Convoy PQ 18 Convoy PQ 18 was one of the Arctic convoys sent from Britain to aid the Soviet Union in the war against Nazi Germany . The convoy departed Loch Ewe , Scotland on 2 September 1942 and arrived in Arkhangelsk on 21 September 1942 . Following the disastrous losses to Convoy PQ 17 , the British were determined to provide the convoy with air cover . The new escort carrier had arrived from the United States and formed the core of the escorting force . The convoy was postponed because a large part of the Royal Navy was engaged in Operation Pedestal , protecting a vital convoy to Malta in August . Ships . The convoy consisted of forty merchant ships ( 11 British , 20 US , six Soviet and three Panamanian ) and four Fleet auxiliaries ; two oilers , a rescue ship and a CAM ship . Close escort was provided by a force led by Cdr . AB Russell , in the destroyer " Malcolm " . The force comprised two other destroyers " Achates " and " Amazon " , two anti - aircraft " gunships " , four Flower - class corvette s , four A / S trawlers and three minesweepers . The escort was supported by a Carrier group ( the escort carrier " Avenger " and her accompanying destroyers ) , and a " Fighting Destroyer Escort " of 16 Fleet destroyers commanded by Rear Adm . Robert Burnett in the cruiser " Scylla " . The escort was augmented by local escort forces from Britain to Iceland ( " Campbell " and six other destroyers , and 5 trawlers ) and from Murmansk ( four Soviet destroyers and three minesweepers ) . Distant cover was provided by a Heavy Cover Force ( the battleships " Anson " and " Duke of York " , a cruiser and six destroyers under the command of V Adm . Bruce Fraser ) and a Cruiser Cover Force of three cruisers and their destroyer escort commanded by V Adm . Bonham - Carter . Concurrent with PQ 18 the Royal Navy sent two forces to Spitzbergen , a Cruiser force with reinforcements for the garrison there and a Replenishment group for the convoy ; these would also be available to support PQ 18 . To guard against a sortie by the German surface fleet in Norway a submarine patrol force was sent to keep watch on the main Norwegian ports , nine submarines in all . Opposing this armada the German Navy had established a U - boat patrol group of 12 U - boats in the Norwegian Sea and a surface force comprising the cruisers " Admiral Scheer " , " Admiral Hipper " , and " Köln " and four destroyers . Since Operation Rosselsprung in the summer the battleship " Tirpitz " and cruiser " Lützow " were in dock for repairs , as were three destroyers , leaving the surface force depleted in numbers and strength . Air forces . This convoy was notable for being the first Russian convoy to use an escort carrier ; HMS " Avenger " carried 10 Hawker Hurricane fighter plane s and three Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber s . A combined Royal Air Force - Royal Australian Air Force detachment , made up of 32 Hampden torpedo bomber s from 144 Squadron and 455 Squadron , nine Catalina maritime patrol aircraft from 210 Squadron and three photo reconnaissance Spitfire s , was sent to air bases in the Soviet Union , to fend an attack by the German battleship " Tirpitz " , if it should eventuate . Nine Hampdens were lost on route , including one which crash landed in German - occupied Norway ; plans for the operation fell into the hands of the Germans as a result . The RAF - RAAF force regrouped at Vaenga air base , 40 km north of Murmansk . The Luftwaffe fielded a force of 42 Heinkel He 111 torpedo bombers of KG 26 and 35 Junkers Ju 88 dive bombers of KG 30 . Tactics consisted of simultaneous attack by torpedo bombers and dive bombers swamping the defenders , while III / KG 26 group was trained in an anti - convoy measure involving a massed torpedo attack , known as the " Golden Comb " . Battle . PQ 18 left Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942 , in the charge of its Local Escort force . On 7 September it was joined by the Close Escort , with eight merchantmen from Reykjavík , while the local escort , with 3 merchantmen , detached to there . On 9 September they were joined by Adm . Burnett in " Scylla " , with the Fighting Destroyer escort forces , accompanied by the carrier " Avenger " and her group , which would take the convoy on to Arkhangel ' sk . The Distant Cover and Cruiser cover forces had sailed independently , as had the two groups bound for Spitzbergen . On 8 September the convoy was sighted by a German reconnaissance aircraft , but lost shortly after . Contact was also made by U - boats from the " Ice Palace " group , which commenced shadowing . These were chased by the destroyers , in order to shake off pursuit , and on 12 September " U - 88 " was detected , attacked and destroyed by the escorting destroyer " Faulknor " . By 13 September there were eight U - boats in contact , and that morning two ships were torpedoed and sunk . At this stage PQ 18 was 150 miles north west of Bear island , about to turn into the Barents Sea . On this day the escort force was rejoined by " Scylla " and a number of destroyers that had detached to refuel at Lowe Sound . This brought the escort up to full strength for the next leg of the voyage . Also on 13 September the convoy was again sighted by a reconnaissance aircraft , a BV 138 from Banak . The air forces at Banak mounted a full assault on the convoy , using a new anti - convoy tactic , called the " Golden Comb " . This involved a mass torpedo attack by full group of torpedo bombers , and resulted in the sinking of eight ships from the convoy . Two more air attacks followed , but failed to score any hits . In all eight aircraft were shot down on this day . The following day , 14 September , the attack was repeated ; on this occasion , however , the escort force had developed counter - measures to the form of attack , and the massed AA fire from the convoy and fighter attacks , the result of aggressive handling by the carrier " Avenger " and the AA cruiser " Ulster Queen " , saw the attack broken up . Three air attacks saw one ship hit and sunk , while 21 aircraft were shot down . The14th also saw further U - boat attacks . The tanker " Atheltemplar " was torpedoed by " U - 457 " ; she was abandoned and sank later . In counter - attacks " U - 589 " was destroyed by " Onslow " . On 15 September there were further air attacks but these were again beaten off , without loss . After this there was a pause in the air offensive , as the official despatch states : " " During the whole period , just over two days , of concentrated air attack , the enemy lost at least forty aircraft : there can be little doubt that these heavy casualties , especially among his limited supply of really skilled torpedo pilots , was largely responsible for the steady decline in the size and vigour of his attacks . " " On 15 September there were still three U - boats still in contact , and another twelve in the area . These made several attempts to attack but had no success . On 16 September " U - 457 " was destroyed by " Impulsive " , and that afternoon all further U - boat attacks were called off . Later the same day Burnett with " Scylla " and the destroyer escort , with " Avenger " s group , detached to meet and escort the returning convoy QP 14 , while PQ 18 continued with its close escort . The following day it met the western local escort , a group of Soviet destroyers from Murmansk . During this period the German surface force had no impact on the convoy operation . It had been alerted when the convoy was first sighted , and on 10 September had moved north to Altenfjord , in preparation for a sortie . This move had been sighted by the British submarine patrol , and the submarine " Tigris " made a torpedo attack on " Admiral Scheer " , though without success . The force concentrated at Atenfjord , but Hitler , reluctant to risk the loss of any of his capital ships , refused to authorize it , and on 13th the sortie was cancelled . PQ 18 was not out of the woods , however ; on 18 September it was attacked again by German aircraft ; one ship , the US merchant freighter " Kentucky " was sunk , while three aircraft were shot down . Another air attack the following day scored no hits , and later on 19 September PQ 18 entered the White Sea . In total , 13 merchants were lost from the convoy . The " Tirpitz " did not attack the convoy and the RAF - RAAF Hampden force undertook one patrol , on September 14 . They left their 23 aircraft in the USSR before returning to bases in the UK . Assessment . PQ 18 was seen as a success by the Allies . Thirteen ships had been lost , but 28 had arrived safely , and the Arctic convoy route , which had been suspended since the loss of PQ 17 , had been re - established . Furthermore , three U - boats had been destroyed , and 40 German aircraft had been shot down . Whilst the Germans could be pleased with the losses inflicted , they had failed to stop the convoy getting through , and their own losses , particularly in trained pilots , were severe , denting the ability of the " Luftwaffe " to hinder future convoys . The German surface force had also been powerless to interfere , and its next venture , against Convoy JW 51B would be a debacle .