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 for 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]
| Convoy SL.78 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
.svg){kind=small} 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 | |||||
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Ships in the convoy
editAllied merchant ships
editA 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
editA series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.[3]
References
edit- ^ Hague, pp.138&142
- ^ Blair, pp.302&303
- ^ a b "Convoy SL.78". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "Merchant Seamen as Prisoners of War – British Merchant Navy Graves in Timbuktu – SS Criton". Gordon Mumford (MN). Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- ^ "SS Criton [+1941]". www.wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- ^ "Empire Ability – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "George J Goulandris – Greek Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "Kalypso Vergotti – Greek Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "Oberon – Dutch Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "P.L.M.22 – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "Rio Azul – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "River Lugar – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "St Anselm – British Steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
Bibliography
edit- 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.