SC-26
Sydney CB to UK (North Atlantic)1 Apr 1941 - 4 Apr 1941
| The Convoy | 22 ships |
| First sighting | On 1 Apr 1941 by U-76 |
| Escorts | Atlantic escort : the armed merchant cruiser Worcestershire In the Western Approaches : the destroyers Wolverine (Cdr Rowland ) and Havelock and the sloop Scarborough and the corvette Arbutus. |
U-boats | U-46 (Oblt. Endrass) *, U-69 (Kptlt. Metzler) *, U-73 (Kptlt. Rosenbaum) *, U-74 (Kptlt. Kentrat) *, U-76 (Kptlt. von Hippel) *, U-97 (Kptlt. Heilmann), U-98 (Kptlt. Gysae) *, U-101 (Kptlt. Mengersen) * U-boats that fired torpedo or used the deck gun |
The battle | After the first sighting on the 1st, a patrol line is formed on the 2nd, consisting of U-46, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-97, U-98 and U-101. In the evening the convoy is found by U-74 and she brings up U-46, U-69 and U-73. These boats attack in the night and sink 6 ships, while the only escort, the AMC Worcestershire is torpedoed. Next day in the afternoon the escort arrives, but it can not keep U-76 from the Daphne, a ship that had broken away from the convoy. The convoy is slightly scattered, but U-94 makes contact with the main body in the evening of the 3rd and brings up U-98. In the night they attack and sink 3 more ships. On the 4th, U-101, U-98 and U-76 continue the chase but only U-76 sinks another ship. She prepares to attack the convoy by first daylight on the 5th but while reloading her batteries on the surface, she is surprised by the Wolverine. U-76 makes a crash-dive but one well-aimed depth charge from the Wolverine causes heavy damages to the U-76. Next the Scarborough throws a 10 depth charges pattern and the U-76 is mortally wounded. The boat manages to surface and all but one of its crew are picked up by the Arbutus. |
Article compiled by Tom Linclau
Ships hit from convoy SC-26
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Map | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Apr 1941 | U-46 | Engelbert Endrass |  | British Reliance | 7,000 |  | br | A |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-46 | Engelbert Endrass | | Alderpool (d.) | 4,313 | | br | B |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-73 | Helmut Rosenbaum | | Alderpool | 4,313 | | br | C |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-74 | Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat | | Leonidas Z. Cambanis | 4,274 |  | gr | D |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-73 | Helmut Rosenbaum | | Westpool | 5,724 | | br | E |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-73 | Helmut Rosenbaum | | Indier | 5,409 |  | be | F |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-74 | Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat | | HMS Worcestershire (F 29) (d.) | 11,402 | | br | G |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-69 | Jost Metzler | | Thirlby (d.) | 4,887 | | br | H |
| 3 Apr 1941 | U-73 | Helmut Rosenbaum | | British Viscount | 6,895 | | br | I |
| 4 Apr 1941 | U-98 | Robert Gysae | Helle | 2,467 |  | nw | J | |
| 4 Apr 1941 | U-94 | Herbert Kuppisch | | Harbledown | 5,414 | | br | K |
| 4 Apr 1941 | U-98 | Robert Gysae | Welcombe | 5,122 | | br | L | |
| 4 Apr 1941 | U-76 | Friedrich von Hippel | | Athenic | 5,351 | | br | M |
| 72,571 | ||||||||
10 ships sunk (51,969 tons) and 3 ships damaged (20,602 tons). Legend | ||||||||
48 convoys on route SC were hit by U-boats in the war. Read more about them.