2–11 September Convoy PQ 18 left Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942, accompanied by its Local Escort force from Western Approaches Command. The convoy ran into stormy weather, which made formation keeping much harder, particularly for some of the ships with novice crews, dubious about the British since the PQ 17 disaster. Some escorts also had inexperienced crews and
Scylla and
Avenger were new ships.
Avenger had engine trouble, a Sea Hurricane was washed overboard and aircraft tethered below, broke free and slid around the hangar, as did fuzed bombs. The convoy was reported by and on 6 September, a
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor long-range reconnaissance aircraft had observed
Avenger and the Close Escort Force at Seidisfiord in Iceland. The Condor identified
Avenger as and near-missed with its bombs. Next day, as the convoy sailed round the south-west of Iceland, the local escort docked at Hvalfiordur and the close escort with six Soviet freighters joined the convoy, which rounded the west coast heading north. The convoy was sighted by a Condor on 8 September and then hidden by an overcast. A Swedish source (A2) in Stockholm had told the British naval attaché that a surface ship operation would be mounted against the next convoy and by 8 September, the Admiralty could provide the escort commander a report on the positions of the twenty U-boats expected to attack the convoy and forecast that 65 torpedo-bombers (true figure 92) and 120 bombers were preparing the biggest torpedo attack on an Arctic convoy so far. On 8 September the convoy was joined by
Scylla, with the FDE and the
Avenger carrier group, which had waited until before sailing, to conserve fuel and took post around the convoy at the same time on 9 September; the Germans sent new search positions to the U-boats and this was passed to the convoy the next day. The Cruiser Covering Force had sailed independently to a position west of Bear Island and the group carrying supplies bound for the Norwegian weather station at Barentsburg was off Svalbard, using Convoy PQ 18 to divert the
Luftwaffe. The battleships of the distant covering force had sailed from Seidisfiord towards
Jan Mayen Island. Contact was made by U-boats from Wolfpack (Death to carrier) of twelve boats, which were distributed in three groups along the expected route of the convoy. On 10 September, the weather worsened and fog descended as the escorts chased
Asdic reports of submarines. Off Norway, far to the east, as
Scheer,
Hipper,
Koln and their destroyers began
Unternehmen Doppelschlag. Next day, as the convoy made its way through fog and rain squalls which turned to snow, Boddam-Whetham criticised the ships' station keeping and warned that ships should keep two cables apart [about ].
Scylla and five destroyers of the
3rd Destroyer Flotilla from the FDE departed the convoy for
Bellsundet (Bell Sound) on the south-west coast on the Svalbard and arrived at on 12 September, to fuel from the two oilers in Axelfjord; the destroyers departed at on 13 September.
12 September Dawn on 12 September was overcast clear underneath, with a north-westerly breeze when a BV 138 dropped below the cloud. Four Sea Hurricanes took off from
Avenger but failed to shoot down the shadower, which flew back into the clouds. Sea Hurricanes were armed with rifle calibre machine-guns and hits often failed to penetrate. During the day, escorts'
High-frequency direction finding equipment (Huff-Duff) detected U-boat wireless transmissions and the escorts made many
depth charge attacks, driving off several U-boats. In front of the convoy at the destroyer
Faulknor, received an Asdic echo and destroyed with its first depth charge salvo.
13 September The convoy received Ultra information on the latest U-boat positions from the Admiralty and Swordfish aircraft were on anti-submarine patrol by dodging a BV 138 and a Ju 88, which were faster and better armed. The German aircraft disappeared into cloud when Sea Hurricanes took off from
Avenger, then flew back as soon as they landed. Several U-boats were forced to dive by the Swordfish but at the Russian freighter in the tenth column, on the right flank, was torpedoed and sunk at 75° 52' N, 07° 55' E by and with 21 dead from the crew of 87.
