ONS-144
15 Nov, 1942 - 21 Nov, 1942
| The Convoy | 33 ships |
| First sighting | On 15 Nov, 1942 by U-521 |
| Escorts | The British escort group B6 (Cdr. Monssen) consisting of the British corvette Vervain and the 4 Norwegian corvettes Potentilla, Eglantine, Montbretia and Rose. In the convoy is the rescue ship Perth equipped with HF/DF. |
U-boats | The wolfpack Kreuzotter of 13 boats U-84 (Kptlt. Uphoff), U-184 (Kptlt. Dangschat) * ++, U-224 (Oblt. Kosbadt) *, U-262 (Kptlt. Franke) *, U-264 (Kptlt. Looks) *, U-383 (Kptlt. Kremser) *, U-454 (Kptlt. Hackländer) *, U-521 (Kptlt. Bargsten) *, U-522 (Kptlt. Schneider) *, U-606 (Oblt. Döhler), U-611 (Kptlt. von Jacobs), U-624 (Kptlt. Graf von Soden-Fraunhofen) *, U-753 (Korvkpt. von Mannstein) *, * U-boats that fired torpedo or used the deck gun |
The battle | The gruppe Kreuzotter is the only patrol line left over on the North Atlantic convoy lines after the withdrawal of all available boats in order to counter the Allied Operation Torch in North Africa. After the first sighting, U-521 makes an attack without success and looses contact with the convoy when counterattacked by the Rose. U-611 manages to make contact also but due to bad visibility it is lost again. U-184 and U-521 find the convoy again 2 days later on the 17th. U-184 vectors many other boats to the convoy by broadcasting its bearings. In the night the boats start to attack. U-624 torpedoes three ships, two of which sink and the third is finished off by U-522. U-184 and U-264 sink also a ship but U-224, U-262, U-383, U-454 and U-521 have misses and are repulsed by the escort. In the morning U-262 sinks the Montbretia while U-753 misses an escort. Many boats break off the operation because of fuel shortage or have expended all their torpedoes. Only U-184 and U-264 make another attack during the next day but have no success. On the 19th the destroyers Badger and Firedrake arrive as reinforcement and the the escorts manage to drive off all boats. U-262 has a miss and U-264 is attacked by the Potentilla but escapes. U-184 is reported missing after the convoy operation. |
Article compiled by Tom Linclau
Ships hit from convoy ONS-144
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Ship hit | GRT | Nat. | |
| 17 Nov, 1942 | U-184 | Günther Dangschat | Widestone | 3.192 |  | |
| 17 Nov, 1942 | U-264 | Hartwig Looks | Mount Taurus | 6.696 |  | |
| 18 Nov, 1942 | U-262 | Heinz Franke | HNoMS Montbretia (K 208) | 925 |  | |
| 18 Nov, 1942 | U-522 | Herbert Schneider | Yaka | 5.432 |  | |
| 18 Nov, 1942 | U-624 | Graf Ulrich von Soden-Fraunhofen | Parismina | 4.732 | | |
| 18 Nov, 1942 | U-624 | Graf Ulrich von Soden-Fraunhofen | President Sergent | 5.344 | | |
| 18 Nov, 1942 | U-624 | Graf Ulrich von Soden-Fraunhofen | Yaka (d.) | 5.432 | | |
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| 5 ships sunk for a total of 25.396 GRT 1 warship sunk for a total of 925 tons 1 ship damaged for a total of 5.432 GRT |
Locations of ships hit from convoy ONS-144.
Some 21 convoys on route ONS were hit by U-boats in the war. |