The Merchant Ships

PQ-17

"One of the most melancholy naval episodes in the whole of the war" - Winston Churchill

THE MERCHANT SHIPS

USA: Alcoa Ranger, Bellingham, Benjamin Harrison, Carlton, Christopher Newport, Daniel Morgan, Fairfield City, Honomu, Hoosier, Ironclad, John Witherspoon, Olopana, Pan Atlantic, Pan Kraft, Peter Kerr, Samuel Chase, Silver Sword, Washington, West Gotomska, William Hooper, Winston-Salem

Britain: Aldersdale, Bolton Castle, Earlston, Empire Byron, Empire Tide, Gray Ranger, Hartlebury, Navarino, Ocean Freedom, Rathlin, River Afton, Zaafaran, Zamalek

Russia: Azerbaijan, Donbass

Panama: El Capitan, Troubadour

The Netherlands: Paulus Potter FIRST ESCORT GROUP EG1 Cdr. Broome Destroyers "At any moment we HMS Keppel, HMS Fury, HMS Leamington, expected to see the HMS Ledbury, HMS Offa, masts of the TIRPITZ HMS Wilton appear over the eastern horizon, followed by salvos of fifteen inch shells."

Navigating Officer Robin A. C. Owen Armed Trawlers HMT Lord Austin, HMT Northern Gem, HMT Ayrshire, HMT Lord Middleton

Corvettes HMS La Malouine, HMS Dianella, HMS Lotus, HMS Poppy

Minesweepers HMS Halcyon, HMS Salamander, HMS Britomart

"The U-boats & torpedo boats had a field day on the merchant ships. We had 2 British submarines

with us as they thought George Robinson that they might have a chance to sink the Tirpitz but when we scattered, they sank & disappeared."

Anti-Aircraft Ships HMS Palomares, HMS Pozarica

Submarines P614, P615 FIRST CRUISER SQUADRON (CS1) Rear Admiral L. H. K. Hamilton

Cruisers: HMS London (Flagship), HMS Norfolk, USS Tuscaloosa, USS Wichita "I thought of those trips to and from Russian ports, of those nail biting apprehensive turns of duty in boiler and engine rooms with only a couple of

Terence Donovan - Stoker 1st Class inches of steel separating us from the icy Arctic and with packs of U-boats intent on making a big gap in those couple of inches of steel."

DISTANT COVER Admiral John Tovey

Battleships: HMS Duke of York, USS Washington

HMS Duke of York

Aircraft carrier: HMS Victorious Cruisers: HMS Cumberland, HMS Nigeria

Navigating Officer - Frederick William Hawkins

Destroyers There is some discrepancy between sources regarding the number of destroyers commanded by Hamilton, and those by Tovey. All that took part are listed here):

USS Wainwright, USS Rowan, USS Rhind, USS Mayrant, HMS Ashanti, HMS Blankey, HMS Escapade, HMS Faulknor, HMS Marne, HMS Martin, HMS Middleton, HMS Onslaught, HMS Onslow, HMS Wheatland

HMS Ashanti

MESSAGE FROM THE ADMIRALTY - JULY 4TH 21:11 “Cruiser force withdraw to the westward at high speed”

21:23 “IMMEDIATE Owing to threat from surface ships convoy is to disperse and proceed to Russian ports”

21:36 “MOST IMMEDIATE...convoy is to scatter”

LOSSES

Sunk by U-boats: Alcoa Ranger (U255), Aldersdale (U457), Carlton (U88), Christopher Newport (U457) Daniel Morgan (U88), Earlston (U334), El Capitan (U251), Empire Byron (U703), Hartlebury (U355), Honomu (U456), Hoosier (U376), John Witherspoon (U255), Olapana (U255), Paulus Potter (U255), River Afton (U703), William Hooper (U334)

Sunk by Aircraft: Bolton Castle, Pan Atlantic, Pan Kraft, Peter Kerr, Washington, Zaafaron, Fairfield City, Christopher Newport, Navarino Sunk by U-Boats

Sunk by aircraft

Survivor