Convoy RA 55B 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 at the end of December 1943, reaching British ports in early January 1944. All ships arrived safely.
RA 55B consisted of eight merchant ships which departed fromKola Inlet on 31 December 1943.Close escort was provided by the two destroyers,Whitehall andWrestler, and three corvettes. These were supported by an Ocean escort of eightHome Fleet destroyers led byOnslow (Capt.JA McCoy commanding).Following theBattle of the North Cape on 26 December, which resulted in the sinking of the German battleshipScharnhorst, the threat from German surface units was, for the time being, eliminated, and RA 55B dispensed with the usual distant cover by heavy units of the Home Fleet.
RA 55A was however threatened by a U-boat force of some thirteen boats in a patrol line, code-namedEisenbart, in theNorwegian Sea, which had operated against all the December convoys.
RA 55A sailed from Kola with its escort on 31 December 1943, accompanied by an eastern local escort of three minesweepers.On 1 January 1944 the local escort returned to Murmansk, leaving RA 55B to continue.German air reconnaissance was unable to find RA 55B in the gloom of thepolar night, and although severalEisenbart boats made contact, their attacks were ineffectual.RA 55B was able to shake off pursuit and on 7 January met the western local escort of two minesweepers, which brought the convoy intoLoch Ewe on the following day, 8 January 1944.
The eight ships of RA 55B arrived in Britain without loss, while all German attempts to attack the convoy had failed.
|
|
Close escort | Ocean escort
|