Oliver Ellsworth, following behind, turned to avoid the ship and was hit by another torpedo as the rest of Convoy PQ 18 was making the emergency turn and one man was lost. Several minesweepers and trawlers converged on the site and rescued the survivors. Sea Hurricanes were sent to attack several reported to be dropping mines ahead of the convoy but again failed to destroy them; Swordfish tried to attack U-boats on the surface only to be foiled by the Early in the afternoon, two escorts attacked with no result after a conning tower was seen and another U-boat was chased out of the convoy. At when Convoy PQ 18 was about north-west of Bear Island and about to turn into the Barents Sea, the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla returned from refuelling at Svalbard. Twenty of KG 30 appeared and bombed through gaps in the cloud; Sea Hurricanes were sent to intercept but failed to shoot down any of the bombers. At about when the Sea Hurricanes were back on deck and rearming, ships' radars detected several formations of aircraft at range. There was an overcast, the cloud base was at a
moderate sea was running and intermittent showers and sleet obscured the convoy. The bombing succeeded in disrupting the convoy formation as of in two waves, followed by of and seventeen from KG 30 prepared to make a
Goldene Zange attack. One of the Ju 88s shadowing the convoy flew to rendezvous with the torpedo-bombers and guide them to their target. Standing orders to keep station meant that the anti-aircraft ship , on the left side of the convoy, remained out of range. The escorts closed in, rather than keeping their distance to disrupt the
Luftwaffe formations as they passed overhead; the Sea Hurricanes were still on deck. Boddam-Whetham ordered a 45° emergency turn away from a torpedo attack by sounding a horn and the raising a signal flag, to be repeated by the other ships as they were seen but the ninth and tenth columns (right flank column and the next one to port) maintained course. The torpedo-bombers approached so close to the sea that machine-guns and even the low-angle
BL 4.7-inch guns Mk I on some of the destroyers could be brought to bear, Some of the anti-aircraft fire was poorly aimed and spent rounds from the ships on the left flank hit those on the right, wounding gunners, damaging cargoes and holing lifeboats. The torpedo-bomber formation split to pass the cruiser
Scylla then each bomber dropped two torpedoes and turned towards the stern of the convoy. Some pilots pressed their attacks
Empire Stevenson, at the head of the ninth column disappeared in a plume of smoke and was lost with all hands. A torpedo fell straight into a hold of
Wacosta, the next ship in the column, exploded and sank the ship, the crew being rescued.
Oregonian at the head of the tenth column was hit by three torpedoes, capsized and only survived, many being badly affected through exposure and swallowing oil.
Macbeth, following behind, was hit by two torpedoes and the destroyer came alongside to take off the crew before the ship sank.
Sukhona and
Afrikander were also sunk and the crews rescued by the close escort, leaving
Mary Luckenbach as the only survivor of the two columns. At the head of one of the left flank columns,
Empire Beaumont was hit, set on fire and the crew rescued;
John Penn was torpedoed in the engine room, three men were killed and the ship was sunk by gunfire from the escorts. Some observers reported periscopes inside the convoy and several ships were near-missed by bombs from the above. In fewer than fifteen minutes, eight ships had been sunk for a British claim of five bombers shot down and three probables. Every bomber had been hit by anti-aircraft fire and four of the I/KG 26 aircraft made emergency landings in the sea; one crew being rescued by (sea rescue service); two of the surviving aircraft were write-offs and several III/KG 26 aircraft in the second wave were shot down. After the attack, several
Heinkel He 115 (He 115) torpedo floatplanes, waiting out of range, attacked in two formations but were driven off. One of the floatplanes was attacked by four Sea Hurricanes but escaped after shooting down one of the pursuers. More aircraft were seen mining the water ahead of the convoy, which made a sharp turn to port until Fifteen minutes later, as night fell, twelve He 115s attacked from the south-west but were deterred by the anti-aircraft barrage. Two Heinkels were shot down, one crew being captured and the other being rescued by in the wake of the convoy. (Some late evening losses on 13 September were recorded on the next day.) Colthurst decided that the Sea Hurricanes henceforth would fly standing patrols of 25 minutes duration each, to ensure that some were always available to break up formations, even if they were too slow and ill-armed to inflict many losses. The captain of
