This is the record of a convoy in the North Atlantic during the spring of 1943. The slow speed of the ships permitted the submarines easily to keep pace with the convoy once contact was made, and but for the efficient work of the escorts, and the help of a whole gale and a large ice pack, would have undoubtedly resulted in the destruction of the entire convoy.
The Naval tanker U.S.S. Sapelo (AO 11) had arrived in Iceland April 19, 1943 by way of New York, Boston, Halifax, and Loche Ewe, Scotland. The fuel oil and other cargo had been discharged except 80 tons of 3 inch 50 caliber ammunition still in the forward hold. For some unknown reason this ammunition was not accepted by the authorities here and we had been directed to return it to the U. S. A.
The gyro compass had faltered during the trip, and just before our arrival it failed completely. As navigator, I was concerned with getting the necessary new parts for repairs but found they were not available. We used the magnetic compass when maneuvering in Hvalfjordur and Reykjavik harbor, and continued our efforts to get the gyro operating. Because of magnetic disturbance, extreme caution is required when using a magnetic compass in Icelandic waters.
On April 24 a COMSERFOll dispatch ordered us to sea to join a convoy westbound for America. A small British destroyer, H.M.S. Vidette, was detailed as escort. In company with two merchantmen we stood out of Reykjavik harbor at 1700. Our small group was known as Convoy ON-J5. The Commanding Officer of Sapelo, Commander M. R. Tawes, U.S.N.R., was designated as Convoy Commodore. The gyro repairs not being completed, I was happy to have clear weather when rounding Skagi Point and the southwest extremity of Iceland as the magnetic compass showed various errors, some as high as 67 degrees West.
After clearing Iceland, a course was set for ICOMP, speed 7 knots, and in the afternoon of the second day out, April 26, contact was made with our westbound friends. They proved to be Convoy ON-S5. Good weather and the slow speed (7 knots) of the new convoy permitted us to take our assigned stations with no difficulty.
On-S5 was in a 10 column formation, the Commodore in position 6-1, first ship in column 6. The distance between ships in a column was 600 yards, and the distance between columns 800 yards. With the addition of our small force the whole convoy now consisted of 43 ships and had 8 Canadian and British escorts. Sapelo was the only U. S. Naval vessel present; but one of the escort vessels, H.M.S. Sennen, was formerly the U.S.S. Champlin (DD104), and had been transferred to the British Navy a few years previously. Sapelo took station 2-4, fourth ship in column 2. H.M.S. Vidette did not return to Iceland but took up escort duty with the convoy.
When we knew arrivals were in position the Commodore signalled “Speed 7.5 knots.” This proved to be the speed of the entire voyage. We received no further information from the Commodore about the convoy or the escort, so we had no knowledge of the names and nationalities of the various vessels other than what the “long glass” disclosed from day to day. We were all disappointed by the slow speed of the convoy and we did not forget the 80 tons of ammunition in our forward hold. COMINCH daily "Submarine Estimate” for April 26 showed about 40 enemy submarines located between our convoy and the American coast. We agreed that 8 escorts gave us a good chance of being rescued if misfortune forced us to abandon ship.
The weather remained good and the first night passed quietly. The next morning the Sapelo was ordered to change stations with ship 8-2. This was a “frying pan to the fire” move, as later events proved. The second night also passed quietly. The following morning, April 28, dawned with overcast sky but sea still smooth. During the forenoon the convoy was exercised at “sound signals” and course changes. The Submarine Estimate was about the same as the previous days but we were closer to the enemy U-boats now. The night settled down very dark.
About 2300 one of the forward escorts reported “sound contact” and dropped depth charges. The sound of the underwater explosions brought all hands to battle stations in record time. We realized the Nazi submarine pack was getting the scent. About (wo hours later, 0100, April 29, the rear escorts began dropping a series of depth charges until about 0230. We never learned the results of these explosions. Just before dawn the convoy changed course 4° to 242°. This had been a restless night and the course change, small as it was, made us hopeful of avoiding further trouble; but our optimism was of short duration, for at 0530 ship 4-3 was torpedoed from the port side. It was light enough for us to see her fall astern. About twenty minutes later the rear escorts began dropping a series of charges that ended at 0600. 4-3 was still afloat when last seen, but radio said the escorts were looking for survivors, so apparently she had been abandoned. The remainder of the day was uneventful and enabled us to get some rest. We eagerly awaited the radio message containing the daily Submarine Estimate, and when it was plotted on the chart it showed the submarine pack was now quite near our convoy.
