Convoy PQ 12
# Convoy PQ 12

Convoy PQ 12 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in March 1942, reaching Murmansk despite a sortie against it by the German battleship Tirpitz. All ships arrived safely.

## Ships

PQ 12 consisted of 16 ships under the command of Commodore H.T. Hudson. The Close Escort comprised the minesweeper HMS Gossamer and five whalers. These were joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort of two destroyers, HMS Oribi, commanded by Commander J. E. H. McBeath who took over as Senior Officer Escort and Offa, supported by the cruiser HMS Kenya.

Distant cover was provided by two Heavy Cover Forces; one comprising the battleship HMS Duke of York (Vice Admiral Alban Curteis commanding), the battlecruiser HMS Renown and six destroyers, sailing from Reykjavik and another led by Admiral John Tovey comprising the battleship HMS King George V, the carrier HMS Victorious, the cruiser HMS Berwick and six destroyers, sailing from Scapa Flow.

## Action

PQ 12 sailed from Reykjavik on 1 March 1942 with its Close Escort. It was joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort and on 6 March by the cruiser Kenya. Also at sea were the Heavy Cover Forces, Curteis from Reykjavik sailing on 3 March and Tovey from Scapa Flow on 4 March.

On 5 March the convoy was sighted by a German reconnaissance aircraft and on 6 March, after obtaining permission from Hitler to do so, Tirpitz sortied from Trondheim with three destroyers as escort. This was Operation Sportpalast, and was intended to find and destroy PQ 12 and its reciprocal, QP 8, which was also at sea.

Shortly after sailing Tirpitz was sighted by the patrolling submarine HMS Seawolf and the Heavy Cover Forces, now joined, sought to bring Tirpitz to action.

Over the next two days these groups of ships manoeuvred around each other without coming into contact, though on two occasions they were 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) apart. Tirpitz had no success, though her destroyers encountered one straggler from QP 8, the freighter Ijora, and sank her. Finally on 9 March as Tirpitz headed for home, she was sighted by aircraft from Victorious and attacked, though also without success.

PQ 12 arrived at Murmansk on 12 March. No ships were lost, though the escort suffered one whaler lost, Shera, capsized by ice buildup, and Oribi, damaged by pack ice. On 24 March, Lancaster Castle was dive-bombed alongside the quay in Murmansk and eight men were killed. It was towed out and moored in the river, the crew remaining on board. A few days later it was dive-bombed again and received five hits. There were no casualties but the crew moved to shore.

PQ 12 provided valuable military equipment and other materials for the Soviet war effort. The distribution of equipment and supplies delivered with PQ 12 was the subject of a Soviet State Defence Committee decree.

## Ships in the convoy

### Allied merchant ships

The ships of the convoy arrived at Reykjavik on 27 February.

| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| Artigas (1920) | Panama | 5,613 | |
| Ballot (1922) | Panama | 6,131 | Dynamo defects, did not sail with PQ 12 |
| Bateau (1926) | Panama | 4,687 | Returned |
| Beaconstreet (1927) | United Kingdom | 7,467 | |
| Belomorcanal (1936) | Soviet Union | 2,900 | |
| Capulin (1920) | Panama | 4,977 | |
| Dneprostroi (1919) | Soviet Union | 4,756 | |
| Earlston (1941) | United Kingdom | 7,195 | |
| El Coston (1924) | Panama | 7,286 | |
| El Occidente (1910) | Panama | 6,008 | |
| Empire Byron (1941) | United Kingdom | 6,645 | Convoy Vice Commodore's ship |
| Kiev (1917) | Soviet Union | 5,823 | Position probable but not definite |
| Lancaster Castle (1937) | United Kingdom | 5,172 | Lost in Russia |
| Llandaff (1937) | United Kingdom | 4,825 | Convoy Commodore's ship, Captain H T Hudson RD RNR |
| Navarino (1937) | United Kingdom | 4,825 | |
| Sevzaples (1932) | Soviet Union | 3,974 | |
| Stone Street (1922) | Panama | 6,131 | |
| Temple Arch (1940) | United Kingdom | 5,138 | |

### Convoy escorts

Navy ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.

| Name | Flag | Type | Joined | Left |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| HMT Angle (FY201) | Royal Navy | Naval trawler | 1 March 1942 | 4 March 1942 |
| HMS Ashanti (F51) | Royal Navy | Tribal-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Bedouin (F67) | Royal Navy | Tribal-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Berwick (65) | Royal Navy | County-class cruiser | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMT Chiltern | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine naval trawler | 1 March 1942 | 4 March 1942 |
| HMS Duke of York (17) | Royal Navy | King George V-class battleship | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Echo (H23) | Royal Navy | E-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Eclipse (H08) | Royal Navy | E-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Eclipse (H08) | Royal Navy | E-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Eskimo (F75) | Royal Navy | E-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Faulknor (H62) | Royal Navy | F-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Fury (H76) | Royal Navy | F-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 11 March 1942 |
| HMS Gossamer (J63) | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 4 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| Gremyaschi | Soviet Union | Gnevny-class destroyer | 11 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMS Grove (L77) | Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Harrier (J71) | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 11 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMS Hussar (J82) | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 11 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMS Icarus (D03) | Royal Navy | I-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 11 March 1942 |
| HMS Inconstant (H49) | Royal Navy | I-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Intrepid (D10) | Royal Navy | I-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 11 March 1942 |
| HMS Javelin (F61) | Royal Navy | J-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Kenya (14) | Royal Navy | Crown Colony-class cruiser | 6 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMS King George V (41) | Royal Navy | King George V-class battleship | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Lancaster (G05) | Royal Navy | Town-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Ledbury (L90) | Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Lookout (G32) | Royal Navy | L-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 11 March 1942 |
| HMT Notts County (FY250) | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine naval trawler | 1 March 1942 | 4 March 1942 |
| HMS Offa (G29) | Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 4 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMS Onslow (G17) | Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Oribi (G66) | Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 4 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Punjabi | Royal Navy | Tribal-class destroyer | 6 March 1942 | 11 March 1942 |
| HMS Renown | Royal Navy | Renown-class battlecruiser | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMT Shera (FY1724) | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine whaler | 4 March 1942 | 9 March 1942 |
| HMT Shusa (FY1702) | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine whaler | 4 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMS Speedwell (J87) | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 11 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMT Stefa (FY1702) | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine whaler | 4 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMT Stella Capella | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine naval trawler | 1 March 1942 | 4 March 1942 |
| HMT Sulla (FY1874) | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine whaler | 4 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMT Svega (FY294) | Royal Navy | Anti-submarine whaler | 4 March 1942 | 12 March 1942 |
| HMS Tartar (F43) | Royal Navy | Tribal-class destroyer | 9 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Verdun (L93) | Royal Navy | V-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Victorious (R38) | Royal Navy | Illustrious-class aircraft carrier | 6 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Wells | Royal Navy | Town-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
| HMS Woolston | Royal Navy | W-class destroyer | 10 March 1942 | 10 March 1942 |
