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 the Convoy Commodore, Hubert Hudson. The Close Escort comprised the minesweeper HMS Gossamer (J63) and five whalers. These were joined on 5 March by the Ocean Escort of two destroyers, HMS Oribi (G66), commanded by Commander J. E. H. McBeath who took over as Senior Officer Escort and HMS Offa (G29), supported by the cruiser HMS Kenya (14).

Distant cover was provided by two Heavy Cover Forces; one comprising the battleship HMS Duke of York (17) (Vice Admiral Alban Curteis commanding), the battlecruiser HMS Renown (1916) and six destroyers, sailing from Reykjavík and another led by Admiral John Tovey comprising the battleship HMS King George V (41), the carrier HMS Victorious (R38), the cruiser HMS Berwick (65) and six destroyers, sailing from Scapa Flow.

Action
PQ 12 sailed from Reykjavík 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 Reykjavík 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 (47S) 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 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 ten 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.

Allied merchant ships
The ships of the convoy arrived at Reykjavík on 27 February.

Convoy escorts
The smaller RN escorts operated in relays.