Convoy PQ 18 was the last of the PQ/QP series of arctic convoys during World War II, bound from US and British ports via Reykjavík in Iceland to the Barents Sea and White Sea ports of the Soviet Union , particularly Murmansk and Archangel . The convoy sailed on 2 September 1942 and arrived three weeks later on 21 September 1942. It was opposed by German sea and air forces based in occupied Norway .
The convoy comprised forty merchant ships and four naval auxiliaries, plus contingents to and from Iceland in relays (48 in all) and was defended by a close escort, a "Fighting Destroyer Escort", local escort forces and two distant escort forces (74 warships in total). These were supported by aircraft of the RAF based in the Soviet Union .
The German forces comprised a U-boat Wolfpack (Eispalast Ice Palace), of twelve U-Boats and a surface attack force of eight warships, though in the event these were not engaged. The naval forces were assisted by the aircraft of Luftflotte 5 .
Allied forces [ ]
Merchant ships [ ]
Main body (Loch Ewe to Archangel)
Notes
SS Africander
Panama
5,441
Sunk in air attack
MV Atheltemplar
United Kingdom
8,992
Damaged by U-457 Sunk by U-408
16
SS Beauregard
United States
5,976
Engine trouble[1]
Returned to Loch Ewe
RFA Black Ranger (A163)
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Fleet oiler
3,417
SS Campfire
United States
5,671
SS Charles R. McCormick
United States
6,027
SS Copeland
United Kingdom
Rescue ship
1,526
SS Dan-y-Bryn
United Kingdom
5,117
Vice-Commodore
SS Empire Baffin
United Kingdom
6,978
SS Empire Beaumont
United Kingdom
7,044
Sunk in air attack
SS Empire Morn
United Kingdom
CAM ship
7,092
SS Empire Snow
United Kingdom
6,327
SS Empire Stevenson
United Kingdom
6,209
Sunk in air attack
SS Empire Tristram
United Kingdom
7,167
SS Esek Hopkins
United States
7,191
SS Goolistan
United Kingdom
5,851
RFA Gray Ranger
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Fleet oiler
3,313
SS Hollywood
United States
5,498
SS John Penn
United States
7,177
Sunk in air attack
SS Kentucky
United States
5,446
Sunk in air attack
SS Lafayette
United States
5,887
SS Macbeth
Panama
4,941
Sunk in air attack
SS Mary Luckenbach
United States
5,049
Sunk in air attack
SS Meanticut
United States
6,061
SS Nathanael Greene
United States
7,177
SS Ocean Faith
United Kingdom
7,174
RFA Oligarch
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Fleet oiler
6,894
Joined from Spitzbergen[2] group
SS Oliver Ellsworth
United States
7,191
Sunk by U-408
1
SS Oregonian
United States
4,862
Sunk in air attack
SS Patrick Henry
United States
7,191
SS Sahale
United States
5,028
SS Schoharie
United States
4,971
SS St. Olaf
United States
7,191
SS Temple Arch
United Kingdom
5,138
Flagship Comm EK Boddam-Whetham
SS Virginia Dare
United States
7,177
SS Wacosta
United States
5,432
Sunk in air attack
SS White Clover
Panama
5,462
SS William Moultrie
United States
7,177
Loch Ewe to Reykjavík group
Notes
SS Gateway City
United States
5,432
Loch Ewe to Reykjavík only
SS Oremar
United States
6,854
SS San Zotico
United Kingdom
5,582
Reykjavík to Archangel group
Notes
SS Andre Marti
Soviet Union
2,352
Joined from Reykjavík
SS Exford
United States
4,969
SS Komiles
Soviet Union
3,966
SS Petrovski
Soviet Union
3,771
SS Richard Bassett
United States
7,191
Engine trouble[3]
Joined from, returned to, Reykjavík
SS Stalingrad
Soviet Union
3,559
Sunk by U-408
21
joined from Reykjavík
SS Sukhona
Soviet Union
3,124
Sunk in air attack
SS Tbilisi
Soviet Union
7,169
Escorts [ ]
First stage Local escort group
Notes
HMS Campbell
destroyer
Royal Navy
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
Joined Heavy Cover Force
destroyer
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
HMS Farndale
destroyer
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
HMS Mackay
destroyer
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
Joined Heavy Cover Force
HMS Montrose
destroyer
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
Joined Heavy Cover Force
HMS Echo
destroyer
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
HMS Walpole
destroyer
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
HMT Arab
A/S trawler
Royal Navy
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
To Reykjavík as escort
trawler
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
trawler
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
trawler
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
trawler
RN
2 Sep 42
8 Sep 42
Second stage Close escort group
Notes
HMS Malcolm
destroyer
Royal Navy
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
Cdr AB Russell SOE
HMS Achates
destroyer
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
HMS Amazon
destroyer
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
anti-aircraft ship
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
HMS Ulster Queen
anti-aircraft ship
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
HMS Bergamot
Flower-class corvette
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
HMS Bryony
Flower-class corvette
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
HMS Bluebell
Flower-class corvette
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
HMS Camellia
Flower-class corvette
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
A/S trawler
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
A/S trawler
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
A/S trawler
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
A/S trawler
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
minesweeper
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
HMS Gleaner
minesweeper
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
minesweeper
RN
7 Sept 42
