View source for Convoy SC 121

{{short description|Convoy during naval battles of the Second World War}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Convoy SC 121
|campaign=
|image=File:Mk VII depth charge.jpg
|image_size = 300px
|caption=A [[depth charge]] being loaded onto a depth-charge thrower aboard the corvette HMS ''Dianthus''
|partof=[[Battle of the Atlantic]]
|date=6–10 March 1943
|place=[[North Atlantic]]
|result=German victory
|combatant1={{navy|UK|name=United Kingdom}}<br/>{{naval|United States|1912|name=United States}}<br/>{{naval|Canada|1911|name=Canada}}
|combatant2={{navy|Nazi Germany|name=Germany}}
|commander1= Capt. [[H.C. Birnie]] RNR†<br/>Capt. P.R. Heineman USN
|commander2=[[Admiral]] [[Karl Dönitz]]
|strength1= 69 freighters<br/>2 [[destroyer]]s<br/>3 [[cutter (boat)|cutters]]<br/>4 [[corvette]]s
|strength2= 27 submarines<ref>Milner p.235</ref> 
|casualties1= 12 freighters sunk (55,673 [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]])<br/>270 killed/drowned
|casualties2= none
}}
{{Campaignbox Atlantic Campaign}}
'''Convoy SC 121''' was the 121st of the numbered series of [[World War II]] [[SC convoys|'''S'''low '''C'''onvoys]] of merchant ships from [[Sydney, Nova Scotia|'''S'''ydney]], [[Cape Breton Island|'''C'''ape Breton Island]] to [[Liverpool]].<ref>Hague 2000 p.133</ref> The ships departed [[New York City]] 23 February 1943;<ref>Hague 2000 p.135</ref> and were met by the [[Mid-Ocean Escort Force]] Group A-3 consisting of the [[United States Coast Guard]] (USCG) {{sclass2|Treasury|cutter|1}} {{USCGC|Spencer|WPG-36|6}}, the American {{sclass|Wickes|destroyer}} {{USS|Greer|DD-145|6}}, the British and Canadian {{sclass2|Flower|corvette}}s {{HMS|Dianthus|K95|6}}, {{HMCS|Rosthern|K169|6}}, {{HMCS|Trillium|K172|6}} and {{HMCS|Dauphin|K157|6}} and the [[convoy rescue ship]] ''Melrose Abbey''.<ref>Milner 1985 p.291</ref><ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196">Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196</ref> Three of the escorts had defective [[sonar]] and three had unserviceable [[radar]].<ref name="Morison 1975 p.342">Morison 1975 p.342</ref>

==Background==
As western Atlantic coastal convoys brought an end to the [[second happy time]], Admiral [[Karl Dönitz]], the ''[[Befehlshaber der U-Boote]]'' (''BdU'') or commander in chief of U-Boats, shifted focus to the mid-Atlantic to avoid aircraft patrols. Although convoy routing was less predictable in the mid-ocean, Dönitz anticipated that the increased numbers of U-boats being produced would be able to find convoys with the advantage of intelligence gained through ''[[B-Dienst]]'' decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3.<ref>Tarrant p.108</ref> Only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys, from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943, lost ships to U-boat attack.<ref name="hag">Hague pp.132, 137-138,161-162,164&181</ref>

==Battle==
On 6 March {{GS|U-405||2}} sighted the convoy,<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196"/> which had been scattered by nine consecutive days of northwesterly [[Beaufort scale|Force 10]] gales and snow squalls.<ref>Morison 1975 p.341</ref> The storm damaged the radio communication system aboard the escort commander's ship ''Spencer'' and ''Dauphin'' had to leave the convoy with damaged steering gear.<ref name="Morison 1975 p.342"/> {{GS|U-230||2}} torpedoed the British freighter ''Egyptian'' on the night of 6–7 March.<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137">Hague 2000 p.137</ref> The British freighter ''Empire Impala'' stopped to rescue survivors and was torpedoed after dawn by {{GS|U-591||2}}.<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137"/>