Ulster Queen resolved to ignore the standing orders to keep station and steer towards incoming aircraft instead. ======== The German surface force at Narvik had been alerted when the convoy was first sighted and on 10 September sailed north to
Altafjord to begin (Operation Double Hit). The move was sighted by the two British submarines on patrol and made an abortive torpedo attack on
Admiral Scheer, erroneously reporting the ship as
Tirpitz. Soon after midnight on 10/11 September the Admiralty reported Enigma messages that
Admiral Hipper was due at Altefjord at and in the afternoon that
Tirpitz was still at Narvik. On 13 September, Enigma showed that the ships at Altefjord had come to one hours' notice at which was relayed to the convoy escort commander at The ships were photographed at Altefjord by PRU Spitfires on 14, 15 and 16 September. Enigma showed that
Tirpitz was still in Narvik on 14 September and on 16 September, the Swedish source A2 reported that only
Admiral Hipper,
Admiral Scheer and
Köln would operate against Convoy PQ 18. had already been called off on 13 September; while the ships were at Altefjord. Hitler, reluctant to risk the loss of any of his capital ships on an offensive operation, had refused to authorise a sortie. The Hampden force in Russia had undertaken an anti-shipping patrol on 14 September but found no targets. (The RAF donated the remaining Hampdens and Spitfires to the
Soviet Air Force (, VVS) and the crews returned to Britain on the cruiser and two destroyers on 28 October).
14 September At on 14 September, the oiler was torpedoed by which was being stalked by an escort, the U-boat then dived under the convoy and escaped, cloaked from Asdic by propeller noise. Fires on
Atheltemplar were impossible to extinguish and it was abandoned, to be sunk by the escorts after the survivors were rescued. Swordfish patrols began at dawn and at a U-boat about starboard of the convoy was spotted and marked by a smoke float before a Ju 88 shadowing aircraft saw off the Swordfish.
U-589 surfaced again and was seen by an escort heading for the smoke around
U-589 dived again, was depth charged several times and destroyed on the eighth attack at When the escort made for the convoy, its captain left a shot-down German bomber crew behind. The Swordfish played cat and mouse with Ju 88s and BV 138s, trying to lure them into range of ships' guns and at a German torpedo-bomber formation of III/KG 26 was reported by a Swordfish to be en route for the convoy at wave top height. The torpedo-bomber formation divided to nullify attempts by the ships to evade their attacks.
Avenger had a standing patrol of Sea Hurricanes aloft and increased speed to emerge from the head of the convoy and run down the port side.
Ulster Queen also left station to meet the attack along with
Scylla and . During these manoeuvres, Boddam-Whetham ordered another 45° emergency turn away. The torpedo-bomber formation divided and one part turned towards
Avenger; the barrage made the others release their torpedoes too soon, some of which turned over in the air. No hits were achieved and by eleven Ju 88s had been shot down. KG 30 arrived and dive-bombed from until through breaks in the cloud, opposed by the anti-aircraft fire of the convoy and attacks by six Sea Hurricanes. One Ju 88 was shot down as
Avenger and several other ships were near-missed. At twenty-two He 111s of I/KG 26 and eighteen Ju 88 torpedo-bombers attacked head on, having received reports that
Avenger was in front the convoy. The bombers found
Scylla instead and were attacked from behind by Sea Hurricanes, which dived on the formation as it flew into the anti-aircraft barrage. Several torpedo-bomber pilots saw
Avenger and altered course down the starboard side of the convoy to attack. Three of the Sea Hurricanes which followed the German aircraft into the barrage were shot down by the ships, the pilots being rescued by destroyers. Two He 111s aimed at
Avenger which combed the tracks (steered between them) several bombers did not drop and others did at random.
