Loch Ewe 12 January 1944 – Kola Inlet 28 January20 ships 15th January - Heavy weather meant that some of these ships did not proceed further than Iceland and returned to Loch Ewe: - Charles Bulfinch, Jefferson Davis, John A Quitman, Josef N Nicollet and Nathaniel Alexander. 18th - 21st January - Convoy sheltered at Akureyri, Iceland. 25th January - Pack of 10 U-boats was encountered; Penelope Barker, with cargo of 7850 tons, was torpedoed and sunk by U-278, 16 died, while the British destroyer Obdurate was damaged by a torpedo from U-360 and left the convoy. 26th January - Andrew G. Curtin (9000 tons cargo, 3 died, torpedoed by U-716) and Fort Bellingham (4800 tons cargo, 30 died, was struck by torpedoes from U-360 and U-957). Both ships were sunk. Admiralty Reports of Convoy JW 56AReport of Captain James Ninian Malley, Master of SS Fort BellinghamVoyage: Akureyre, Iceland to Murmansk Cargo: 4,900 tons of military stores, including 50 tons of Cordite. Armament: 4”, 12 Pounder, 6 Oerlikons, 2 twin Colts .5, 1 Bofors, 2 P.A.C. (J’s), 2 FA.M.S. Crew: 75 – including Commodore Whitehorn R.N.R. and 6 staff: 1 P.O. Telegraphist, 1 Yeoman of Signals, 4 Signal Ratings. 12 Naval and 11 Army Gunners. Casualties: Chief Engineer, 2nd Engineer, 5th Engineer, 16 Gunners, 2 of Commodore’s staff, 18 crew. All missing. Confidential Books: All, including wireless codes, thrown overboard in a weighted box. SS Fort Bellingham left London with a cargo of Government stores for North Russia on 3 Jan 1944. The vessel arrived in Loch Ewe via Tyne on 10th Jan and left as Commodore ship of convoy JW56A at 1430 hrs BST on the 12th Jan 44. Violent weather was encountered and deck cargoes of several ships including the Fort Bellingham shifted. On orders received from the Admiralty, convoy entered Akureyre, Iceland, on Jan 18th to re-secure cargo. We left Iceland at 1000 on 21st January 1944, taking position No 31 (Commodore ship) in Convoy J.W.56A, which numbered fifteen ships, formed in three columns, two of six ships, and one of three. The convoy proceeded without incident until 24th January, when during the morning a message was received from another vessel reporting that an enemy submarine in the vicinity was sending homing signals. This report was confirmed on the 25th, when the destroyers picked up HF/DF signals, and during the afternoon of the same day U-boats attacked the convoy and many depth charges were dropped. Shortly after 2000 on the 25th January the American Vessel PENELOPE BARKER (No. 12) was torpedoed, and fell out of the convoy. I believe that this ship subsequently sank. I was in the chartroom when, about midnight, when an explosion was heard which I believe was from a torpedo striking the American ship ANDREW CURTIN. Almost immediately after, at 0010 on the 26th January, when in position 73° 25’ N, 25° 10’ E, steering a course 090° at a speed of ten knots, we were struck by one torpedo from a U-boat. There was a moderate sea with heavy swell and a West Wind, force 3. The weather was fine and clear, visibility good. No one saw the track of the torpedo, which struck on the port side, in the after end of No. 3 hold, forward of the engine room. There was a dull explosion and a fair amount of water thrown up on the port side. No flash was seen. The ship rolled to starboard, then to port, but quickly righted herself, settling bodily. The engine room bulkhead was pierced, both boilers collapsed and the main steam pipe was fractured. A spray of oil and steam was thrown high into the air, which obscured the view from the bridge. The engines and dynamos stopped immediately and all lights went out. Ventilators were blown off, some of which landed on the after deck. Nos. 2 and 4 lifeboats were destroyed. The deck did not appear to be torn or buckled. Although the ship settled several feet, she seemed to be in no immediate danger of sinking. After the signal for emergency stations was rung, the third officer went to the upper bridge to fire the rockets, but the port fire failed, the cap being lost in the darkness, so I switched on the red light. I collected the Confidential Books etc. and sent the Chief and Second Officers to the boat deck to clear away the boats. They found No. 1 boat hanging by the after fall and submerged. Apparently this boat had been lowered by the D.E.M.S. ratings, assisted by a number of seamen and engineers. When this boat capsized they went to No. 3 lifeboat, lowered it, cast off and drifted astern. The ship at this time had about four knots weigh. I had given no orders to abandon ship, so obviously these men had panicked. They were under the impression that the cargo contained ammunition and feared a second torpedo. No deck officer was present when