Convoy SC 20

Convoy SC 20 was the 20th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. The trade convoy left Halifax on 22 January 1941[1] and was found by U-boats of the 2nd and 9th Flotillas, operating from Lorient and Brest, respectively. Five ships were sunk before the convoy reached Liverpool on 8 February.[2]

Convoy SC.20
Part of World War II
Date22 January 1941 – 8 February 1941
Location
North Sea
Belligerents
Germany  Royal Canadian Navy
United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz
Strength
~3 U-boats 48 merchant ships
7 escorts
Casualties and losses
5 ships sunk
1 Damaged

Ships in the convoy[3]
Name Flag Tonnage (GRT) Notes
Alcor (1920)  Netherlands 3,526
Allende (1928)  United Kingdom 5,081
HMS Arbutus (K86)  Royal Navy Escort 4 Feb - 08 Feb
Corvette
Baron Ogilvy (1926)  United Kingdom 3,391
Baron Yarborough (1928)  United Kingdom 3,388
Bernhard (1924)  Norway 3,563 Returned with engine defects and a sick man
Biafra (1933)  United Kingdom 5,405
Blairesk (1925)  United Kingdom 3,300
Calafatis (1917)  Greece 4,443 Romped and sunk by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 naval bomber, of I./KG.40, with the loss of 18 of her 31 crew[4]
HMS Camellia (K31)  Royal Navy Escort 4 Feb - 08 Feb
Corvette
Cape Corso (1929)  United Kingdom 3,807
Copeland (1923)  United Kingdom 1,526 Rescue Ship
Coryton (1928)  United Kingdom 4,553
Coultarn (1938)  United Kingdom 3,759
Dione II (1936)  United Kingdom 2,660 Romped & sunk by U-93[5] on 4 Feb
Einar Jarl (1921)  Norway 1,858
Emmy (1914)  Greece 3,895 Returned
Empire Engineer (1921)  United Kingdom 5,358 Straggled and sunk by U-123[6] On 4 Feb
HMS Erica (K50)  Royal Navy Escort 4 Feb - 08 Feb
Evviva (1921)  Norway 1,597 Returned
Flensburg (1922)  Netherlands 6,421
Flowergate (1911)  United Kingdom 5,161 Arrived with furnace defects
Fylingdale (1924)  United Kingdom 3,918
Hadleigh (1930)  United Kingdom 5,222
HMS Harvester (H19)  Royal Navy Escort 4 Feb - 08 Feb
Destroyer
Ila (1939)  Norway 1,583 Returned
Inger Toft (1920)  United Kingdom 2,190
Ingertre (1921)  Norway 2,462
Ioannis M Embiricos (1934)  Greece 3,734 Bombed and sunk, NW of Ireland, by a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 naval bomber, of I./KG.40[7]

She was en route from Montreal to Preston with lumber.

Kordecki (1930)  Poland 1,975 Returned
Lars Kruse (1923)  United Kingdom 1,807
Lylepark (1929)  United Kingdom 5,186 Returned
Maclaren (1915)  United Kingdom 2,350 Wrecked, Salved, Repaired
Manchester Division (1918)  United Kingdom 6,048
Maplecourt (1894)  Canada 3,388 Sunk by U-107[8] On 4 Feb
Maplewood (1930)  United Kingdom 4,566 Capt A G Maundrell CB CIE RIN (Commodore)
Mathilda (1920)  Norway 3,650
Milcrest (1919)  United Kingdom 5,283
Myson (1927)  France 4,564
Narocz (1915)  Poland 1,795 Returned
HMCS Otter  Royal Canadian Navy Escort 22 Jan - 23 Jan
Armed yacht
HMS Philante (4.12)  Royal Navy Escort 4 Feb - 08 Feb
Armed yacht, acting as convoy escort vessel
Pilar De Larrinaga (1918)  United Kingdom 7,046
Pontypridd (1924)  United Kingdom 4,458
Quistconck (1918)  United Kingdom 5,144
Ranella (1912)  Norway 5,590 Straggler from BHX 104
HMS Ranpura  Royal Navy Escort 22 Jan - 4 Feb
Armed merchant cruiser
Rolf Jarl (1920)  Norway 1,917
Rozenburg (1918)  Netherlands 2,068 Returned
Selbo (1921)  Norway 1,778
Sevill (1921)  United Kingdom 1,383
Sinnington Court (1928)  United Kingdom 6,910 Returned
Telesfora De Larrinaga (1920)  United Kingdom 5,780
Trident (1917)  United Kingdom 4,317
Willesden (1925)  United Kingdom 4,563

References
  1. Hague pp.133&134
  2. Blair, p.233
  3. "Convoy SC.20". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  4. "SS Calafatis [+1941]". www.wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  5. "Dione II – British Steam Merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  6. "Empire Engineer – British Steam Merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. "SS Ioannis M. Embiricos (+1941)". www.wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. "Maplecourt – Canadian Steam Merchant". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2013.

Bibliography
  • Blair, Clay (1996). Hitler's U-boat War:The Hunters 1939–1942. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58839-8.
  • Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
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