Arctic Convoy Action

[33LIMA]

Re-fighting the battle for Convoy PQ13 in Atlantic Fleet

 

Of all the many dramatic photographs taken of the war at sea, some of the most haunting are of the last moments of what maybe minutes before was a fine warship in fighting trim. Pictures like this well-known shot of a Japanese escort sunk by skip-bombing. The crew cling to the capsizing vessel as what appears to be another bomb, dropped by the aircraft from which the photo was taken, splashes across the water towards the stricken ship like a stone skipped on a pond.

 

 

Back in the 1990s I coveted but never obtained a rather expensive book from the alas long-departed Military Book Club, War at Sea 1939-45 by Kreigsmarine veteran Jurgen Rohwer. This was a large-format book with a short narrative account written around an excellent series of photographs, many of which I haven't seen before. When, just recently, I picked up this book second-hand, I was just as struck as I had been many years ago by its cover photo, one of a series a wrecked and apparently abandoned German destroyer.

 

 

 

At the time I realised the pictures were indeed of a German destroyer, taken from an enemy ship. But what ship was she, what happened to her crew, and how did she come to be one of the very few ships photographed so very closely by those who had sunk her?

 

 

The historical battle

 

Long before I got the book, I had discovered that the sinking German destroyer was the Z 26, lost during a confused battle in Arctic waters on 29th March 1942. By that time, Royal Navy was running a series of convoys - the PQ series, later changed to JW - to help keep the Soviet Union in the battle against Nazi Germany. The most famous Arctic convoy action is PQ17, which scattered after inaccurate reports that it was about to be intercepted by a force including the battleship Tirpitz and was then devastated by air and U-Boat attack. Other famous Arctic convoy-related actions were the Battle of the Barents Sea in December 1942, where the failure of the German force to get to grips with the convoy had Hitler pushing for the scrapping of the surface fleet; and the Battle of the North Cape a year later, when Scharnhorst was lost in action during an abortive sortie against Convoy JW55B. Throughout, the merchant, naval and aircrews of all sides had to endure exposure to some of the worst weather in any theatre of war, with frequent heavy, freezing seas in which survival time was low indeed.

 

 

By the time in early 1942 that Convoy PQ13 sailed for Murmansk, the Kriegsmarine was still in the middle of redeploying its remaining seaworthy heavy units to northern waters, primarily to interdict the Arctic convoys, in co-operation with U-boats and bombers. Just three destroyers participated in the attack on PQ13 - Z 24, Z 25 and Z 26. They were all from a class which had begun to be laid down before the battle by whose name the class was commonly known - Narvik. Not an auspicious name - as one author put it, " 'Lost at Narvik' was the epitath of the Leberecht Mass and Deither von Roeder classes", ten of the big destroyers having been smashed in two fights in Narvik Fjord with the Royal Navy during 1940, like Bernd von Arnim, below.

 

 

The Narvik class were big and with 5.9 inch guns, very heavily armed for destroyers, though not all shipped the twin forward turret intended for the class - they all do, in Atlantic Fleet.

 

PQ13's nineteen merchant ships - most of them US and British Merchant Navy vessels - had already suffered some losses from aircraft. And severe weather had dispersed the ships, two groups re-forming and the rest proceeding independently. At this point, the German destroyers arrived, and after sinking a merchantman, ran into the convoy's close escort, headed by the cruiser HMS Trinidad, supported by RN destroyers and later by one of the Soviet destroyers which had sortied to meet the convoy. Z 26 was hit hard, mainly byTrinidad;  Z 24 and Z 25 disengaged after rescuing around 90 of her crew, but about 240 never made it.

 

 

The PQ13 action in Atlantic Fleet

 

You don't need to use Atlantic Fleet's custom battle generator fo fight this one - it's included with the large set of historical battles that come with the game. Here's the intro screen. As usual, there's no 'fog of war' - less relevant anyway, in an historical mission - so you can see exactly who's on each side. You can choose to play for either navy - or to take the turns for both sides, by setting the 'Player 2' option to 'ON'.

 

 

I have opted to play for the Kriegsmarine, and we have the initiative (= first turn). As well as the 6-inch gun Fiji (or Crown Colony) Class cruiser Trinidad, we are up against three Royal Navy destroyers - the inter-war types Eclipse and Fury, and the War Emergency Programme Oribi, the latter distinguisable by having just the one funnel, compared to two for the others. Six merchantmen are in the part of the convoy that we have come upon. The weather is poor, cloudy and with rain or snow.

