Convoy PQ 17 was the penultimate convoy of the PQ series of Arctic convoys, bound from British and American ports through the Arctic Ocean via Reykjavík to the ports of the northern Soviet Union, particularly Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in the White Sea. The convoy was heavily defended, but fearing an imminent attack by German ships, including . The Admiralty made the decision to disperse the convoy.

The convoy comprised 35 merchant ships and 6 naval auxiliaries (41 in all) and was defended by a close escort and two distant escort forces, 43 warships in total. It was opposed by a U-boat , of first 6, then 8 U-boats, and a surface attack force of 16 warships, in two battle groups. This operation was code-named Unternehmen Rösselsprung (Operation Knight's Move). These were assisted by the 234 aircraft of Luftflotte 5.

Before the convoy dispersed, three ships had been lost. After it scattered each ship made its way individually to the Russian ports. Some ships took refuge along the frozen coast of Novaya Zemlya, landing at Matochkin. The Soviet tanker Azerbaijan had lost her cargo of linseed oil and much of SS Winston-Salems cargo had also been jettisoned in Novaya Zemlya.

Of the thirty-six ships that left Iceland, three were forced to return early and 21 were sunk. Ten merchant ships (one British, six American, one Panamanian and two Russian) and four auxiliaries reached Archangel and delivered out of the which had started from Iceland.

Allied forces

Operation ES +Force X NameFlagTypeDatesNotesFeints towards Norwayminelaying cruiserDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyHMS St Mary'sDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyN-class destroyerDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyN-class destroyerDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyDeparted 29 June, 6 JulyReefer ship conversionDeparted 29 June, 6 July1st Minelaying SquadronReefer ship conversionDeparted 29 June, 6 July1st Minelaying SquadronReefer ship conversionDeparted 29 June, 6 July1st Minelaying SquadronReefer ship conversionDeparted 29 June, 6 July1st Minelaying Squadron5 colliers—Departed 29 June, 6 July4 HMT trawlers—Departed 29 June, 6 July

Convoy PQ 17

+Freighters convoyedNameYearGRTFlagNotesAlcoa Ranger19195,116 Sunk , 7 July, 0† 40 surv19378,402 Fleet oiler, damaged by aircraft 5 July, sunk , 7 July, 0† 54 surv19326,114 Damaged19205,34519427,191Bolton Castle19395,203 Sunk by aircraft, 5 JulyCarlton19205,127 Sunk , 5 July, 3† 42 surv19427,191 Damaged by aircraft, sunk , 4 July, 3† 47 survDaniel Morgan19427,177 Damaged by aircraft, sunk , 5 July, 3† 51 surv19357,925Earlston19417,195 Damaged by aircraft, sunk , 5 July19175,255 Damaged by aircraft 9 July, sunk , 10 July, 0† 6719416,640 Damaged by aircraft 4 July, sunk , 5 July, 7† 63 surv19416,978 CAM ship 4,969 Ice damage, turned backFairfield City19215,686 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July19413,313 Fleet oiler, (Force Q) ice damage, detached 2 July, to Convoy QP 1319345,082 Sunk , 7 July, 38† 20 survHonomu19196,977 Sunk , 5 July, 13† 28 surv19205,060 Damaged by aircraft 9 July, sunk , 10 July, 0† 53 surv19195,68519427,191 Sunk , 6 July, 1† 49 survNavarino19374,841 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July19427,173Olopana19206,069 Sunk , 8 July, 7† 34 survPan Atlantic19195,411 Sunk by aircraft, 6 July19195,644 Sunk by aircraft, 7 JulyPaulus Potter19427,168 Damaged by aircraft 5 July, sunk , 13 July, 0† 76 survPeter Kerr19206,476 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July 7,191 Ran aground, towed back to port19355,479 Convoy Commodore sunk , 5 July, 26† 38 surv19427,19119194,93719206,428Washington19195,564 Sunk by aircraft, 5 July19185,728 Engine trouble, returned to portWilliam Hooper19427,177 Damaged by aircraft 4 July, sunk , 4 July19206,223Ran aground, recovered, Molotovsk (now Severodvinsk) 28 July

