Convoy PQ 7 was the eighth of the Arctic convoys of the Second World War by which the Western Allies supplied material aid to the Soviet Union in its fight with Nazi Germany. The convoy was in two parts: PQ 7a sailed from Hvalfjörður, Iceland on 26 December 1941 and arrived at Murmansk on 12 January 1942. PQ 7b sailed from Hvalfjord, Iceland on 31 December 1941 and arrived in Murmansk on 11 January 1942.
Ships
editConvoy PQ 7a
editConvoy PQ 7a consisted of two merchant ships; SS Cold Harbor (Panama) and SS Waziristan (UK), and was escorted by two armed trawlers. SS Waziristan was sunk by the German submarine U-134 on 2 January 1942.
Freighters
edit| Name | Year | Flag | GRT | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS Cold Harbor | 1920 |  Panama
|
5,010 | |
| SS Waziristan | 1924 |  United Kingdom
|
5,135 | Convoy Commodore, stranded in ice, sunk by aircraft and U-134 |
Convoy escorts
edit| Name | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMT Hugh Walpole |  Royal Navy
|
Anti-submarine trawler | Escort 26–27 December |
| HMT Ophelia | Royal Navy
|
Shakespearian-class trawler | Escort 26–27 December |
Convoy PQ 7b
editConvoy PQ 7b comprised nine merchant vessels (two Panamanian, one Russian and seven British). The escort consisted of the destroyers HMS Icarus, HMS Tartar and two armed trawlers. All ships arrived safely.
Merchant ships
edit| Name | Year | Flag | GRT | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS Aneroid | 1917 | Panama
|
5,074 | |
| SS Botavon | 1912 | United Kingdom
|
5,848 | |
| SS Chernyshevski | 1919 |  Soviet Union
|
3,588 | |
| SS Empire Activity | 1919 | United Kingdom
|
5,335 | |
| SS Empire Halley | 1941 | United Kingdom
|
7,168 | |
| SS Empire Howard | 1941 | United Kingdom
|
6,985 | |
| SS Empire Redshank | 1919 | United Kingdom
|
6,615 | |
| SS Jutland | 1928 | United Kingdom
|
6,153 | |
| SS Reigh Count | 1907 | Panama
|
4,657 |
Escorts
edit| Name | Flag | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Icarus | Royal Navy
|
I-class destroyer | Escort 4–11 January |
| HMS Tartar | Royal Navy
|
Tribal-class destroyer | Escort 4–11 January |
| HMT Cape Argona | Royal Navy
|
ASW trawler | Escort 31 December – 4 January |
| HMT Wastwater | Royal Navy
|
ASW trawler | Escort 31 December – 4 January |
Footnotes
edit- ^ "Convoy PQ.7A". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "Convoy PQ.7A". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "Convoy PQ.7B". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "Convoy PQ.7B". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
References
edit- Woodman, Richard (1994). Arctic Convoys 1941–1945. London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-5752-6.
- "Arnold Hague Convoy Database". Convoy Web. Retrieved 23 January 2019.