Order of battle for Convoy PQ 18

Convoy PQ 18 was the last of the PQ/QP series of arctic convoys during World War II, bound from US and British ports via Reykjavík to the Barents Sea and White Sea ports of the Soviet Union, particularly Murmansk and Archangel. The convoy sailed on 2 September 1942 and arrived three weeks later on 21 September 1942. It was opposed by German sea and air forces based in occupied Norway.

The convoy comprised 40 merchant ships and 4 naval auxiliaries, plus contingents to and from Iceland (48 in all) and was defended by a close escort and a “Fighting Destroyer Escort”, as well as local escort forces, and two distant escort forces (74 warships in total). These were supported by aircraft of the RAF based in the Soviet Union.

The German forces comprised a U-boat group, code-named "Ice Palace", of 12 U-Boats, and a surface attack force of 8 warships, though in the event these were not engaged. These were assisted by the aircraft of Luftflotte 5.

Allied forces

Merchant ships

Escorts

First stage Local escort group
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
HMS Campbell destroyer Royal Navy 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42 Joined Heavy Cover Force
HMS Eskdale destroyer RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
HMS Farndale destroyer RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
HMS Mackay destroyer RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42 Joined Heavy Cover Force
HMS Montrose destroyer RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42 Joined Heavy Cover Force
HMS Echo destroyer RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
HMS Walpole destroyer RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
HMT Arab A/S trawler Royal Navy 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42 To Reykjavík as escort
HMT Duncton trawler RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
HMT Hugh Walpole trawler RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
HMT King Sol trawler RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
HMT Paynter trawler RN 2 Sep 42 8 Sep 42  
Second stage Close escort group
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
HMS Malcolm destroyer Royal Navy 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42 Cdr AB Russell SOE
HMS Achates destroyer RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Amazon destroyer RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Alynbank anti-aircraft ship RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Ulster Queen anti-aircraft ship RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Bergamot Flower-class corvette RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Bryony Flower-class corvette RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Bluebell Flower-class corvette RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Camellia Flower-class corvette RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMT Cape Argona A/S trawler RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMT Cape Mariato A/S trawler RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMT Daneman A/S trawler RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMT St Kenan A/S trawler RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Harrier minesweeper RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Gleaner minesweeper RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
HMS Sharpshooter minesweeper RN 7 Sept 42 21 Sep 42  
Second stage Carrier group
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
HMS Avenger Escort carrier Royal Navy 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Wheatland Hunt-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Wilton Hunt-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
Second stage Fighting Destroyer Escort group
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
HMS Scylla Dido-class cruiser Royal Navy 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42 Flagship R Adm. "Bob" Burnett
HMS Onslow O-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Onslaught O-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Opportune O-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Offa O-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Ashanti Tribal-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Eskimo Tribal-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Somali Tribal-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Tartar Tribal-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Milne M-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Marne M-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Martin M-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Meteor M-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Faulknor F-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Fury F-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Impulsive I-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
HMS Intrepid I-class destroyer RN 9 Sept 42 17 Sep 42  
Second stage Eastern local escort group
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
Gremyashchi Gnevny-class destroyer Soviet Northern Fleet 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
Kuibishev Orfey-class destroyer Soviet Northern Fleet 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
Sokrushitelney Gnevny-class destroyer Soviet Northern Fleet 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
Uritski Orfey-class destroyer Soviet Northern Fleet 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
HMS Halcyon Minesweeper Royal Navy 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
HMS Hazard Minesweeper Royal Navy 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
HMS Salamander Minesweeper Royal Navy 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
HMS Britomart Minesweeper Royal Navy 17 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
Second stage Cruiser Cover Force
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
HMS Norfolk County-class cruiser Royal Navy 14 Sep 42 22 Sep 42 Flagship V Adm. S Bonham-Carter
HMS London County-class cruiser RN 14 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
HMS Suffolk County-class cruiser RN 14 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
HMS Bulldog B-class destroyer RN 14 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
HMS Venomous Admiralty modified W-class destroyer RN 14 Sep 42 22 Sep 42  
Second stage Heavy Cover Force
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
HMS Anson battleship Royal Navy 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42 Flagship V Adm. B Fraser
HMS Duke of York battleship RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42  
HMS Jamaica Crown Colony-class cruiser RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42  
HMS Keppel destroyer RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42 Cdr JE Broome
HMS Montrose destroyer RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42 Joined from local escort group
HMS Campbell destroyer RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42 Joined from local escort group
HMS Mackay destroyer RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42 Joined from local escort group
HMS Bramham destroyer RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42  
HMS Broke destroyer RN 11 Sep 42 14 Sep 42  