{{GS|U-190||2}} torpedoed the British freighter ''Empire Lakeland'' when the gale subsided on 8 March and four more stragglers were sunk by {{GS|U-526||2}}, {{GS|U-527||2}}, ''U-591'', and {{GS|U-642||2}}.<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196"/> On 9 March the convoy escort was reinforced by [[No. 120 Squadron RAF]] [[B-24 Liberator]]s from [[Northern Ireland]] and by the ''Wickes''-class destroyer {{USS|Babbitt|DD-128|6}} and the Treasury-class cutters {{USCGC|Bibb|WPG-31|6}} and {{USCGC|Ingham|WPG-35|6}} from [[Iceland]].<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196"/>

{{GS|U-530||2}} torpedoed straggling Swedish freighter ''Milos'' on the evening of 9 March. That night ''U-405'' torpedoed the Norwegian freighter ''Bonneville'' while {{GS|U-229||2}} torpedoed the British freighter {{SS|Nailsea Court|1936|2}} and {{GS|U-409||2}} torpedoed the British [[tanker (ship)|escort oiler]] ''Rosewood'' and American ammunition ship ''Malantic''.<ref>Hague 2000 pp.137-8</ref>

The Flower-class corvettes {{HMS|Campion|K108|6}} and {{HMS|Mallow|K81|2}} reinforced the convoy escort on 10 March,<ref name="Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p.196"/> and the convoy reached [[Liverpool]] on 14 March.<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137"/> Only 76 of the 275 crewmen of the sunken ships were rescued.<ref name="Morison 1975 p.342"/>

