Planned to take over at the 17th : The British escort group EG.3 consisting of the 5 destroyers Bulldog (Cdr Cresswell-Baker), Amazon, Richmond, Georgetown and Belmont, the corvette Heartsease, the 3 trawlers Angle, St-Apollo and Cape Warwick and the rescue ship Zaafaran.

* U-boats that fired torpedo or used the deck gun

A second factor in the battle for the Atlantic at that time, is the increasing influence of the American Navy in the Atlantic. In this stage of the war, they escort all North-Atlantic convoys from a point between the Canadian escort zone ( Western Ocean Meeting Point or WESTOMP ) and the British escort zone ( Mid Ocean Meeting Point or MOMP )

Already on Oct 9th, SC-48 is routed according to 'Ultra' information around an U-boat concentration, consisting of U-109, U-208, U-374, U-502, U-553, U-568 and U-573. This group is formed into a patrol line and it is reinforced during the following days by U-73, U-77, U-101, U-432, U-558 and U-751. These boats lengthen the patrol line. Not all convoys can be re-routed in time around the lengthened patrol line and in the night of the 14th U-553 runs into SC-48.

At that time, only 4 corvettes of EG 4.1.15 are still with the convoy, the other have returned because of fuel shortage. U-553 attacks at once and sinks two ships. The destroyer Columbia returns to the convoy and manages to drive off U-553 but the boat has already brought up many other U-boats. U-568 takes over the contact-keeping job and attacks at dark. She sinks one ship but is then driven off by the Gladiolus.

The British countermeasures are as follows: the EG.3 is ordered to take over as soon as possible the escort from EG.4.1.15. The EG.2 who is escorting ON-25 sends the 2 corvettes Veronica and Abelia. The 3 destroyers Highlander, Broadwater and Sherwood intended to relieve the escort of TC-14, are redirected to the convoy. But since all these ships are too far away for immediate assistance, it is decided to disperse convoy ON-24 and its escort is sent towards SC-48.

The 5 American destroyers Greer, Kearny, Livermoore, Decatur and Plunkett arrive from ON-24 at noon on the 16th. They make several attacks and sweeps but can not prevent the build-up for the night attack.

The American commanders lack experience and remain very close (less than a mile) to the convoy, so the U-boats can come into firing range before being detected. The American ships are not yet fitted with radar and when the U-boats attack, they fire snowflakes and star-shells to no good use, because due to their proximity to the convoy they illuminate the merchants, who are now clearly visible to the U-boats.

U-558 sinks three ships plus the corvette HMS Gladiolus , U-432 sinks two and U-553 sinks one. In the morning U-568 attacks, and runs into the Kearny, who is making a manoeuvre in order to avoid collision with a corvette. U-568 fires a spread of three and scores one hit. Then the Americans are relieved by the other reinforcements. Also air escort arrives and Catalina's chase away the contact keeping boats.

U-73, U-77, U-101 and U-751 try to close in with the convoy but only U-101 manages to attack at night and sinks the destroyer HMS Broadwater. The next day the operation is broken off.

(d.) = the ship was damaged in that attack.

Some 47 convoys on route SC were hit by U-boats in the war.
Read more about them.