Convoy RA 55A was anArctic convoy duringWorld War II.It was one of a series of convoys run to returnAllied ships fromSoviet northern ports to ports inBritain.It sailed in late December 1943, reaching British ports at the end of the month. All ships arrived safely.
RA 55A consisted of 23 merchant ships which departed fromKola Inlet on 22 December 1943.Close escort was provided by the two destroyers,Westcott andBeagle, a minesweeper and three corvettes.There was also an Ocean escort, comprising the destroyerMilne (Capt. IMR Campbell commanding) and seven otherHome Fleet destroyers.A cruiser cover force comprisingBelfast (V.AdmR Burnett commanding),Norfolk, andSheffield also followed the convoy fromMurmansk, to guard against attack by surface units.Distant cover would be provided by a Heavy Cover Force comprising the battleshipDuke of York, the cruiserJamaica and four destroyers under the command of V Adm.Bruce Fraser, which at the time of RA 55A's departure was trailing the Murmansk-boundconvoy JW 55B.
RA 55A was threatened by a U-boat force of eight boats in a patrol line, code-namedEisenbart, in theNorwegian Sea, and a surface force comprising the battleshipScharnhorst and five destroyers was also available, stationed atAltenfjord.
Convoy RA 55A sailed from Kola with its escort on 22 December 1943, two days after JW 55B had sailed from Britain. The Admiralty were aware of the threat of a sortie byScharnhorst and Adm Fraser was placed in overall command of the operation, co-ordinating the movements of both convoys and the various escort forces. On 25 December 1943 Fraser received intelligence thatScharnhorst had sailed; RA 55A was diverted north, to avoid detection, and later that day, was ordered to dispatch four of the supporting destroyers to reinforce JW 55B.[1] The destroyersHMS Matchless,Musketeer,Opportune andVirago were sent, later taking part in theBattle of the North Cape, which saw the destruction ofScharnhorst. Convoy RA 55A was not sighted by any Axis forces, and cleared the danger area without further incident. The convoy was met on 30 December 1943 by the western local escort, two minesweepers and two corvettes, and arrived safely atLoch Ewe on 1 January 1944.
The 23 ships of RA 55A arrived in Britain without loss, while the German attempt to attack the convoy had led to the loss ofScharnhorst, their last operational capital ship in Norway; an action in which RA 55A's escorting destroyers had played a significant role.
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Close escort | Ocean escort
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Cruiser cover force | Distant Cover Force
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