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Convoy HX 72
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Convoy HX 72
HX 72 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. The convoy comprised 43 ships, of which 11 were sunk and another damaged by German U-boats , who suffered no losses.
HX 72 was an east-bound convoy of 43 ships which sailed from Halifax on 9 September 1940, bound for Liverpool and carrying war materials.
The convoy comprised contingents from Halifax, Sydney and Bermuda. Its Commodore was Rear Admiral HH Rogers, RNR in Tregarthen.
At this stage of the campaign, escorts were generally limited; convoys were typically unescorted or had only an armed merchant cruiser (AMC) for protection against surface raiders until they reached the Western Approaches. 72's ocean escort was the AMC Jervis Bay, though at sunset on 20 September Jervis Bay detached to meet a west-bound convoy. HX 72 was not due to meet the Western Approaches escort until the afternoon of 21 September, so HX 72 was unprotected when it was sighted at last light by Günther Prien of U-47.
The U-boat Arm (UBW) was also sparse, able to maintain only a few boats at any one time in the North Atlantic, operating at the edge of the Western Approaches to intercept convoys before their escort had joined. U-47 was on weather duty, her armament depleted after an attack on Convoy SC 2 earlier that month, and was able only to report contact.
After reporting the convoy, Prien shadowed the convoy, while U-boat Control (BdU) summoned all available U-boats. During the night and following day a pack of 6 boats was gathered, U-99 and U-65, which were nearby, and others en route from Germany.
Otto Kretschmer, in U-99 made contact around midnight of 20/21 September and attacked, hitting Invershannon. Rogers ordered a turn to port to try to shake off the attack, but this failed; U-99 attacked again, hitting Baron Blythswood, which sank, and Elmbank, which was disabled. U-99 and U-47 then attacked Elmbank with gunfire, but she did not sink until morning, at which point U-99 left the scene to return to Lorient.
U-48 arrived before dawn, and sank Blairangus, which was straggling. Rogers dropped smoke and turned again, to try to shake off his pursuers, but failed once more; U-47 and U-48 continued to shadow throughout the daylight on the 21st.
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Convoy HX 72
HX 72 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. The convoy comprised 43 ships, of which 11 were sunk and another damaged by German U-boats , who suffered no losses.
HX 72 was an east-bound convoy of 43 ships which sailed from Halifax on 9 September 1940, bound for Liverpool and carrying war materials.
The convoy comprised contingents from Halifax, Sydney and Bermuda. Its Commodore was Rear Admiral HH Rogers, RNR in Tregarthen.
At this stage of the campaign, escorts were generally limited; convoys were typically unescorted or had only an armed merchant cruiser (AMC) for protection against surface raiders until they reached the Western Approaches. 72's ocean escort was the AMC Jervis Bay, though at sunset on 20 September Jervis Bay detached to meet a west-bound convoy. HX 72 was not due to meet the Western Approaches escort until the afternoon of 21 September, so HX 72 was unprotected when it was sighted at last light by Günther Prien of U-47.
The U-boat Arm (UBW) was also sparse, able to maintain only a few boats at any one time in the North Atlantic, operating at the edge of the Western Approaches to intercept convoys before their escort had joined. U-47 was on weather duty, her armament depleted after an attack on Convoy SC 2 earlier that month, and was able only to report contact.
After reporting the convoy, Prien shadowed the convoy, while U-boat Control (BdU) summoned all available U-boats. During the night and following day a pack of 6 boats was gathered, U-99 and U-65, which were nearby, and others en route from Germany.
Otto Kretschmer, in U-99 made contact around midnight of 20/21 September and attacked, hitting Invershannon. Rogers ordered a turn to port to try to shake off the attack, but this failed; U-99 attacked again, hitting Baron Blythswood, which sank, and Elmbank, which was disabled. U-99 and U-47 then attacked Elmbank with gunfire, but she did not sink until morning, at which point U-99 left the scene to return to Lorient.
U-48 arrived before dawn, and sank Blairangus, which was straggling. Rogers dropped smoke and turned again, to try to shake off his pursuers, but failed once more; U-47 and U-48 continued to shadow throughout the daylight on the 21st.