Order of battle for Convoy PQ 18

Convoy PQ 18 was the last of the PQ/QP series of arctic convoys during the Second World War, 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 Arkhangelsk. The convoy sailed on 2 September 1942 and arrived three weeks later on 21 September 1942. It was opposed by the German Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe forces based in occupied Norway.

Convoy PQ 18 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 the U-boat Wolfpack Eispalast (Ice Palace), of twelve U-boats and eight warships, though in the event these were not engaged. The naval forces were assisted by the aircraft of Luftflotte 5.