Support forces

Second stage Spitzbergen re-fueling group[4]
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
RFA Blue Ranger Oiler Royal Fleet Auxiliary 10 Sep 42 10 Sep 42  
RFA Oligarch Oiler Royal Fleet Auxiliary 10 Sep 42 10 Sep 42  
HMS Oakley Hunt-class destroyer Royal Navy 10 Sep 42 10 Sep 42  
HMS Cowdray Hunt-class destroyer RN 10 Sep 42 10 Sep 42  
HMS Worcester W-class destroyer RN 10 Sep 42 10 Sep 42  
HMS Windsor W-class destroyer RN 10 Sep 42 10 Sep 42  
Second stage Spitzbergen re-inforcement group[5]
NameClassNavyDate joinedDate departedNotes
HMS Cumberland County-class heavy cruiser Royal Navy 14 Sep 42 14 Sep 42  
HMS Sheffield Town-class cruiser RN 14 Sep 42 14 Sep 42  
HMS Eclipse E-class destroyer RN 14 Sep 42 14 Sep 42  
Submarine patrol group
NameClassNavycommence
patrol		end
patrol		Notes
HMS Shakespeare S-class submarine Royal Navy 7 Sep 42 23 Sep 42  
HMS Unrivalled U-class submarine RN 7 Sep 42 1 Oct 42  
HMS Unique U-class submarine RN 7 Sep 42 1 Oct 42  
HMS Tribune T-class submarine RN 2 Sep 42 1 Oct 42  
HMS Tigris T-class submarine RN 2 Sep 42 1 Oct 42  
HMS Sturgeon S-class submarine RN 2 Sep 42 6 Sep 42 Returned to port;
mechanical defect
HMS Unshaken U-class submarine RN 2 Sep 42 1 Oct 42  
HNoMS Uredd U-class submarine Royal Norwegian Navy 2 Sep 42 1 Oct 42  
French submarine Rubis Saphir-class submarine Free French      

Axis forces

U-boats

NameTypeNavySuccessFateNotes
U-88 Type VIIC Kriegsmarine   Sunk by Faulknor[6]  
U-255 VIIC KM      
U-377 VIIC KM      
U-378 VIIC KM      
U-403 VIIC KM      
U-405 VIIC KM      
U-408 VIIC KM Sank Stalingrad[7]    
U-435 VIIC KM      
U-457 VIIC KM Damaged Atheltemplar[8] Sunk by Impulsive[9]  
U-589 VIIC KM Sank Oliver Ellsworth[10] Sunk by Onslow[11]  
U-592 VIIC KM      
U-703 VIIC KM      

Surface ships

NameTypeNavySortie/1st sailingFate/2nd sailingNotes
Admiral Scheer Deutschland-class cruiser Kriegsmarine 9 Sep 42 Cancelled Flagship V Adm. O Kummetz
Admiral Hipper Admiral Hipper-class cruiser KM 9 Sep 42 "
Köln Königsberg-class cruiser KM 9 Sep 42 "
Z4 Richard Beitzen Type 1934 destroyer KM 9 Sep 42 "
Z23 Type 1936A destroyer KM 9 Sep 42 "
Z27 Type 1936A destroyer KM 9 Sep 42 " Flag Capt Ponitz
8th Des Flot
Z29 Type 1936A destroyer KM 9 Sep 42 "
Z30 Type 1936A destroyer KM 9 Sep 42 "

Notes

  1. ↑ Smith p32
  2. ↑ sic: see Hague
  3. ↑ Smith p37
  4. ↑ Spelled as it was originally named; Smith p213
  5. ↑ Spelled as it was originally named; Smith p213
  6. ↑ Smith p50
  7. ↑ Blair p20
  8. ↑ Blair p20
  9. ↑ Smith p150-151
  10. ↑ Blair p20
  11. ↑ Smith p132-134

References

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