Mary Luckenbach was torpedoed from by a bomber which strafed the superstructure as it passed overhead, its starboard engine on fire as it crashed into the sea;
Mary Luckenbach, the last ship of the ninth and tenth columns, disappeared in a huge explosion. Ships nearby were showered with débris and concussion led the captain of
Nathaniel Greene to order abandon ship, under the impression that it had been torpedoed, until he realised his mistake; two injured gunners were taken off by a destroyer. Five He 111s crashed near the convoy, four more force-landed in the sea and five of the thirteen survivors were seriously damaged. The British claimed 13 torpedo-bombers for a loss of the three Sea Hurricanes.
Luftwaffe records show at least 23 aircraft of I./KG 26, III./KG 26, III./KG 30, I./406 and I./906 were destroyed; I/KG 26 was reduced to eight serviceable aircraft. The crew of one of the shot down bombers was fired on as columns of the convoy passed by. Ju 88 bombers from KG 30 conducted level- and dive-bombing attacks on the escorts until then climbed into the cloud and departed. The Sea Hurricane pilots claimed five bombers and the speed with which the escorts had rescued the three shot down Hurricane pilots raised their morale.
Avenger had achieved a much better radar-controlled fighter interception than the day before. During the evening, Convoy PQ 18 passed
Hope Island and some of the 550 survivors were redistributed, 209 being accommodated on
Scylla and 234 on the fleet destroyers due to return with Convoy QP 14. One destroyer bound for Iceland took off the unwounded survivors on
Copeland, leaving 96 seriously wounded men being treated.
15 September Dawn on 15 September broke with a calm sea and patchy cloud at ; during the day the wind rose, bringing showers of rain, sleet and snow. Overnight and in the morning, Huff-Duff detected wireless transmissions from U-boats in the vicinity; Swordfish anti-submarine patrols were flown by
Avenger from first light. German reconnaissance aircraft reached the convoy around and near noon, German bombers were detected and Sea Hurricanes scrambled. The raid lasted for about three hours, the bombers attacking through gaps in the cloud cover but fighter attacks and the anti-aircraft fire from the ships prevented accurate bombing. The
computer on
Scylla, eavesdropping on
5610kHz, the
Luftwaffe frequency, heard the dismay of the bomber pilots at the size of the convoy. The Sea Hurricanes managed eventually to keep the bombers circling out of range;
Ulster Queen even managed to shoot down a Ju 88 in cloud, aiming with its
gun-laying radar. The last bombers departed at but although the weather worsened, U-boat alerts continued all day. Soon after noon, smoke was seen on the horizon, thought to be from surface ships but when an escort steered south-east to check, it turned out to be diesel smoke from two surfaced U-boats. The U-boats crash-dived and a BV 138 nearby was driven off; the ship failed to located the U-boats with Asdic and one of the U-boats made an abortive attack on the ship, which returned to the convoy at The weather deterioration continued into the evening and as the destroyer returned to its station after dropping back to refuel, a depth-charge attack was made on a "suspicious object".
16 September U-boat contacts were made all night and at on 16 September,
U-457 sailed beneath the outer anti-submarine screen and prepared to fire a torpedo salvo at the convoy.
Impulsive gained an Asdic contact, made a depth-charge attack and then lost contact amidst the propeller noises of the convoy. The destroyer passed between the merchant ships as they steamed over the position of the attack, found the suggestive smell of oil and bubbles on the sea, claiming a probable;
U-457 had been destroyed. Soon after dawn, the first Catalina from Russia arrived, allowing the Swordfish crews to cease their anti-submarine patrols and at the convoy turned south, running into mist and rising winds. At two escorts attacked a U-boat but it evaded the attack with a
Pillenwerfer, a discharge of compressed air which gave the same Asdic echo as a submarine and the hunt was terminated at Wireless contact was made with the homeward QP 14, ready for the changeover and then
Scylla and the FDE departed, along with the
Avenger group,
Alynbank and the two submarine escorts. Convoy PQ 18 and the close escort of corvettes, minesweepers and trawlers as a south-easterly gale brought mist and rain. There were constant U-boat alarms and at one point, mines were seen amidst the freighters, leading to the convoy gunners engaging anything seen afloat, to the detriment of seals in the sea, men, superstructure and cargo on other ships.
