Convoy PQ 11
Convoy PQ 11 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in February 1942 and arrived in Murmansk without loss.
Voyage
PQ 11 sailed from Loch Ewe, Scotland on 7 February 1942 to Kirkness, Iceland arriving on 14 February, before continuing on to Murmansk for 22 February. The convoy was undetected by German aircraft or U-boats in the continuous darkness of the polar night, and arrived safely at Murmansk, the Soviet Union's only ice-free Arctic port.
Ships
PQ 11 consisted of 13 merchant ships; eight British, two Soviet, one American, one of Panamanian and one of Honduran registry. The convoy was escorted by two destroyers, Airedale and Middleton, two corvettes and four ASW Trawlers. These were supported by the cruiser HMS Nigeria.
The convoy was joined in the last stage of the voyage by two Soviet destroyers and five Royal Navy minesweepers based at Murmansk.
Ships in the convoy
| Name[1] | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Airedale (L07) |  Royal Navy | Escort 14–17 February | |
| Ashkhabad (1917) |  Soviet Union | 5,284 | |
| Barrwhin (1929) |  United Kingdom | 4,998 | |
| HMT Blackfly (FY117) | Royal Navy | Escort 14–17 February, anti-submarine trawler | |
| HMT Cape Argona | Royal Navy | Escort 14–17 February, anti-submarine trawler | |
| HMT Cape Mariato | Royal Navy | Escort 14–17 February, anti-submarine trawler | |
| City Of Flint (1920) |  United States | 4,963 | |
| Daldorch (1930) | United Kingdom | 5,571 | |
| Empire Baffin (1941) | United Kingdom | 6,978 | Arrived Murmansk 24 February |
| Empire Magpie (1919) | United Kingdom | 6,211 | Vice-Commodore's ship |
| Gromky | Soviet Union | Escort 22 February, Soviet destroyer | |
| Grozny | Soviet Union | Escort 22 February, Soviet destroyer | |
| HMS Harrier | Royal Navy | Escort 22 February | |
| Hartlebury (1934) | United Kingdom | 5,082 | |
| HMS Hazard | Royal Navy | Escort 22 February | |
| HMS Hussar (J82) | Royal Navy | Escort 14 February | |
| Kingswood (1929) | United Kingdom | 5,080 | Commodore's ship |
| Lowther Castle (1937) | United Kingdom | 5,171 | |
| Makawao (1921) |  Honduras | 3,253 | |
| Marylyn (1930) | United Kingdom | 4,555 | |
| HMS Middleton (L74) | Royal Navy | Escort 14–17 February | |
| HMS Niger (J73) | Royal Navy | Escort 14–22 February | |
| HMS Nigeria (60) | Royal Navy | Escort 22–23 February | |
| North King (1903) |  Panama | 4,934 | |
| HMS Oxlip (K123) | Royal Navy | Escort 17–22 February | |
| HMS Salamander (J86) | Royal Navy | Escort 22 February | |
| Stepan Khalturin (1921) | Soviet Union | 2,498 | |
| HMS Sweetbriar | Royal Navy | Escort 14–22 February |
References
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy PQ.11". Don Kindell, Convoyweb. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- Clay Blair : Hitler's U-Boat War Vol I (1996) ISBN 0-304-35260-8
- Paul Kemp : Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters (1993) ISBN 1-85409-130-1
- Bernard Schofield : (1964) The Russian Convoys BT Batsford ISBN (none)
- PQ 11 at Convoyweb