21 Sep 42
Second stage Carrier group
Notes
HMS Avenger
Escort carrier
Royal Navy
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Wheatland
Hunt-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Wilton
Hunt-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
Second stage Fighting Destroyer Escort group
Notes
HMS Scylla
Dido -class cruiser
Royal Navy
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
Flagship R Adm. "Bob" Burnett
HMS Onslow
O-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Onslaught
O-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Opportune
O-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Offa
O-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Ashanti
Tribal-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Eskimo
Tribal-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Somali
Tribal-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Tartar
Tribal-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Milne
M-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Marne
M-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Martin
M-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Meteor
M-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Faulknor
F-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Fury
F-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Impulsive
I-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
HMS Intrepid
I-class destroyer
RN
9 Sept 42
17 Sep 42
Second stage Eastern local escort group
Notes
Gremyashchi
Gnevny -class destroyer
Soviet Northern Fleet
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Orfey -class destroyer
Soviet Northern Fleet
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Gnevny -class destroyer
Soviet Northern Fleet
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Orfey -class destroyer
Soviet Northern Fleet
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
HMS Halcyon
Minesweeper
Royal Navy
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Minesweeper
Royal Navy
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Minesweeper
Royal Navy
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
HMS Britomart
Minesweeper
Royal Navy
17 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Second stage Cruiser Cover Force
Notes
HMS Norfolk
County-class cruiser
Royal Navy
14 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Flagship V Adm. S Bonham-Carter
HMS London
County-class cruiser
RN
14 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
HMS Suffolk
County-class cruiser
RN
14 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
HMS Bulldog
B-class destroyer
RN
14 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
HMS Venomous
Admiralty modified W-class destroyer
RN
14 Sep 42
22 Sep 42
Second stage Heavy Cover Force
Notes
HMS Anson
battleship
Royal Navy
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
Flagship V Adm. B Fraser
HMS Duke of York
battleship
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
HMS Jamaica
Crown Colony-class cruiser
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
HMS Keppel
destroyer
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
Cdr JE Broome
HMS Montrose
destroyer
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
Joined from local escort group
HMS Campbell
destroyer
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
Joined from local escort group
HMS Mackay
destroyer
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
Joined from local escort group
HMS Bramham
destroyer
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
HMS Broke
destroyer
RN
11 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
Support forces [ ]
Second stage Spitzbergen re-inforcement group [5]
Notes
HMS Cumberland
County-class heavy cruiser
Royal Navy
14 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
HMS Sheffield
Town-class cruiser
RN
14 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
HMS Eclipse
E-class destroyer
RN
14 Sep 42
14 Sep 42
Submarine patrol group
Notes
HMS Shakespeare
S-class submarine
Royal Navy
7 Sep 42
23 Sep 42
HMS Unrivalled
U-class submarine
RN
7 Sep 42
1 Oct 42
HMS Unique
U-class submarine
RN
7 Sep 42
1 Oct 42
HMS Tribune
T-class submarine
RN
2 Sep 42
1 Oct 42
HMS Tigris
T-class submarine
RN
2 Sep 42
1 Oct 42
HMS Sturgeon
S-class submarine
RN
2 Sep 42
6 Sep 42
Returned to port; mechanical defect
HMS Unshaken
U-class submarine
RN
2 Sep 42
1 Oct 42
HNoMS Uredd
U-class submarine
Royal Norwegian Navy
2 Sep 42
1 Oct 42
French submarine Rubis
Saphir -class submarine
Free French
Axis forces [ ]
U-boats [ ]
Surface ships [ ]
Notes
Admiral Scheer
Deutschland -class cruiser
Kriegsmarine
9 Sep 42
Cancelled
Flagship V Adm. O Kummetz
Admiral Hipper
Admiral Hipper -class cruiser
KM
9 Sep 42
"
Köln
Königsberg -class cruiser
KM
9 Sep 42
"
Z4 Richard Beitzen
Type 1934 destroyer
KM
9 Sep 42
"
Z23
Type 1936A destroyer
KM
9 Sep 42
"
Z27
Type 1936A destroyer
KM
9 Sep 42
"
Flag Capt Ponitz 8th Des Flot
Z29
Type 1936A destroyer
KM
9 Sep 42
"
Z30
Type 1936A destroyer
KM
9 Sep 42
"
Notes [ ]
^ Smith, 1975, p. 32
^ sic : see Hague
^ Smith, 1975, p. 37
^ Spelled as it was originally named; Smith, 1975, p. 213
^ Spelled as it was originally named; Smith, 1975, p. 213
^ Smith p50
^ Blair, 2000, p. 20
^ Blair, 2000, p. 20
^ Smith, 1975, pp. 150–151
^ Blair, 2000, p. 20
^ Smith, 1975, pp. 132–134
References [ ]
Blair, Clay (2000) [1998]. Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945 . II (UK pbk. ed.). ISBN 0-304-35261-6 .
Ruegg, Bob; Hague, Arnold (1992). Convoys to Russia . ISBN 0-905617-66-5 .
Smith, Peter (1975). Convoy PQ18: Arctic Victory . London: William Kimber. ISBN 978-0-7183-0074-6 .
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