Convoy ON 115

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Convoy ON.115
Part of World War II
Date24 July – 8 August 1942
Location
North Atlantic
Result

German tactical victory

Allied Strategic Victory
Belligerents
Nazi Germany Germany Canada
United Kingdom United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Admiral Sir A J Davies (Commodore)
Strength
13 U-boats 43 merchant ships
12 escorts
Casualties and losses
1 U-boat sunk 3 ships sunk
2 damaged
67 killed

Convoy ON 115 was a trade convoy of 43 merchant ships with 12 escort ships during the Second World War. The convoy departed Liverpool on 24 July 1942 and arrived at Boston on 8 August. Three ships were lost to U-boats during the crossing and two were damaged.

Name

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It was the 115th of the numbered series of ON convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America.

Action

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The ships departed Liverpool on 24 July 1942 and were joined on 25 July[1] by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-3. They were found on 29 July by the seven U-boats of Wolfpack Wolf. On 31 July U-588 was sunk by the combined efforts of HMCS Skeena and HMCS Wetaskiwin.[2] Six U-boats formed Wolfpack Pirat on 1 August and reached the convoy on 2 August. Three ships were sunk before contact was lost in misty weather on 3 August.[3] Surviving ships reached Boston on 8 August.[1]

Ships in the convoy

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Name[1] Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
HMCS Agassiz  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 31 Jul – 3 Aug Corvette
Agwidale (1918)  United States 4,763 Collision then straggled
Arletta (1925)  United Kingdom 4,870 Straggled and sunk by U-458[4] on 5 Aug SSW of Cape Race. 36 of the 41 crew died. Survivors were picked up by USS Menemsha (AG-39)
Asbjorn (1935)  United Kingdom 4,387 Bound for Sydney
Athelchief (1939)  United Kingdom 10,000 Bound for Curaçao
Belgian Soldier (1941)  Belgium 7,167 Torpedoed and damaged by U-553 then straggled and was sunk by U-607[5] on 4 Aug 21 dead.
Brimanger (1929)  Norway 4,883 Bound for New York City
Cistula (1939)  Netherlands 8,097 Bound for Halifax
Collingsworth (1920)  United States 5,101 Bound for New York City
Corner Brook (1925)  United Kingdom 5,767 Bound for Halifax
Delhi (1925)  Sweden 4,571 Bound for New York City
Dorcasia (1938)  United Kingdom 8,053 Bound for New York City
El Lago (1920)  Panama 4,221 Straggled
Emma Bakke (1929)  Norway 4,721 13 passengers, bound for New York City
Empire Heywood (1942)  United Kingdom 7,030 Bound for New York City
Empire Ocean (1941)  United Kingdom 6,765 Ashore 4 Aug 42; Sank in tow 5 Aug 42
Empire Southey (1942)  United Kingdom 7,041
Empire Spray (1941)  United Kingdom 7,242 Bound for Halifax
Empire Trader (1908)  United Kingdom 9,990 Bound for New York City then Auckland
G S Walden (1935)  United Kingdom 10,627 Tanker. Torpedoed by U-552[6] on 3 Aug east of Cape Race and towed into St. John's, Newfoundland. 1 dead
HMCS Galt  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 Jul – 3 Aug Corvette
Gyda (1934)  United Kingdom 1,695 Bound for Halifax
HMCS Hamilton  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 2 Aug Destroyer
Herbrand (1935)  Norway 9,108 Bound for Halifax
Hoegh Hood (1936)  Norway 9,351 Bound for Halifax
Jamaica Planter (1936)  United Kingdom 4,098 Bound for New York City
Katy (1931)  Norway 6,825 Bound for New York City
HMCS La Malbaie  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 3 – 8 Aug Corvette
Lochkatrine (1922)  United Kingdom 9,419 Freighter. In ballast. Sunk by U-553.[7] 9 dead. Survivors picked up by HMCS Hamilton And HMCS Agassiz
HMCS Louisburg  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 Jul – 3 Aug . Took in damaged G S Walden to St. John's, Newfoundland
Lucellum (1938)  United Kingdom 9,425 Returned
Manchester Trader (1941)  United Kingdom 5,671 Bound for Halifax thence Saint John, New Brunswick. Rear-Admiral H C Rawlings (Vice-Commodore)
Montreal City (1920)  United Kingdom 3,066 Bound for New York City
Mount Evans (1919)  Panama 5,598 Bound for New York City
Norsk Tank (1928)  Norway 9,720 Bound for Halifax
Ornefjell (1937)  Norway 1,334 Bound for Halifax
Otina (1938)  United Kingdom 6,217 Bound for Halifax
Pacific Grove (1928)  United Kingdom 7,117 17 Passengers, Bound for New York City. Admiral Sir A J Davies (Commodore)
Regent Panther (1937)  United Kingdom 9,556 Bound for New York City
HMCS Rimouski  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 3 – 8 Aug Corvette
Robert F Hand (1933)  United Kingdom 2,197 Bound for Halifax
HMCS Sackville  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 Jul – 4 Aug Corvette
HMCS Saguenay  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 Jul – 1 Aug Destroyer
San Ernesto (1939)  United Kingdom 8,078 Bound for New York City
Seminole (1936)  United Kingdom 10,389 Bound for New York City
HMCS Skeena  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 – 31 Jul Destroyer sunk U-588 with depth charges on 31 Jul
Solfonn (1939)  Norway 9,925 Bound for Aruba
Tilapa (1928)  United Kingdom 5,392 Bound for Halifax
Topdalsfjord (1921)  Norway 4,271 Bound for Hampton Roads
Tudor Prince (1940)  United Kingdom 1,914 Bound for Halifax
USS Swanson  United States Navy Escort. Destroyer
HMS Verity  Royal Navy Escort 3 – 8 Aug Destroyer
Westland (1931)  Netherlands 5,888 9 Passengers, Bound for New York City
HMCS Wetaskiwin  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 25 Jul – 2 Aug Corvette. Sunk U-588 with depth charges on 31 Jul
HMS Witch  Royal Navy Escort 2 Aug Destroyer

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Convoy ON.115". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  2. ^ "Convoy ON-115 - Convoy Battles - German U-boat Operations - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  3. ^ Rohwer & Hummelchen, pp. 144, 152 & 153
  4. ^ "Arlette – British steam tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Belgian Soldier – Belgian steam merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  6. ^ "G S Walden – British motor tanker". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  7. ^ "Lochkatrine – British motor merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2013.

Bibliography

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  • Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
  • Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
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