Convoy PQ 17 was the penultimate of the PQ−QP series of Arctic convoys, bound from British and American ports through the Arctic Ocean via Reykjavík to the ports of the northern Soviet Union, particularly Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in the White Sea. The convoy was heavily defended, but fearing an imminent attack by German ships, including Tirpitz . The Admiralty made the decision to disperse the convoy.
The convoy comprised 35 merchant ships and 6 naval auxiliaries (41 in all) and was defended by a close escort and two distant escort forces, 43 warships in total. It was opposed by a U-boat gruppe Eisteufel Luftflotte 5 .
Before the convoy dispersed, three ships had been lost. After it scattered each ship made its way individually to the Russian ports. Some ships took refuge along the frozen coast of Novaya Zemlya, landing at Matochkin. The Soviet tanker Azerbaijan had lost her cargo of linseed oil and much of SS Winston-Salem ' s cargo had also been jettisoned in Novaya Zemlya.
Of the thirty-six ships that left Iceland, three were forced to return early and 24 were sunk. Ten merchant ships (one British, six American, one Panamanian and two Russian) and four auxiliaries reached Archangel and delivered 70,000 long tons (71,000 t) out of the 200,000 long tons (200,000 t) which had started from Iceland.
Allied forces
Force X Operation ES, feints towards Norway Name Flag Type Dates Notes HMS Adventure minelaying cruiser Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS Curacoa C-class cruiser Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS Sirius Dido -class cruiser Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS Brighton Town-class destroyer Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS St Mary's Town-class destroyer Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS Nepal N-class destroyer Departed 29 June, 6 July HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes N-class destroyer Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS Catterick Hunt-class destroyer Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS Oakley Hunt-class destroyer Departed 29 June, 6 July HMS Agamemnon Reefer ship conversion Departed 29 June, 6 July 1st Minelaying Squadron HMS Menestheus Reefer ship conversion Departed 29 June, 6 July 1st Minelaying Squadron HMS Port Quebec Reefer ship conversion Departed 29 June, 6 July 1st Minelaying Squadron HMS Southern Prince Reefer ship conversion Departed 29 June, 6 July 1st Minelaying Squadron 5 colliers — Departed 29 June, 6 July 4 HMT trawlers — Departed 29 June, 6 July
Merchant ships Freighters convoyed Name Year GRT Flag Notes Alcoa Ranger 1919 5,116 Sunk U-255 , 7 July, 0† 40 surv Aldersdale 1937 8,402 Fleet oiler, damaged by aircraft 5 July, sunk U-457 , 7 July, 0† 54 surv Azerbaidjan 1932 6,114 Damaged Bellingham 1920 5,345 Benjamin Harrison 1942 7,191 Bolton Castle 1939 5,203 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July Carlton 1920 5,127 Sunk U-88 , 5 July, 3† 42 surv Christopher Newport 1942 7,191 Damaged by aircraft, sunk U-457 , 4 July, 3† 47 surv Daniel Morgan 1942 7,177 Damaged by aircraft, sunk U-88 , 5 July, 3† 51 surv Donbass 1935 7,925 Earlston 1941 7,195 Damaged by aircraft, sunk U-334 , 5 July El Capitan 1917 5,255 Damaged by aircraft 9 July, sunk U-251 , 10 July, 0† 67 Empire Byron 1941 6,645 Damaged by aircraft 4 July, sunk U-703 , 5 July, 7† 63 surv Empire Tide 1941 6,978 CAM ship Exford 4,969 Ice damage, turned back Fairfield City 1921 5,686 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July Gray Ranger 1941 3,313 Fleet oiler, (Force Q) ice