The weather changed at sunset, and that night a southwest gale developed. By dawn, April 30, it was blowing hard. Obedient to a signal from Convoy Commodore, all ships hoisted colors at half-mast for thirty minutes beginning at 1130. In the absence of further information this was regarded as a salute to the men lost with ship 4-3 yesterday. By sunset a whole gale was blowing, and rough seas were sweeping over our decks.
The convoy could no longer keep close formation, and during the night of April 30- May 1 became widely separated. May 1, we remained “hove to,” head into the seas, most of the day. In the late afternoon the visibility increased and we sighted the ship of the convoy commodore on our port bow. Before sunset, 15 other vessels were visible.
The gale abated during the night, and shortly after dawn, May 2, the convoy began to reform. The Sapelo resumed her former station as second ship in column 8. About 30 ships rejoined, but there was some doubt as to the exact number. The O.O.D. said 30, but the signal bridge count was 31. The other ships were so widely scattered that they were ordered to proceed as stragglers. We passed through a large area of ice and small icebergs for about three hours, and felt secure from attack while in the ice area. By sunset the convoy was settled down to its normal routine.
May 3 proved uneventful and we began to feel we had eluded the submarines. The weather continued fair, with a smooth sea, and our good luck held until the evening of May 4. The Submarine Estimate now showed about 60 submarines in area 49°-00' to 60°- 00' North and 28°-00' to 47°-00' West. It stated that none of the North Atlantic convoys appeared to be shadowed at the present time although ON-S5 (our convoy) was in a particularly dangerous area. It showed two submarines in area 60°-00' North, 26°-00' West, moving west or southwest, and said a submarine not recently located was possibly still patrolling off Sable Island.
We would always joke about the “sub off Sable Island.” It seemed that always there was a submarine in that position. On our many trips into Halifax we would picture our arrival being radioed to Berlin by the “sub patrolling off Sable Island.” Today we were more interested in “ON-S5—particularly dangerous.”
Shortly before 2100 the forward escort made sound contact and dropped three depth charges. At sight of the black pennant, signifying “underwater contact,” displayed by the escort we knew the submarines had again found us. The storm and the ice had delayed them. Perhaps the scattered convoy had confused them a little, but they were back on our trail now and our security of the last four days was ended. About 2130 another series of charges was dropped by the forward escort.
About one hour later, as twilight was ending, the ship 8-1, in position just ahead of the Sapelo, was torpedoed. Because of the darkness the torpedo wake was not sighted by our lookouts and we had no knowledge from which side the attack came. We heard the sound of the explosion and saw only a dark cloud of smoke rise above the ship. She displayed the red light “have been torpedoed” signal promptly. 8-1 lost way quickly, and the Sapelo altered course to avoid ramming into her stern. We cleared 8-1 by a fair margin but still too close in the event of an explosion or if she should roll over on her port side. When we came abeam of her, some objects in the water and some men in a boat or raft alongside were barely discernible in the darkness. In other circumstances it would have been an easy task for us to rescue them. A dim light was visible in her after waist and much shouting was heard. No fires had broken out but she was settling deep in the water as we passed, and she soon disappeared in the darkness astern. We forged ahead to occupy her former position at the head of column 8. The convoy held to course 202°, speed 7.5 knots.
Now began a hectic period filled with the sound of underwater explosions as the excorts made sound contacts. Numerous flares were fired. By radio we learned of ships torpedoed and submarines rammed. In the darkness little of this activity was visible to us, as it occurred on the left side of the convoy in the vicinity of our old position 2-4.
At midnight there was a noticeable lull, but soon flares were again visible on the left flank and the sound of underwater explosions and rapid gun fire was heard. These attacks came intermittently during the entire mid-watch. By 0200 May 5, the score, via radio, showed ships 1-1,1-3, 3-3, 3-4, and 4-3 torpedoed. (This was not the 4-3 which had been torpedoed on April 29, but her successor.) We realized how accurate had been the Submarine Estimate of May 4; convoy ON-S5 was indeed in a “particularly dangerous area.”
When dawn broke we searched the southeast horizon for some signs of the torpedoed ships, but could see none. Two escorts not in sight were believed to be far astern on rescue work. Soon came a radio—“Boycott from Typhoid: 11 survivors from number 3-4, unable to locate 1-3 and 8-1.” This was shortly followed by another message— “Hampden from Boycott: 43 survivors from number 3-3, 29 survivors from number 1-1. Rejoining.”