 

Here's the position at the moment the battle begins. Our three destrovers are, realistically, line abreast, in the sort of formation that would be used to sweep for the enemy. Trinidad herself is the only ship we have been able to identify visually at this stage; the others are just radar contacts.

 

 

Clearly, it's time to get busy!

 

 

...to be continued!

[33LIMA]

Will history be re-written?

 

This was not going to be easy. Our three destroyers, with five 5.9-inch guns apiece but protection against nothing but shell splinters and not much of that, were up against a cruiser with twelve 6-inch guns, accompanied by three destroyers whose four 4.7 inch guns each would be enough of a threat, as it was.

 

I quickly made a plan, then started to put it into action. The plan had two elements - fire and manoeuvre. For the former, I decided we could concentrate all of our fire, for as long as possible, upon the closer and more dangerous target - Trinidad. By way of manoeuvre, we would split into two. Z 26 would go right to come in along the port side of the oncoming cruiser, with the possibility of making a torpedo attack. Z 24 and Z 25 would go left, to 'cross her T'. I sent two destroyers that way because they would also be closing with the convoy.. and likely, other destroyers.

 

Z 24, in the centre of my line, went to full ahead and turned hard to port. Having completed the 'move' phase of my turn for my first ship, I now had the opportunity to get off the first rounds of the battle. I ordered Trinidad as our target...

 

 

...then from the gunnery position, fine-tuned our aim-off to the right, to allow for the significant crosswind. At this stage, only the initial firing solution was available - we had neither fall-of-shot (map) nor spash (3D world) history as yet. I backed off the recommended 16.3 degrees elevation to a round 16, as the initial solution usually turns out on the long side. Then we opened fire.

 

 

My first salvo of AP rounds was left and slightly over. I'd need to allow a bit more for that darn crosswind!

 

 

It was now the turn of my other two ships, to move then fire. Again, the crosswind undid my best efforts to secure some potentially decisive early hits. Trinidad, when her turn came, wasted no time in replying. For her target, she choose the two destroyers who were racing across her bows, ignoring, for now, Z 26, which was moving fast as if to pass her to port.

 

 

Having failed to land early hits, I now needed a certain amount of luck, for the enemy to do no better. A lucky hit or more from an early salvo could scupper my plans at the outset. After a few tense seconds, the six rounds from the opening salvo from Trinidad's 'A' and 'B' turrets plunged down and crashed into the sea within about a hundred metres of Z 25. A miss! But it wasn't far off, for a first effort.

 

 

It transpired that destroyer Oribi was astern of Trinidard, on the convoy's port side, with Fury, followed by Eclipse, to starboard. At first, these three took no action, save to stand towards the enemy, while the merchantment turned to starboard to get away. I would have to watch these fellows, but for now, I had my hands full with Trinidad. The enemy destroyers I woud continue to leave unengaged.

 

 

...to be continued!

[33LIMA]

Snow and starshells

 

My first few salvoes having failed to draw blood, I was beginning to get worried. Sooner or later, somebody was going to get some hits, and I needed it to be me. Z 24 and Z 25 zig-zagged as they fired, to throw off the aim of the oncoming Trinidad. Astern of the cruiser, Oribi made smoke to cover the convoy's turn away to starboard.

 

 

The 'manoeuvre' part of my plan seemed to be going rather better than the 'fire' bit. As Z 24 and Z 25 raced across Trinidad's bows, Z 26, firing as she came, steadily drew abeam of the enemy cruiser. I maintained a nearly reciprocal course so as to keep all my guns bearing, rather than closing fast to get into torpedo range.

 

 

Finally, I got some hits! Three of Z 26's rounds splashed into the sea to port of Trinidad, but two more hit metal not water.

 

 

At this point, the enemy destroyers pitched in. Fury, ahead of the escaping convoy as it turned to satrboard behind her, illuminated Z 25 by starshell.

 

 

I continued meanwhile to engage Trinidad, but I seemed to have lost the range again, with my salvoes going close, but not close enough.

 

 

To add to my troubles, Fury now joined Trinidad in engaging the illuminated Z 25. Bound to happen, sooner or later, and now it had.

 

 

Here's the situation at this stage of the battle. The convoy continues to turn away to starboard, while Trinidad and Fury (and behind them, Oribi and Eclipse) are about to turn to bring their full broadsides to bear on Z 24 and Z 25. Z 26, seeing Trinidad turning away, has come about to port, to stop the range opening out.

 

 

I've had my chance to do some serious damage to Trinidad before a general battle gets under way. And I've failed! Now, I can feel the fight slipping away from me, as the advantage passes to the British.

