# Convoy QP 15

Convoy QP 15 was one of the Arctic convoys of World War II the last of the QP series from northern Russia to Britain which ran during the Second World War to return Allied ships to home ports. The convoy sailed from the Kola Inlet on 17 November 1942. It was scattered by a storm in which the Soviet destroyer Sokrushitelny was hit from behind by a big wave and foundered after two days' rescue attempts. The convoy was attacked by U-boats of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) that sank two of the merchant ships. The convoy reached its destination at Loch Ewe on 30 November 1942.

## Prelude
### Convoy and escorts

The convoy initially consisted of 31 merchant ships, most of which had arrived with Convoy PQ 18 and were returning empty. The convoy commodore was Captain W C. Meek RNR in Temple Arch, the vice-convoy commodore was in DanY-Bryn, Copeland was a rescue ship and Empire Morn was a CAM ship. The close escort comprised four Halcyon-class minesweepers HMS Britomart, Halcyon, Hazard and Sharpshooter. From 18 to 20 November the Leningrad-class destroyer leader Baku and the Gnevny-class destroyer Sokrushitelny accompanied the convoy. The ocean escort from 17 to 30 November comprised the Flower-class corvettes HMS Bergamot, Bluebell, Bryony and Camellia and the Halcyon-class minesweeper HMS Salamander.
From 20 to 26 November the destroyers HMS Faulknor, Intrepid, Icarus and Impulsive escorted the convoy, HMS Echo from 20 to 22 November, with HMS Musketeer and Orwell from 23 to 30 November. The Hunt-class destroyers HMS Ledbury and Middleton participated in the escort from 22 to 30 November and HMS Oakley from 23 to 30 November. The escort was supplemented by the AA cruiser MV Ulster Queen from 17 to 24 November, when it left to refuel. Distant cover was provided by HMS London and Suffolk screened by the destroyers HMS Forester, Obdurate and Onslaught to the west of Bear Island. Submarine patrols were mounted off Altenfjord by HMS Trespasser, HMS Seadog, Junon and HNoMS Uredd to oppose a sortie by German surface vessels.

### Kriegsmarine

Convoy QP 15 was opposed by a patrol line of the Wolfpack gruppe Boreas (god of the north wind) comprising ten U-boats in the Norwegian Sea, and by the Luftwaffe, though much of the latter was grounded by the foul weather.

## Voyage

The convoy set out from Archangel on 17 November 1942, accompanied by the local escort of four minesweepers, and were joined the following day by two Soviet destroyers. Two ships grounded after leaving harbour, and had to be left behind. They were refloated and returned to port. On 20 November the convoy was joined by its ocean escort of five destroyers. Also on 20 November a gale sprang up and scattered the convoy and damaged several ships, including the two Soviet destroyers. The Soviet destroyer Baku was badly damaged but managed to limp back to port. A large wave hit Sokrushitelny and broke her back, severing her stern. Three Soviet destroyers were sent to assist and manage to rescue 187 crewmen from the Sokrushitelny, which sank on 22 November. On 23 November, the U-boat U-625 attacked and sank the British freighter Goolistan. Later in the day, U-601 fired a spread of torpedoes at the Soviet freighter Kuznetz Lesov, one of which struck and sank her; both ships were lost with all hands. The convoy arrived at Loch Ewe on 30 November 1942.

## Allied order of battle
### Merchant ships

Convoyed ships :
| Name | Year | Flag | GRT | Notes |
| SS Andre Marti | 1918 | Soviet Union | 2,352 | |
| SS Belomorcanal | 1936 | Soviet Union | 2,900 | |
| SS Charles R. McCormick | 1920 | United States | 6,027 | |
| SS Copeland | 1923 | United Kingdom | 1,526 | Rescue ship |
| SS Dan-y-Bryn | 1940 | United Kingdom | 5,117 | Vice-convoy commodore |
| SS Empire Baffin | 1941 | United Kingdom | 6,978 | |
| SS Empire Morn | 1941 | United Kingdom | 7,092 | CAM ship |
| SS Empire Snow | 1941 | United Kingdom | 6,327 | |
| SS Empire Tristram | 1942 | United Kingdom | 7,167 | |
| SS Esek Hopkins | 1942 | United States | 7,191 | |
| SS Goolistan | 1929 | United Kingdom | 5,851 | Sunk by U-625 on 23 November |
| SS Hollywood | 1920 | United States | 5,498 | |
| SS Ironclad | 1919 | United States | 5,685 | |
| SS Komiles | 1932 | Soviet Union | 3,966 | |
| SS Kuznetz Lesov | 1933 | Soviet Union | 3,974 | Sunk by U-601 on 23 November |
| SS Lafayette | 1919 | United States | 5,887 | |
| SS Meanticut | 1921 | United States | 6,061 | |
| SS Nathanael Greene | 1942 | United States | 7,177 | |
| SS Ocean Faith | 1942 | United Kingdom | 7,174 | |
| SS Patrick Henry | 1941 | United States | 7,191 | |
| SS Petrovski | 1921 | Soviet Union | 3,771 | |
| SS Sahale | 1919 | United States | 5,028 | |
| SS Schoharie | 1919 | United States | 4,971 | |
| SS St. Olaf | 1942 | United States | 7,191 | |
| SS Tbilisi | 1912 | Soviet Union | 7,169 | |
| SS Temple Arch | 1940 | United Kingdom | 5,138 | Convoy commodore |
| SS Virginia Dare | 1942 | United States | 7,177 | |
| SS White Clover | 1920 | Panama | 5,462 | |
| SS William Moultrie | 1942 | United States | 7,177 | |