these men, numbering about 20, abandoned ship. The only excuse possible for the D.E.M.S. ratings is that many of them were very young, aged 19 or 20, and all were inexperienced. They did not appear to react well to discipline during the time they were in this ship. The Chief Officer went round the decks and reported that all rafts, except one on the port side of the lower bridge and one in the after rigging, had been slipped and were floating astern. One raft with a few men on it was seen near the lifeboat, whilst two others appeared to be empty. I gathered the remaining men together (about thirty-five in all) and finally freed the raft from the lower bridge, giving instructions that it was to remain alongside, but as it became waterborne, about eighteen men jumped on to it, cut the painter and it quickly drifted from the ship’s side. The Chef Officer then took a party of men and endeavoured to release the raft from the after rigging. Meanwhile, with the First Officer and Fourth Engineer, I searched the accommodation, we found the Cabin boy and turned him out. We then tried to enter the engine room, but found it completely flooded and filled with smoke and steam. As the raft on the port side aft was proving very difficult to free, the Chief and Second Officers went over the side to the waterlogged lifeboat in an attempt to make it serviceable. They were soon soaked in cold water and covered with oil fuel. At 0130, about an hour and a half after the explosion, H.M.S. OFFA tried to come alongside, but owing to the heavy swell, her bows crashed against my ship. At this moment the Commodore jumped on board the OFFA, followed by his Yeoman of Signals and Telegraphist. All got aboard successfully. The Commodore had not told me that he intended to make the attempt, but went off without saying a word. The destroyer then stood off and picked up the survivors from the raft, also the Chief and Second Officers from the waterlogged lifeboat, which was still alongside. The Second Officer was immediately taken to the sick bay suffering from the effects of fuel oil. At about 0230, H.M.S. OFFA lowered her whaler, which came alongside the FORT BELLINGHAM and took off all those on board. As the ship showed no signs of sinking, the Commander of H.M.S. OFFA decided to sink her by torpedo and gunfire, eventually sinking the ship at 0330 on 26 January after two torpedoes and eighteen shells were fired into her. In my opinion, it would have been impossible to have towed her into Murmansk. Although red lights were seen in the No. 3 lifeboat, also a raft, which I believe had two or three men on it, was sighted, the Commander of H.M.S. OFFA decided to rejoin the convoy, under the impression that one of the other vessels would pick them up. These men have not been heard of again and are missing. There is a possibility that the boat (a motor boat) may have reached land, which was 130 miles away, as it had sufficient petrol for 200 miles. This boat contained the usual modern equipment, blankets, food and water and although the men were mainly D.E.M.S. Gunners and Engine Room ratings, they were not entirely without leadership or knowledge of navigation as the Chief Engineer and one deck hand (a Newfoundlander) were on board. The weather was fine during the first night, but deteriorated later, which would lessen their chances of survival. The boat’s wireless set, which was kept on the boat deck, was not taken into either of the lifeboats or rafts. Of those missing, two are believed to have been lost in the boiler room, two jumped overboard and the remainder were in No. 3 boat ad on the raft. But for the panic among the crew and D.E.M.S. ratings, all hands except the two men in the engine room would certainly have been rescued. No order to abandon ship was given at any time and the boat was actually in the water before any officer had even reached the boat deck. Boat drills were held regularly and the men instructed in abandon ship procedure, notices instructing them what to do were posted in all crew accommodation. H.M.S. OFFA landed the survivors at Murmansk on the 29th January. I joined the SS EMPIRE PICKWICK for the homeward journey, but this vessel was sent back from the convoy as she could not maintain the convoy speed. After a further three weeks in Murmansk, I returned home. I would like to mention Chief Officer Gourlay, who displayed fine leadership and organisation. After this Officer had made a thorough search for survivors, he gallantly went overboard into the fuel-covered water to clear the waterlogged lifeboat MISSING Presumed to be in boiler room: B Stephen, E Killinger
SURVIVORS
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Convoy JW 56A and Fort Bellingham Story |