The day continued fair, with a smooth sea. The convoy still held to course 202°. We were prepared for course changes at dawn, but none were ordered. The escorts made several sound contacts in the early forenoon. We would see the black pennant displayed, and soon a series of depth charge explosions would be heard and felt. At 1040 ship 2-2 was torpedoed. She rolled deeply to starboard, then slowly righted. Her motion suggested an animal in great agony. No fires broke out, and she drifted astern and was still afloat when last seen.
The convoy now made a 45° turn to starboard, but soon came back to course 202°. The escorts dropped a series of charges just as we started the turn. After this barrage a period of quiet set in, and as the day advanced with no further attacks we concluded that the submarines were waiting for cover of twilight. At noon the radio said straggler ship 8-3 had been torpedoed. The score was now nine ships torpedoed since April 29.
The Submarine Estimate for May 5 showed 15 submarines shadowing ON-S5 and 12 more within 150 miles of it. About 20 more submarines in area 55°-00' to 58°-00' North and 30°-00' to 40o-00/ West were probably moving towards us. Ten were shown in area 49°-00' to 53°-00' North and 27°-00' to 38°-00' West. The Sable Island U-Boat was still on the job.
Our uneasy peace lasted about six hours. At 1742 two torpedoes were sighted about 90 yards off the port bow of the Sapelo, coming from the area near ship 7-1. I was in the chart house, and upon hearing the signalman shout as he began hoisting “2 pennant,” the “sub or torpedo to port” signal, I rushed out to the bridge in time to sec two torpedoes come skipping like porpoises toward the ship. They passed about 20 yards ahead of the Sapelo’s bow, and continuing a straight run, struck the stern of the leading ship in column 9 about four seconds apart. About thirty seconds later a third torpedo wake was observed to cross close in front of the Sapelo, and following the general direction of the first two torpedoes it passed ahead of ship 9-1 and struck the leading ship of column 10.
Ship 9-1 was sinking rapidly, and about five minutes after she was hit her bow rose high above the water, hung there a moment, and then she slid down to her grave, stern first. Debris had been hurled in the air when she was hit, and no sign of life was seen about her decks as she sank. This was taken as an indication of the stunning impact of the two torpedoes. She carried everything down with her except one lonely raft left turning slowly in a circle of dirty water. Ship 10-1 fired rockets as she slowly swung to the right away from the formation. She was still afloat when last seen.
Shortly after 10-1 was hit, ship 8-4 in position astern of the Sapelo, was hit in the stern from the starboard side. A periscope was seen at her port bow and she was firing at it as it passed out of our line of vision, obscured by the hull of 8-4. Much of 8-4’s stern had been blown skyward but she remained afloat as long as we could see her. She was a small ship and we had expected her to sink quickly. In the short space of five minutes we had lost three ships, and this brought the score up to 12 ships torpedoed and only 20 vessels still left in convoy. The escorts dropped numerous charges during this period, and their activity evidently forced the submarines to withdraw after 8-4 was hit.
About this time a lone plane appeared on the scene. We had discussed air coverage and wondered if the R.A.F. or U.S. planes would give us some help. The plane circled over the grave of 9-1, blinked a message to the convoy commodore, then headed to the southwestward and soon disappeared. Several days later we did get air coverage, but by then we no longer urgently needed it.
Shortly after 8-4 was hit, the convoy made two 45° turns to port followed by two 45° turns to starboard, which put us back on course 202°. About 1900 the Sapelo was ordered back to our old position 8-2, and ship 10-3 took station as 8-1. The last attack had ended at 1747, and now we felt that the next assault would come at twilight. About 2100 the convoy made two 45° turns to starboard, followed by two 45° turns to port.
A dense fog set in at sunset, and as the night closed in we wondered which ship would be the next target. All ships of old column 8, except the Sapelo, had been torpedoed. We thought of the hazards inherent in an oil tanker and remembered the 80 tons of cargo ammunition in the forward hold. Our escorts were getting short of depth charges and other ammunition. They were crowded with survivors, many injured. Some had damaged bows from ramming into submarines. In view of all this we prepared for a bad night and were greatly cheered when the radio informed us that several fresh escorts were replacing some of the crowded ships to permit them to land survivors at a Newfoundland port. Our radiomen frequently heard shouts and groans over the TBS when some of the escorts put through a message. Evidently some ship had rigged a dressing station in the vicinity of the speaker. At 2300, convoy course was changed to 186°. The submarines had not renewed the attack, so we now became hopeful of eluding them in the fog.