Escort +NameFlagClassNotesClose escortE-class destroyer29 June – 4 JulyF-class destroyer30 June – 4 JulyO-class destroyer30 June – 4 JulyShakespeare-class destroyer Senior Officer Escort, 30 June – 4 July30 June – 4 July30 June – 4 July30 June – 4 July30 June – 4 July30 June – 4 July30 June – 4 July30 June – 4 July27 June − 4 July27 June – 4 July27 June – 4 JulyAnti-aircraft ship27 June – 4 JulyAnti-aircraft ship27 June – 4 JulyASW trawler27 June – 4 JulyASW trawler27 June – 4 JulyASW trawler27 June – 4 JulyASW trawler27 June – 4 JulyRescue ship Arrived Archangel, 9 JulyZaafaran Rescue ship Sunk by aircraft, 5 July Rescue shipP611-class submarine30 June – 4 JulyP611-class submarine27 June – 4 JulyForce Q (Fleet oiler and escort)27 June – 2 July Detached to Convoy QP 1327 June – 2 July Detached to Convoy QP 13Covering force (1st Cruiser Squadron)1–4 July1–4 July{1–4 July1–4 July1–4 July1–4 July1–4 JulyDistant Cover (Home Fleet)29 June – 4 July29 June – 4 July29 June – 4 July29 June – 4 July29 June – 4 July1–4 July1–4 July1–4 JulyE-class destroyer29 June – 4 JulyF-class destroyer29 June – 4 JulyM-class destroyer29 June – 4 JulyM-class destroyer29 June – 4 JulyO-class destroyer29 June – 4 JulyO-class destroyer1–4 July29 June – 4 July27 June – 4 July29 June – 4 JulySubmarine patrolsAllied submarine flank screen S-class submarine S-class submarine U-class submarine U-class submarine Bear Island patrol line T-class submarine T-class submarine Soviet submarines off Varangerfjord D-3 Sunk off Varangerfjord, ? mined K-2 K-21 K-22 M-176 Sunk off Varangerfjord, ? mined Shch-402 Shch-403

Axis order of battle 5

+ 5, 1 June 1942 CommandUnits 5 HQ Colonel-General Hans-Jürgen StumpffOslo 5 (Weather reconnaissance squadron) (Colonel) Hermann BuschKirkenesI. and II./ 30; II. and 13./ 5; I./ 5 (Dive-Bomber Wing); 3./ 26; 1./ 125 (Maritime Reconnaissance Wing); 1./ 22; 1./ 124 (Long-Range Reconnaissance Wing) Alexander HolleSolaI./ 26; I./ 40; 2./ 906 (Coastal Reconnaissance Wing); ; 1./ 120 Ernst-August RothBardufossIII./ 30; III./ 5; 2./; 4./ 5; 1./ 124TrondheimI./ 5; (Fighter Wing)— VIII (Maritime Rescue Area Command); IX

NameFlagClassNotesScouting U-boatsType VIIC submarineJohn Witherspoon, Alcoa Ranger, Olopana, Paulus PotterType VIIC submarineWilliam Hooper, Earlston (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat)Type VIIC submarineType VIIC submarineHonomu (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat)Type VIIC submarineEmpire Byron (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) River AftonType VIIC submarineSank Carlton, Daniel Morgan ( aircraft, then sunk by U-boat) Type VIIC submarine El Capitan (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat)Type VIIC submarine HartleburyType VIIC submarine Hoosier (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat)Type VIIC submarine Christopher Newport, Aldersdale (aircraft, then sunk by U-boat)+Type VIIC submarine ShipsForce I (Admiral Otto Schniewind)Trondheim to Gimsøya Strait to AltafjordTrondheim to Gimsøya Strait to AltafjordTrondheim to Gimsøya Strait, scraped bottom, returned TrondheimTrondheim to Gimsøya Strait to AltafjordTrondheim to Gimsøya Strait, scraped bottom, returned TrondheimTrondheim to Gimsøya Strait, scraped bottom, returned TrondheimType 35 torpedo boatTrondheim to Gimsøya Strait to AltafjordType 35 torpedo boatTrondheim to Gimsøya Strait to AltafjordForce II (Vice-Admiral Oskar Kummetz)Narvik to AltafjordLützowNarvik to Altafjord, grounded, returned Bogen BayNarvik to AltafjordNarvik to AltafjordNarvik to AltafjordNarvik to AltafjordNarvik to AltafjordNarvik to Altafjord

See also Arctic convoys of World War II Operation Rösselsprung Operation Wunderland

Notes

Footnotes

References

Further reading

External links U.S. Naval Historical Center account of PQ-17 Description of Rösselsprung The Requiem on Convoy PQ-17, Russian novel by Valentin Pikul Memoirs of Chief Steward Horace Carswell DSM, MM, BEM during Convoy PQ.17 Coxswain Sid Kerslake of armed trawler "Northern Gem" in PQ.17 Convoy PQ.17, a primary source diary and supporting material by Jack Bowman, ERA aboard HMS La Malouine. PQ 17 at Convoyweb