Convoy SL.78
Part of World War II
Date18 June 1941 – 12 July 1941
Location
North Atlantic
Belligerents
Germany  Royal Norwegian Navy
 Royal Navy
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Vice-Admiral G T C P Swabey CB DSO
Strength
~4 U-boats 26 merchant ships
19 escorts
Casualties and losses
8 merchants sunk

Convoy SL 78 was the 78th of the numbered series of World War II SL convoys of merchant ships from Sierra Leone to Liverpool. Ships carrying commodities bound to the British Isles from South America, Africa, and the Indian Ocean traveled independently to Freetown to be convoyed for the last leg of their voyage. Twenty-five merchant ships departed Freetown on 18 June 1941.[1] U-boats sank eight ships before the convoy reached Liverpool on 12 July.[2]

Ships in the Convoy

Allied merchant ships

A total of 26 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Sierra Leone or later in the voyage.[3]

Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Aliakmon (1913)  Greece 4,521
Arundo (1930)  Netherlands 5,163
Atle Jarl (1919)  Norway 1,173
Baron Napier (1930)  United Kingdom 3,559
Batna (1928)  United Kingdom 4,399
Blackheath (1936)  United Kingdom 4,637 Collision with corvette escort HMS Arbutus (K86) on 11 July
Camerata (1931)  United Kingdom 4,875
Criton (1927)  United Kingdom 4,564 Captured from the Vichy French by HMS Cilicia on 19 June, and being sailed back to Europe from West Africa. Intercepted by two Vichy French warships, Air France IV and Edith Germaine, near Freetown on 21 June and sunk by their gunfire.[4][5] (see also Commander Bernard Peter de Neumann GM RN, second time sunk in the space of one month)
Empire Ability (1931)  United Kingdom 7,603 Sunk by U-69[6]
Esneh (1919)  United Kingdom 1,931
George J Goulandris (1913)  Greece 4,345 Sunk by U-66[7] W of Canary Islands
Kalypso Vergotti (1918)  Greece 5,686 Straggler was sunk by U-66.[8] All 36 crew lost
Keilehaven (1919)  Netherlands 2,968
Leonidas N Condylis (1912)  Greece 3,923
Mary Slessor (1930)  United Kingdom 5,027 Convoy Vice commodore's ship
Michael Jebsen (1927)  United Kingdom 2,323 Did Not Reform With Convoy
Oberon (1911)  Netherlands 1,996 Sunk by U-123[9]
P.L.M.22 (1921)  United Kingdom 5,646 Sunk by U-123[10]
Parthenon (1908)  Greece 3,189
Rio Azul (1921)  United Kingdom 4,088 Sunk by U-123[11] post-dispersal from this convoy
River Lugar (1937)  United Kingdom 5,423 Sunk by U-69[12]
Rolf Jarl (1920)  Norway 1,917
Sobo (1937)  United Kingdom 5,353 Convoy commodore's ship – Vice-Admiral G T C P Swabey CB DSO
St Anselm (1919)  United Kingdom 5,614 Sunk by U-66[13]
Stad Arnhem (1920)  Netherlands 3,819 Joined Convoy HX 135 after dispersal
Venus (1907)  Netherlands 1,855

Convoy escorts

A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[3]

Name Flag Type Joined Left
HMS Arbutus (K86)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 09 Jul 1941 11 Jul 1941
HMS Armeria (K187)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 18 Jun 1941 28 Jun 1941
HMS Asphodel (K56)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 18 Jun 1941 28 Jun 1941
HMS Aster (K188)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 18 Jun 1941 28 Jun 1941
HMS Begonia (K66)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Bridgewater (L01)  Royal Navy Bridgewater-class sloop 18 Jun 1941 28 Jun 1941
HMS Burdock (K126)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 18 Jun 1941 28 Jun 1941
HMS Chelsea (I35)  Royal Navy Town-class destroyer 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Convolvulus (K45)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Esperance Bay (F67)  Royal Navy Armed merchant cruiser and troopship 18 Jun 1941 27 Jun 1941
HMS Fleur De Lys (K122)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 30 Jun 1941 30 Jun 1941
HMS Jasmine (K23)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Larkspur (K82)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HNoMS Mansfield (G76)  Royal Norwegian Navy Town-class destroyer 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Pegasus  Royal Navy Fighter catapult ship 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Pimpernel (K71)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Rhododendron (K78)  Royal Navy Flower-class corvette 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941
HMS Shropshire (73)  Royal Navy County-class heavy cruiser 26 Jun 1941 27 Jun 1941
HMS Verity (D63)  Royal Navy Modified W-class destroyer 09 Jul 1941 12 Jul 1941

References

  1. ↑ Hague, pp.138&142
  2. ↑ Blair, pp.302&303
  3. 1 2 "Convoy SL.78". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "Merchant Seamen as Prisoners of War – British Merchant Navy Graves in Timbuktu – SS Criton". Gordon Mumford (MN). Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "SS Criton [+1941]". www.wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Empire Ability – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "George J Goulandris – Greek Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Kalypso Vergotti – Greek Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Oberon – Dutch Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  10. ↑ "P.L.M.22 – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  11. ↑ "Rio Azul – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  12. ↑ "River Lugar – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "St Anselm – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.

Bibliography

  • Blair, Clay (1996). Hitler's U-boat War:The Hunters 1939–1942. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
  • Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
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