damage, detached 2 July, to Convoy QP 13 Hartlebury 1934 5,082 Sunk U-355 , 7 July, 38† 20 surv Honomu 1919 6,977 Sunk U-456 , 5 July, 13† 28 surv Hoosier 1920 5,060 Damaged by aircraft 9 July, sunk U-376 , 10 July, 0† 53 surv Ironclad 1919 5,685 John Witherspoon 1942 7,191 Sunk U-255 , 6 July, 1† 49 surv Navarino 1937 4,841 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July Ocean Freedom 1942 7,173 Olopana 1920 6,069 Sunk U-255 , 8 July, 7† 34 surv Pan Atlantic 1919 5,411 Sunk by aircraft, 6 July Pan Kraft 1919 5,644 Sunk by aircraft, 7 July Paulus Potter 1942 7,168 Damaged by aircraft 5 July, sunk U-255 , 13 July, 0† 76 surv Peter Kerr 1920 6,476 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July Richard Bland 7,191 Ran aground, towed back to port River Afton 1935 5,479 Convoy Commodore sunk U-703 , 5 July, 26† 38 surv Samuel Chase 1942 7,191 Silver Sword 1919 4,937 Troubador 1920 6,428 Washington 1919 5,564 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July West Gotomska 1918 5,728 Engine trouble, returned to port William Hooper 1942 7,177 Damaged by aircraft 4 July, sunk U-334 , 4 July Winston-Salem 1920 6,223 Ran aground, recovered, Molotovsk (now Severodvinsk) 28 July
Escort forces
Close escort Escorts (in relays) Name Flag Class Notes HMS Escapade E-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July HMS Fury F-class destroyer 30 June – 4 July HMS Offa O-class destroyer 30 June – 4 July HMS Douglas Scott -class destroyer27 June – 2 July, detached to Convoy QP 13 HMS Keppel Shakespeare -class destroyerSenior Officer Escort, 30 June – 4 July HMS Leamington Town-class destroyer 30 June – 4 July HMS Ledbury Hunt-class destroyer 30 June – 4 July HMS Wilton Hunt-class destroyer 30 June – 4 July HMS Dianella Flower-class corvette 30 June – 4 July HMS Lotus Flower-class corvette 30 June – 4 July HMS La Malouine Flower-class corvette 30 June – 4 July HMS Poppy Flower-class corvette 30 June – 4 July HMS Britomart Halcyon -class minesweeper27 June − 4 July HMS Halcyon Halcyon -class minesweeper27 June – 4 July HMS Salamander Halcyon -class minesweeper27 June – 4 July HMS Palomares Anti-aircraft ship 27 June – 4 July HMS Pozarica Anti-aircraft ship 27 June – 4 July RFA Gray Ranger Ranger-class tanker 27 June – 2 July, detached to Convoy QP 13 HMT Ayrshire ASW trawler 27 June – 4 July HMT Lord Austin ASW trawler 27 June – 4 July HMS Lord Middleton ASW trawler 27 June – 4 July HMT Northern Gem ASW trawler 27 June – 4 July Rathlin United Kingdom Rescue ship Arrived Archangel, 9 July Zaafaran Rescue ship Sunk by aircraft, 5 July Zamalek Rescue ship HMS P614 P611-class submarine 30 June – 4 July HMS P615 P611-class submarine 27 June – 4 July
Force Q Fleet oiler and escort Name Flag Type Dates Notes HMS Douglas Scott -class destroyer 27 June – 2 July Detached to Convoy QP 13 RFA Gray Ranger Ranger-class tanker 27 June – 2 July Detached to Convoy QP 13
Covering Force 1st Cruiser Squadron Name Flag Class Notes HMS London County-class cruiser 1–4 July HMS Norfolk County-class cruiser 1–4 July USS Tuscaloosa { New Orleans -class cruiser1–4 July USS Wichita Wichita -class cruiser1–4 July HMS Somali Tribal-class destroyer 1–4 July USS Rowan Benham -class destroyer1–4 July USS Wainwright Sims -class destroyer1–4 July