### Local escort

Local escort :
| Ship | Flag | Class | Dates | Notes |
| Baku | Soviet Navy | Leningrad-class destroyer leader | 18–20 November | |
| Sokrushitelny | Soviet Navy | Gnevny-class destroyer | 18–20 November | Foundered, 22 November |
| HMS Britomart | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 17–20 November | |
| HMS Halcyon | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 17–20 November | |
| HMS Hazard | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 17–20 November | |
| HMS Sharpshooter | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 17–20 November | |

### Ocean escort

Ocean escort :
| Ship | Flag | Class | Dates | Notes |
| MV Ulster Queen | Royal Navy | AA cruiser | 17–24 November | Left to refuel |
| HMS Bergamot | Royal Navy | Flower-class corvette | 17–30 November | |
| HMS Bluebell | Royal Navy | Flower-class corvette | 17–30 November | |
| HMS Bryony | Royal Navy | Flower-class corvette | 17–30 November | |
| HMS Camellia | Royal Navy | Flower-class corvette | 17–30 November | |
| HMS Salamander | Royal Navy | Halcyon-class minesweeper | 17–30 November | |
| HMS Echo | Royal Navy | E-class destroyer | 20–22 November | |
| HMS Faulknor | Royal Navy | F-class destroyer | 20–26 November | |
| HMS Intrepid | Royal Navy | I-class destroyer | 20–26 November | |
| HMS Icarus | Royal Navy | I-class destroyer | 20–26 November | |
| HMS Impulsive | Royal Navy | I-class destroyer | 20–26 November | |
| HMS Ledbury | Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 22–30 November | |
| HMS Middleton | Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 22–30 November | |
| HMS Musketeer | Royal Navy | M-class destroyer | 23–30 November | |
| HMS Orwell | Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | 23–30 November | |
| HMS Oakley | Royal Navy | Hunt-class destroyer | 23–30 November. | |

### Distant escort

Cruiser cover :
| Ship | Flag | Class | Notes |
| HMS London | Royal Navy | County-class cruiser | |
| HMS Suffolk | Royal Navy | County-class cruiser | |
| HMS Forester | Royal Navy | F-class destroyer | destroyer screen |
| HMS Obdurate | Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | destroyer screen |
| HMS Onslaught | Royal Navy | O-class destroyer | destroyer screen |

### Submarine patrols

Submarine patrols :
| Ship | Flag | Class |
| Junon | Free French Naval Forces | Minerve-class submarine |
| HMS Seadog | Royal Navy | British S-class submarine |
| HMS Trespasser | Royal Navy | Triton-class submarine |
| HNoMS Uredd | Royal Norwegian Navy | U-class submarine |

### Rescue flotilla

Sokrushitelny rescue flotilla :
| Ship | Flag | Class | Dates | Notes |
| Kuibyshev | Soviet Navy | Novik-class destroyer | 20–22 November | Helped to rescue 187 men from Sokrushitelny |
| Razumny | Soviet Navy | Gnevny-class destroyer | 20–22 November | Helped to rescue 187 men from Sokrushitelny |
| Uritski | Soviet Navy | Orfey-class destroyer | 20–22 November | Helped to rescue 187 men from Sokrushitelny |

## German order of battle
### U-boats

Wolfpack Boreas (god of the north wind) (19 November – 7 December 1942) :
| Name | Flag | Commander | Class | Notes |
| U-209 | Kriegsmarine | Heinrich Brodda | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-212 | Kriegsmarine | Helmut Vogler | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-376 | Kriegsmarine | Friedrich-Karl Marks | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-378 | Kriegsmarine | Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-405 | Kriegsmarine | Rolf-Heinrich Hopmann | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-586 | Kriegsmarine | Dietrich von der Esch | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-592 | Kriegsmarine | Carl Borm | Type VIIC submarine | |
| U-601 | Kriegsmarine | Peter-Ottmar Grau | Type VIIC submarine | Sank Kuznetz Lesov, 23 November |
| U-625 | Kriegsmarine | Hans Benker | Type VIIC submarine | Sank Goolistan, 23 November |