Convoy PQ 16 Convoy PQ 16 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during the Second World War . It sailed in May 1942 , reaching the Soviet northern ports after five days of air attacks that left eight ships sunk and two damaged . 25 ships arrived safely . Background . In the winter and spring of 1942 , U . S President Franklin D . Roosevelt and Soviet Union premier Joseph Stalin continually pressed for more convoys to Russia , to deliver War Stores to help them sustain their fight against Germany , despite the knowledge that the naval forces were stretched to the limit . Finally Stalin sent an urgent message to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in May 1942 in which he said , " I am fully aware of the difficulties involved and of the sacrifices made by Great Britain in the matter ( the Russian convoys ) . I feel , however , incumbent upon me to approach you with the request to take all possible measures in order to ensure the arrival of the above - mentioned materials in the USSR " . Ships . This convoy consisted of 35 merchant ships : 21 American , 4 Soviet , 8 British , 1 Dutch and one of Panamanian registry . It also had one auxiliary vessel , the CAM ship " Empire Lawrence " . The convoy was led by Commodore HN Gale in " Ocean Voice " . The close escort was led by the destroyer HMS " Ashanti " ( Cdr . RG Onslow ) and consisted of the destroyers ORP " Garland " , HMS " Volunteer " , HMS " Achates " , and HMS " Martin " , the anti - aircraft " gunship " " Alynbank " , four Flower class corvette s , one minesweeper and four trawlers . There were two support groups ; a Cruiser Cover Force led by R . Adm . HM Burrough in the cruiser HMS " Nigeria " , and comprising the cruisers " Kent " , " Liverpool " and " Norfolk " and destroyers HMS " Onslow " , HMS " Marne " and HMS " Oribi " and a Distant Covering Force of the battleships " Duke of York " and USS " Washington " , the carrier HMS " Victorious " , the cruisers HMS " London " and USS " Wichita " , and 13 destroyers . Action . PQ 16 left Hvalfjord in Iceland on 21 May under the protection of the Local Escort , meeting the Ocean Escort on 23 May . At this time of the year the convoy would be operating in the period of perpetual daylight of the Arctic summer ; this lessened the effectiveness of U - boat attack , but make round - the - clock air attack more likely . It also increased the chance of early detection by German reconnaissance aircraft . On 25 May PQ 16 met its cruiser escort , but on the same day was spotted by a FW200 reconnaissance plane , which commenced shadowing . That evening the German air force commenced a series of attacks which continued for the next five days , until the convoy was in range of Soviet fighter cover . On 25 May one ship was damaged and forced to return under escort ; on 26 May all air attacks were repulsed , but one ship " Syros " , was torpedoed by " U - 703 " . By 27 May the air attacks began to break through ; three ships were sunk and another damaged around mid - day ; another sunk and one damaged in mid - afternoon . That evening two more ships were sunk , and another damaged . On 28 May the convoy was joined by the Eastern Local escort ; three Soviet destroyers and four minesweepers . Their extra firepower enabled all further air attacks to be beaten off . On 29 the convoy divided , six ships making for Archangel , while the remainder docked at Murmansk . Eight merchant ships were lost : six by air attack , one by submarine U - 703 and one by a mine . Two U - boats were damaged during attacks by escorts , and an unknown number of attacking aircraft shot down . Aftermath . When Convoy PQ16 was assembled off Iceland Churchill declared it would be worthwhile if even 50 % got through ; despite the losses the majority of the ships of Convoy PQ16 did arrive , most ships to Murmansk ( 30 May 1942 ) and eight ships to Archangelsk ( 1 June 1942 ) . The convoy was such a success in terms of the War Stores delivered that the Germans made greater efforts to disrupt the following convoys . The Heavy Lift Ships from Convoy PQ16 including " SS Empire Elgar " stayed at Archangelsk and Molotovsk unloading convoys for over 14 months .