==Ships in convoy==
{|Class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" width="150px" |Name<ref name="haguedatabase">{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sc/index.html|title=SC convoys|publisher=Arnold Hague Convoy Database|accessdate=2011-05-29}}</ref>
! scope="col" width="120px" |Flag<ref name="haguedatabase"/>
! scope="col" width="25px"  |Dead<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137"/>
! scope="col" width="30px"  |Tonnage [[gross register tons|(GRT)]]<ref name="haguedatabase"/>
! scope="col" width="100px" |Cargo<ref name="Hague 2000 p.137"/>
! scope="col" width="300px" |Notes<ref name="haguedatabase"/>
|-
|align="left"|''Alcoa Leader'' (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|5,041 
|align="left"|Petrol
|
|-
|align="left"|''Astrid'' (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|2,861
|align="left"|Sugar
|
|-
|align="left"|''Badjestan'' (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,573
|align="left"|Wheat
|
|-
|align="left"|''Baldbutte'' (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|6,295
|
|
|-
|align="left"|''Bengkalis'' (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}
|
|align="right"|6,453
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Survived this convoy and [[convoy ONS 5]]
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#10 March|Bonneville]]'' (1929)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|align="right"|36
|align="right"|4,665
|align="left"|7,196 tons explosives & general cargo
|align="left"|Carried convoy commodore Capt [[H.C. Birnie]] DSO RD RNR; sunk by {{GS|U-405||2}} 10 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''Brant County'' (1915)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|5,001
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Returned to Halifax
|-
|align="left"|''British Freedom'' (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|6,985
|align="left"|Furnace fuel oil
|
|-
|align="left"|''British Progress'' (1927)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,581
|align="left"|Petrol
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 104]]
|-
|align="left"|''Camerata'' (1931)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,875
|align="left"|Iron ore
|
|-
|align="left"|''Clunepark'' (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,491
|align="left"|Phosphates
|
|-
|align="left"|''Coulmore'' (1936)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,670
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Torpedoed, but towed and salvaged
|-
|align="left"|''Dilworth'' (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|7,045
|align="left"|Gas oil
|
|-
|align="left"|''Egton'' (1938)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,363
|align="left"|Iron ore
|
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#7 March|Egyptian]]'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|44
|align="right"|2,868
|align="left"|Oilseed, palm oil & tin ore
|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-230||2}} 7 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''El Grillo'' (1922)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,264
|align="left"|Fuel oil
|
|-
|align="left"|{{SS|Empire Advocate||2}} (1913)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,787
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Survived this convoy and [[convoy ONS 5]]
|-
|align="left"|{{SS|Empire Bunting||2}} (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|6,448
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Arrived in tow after steering failure on 11 March
|-
|align="left"|{{SS|Empire Caxton||2}} (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|2,873
|align="left"|Bauxite
|
|-
|align="left"|{{SS|Empire Forest||2}} (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,025
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|[[List of Empire ships (G)#Empire Grebe (I)|''Empire Grebe'']] (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,736
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|[[List of Empire ships (I–J)#Empire Impala|''Empire Impala'']] (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|48
|align="right"|6,116
|align="left"|7,628 tons general cargo
|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-591||2}} while picking up survivors 7 Mar
|-
|align="left"|[[List of Empire ships (K)#Empire Keats|''Empire Keats'']] (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,035
|align="left"|West African produce
|align="left"|Carried convoy vice commodore Capt A Cocks DSC RD RNR
|-
|align="left"|[[List of Empire ships (L)#Empire Lakeland|''Empire Lakeland'']] (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,015
|align="left"|Refrigerated and general cargo
|align="left"|Straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-190||2}}
|-
|align="left"|[[List of Empire ships (O)#Empire Opossum|''Empire Opossum'']] (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,644
|align="left"|Grain
|
|-
|align="left"|[[List of Empire ships (P)#Empire Planet|''Empire Planet'']] (1923)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,290
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Survived this convoy and [[convoy ONS 5]]
|-
|align="left"|''Eskdalegate'' (1930)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,250
|align="left"|Iron ore
|
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#8 March|Fort Lamy]]'' (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,242
|align="left"|Steel & general cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy ON 154]]; straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-527||2}} 8 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''Fort Remy'' (1943)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,127
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Garnes'' (1930)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|1,559
|
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 104]]
|-
|align="left"|''Gascony'' (1925)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,716
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Gatineau Park'' (1942)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,128
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Fitted with [[Torpedo net#Second World War|Admiralty Net Defence]]
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#8 March|Guido]]'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,921
|align="left"|Sugar & cotton
|align="left"|Romped and sunk by {{GS|U-633||2}} 8 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''Hallfried'' (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|2,968
|align="left"|Flour
|
|-
|align="left"|''Harpefjell'' (1939)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|1,333
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Harperly'' (1930)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,586
|align="left"|Bauxite
|align="left"|Survived to be sunk 2 months later in [[convoy ONS 5]]
|-
|align="left"|''Hollywood'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|5,498