 

 

...to be continued!

[33LIMA]

A turn of the tide?

 

 

At this point in the fight, Trinidad, though hit more than once, was looking pretty well undamaged and was still engaging Z 25, to her front. The latter had been hit once, a 6-inch shell from a salvo falling over, which seemed to clip her funnel and did no serious damage. But now, astern and to starboard of Trinidad, Oribi came into action. At first she fired starshell, but I knew that worse would quickly follow, and that the illumination would likely improve the accuracy of Trinidad's shooting.

 

 

That shooting was still concentrated on Z 24 or Z 25. One of them was well lit up by Oribi's starshell...

 

 

...and was soon taking hits from the destroyer Fury, across on the other side of the escaping convoy. Those Royal Navy captains were co-operating well!

 

 

Despite this, I continued with my plan, concentrating my fire against Trinidad. She is seen below with a single shell-spash from one of our salvoes indicating that other armour-piercing rounds have found their mark, somewhere in the ship.

 

 

Finally, Trinidad began to make smoke and turn away, a sure sign that she had been hit hard! At last, just when it seemed we would be swamped by the combined fire of the British ships, the tide of battle seemed to be turning my way, instead!

 

 

Behind Fury, Eclipse, dangerously cutting across the bows of the retreating merchantmen, began shooting at us...

 

 

...but I was determined to press my advantage against Trinidad. I knew that repairs could see her back in action at any time, and that, especially with the range closing, her apparently-intact battery of twelve 6-inch guns could blow any of my destroyers out of the water. I had to keep after her. Z 26 had turned around and was soon catching up, pumping 5.9 inch rounds into the smoking cruiser.

 

 

At last, I saw more visible signs that Trinidad was taking serious punishment. A violent explosion sent a fireball rising from amidships, leaving mangled wreckage where her second funnel had been. That's more like it!

 

 

By now, Z 26 was well abeam of Trinidad, outside effective torpedo range but now a good target for full broadsides from my five 5.9 inch guns.

 

 

There was another big explosion aboard Trinidad, this time between the bridge and 'B' turret. She' was still under way but I began to feel more confident that I had, and could maintain, the upper hand, by keeping her under fire from at least one destroyer.

 

 

But the battle was far from over! Unengaged, the three British destroyers had been steadily closing in and now, a salvo from one of them smashed into Z 25, starting a nasty fire amidships. Could the tide of battle be about to turn again?

 

 

...to be continued!

[33LIMA]

Destroyer versus destroyer

 

 

Z 25 was now in trouble, and I turned her away, covering the withdrawal with her aftermost guns. You can see how the range has closed - Fury is visible in the picture above, headed left to right, just above turret Anton. The tactical situation around this time is shown in the map view below. To the north, Z 26 is racing to get back abeam of Trinidad, which has turned well away and is making smoke. Z 25, like Z 24 and Z 26, is still targeting Trinidad. Clearly, it was time to start hitting back at the enemy destroyers.

 

 

Fury was now steaming north towards Trinidad, almost on a reciprocal course, as if she was trying to cover the cruiser's escape. I decided she must now be the priority target, and would be engaged by both the damaged Z 25 and by Z 24, while Z 26, coming down after Trinidad, kept up the pressure on the retreating cruiser.

 

 

Still burning, Z 25 came about onto a roughly recriprocal course to Fury and brought a full broadside to bear on the enemy destroyer.

 

 

Successive broadsides from both Z 24 and Z 25 churned the sea around Fury as she came level with Trinidad, heading in the opposite direction on her unengaged side..

 

 

Hit and down by the stern, Fury somehow survived my first salvoes and I knew I would now have to face her return fire, possibly a torpedo attack.

 

 

Further north, Oribi was undamaged and steamed as if to cut off Z 26 in her pursuit of Trinidad.

 

 

Now, it was Z 26's turn. As she was about to send another salvo after the smoke-shrouded Trinidad, there was an explosion to the left of her target. The victim was Fury, whose damage must have caused a magazine explosion or set off torpedo warheads.

 

 

My next victim was Oribi, whose bridge was enveloped in a fresh fireball as Z 26 redirected her fire from Trinidad.

 

 

Oribi's decks were soon awash; not long after this photo was taken, she went down.

 

 

The situation at this time is shown on the map view below. Oribi has just been sunk by Z 26. Sister ships Z 24 and Z25 have sunk Fury. Trinidad is now steering further to the west, still making smoke. The convoy has turned over 360 degrees and is headed away to the west-north-west. The only enemy warship still in action is the destroyer Eclipse.

