Convoy SC 94 was the 94th of the numbered series of World War II slow convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool.Hague 2000 p.133 The ships departed Sydney on 31 July 1942Hague 2000 p.135 and were met by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group C-1.

Background As western Atlantic coastal convoys brought an end to the Second Happy Time, Admiral Karl Dönitz, the Befehlshaber der U-Boote (commander in chief of U-boats), shifted focus to the mid-Atlantic to avoid aircraft patrols. Although convoy routing was less predictable in the mid-ocean, Dönitz anticipated that the increased numbers of U-boats being produced would be able to effectively search the area with the advantage of intelligence gained through B-Dienst decryption of British Naval Cypher Number 3.Tarrant p.108 However, only 20 percent of the 180 trans-Atlantic convoys sailing from the end of July 1942 until the end of April 1943 lost ships to U-boat attack.Hague pp.132, 137-138, 161-162, 164, 181

Battle Discovery on 5 August reported the convoy on 5 August and torpedoed the Dutch freighter Spar.Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992 p. 153

Attack of 6 August Assiniboines Type 286 radar spotted in a heavy fog on 6 August. The destroyer closed on the contact and briefly spotted the submarine twice before losing her in the fog. The submarine reappeared crossing the destroyer's bow at a range of , and both ships opened fire. The range was too close for Assiniboines guns to engage, but her .50-calibre machine guns shot up the submarine's deck and conning tower. This kept the Germans from manning their deck gun, but the flak gun was already manned and firing. It punched holes through the destroyer's plating that set some petrol tanks on the deck afire and disabled 'A' gun. The destroyer was unable to ram U-210 until the rear 4.7-inch gun hit the conning tower, killing the entire bridge crew and the .50-caliber machine guns were able to silence the flak gun. This caused Lieutenant Sorber, the senior surviving officer, to order the submarine to dive, but this meant that she had to hold a straight course while doing so. Assiniboine was able to take advantage of this and rammed U-210 abaft the conning tower whilst she was diving. This caused the electric motors to fail, damaged her propellers and led to water entering the submarine, as a result of which Sorber ordered the ballast tanks to be blown and the submarine to be abandoned. The destroyer rammed her again when U-210 resurfaced, dropped a pattern of depth charges set to detonate at shallow depth and hit her one more time with a 4.7-inch shell before the submarine finally sank.Douglas pp. 505-507

Attack of 8 August torpedoed the British freighter Anneberg and American freighter Kaimoku on the afternoon of 8 August while torpedoed the British freighters Kelso and Trehata and Greek freighter Mount Kassion.Hague 2000 p.137 Three undamaged ships were abandoned in the resulting panic. One of them, the British freighter Radchurch, was later torpedoed by U-176. The Shakespeare-class destroyer leader and the Polish destroyer arrived to reinforce the escort, while Dianthus left the convoy to repair damage incurred while ramming and sinking U-379.

Attack of 10 August torpedoed the Greek freighter Condylis in daylight on 10 August while torpedoed the British freighters Cape Race, Empire Reindeer and Oregon. The remainder of the convoy reached Liverpool on 13 August.

Ships in the convoy Allied merchant ships A total of 35 merchant vessels joined the convoy, either in Sydney or later in the voyage.

NameFlagDeadTonnage (GRT)CargoNotesAghios Spyridon (1905)3,338 GrainSurvived this convoy and convoy SC 104Anneberg (1902)02,5373,200 tons woodpulpSunk by 8 AugBifrost (1923)4,949FlourBoston City (1920)2,870General cargoSurvived this convoy, convoy ON 127, convoy SC 104 & convoy SC 122Brisk (1923)1,594Flour & general cargoCape Race (1930)03,80713 passengers, 3,979 tons lumber & 1,040 tons steelSunk by 10 AugCastilian (1919)3,067General cargoVeteran of convoy HX 84Condylis (1914)94,4396,924 tons grain & trucksSunk by & 10 AugDaleby (1929)4,640General cargoDrakepool (1924)4,838(in ballast)Survived this convoy and convoy SC 122 (1919)4,945General cargoSurvived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy SC 107Empire Moonbeam (1941)6,849PhosphatesSurvived to be sunk the following month in convoy ON 127Empire Reindeer (1919)06,2595,950 tons woodpulp & general cargoSunk by 10 AugEmpire Scout (1936)2,229GrainShip's master was convoy vice-commodoreHagood (1919)6,866DieselIllinoian (1918)6,473Mail & general cargoInger Lise (1939)1,582LumberSurvived this convoy and convoy SC 104Ingerfem (1912)3,987Iron oreSurvived this convoy and convoy SC 104Kaimoku (1919)46,367US Army storesSunk by 8 AugKelso (1924)33,9562,000 tons ammunition & 2,618 tons general cargoSunk by 8 AugMars (1925)1,582FlourSurvived this convoy and convoy SC 104Melmore Head (1918)5,273General cargoVeteran of convoy SC 7; survived to be sunk 4 months later in convoy ON 154Mount Kassion (1918)05,2739,700 tons general cargoSunk by 8 AugMount Pelion (1917)5,655General cargoSurvived to be sunk 2 months later in convoy SC 107Norelg (1920)6,103General cargoOregon (1920)116,0081 passenger & 8,107 tons general cargoSunk by & 10 AugOsric (1919)1,418TimberPanos (1920)4,914CoalPenolver (1912)3,721Grain & general cargoRadchurch (1910)03,701Iron oreAbandoned undamaged & sunk by 9 AugSpar (1924)33,616Mail & 4,900 tons general cargoSunk by 5 AugTrehata (1928)314,8173,000 tons steel & 3,000 tons foodCarried convoy commodore VADM Dashwood Fowler Moir DSO; sunk by 8 AugTynemouth (1940)3,168Lumber & steelSurvived this convoy, convoy SL 125 & convoy ON 154Veni (1901)2,982Steel & woodpulpSurvived this convoy & convoy ON 154Willemsplein (1910)5,489Iron oreSurvived this convoy & convoy ON 127

Convoy escorts A series of armed military ships escorted the convoy at various times during its journey.Milner 1985 p.285

NameFlagTypeJoinedLeft31 Jul 194213 Aug 194231 Jul 194213 Aug 19428 Aug 194213 Aug 1942Shakespeare-class destroyer leader8 Aug 194213 Aug 194231 Jul 194213 Aug 194231 Jul 19428 Aug 1942, due to damagefrom sinking 31 Jul 194213 Aug 194231 Jul 194213 Aug 194231 Jul 194213 Aug 1942

See also Convoy Battles of World War II

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