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy PQ 18]]
|-
|align="left"|''Katendrecht'' (1925)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}
|
|align="right"|5,099
|align="left"|Gas oil
|
|-
|align="left"|''Kingswood'' (1929)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,080
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''L V Stanford'' (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|7,138
|align="left"|Furnace fuel oil
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 107]]
|-
|align="left"|[[USS Laramie (AO-16)|USS ''Laramie'']] (1919)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|
|align="right"|5,450
|
|align="left"|Detached for Greenland
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#8 March|Leadgate]]'' (1925)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|2,125
|align="left"|Flour
|align="left"|Straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-642||2}} 8 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''Lobos'' (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|6,479
|align="left"|Tin & general cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Lombardy'' (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|3,379
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Lorient'' (1921)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,737
|align="left"|Steel & lumber
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 42]]; survived to be sunk 2 months later in [[convoy ONS 5]]
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#9 March|Malantic]]'' (1929)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|25
|align="right"|3,837
|align="left"|8,000 tons ammunition
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 107]]; sunk by {{GS|U-409||2}} 9 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''Manchester Progress'' (1938)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,620
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Melrose Abbey'' (1929)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|1,924
|
|align="left"|[[convoy rescue ship]]
|-
|align="left"|''Miguel de Larrinaga'' (1924)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,231
|align="left"|Tobacco
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 42]]
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#11 March|Milos]]'' (1898)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Sweden}}
|align="right"|30
|align="right"|3,058
|align="left"|804 tons steel & lumber
|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-530||2}} 11 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''Morska Wola'' (1924)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Poland}}
|
|align="right"|3,208
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy HX 84]]
|-
|align="left"|''Nadin'' (1904)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}
|
|align="right"|3,582
|align="left"|Steel & lumber
|
|-
|align="left"|{{SS|Nailsea Court|1936|3}}
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|45
|align="right"|4,946
|align="left"|7,661 tons copper & general cargo
|align="left"|Sunk by {{GS|U-229||2}} 10 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''Parkhaven'' (1920)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}
|
|align="right"|4,803
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Porjus'' (1906)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Sweden}}
|
|align="right"|2,965
|align="left"|Steel & pulp
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 104]]; returned to port & sailed with [[convoy SC 122]]
|-
|align="left"|''Raranga'' (1916)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|10,043
|align="left"|Refrigerated & general cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Ravnefjell'' (1938)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|1,339
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy HX 79]] & [[convoy ON 154]]; survived this convoy & [[convoy SC 130]]
|-
|align="left"|''Reaverley'' (1940)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,998
|align="left"|Bauxite
|align="left"|Returned to port
|-
|align="left"|''[[List of shipwrecks in March 1943#9 March|Rosewood]]'' (1931)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|42
|align="right"|5,989
|align="left"|Furnace fuel oil
|align="left"|Escort oiler; sunk by {{GS|U-409||2}} 9 Mar
|-
|align="left"|''San Tirso'' (1913)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|6,266
|align="left"|Furnace fuel oil
|
|-
|align="left"|''Scorton'' (1939)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,813
|align="left"|Sugar
|
|-
|align="left"|''Sinnington Court'' (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|6,910
|align="left"|General cargo
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 104]]
|-
|align="left"|''Suderoy'' (1913)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Norway}}
|
|align="right"|7,562
|align="left"|Fuel oil
|align="left"|Veteran of [[convoy SC 104]]
|-
|align="left"|''Sutlej'' (1940)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|5,189
|align="left"|General cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Thraki'' (1941)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Greece}}
|
|align="right"|7,460
|align="left"|Grain & general cargo
|
|-
|align="left"|''Trontolite'' (1918)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|7,115
|
|
|-
|align="left"|''Vancolite'' (1928)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|11,404
|
|
|-
|align="left"|''Vojvoda Putnik'' (1916)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|Yugoslavia}}
|
|align="right"|5,879
|align="left"|Wheat
|align="left"|Straggled and sunk by {{GS|U-591||2}}
|-
|align="left"|''Zouave'' (1930)
|align="left"|{{flagcountry|United Kingdom|civil}}
|
|align="right"|4,256
|align="left"|Iron ore
|align="left"|Returned to port to be sunk sailing with [[convoy SC 122]]
|}

==See also==
* [[Convoy Battles of World War II]]

==Sources==
* {{cite book| title=The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 |last=Hague |first=Arnold |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=2000 |isbn=1-55750-019-3}}
* {{cite book| title=North Atlantic Run |last=Milner |first=Marc |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-87021-450-0}}
* {{cite book| title=History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939–1943 |last=Morison |first=Samuel Eliot |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |year=1975}}
* {{cite book| title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945 |last1=Rohwer |first1=J |last2=Hummelchen |first2=G |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1992 |isbn=1-55750-105-X}}
* {{cite book| title=The U-Boat Offensive 1914–1945 |last=Tarrant |first=VE |publisher=Arms and Armour |year=1989 |isbn=1-85409-520-X}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:North Atlantic convoys of World War II|SC121]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Canada]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom|C]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Germany]]