17–18 September The Soviet destroyers and arrived before noon on 17 September and made a substantial addition to the anti-aircraft firepower of the close escort;
Kuibishev and
Uritski arriving next morning. At on 18 September, the convoy reached
Cape Kanin as the
Luftwaffe made another
Goldene Zange attack. The last twelve operational He 111 torpedo-bombers of KG 26 attacked at wave-top height from astern as the Ju 88s of KG 30 bombed the convoy.
Ulster Queen turned meet the attack broadside; with the first two Russian destroyers,
Ulster Queen fired into the sea to create a splash barrage. A witness on
Copeland reported that the bombers
Kentucky was hit amidships and caught fire. The crew abandoned ship to be rescued, despite the sea state, by nearby escorts. A request was sent by wireless to Archangelsk for tugs to be sent as two escorts waited with
Kentucky. As a party tried to board, a Ju 88 hit
Kentucky with two bombs and caused more fires, attracting other bombers to the scene. The escorts tried to finish off the ship with gunfire and then returned to the convoy amidst the
Goldene Zange. No Soviet aircraft were available and at
Empire Morn launched Flying Officer Burr in his CAM Hurricane, the last air defence of the convoy. Many convoy gunners fired at the Hurricane until it was out of range and Burr also had to weave through the barrage balloons flown by the merchantmen. Burr attacked Heinkels astern of the convoy and obtained a flamer before running out of ammunition. The torpedo-bombers failed to hit any ships for a loss of three bombers and one seriously damaged. The ships had been shaken by many near misses by the torpedo-bombers and after the event it was speculated that many of the torpedoes had dud fuzes. In the confusion, the master of
Empire Tristram had thrown overboard the confidential books and begun an abandon ship, before realising his mistake and pressing on. Wild shooting by the convoy gunners wounded one man and hit several aircraft carried on the deck of
Patrick Henry. No more torpedo attacks were made on the convoy and soon after, Soviet aircraft appeared and kept away the Ju 88 bombers of KG 30 as the weather deteriorated again. At four British local escorts joined the convoy, which split into two columns as dark fell and the tide in the
Dvina Estuary ebbed strongly. Ships crossing the Dvina bar needed navigation beacons but these were not illuminated and some pilot boats failed to appear. Convoy PQ 18 had to drop anchor and spend the night riding out a north-westerly gale against a
Lee shore. Some ships dragged their anchors or lost them, others started engines and managed to move away from the shore and
heave to and two trawlers used their last coal to steam into wind. One ship had to be steered by hand after the steering gear broke down,
Exford lost both anchors and several ships made for the estuary.
20–27 September By dawn on 20 September, five ships were aground and an attempt by two corvettes to tow off a trawler failed.
Campfire, aground, was full of explosives; the captain ordered the crew to abandon and make for Modyugski Island, which was achieved despite the storm and on 21 September, in better weather, the master and several volunteers re-boarded. For the rest of 20 September, the ships waited for the storm to abate and as the winds fell in the afternoon, twelve Ju 88 bombers appeared through the cloud at and attacked, achieving only several near-misses. On 21 September, pilot boats came out and the ships were guided into port. Three warships stayed behind to guard the grounded ships, which were attacked at by two Ju 88s which had more near misses. As the ships moved upstream, Archangelsk was bombed but the raid hit the town, rather than the port. For several days, cargo on the ships stranded on the sandbar was transferred to two
heavy lift ships by lighters and a salvage ship, all the ships being re-floated by 27 September; the last ship was re-floated later; discharging the ships took a month. At a reception to celebrate the arrival of Convoy PQ 18, the convoy Commodore Boddam-Whetham, was cheered to the rafters. ==Aftermath==