Distant Cover Home Fleet Name Flag Class Notes HMS Victorious Illustrious -class aircraft carrier29 June – 4 July HMS Duke of York King George V -class battleship29 June – 4 July USS Washington North Carolina -class battleship29 June – 4 July HMS Cumberland County-class cruiser 29 June – 4 July HMS Nigeria Fiji -class cruiser29 June – 4 July HMS Ashanti Tribal-class destroyer 1–4 July USS Mayrant Benham -class destroyer1–4 July USS Rhind Benham -class destroyer1–4 July HMS Escapade E-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July HMS Faulknor F-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July HMS Marne M-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July HMS Martin M-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July HMS Onslaught O-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July HMS Onslow O-class destroyer 1–4 July HMS Blankney Hunt-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July HMS Middleton Hunt-class destroyer 27 June – 4 July HMS Wheatland Hunt-class destroyer 29 June – 4 July
Submarine patrols
Convoy screen Allied submarine flank screen Name Flag Type Notes HMS Sahib S-class submarine HMS Sturgeon S-class submarine Minerve Minerve -class submarine HMS Unrivalled U-class submarine HMS Unshaken U-class submarine
Bear Island patrol line Allied submarine line south of Bear Island Name Flag Type Notes HMS Seawolf U-class submarine HMS Trident T-class submarine HMS Tribune T-class submarine HMS Ursula U-class submarine
Soviet submarines Off Varangerfjord Name Flag Type Notes D-3 Dekabrist -class submarineSunk off Varangerfjord, ? mined K-2 Soviet K-class submarine K-21 Soviet K-class submarine K-22 Soviet K-class submarine M-176 Soviet M-class submarine Sunk off Varangerfjord, ? mined Shch-402 Shchuka-class submarine Shch-403 Shchuka-class submarine
Axis forces
Scouting U-boats Scouting U-boats Name Flag Class Notes U-255 Type VIIC submarine John Witherspoon , Alcoa Ranger , Olopana , Paulus Potter (aircraft, then U-boat) U-408 Type VIIC submarine U-334 Type VIIC submarine William Hooper , Earlston (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) U-456 Type VIIC submarine Honomu (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) U-703 Type VIIC submarine Empire Byron (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) River Afton
U-boat wolfpack Gruppe Eisteufel Name Flag Type Notes U-88 Type VIIC submarine Sank Carlton , Daniel Morgan ( aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) U-251 Type VIIC submarine El Capitan (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) U-355 Type VIIC submarine Hartlebury U-376 Type VIIC submarine Hoosier (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) U-457 Type VIIC submarine Christopher Newport , Aldersdale (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) U-657 Type VIIC submarine
Luftwaffe Luftflotte 5 Unit Flag Type No. Role Notes I./Kampfgeschwader 26 Heinkel He 111 H6 42–46 Torpedo-bomber Banak Kampfgeschwader 30 Junkers Ju 88 60 Bomber/dive-bomber Banak 1./Küstenfliegergruppe 906 Blohm & Voss BV 138 — Weather reconnaissance Sørreisa, Billefjord, Tromsø
Ships
Force I Force I Name Flag Class Notes Tirpitz Bismarck -class battleship Admiral Hipper Admiral Hipper -class cruiser Z20 Karl Galster Type 1936-class destroyer Z14 Friedrich Ihn Type 1934A-class destroyer Z10 Hans Lody Type 1934A-class destroyer Z6 Theodor Riedel Type 1934A-class destroyer T7 Type 35 torpedo boat T15 Type 35 torpedo boat
Force II Force II Name Flag Class Notes Lützow Deutschland -class cruiser Admiral Scheer Deutschland -class cruiser Z15 Erich Steinbrinck Type 1934A-class destroyer Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt Type 1934-class destroyer Z24 Type 1936A-class destroyer Z27 Type 1936A-class destroyer Z28 Type 1936A-class destroyer Z29 Type 1936A-class destroyer Z30 Type 1936A-class destroyer
Miscellaneous Oiler Name Flag Class Notes Dithmarschen Dithmarschen-class oiler
See also