 

 

The battle at last seemed to be well in hand, but it was in fact far from over.

 

...to be continued!

[33LIMA]

Endgame

 

We had sunk two of the three enemy destroyers and put the damaged cruiser Trinidad to flight...for the time being, anyway. Before settling matters with Trinidad and then getting at the convoy, there remained the third destroyer, Eclipse. She had been astern of Fury but sinking the latter had preoccupied both Z 24 and Z 25. Eclipse, unmolested, had been able to close the range and now turned to port - and fired torpedoes!

 

 

In the picture above, you can see Z 24 and Z 25, the former above the splash of Eclipse's tin fish, the latter to the right of the tip of her rear mast. This was a dangerous development, requiring evasive action. Next move, I turned both destroyers hard to starboard, to comb the torpedo tracks, and then let fly at our attacker with our forward 5.9 inch guns. At this range, we managed to get some hits with one of the first salvos.

 

 

Eclipse was far from beaten, though, and immediately landed hits on one of my destroyers.

 

 

She was on fire astern but kept on coming. By forcing us to turn to avoid torpedoes, Eclipse had been able to cross our 'T', firing broadsides whilst we had only our front turrets bearing. 

 

 

When I judged that the torpedoes had passed, I turned both destroyers to bring our own broadsides to bear, but I had moved too quickly, and there was a big explosion as Z 24 took a torpedo astern! She stayed afloat though she was well down by the stern and for a while, her steering was out (indicated by the 'ghosted' horizontal scale near the bottom left-hand corner of the screen below) with her rudder jammed at 25 degrees to starboard.

 

 

Z 25 had turned to port and escaped the fan of torpedoes. She took Eclipse under fire...

 

 

...and down she went at last...

 

 

That left Trinidad, still withdrawing to the west behind a smokescreen. Heading back towards the cruiser, and with her fires put out, Z 25 found herself opposite one of the escaping merchantmen...

 

 

...and had a crack, if only to let the convoy know that we hadn't forgotten about them.

 

 

This map view shows the tactical situation at about this time. in the centre, Z 24, still afloat and in action, has shifted fire from the sunken Eclipse to the retreating Trinidad (as indicated by the numbering of the shot history and associated tracks). To the north, Z 26 is passing the wreck of Oribi in pursuit of Trinidad. To the south, Z 25 is also coming after the cruiser. The convoy is continuing to withdraw to the west-north-west, though its stragglers are well within range.

 

 

At this point, Trinidad stopped making smoke, and started shooting with her rear turrets. The destroyer attacks had bought enough time for her damage control parties, evidently. She was still moving slowly away from us but her armament seemed to be intact. Now the fight was on again in earnest!

 

 

The difference now was that Trinidad was in torpedo range of both Z 24 and Z 26. Trinidad's fire control had likely been damaged and though close, her salvo scored no hits. In reply, first Z 26 and then Z 24 launched four torpedoes each.

 

 

Z 26's salvo landed first, all four tin fish hitting Trinidad to starboard. Seconds later, the four torpedoes from Z 24 also found their mark, to port. The first four would have been enough, but better safe than sorry, as the saying goes.

 

 

 

Merchantmen in Atlantic Fleet have only AA weapons, so what followed was more a massacre, than a battle. Still, this was the reason we had come here.

 

 

 

 

The results screen confirmed our victory. I had been lucky not to lose at least one destroyer, especially as Z 24 had taken a torpedo. She and Z 25 with no worse than medium damage meant I had got off fairly lightly. If Trinidad had crippled or sunk one of my ships in the opening exchanges, the battle would likely have gone the other way. The enemy cruiser should perhaps have turned immediately to bring full broadsides to bear, but I had the impression the British were keen to get between us and the convoy they were there to protect. In the event, they could have served their charges better had they been more cautious. Fortune does not always favour the brave, it seems.

 

 

We had certainly re-written a little piece of history. Z 26 had not been sunk. In the real battle for convoy PQ13, Trinidad had actually been hit by one of her own torpedoes after a malfunction; in this fight, she had been hit by ours, and had not survived. The ability to re-fight so many and varied historical battles is truly one of the many high points of Atlantic Fleet.

[Silberpfeil]

Always appreciative of all the work that goes into your action reports, 33Lima! Good job!

[33LIMA]

Hey, thanks Silberpfeil! There's another one in preparation on a similar theme, Hunting HMS Edinburgh; watch this space!