We continued on course 186° until midnight, when the convoy course was altered to 156°. During the mid-watch depth charge explosions and rapid gun fire was heard frequently. We did not learn the results, but realized that the enemy was still with ON-SS. We hoped the fresh escorts were as efficient as the ones they had replaced. At daylight, May 6, the convoy course was changed to 196°. It remained foggy all day. The escorts dropped several depth charges during each watch, but we never learned the results nor did we hear of any more survivors of yesterday’s fight being rescued.
The Submarine Estimate for May 6 showed about 40 submarines within ISO miles of ON-S5, with 10 to 20 in contact. It showed S submarines within 150 miles of 60°-00' North, 30°-00' West. Another U-boat was in 61°-00' North, 23°-00' West, moving southwest and still another located in 62°-00' North, 16°-00' West, moving west. Ten submarines were in area 50°-00' to 56°-00' North and 28°-00' to 40°-00' West. 15 submarines were patrolling east of Flemish Cap. The Sable Island U-boat was still at his post.
After sunset we heard no more explosions, and the night, made darker by the dense fog, was uneventful. The fog continued through the next day, May 7. We began to believe we either had eluded the submarine pack or the escorts had driven them off. In the afternoon of May 7 the St. Johns section (2 ships) left the convoy. The Submarine Estimate for this day showed 40 submarines in area 51°-00' to 55°-00' North and 39°-00' to 49°-00' West. No indications of ON-S5 being shadowed were given. Two submarines were moving southwest from 61°-00' North 18°-00' West. 15 submarines were in area 49°-00' to 54°-00' North and27°-00'to38°-00' West, and about 15 were off Flemish Cap. The Sable Island U-Boat was still there.
The fog lifted at 0645, May 8. At 0800, ship 6-2 left the convoy for an undisclosed destination. During the forenoon we passed about five miles to the eastward of two very large icebergs. At noon the convoy commodore signalled “Escorts destroyed 5 submarines during night of May 5-6.” During the day the Sapelo was ordered to station 6-2, next astern of the commodore. The fog closed in again at sunset but lifted before dawn the next day, May 9. Three days had passed since the last attack. We had passed Flemish Cap and its 15 submarines and were now clear of the more dangerous areas. At noon the gyro electrician reported the gyro ready for use. It settled down with only a small error and worked well for the remainder of the trip. At 1945 the rear escorts dropped depth charges, but nothing further developed during the night.
May 10 was clear. A lone ship joined the convoy and took station 8-3. It was not known if she was a straggler finally catching up or a newcomer. This day the convoy commodore hoisted an interesting signal. “The Prime Minister compliments convoy on steady courage during late attacks.”
The remainder of the voyage was uneventful. Off Halifax at 0530, May 12, the commodore and the Halifax section (8 ships) left us. The commodore’s last signal was “Good Bye, Well Done.”
The commanding officer of ship 1-1 took over as commodore. A group of 7 ships from Halifax joined the convoy, and speed was reduced to 7 knots. During the night of May 12-13, fog set in as we headed across the Gulf of Maine. It lifted at noon, May 13.
The mornings “press news” of May 13 carried an item that interested all ships of ON-S5.
London—The Admiralty said Wednesday four U-Boats were destroyed and six others probably destroyed in a fight with Escort ships of a recent west bound Atlantic convoy.
This was declared to have been the greatest success yet scored against Germany’s underseas fleet.
The Admiralty said that “powerful” attacks and counter-attacks extended over an eight day period during the latter part of April and early May.
May 14, a landfall was made. Cape Ann lighthouse was sighted at 0830, bearing 314°, distance 11 miles. The convoy separated; the Boston section (8 ships) stood in for Boston, and the remaining ships headed southward for Cape Cod Canal entrance. On arrival off the canal entrance the convoy dispersed. The Sapelo began transit of the canal at 1400, stood down Buzzards Bay, and proceeded via the swept channel to Long Island Sound. It was 2130 when we passed through “The Race.” Tomorrow would find us in New York harbor.
This record would not be complete without including part of a newspaper clipping I received in the first mail. It contains much information we lacked and helps show the struggle made to bring ON-S5 back to America.
ALLIED CONVOY SINKS 4 SUBS, PERHAPS 10, IN ATLANTIC WAR*
London, May 13. (AP)—Allied escort ships and planes fighting a fierce, eight-day running battle against a pack of as many as 25 Axis submarines attacking an Atlantic convoy, recently sank 4 and perhaps 10 of the U-Boats, the Admiralty announced here.
It was the greatest success against submarines thus far reported by the Admiralty.
The battle against the savage thrusts of the subs took place intermittently for eight days and nights late in April and early in May 0000.
*Used by permission of Chicago Daily News.