Convoy OA 178

Convoy OA 178
Part of World War II
Date 4 July 1940 Location English Channel Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany: Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine	United Kingdom: Royal Navy, Merchant Navy
Commanders and leaders
OTL Oskar Dinort (StG 2)	Comm:Capt. RP Galer RD, RNR Escort: Lt Cdr Frederick J.G. Jones RD, RNR (HMS Clarkia)
Strength
2 Gruppen of dive bombers from StG 2, A force of E-boats	1 corvette, 1 destroyer[1] 14 merchant ships[2]
Casualties and losses
none	4 ships sunk 9 damaged

Convoy OA 178 (OA: UK (Thames) Outbound 1939–41) was an Atlantic convoy that sailed in July 1940 from the Thames Estuary via the English Channel, prior to dispersal to various transatlantic destinations.^[3]

Departure and escort

OA 178 assembled off Southend-on-Sea on the coast of Essex and departed on 3 July.^[1] It consisted of 14 merchant ships, escorted by the Flower class corvette HMS Clarkia.^[1] Convoy Commodore was Capt. RP Galer, in SS Peterton.^[3] The convoy passed the Straits of Dover during the night of 3/4 July and by the afternoon of 4 July was in the Channel, some 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) south of Portland Bill.

Attack

At about 1300 hrs^[4] on 4 July two Gruppen of Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers from StG 2 attacked the convoy in the English Channel off Portland Bill.^[2] The Stukas were armed with 50 kilograms (110 lb) bombs and attacked in waves of six aircraft. There was no Allied air cover and the attack lasted about two hours.^[4]

In this attack one ship, MV Dallas City was sunk and five ships, SS Antonio, SS Argos Hill, SS Briarwood, SS Eastmoor and Danish turbine steamer TS Lifland were damaged.^[2] The Antonio rescued 67 survivors, including two with serious injuries, from ships that were sunk.^[4]

Some ships of the convoy took shelter in Portland Harbour, where the Luftwaffe attacked them again. Also in Portland Harbour were a number of other ships, which were hit in the attack. The Royal Navy anti-aircraft ship HMS Foylebank was severely damaged, and sank the next day with the loss of 176 lives.^[5] The tug Silverdial was also sunk^[5] and the cargo ships SS City of Melbourne, SS East Wales and MV William Wilberforce were damaged.^[2]

Bombs had damaged the Antonio's rudder and the stanchions supporting her propellor shaft.^[4] She had to reduce speed and did not reach anchorage in Portland Harbour until about 2300 hrs.^[4] The continuing air raid prevented her from landing the survivors she had rescued until mid-day on 5 July.^[4]

At dusk those members of the convoy that had remained at sea were 13 miles (21 km) south of Portland when they were attacked by German E-boats. Four ships were sunk, and one damaged. The cargo ship SS Elmcrest was sunk by a torpedo and 16 of her crew were lost.^[2] SS Hartlepool was damaged.^[2]

Also lost were the Dutch ships SS Britsum and SS Deucalion, and the Estonian ship SS Kolga.^[5] The Deucalion's wreck lies south of Selsey Bill,^[6] which suggests that either she was a straggler or she was dive-bombed before the main air raid off Portland Bill.

Aftermath

On 5 July OA 178's lone escort was reinforced by the destroyer HMS Broke (D83).^[1] She remained with the convoy until 6 July^[1] when it dispersed in the Southwest Approaches.

The severity of loss and damage that OA 178 sustained was such that all subsequent OA convoys were re-routed, from Methil in Fife around the north of Scotland to avoid the English Channel.^[2]

Table

Allied ships sunk

References

Sources

Coordinates: 50°31′N 2°26′W / 50.517°N 2.433°W / 50.517; -2.433