling 50,000 tons.However, the loss of 2 of the KM's U-boat aces, one of which was the highest scoring submarine commander of World War II, was a severe blow to KMs offensive.The defence of HX.112, coupled with the successful defence of Convoy OB-293 and the loss of U-boat ace Günther Prien the previous week, marked a minor turning point in the Atlantic campaign.

References

* Stephen Roskill : The War at Sea 1939-1945 Vol I (1954). ISBN (none)
* Dan van der Vat : The Atlantic Campaign (1988). ISBN 0 340 37751 8
* Arnold Hague : The Allied Convoy System 1939-1945 (2000). ISBN (Canada) 1 55125 033 0 . ISBN (UK) 1 86176 147 3
* Paul Kemp : U-Boats Destroyed ( 1997). ISBN 1 85409 515 3
* Axel Neistle : German U-Boat Losses during World War II (1998). ISBN 1 85367 352 8