----------------------------------------------------------------- NAVY & MARINE CORPS WORLD WAR II COMMEMORATIVE COMMITTEE A service of Navy Chief of Information Office (703)695-3161/DSN 225-3161 ----------------------------------------------------------------- World War II Convoys: The Runs to Russia By CE1 Robert A. Germinsky, USNR Of all the tough, dirty and dangerous jobs of World War II, nothing was worse than sailing the north Russia convoy run. Primarily going to the ice-free port of Murmansk, but also running to Archangel and Molotovsk, the merchant seamen and sailors who took their vessels to these far-north latitudes were some of the bravest souls afloat. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill decreed that war materiel and supplies must reach the Russians. There were three routes to the north Russian ports: the trans-Pacific route, the Persian Gulf route and the shortest but most dangerous passage through the Barents Sea via Iceland to Murmansk. Normal time for a voyage from Iceland to Murmansk was 10 days. In contrast, passage via the Persian Gulf could take months. The price paid for taking the short route was high: over 21 percent of all cargoes sent this way were lost, compared to only a 6 percent loss rate for cargoes shipped via the Gulf. The convoy runs to north Russia began in August 1941. Throughout the war, these runs were the primary responsibility of the Royal Navy. The U.S. Navy participated, however, in escort and convoy duties, particularly during the roughest period: between April and July 1942. June of that year was the most desperate period, when the tolls taken on these convoys by German U-boats reached their peak: 115 ships sunk for a total of 603,402 gross tons. American vessels began sailing the convoy routes to Russia in December 1941. The first American merchant ship to sail, the 3,800-ton freighter SS Larranga, left Boston, Mass., with Navy Armed Guard personnel on Dec. 6, 1941. The ship connected with a convoy in Iceland and arrived in Murmansk on Jan. 19, 1942. Cargoes carried by ships making the treacherous voyage to north Russia were varied: explosives, munitions, oil, machinery, guns, planes, parts and vehicles. Ships heading south didnžt leave Russia with empty holds. They brought back to American ports chrome, wood products, furs, skins and even goose feathers. After leaving Iceland, northbound convoys had to deal with aerial attacks from German dive bombers and torpedo planes based in occupied Norway and Finland; German surface units based in Norway; and U-boats painted polar white and helped by aerial reconnaissance. These were the dangers imposed by the enemy. Mother Nature had her say as well. The heavily loaded merchant-men and their escorts faced cold, high seas; fog; ice; snow; and raging gales. Merchant seamen and Navy sailors sailed in darkness or in semi-twilight accompanied by a sun that never rose above the horizon. They encountered snow from September to May, gales, winds up to 88 miles per hour and spray that froze on the upper works of ships, adding the danger of tons of topside ice, which could cause a ship to capsize if not cleared away. These conditions were unavoidable, since convoys were usually routed to the north Russia ports during the winter. Winter was preferable because minimum daylight conditions prevailed, hampering sighting by U-boats and aircraft. In addition, fog and snow, although hazardous, shielded the convoys from the prying eyes of the Germans. For those ships that safely reached Murmansk, the battle wasnžt over. The threat of aerial attack was constant, since the nearest German airfield was only 35 miles away (about 10 minutes flying time). This prevented any early warning, allowed no time for fighter intercept, and the German planes usually glided in low over the hills and under the Russian radar. Although the docks and rail lines were primary targets, the big merchantmen tied up at the pier also took their share of hits. There is no doubt that the Russian people were grateful for the aid. They welcomed the convoys with relief and joy. They were friendly and hospitable to the seamen and sailors and gladly shared what little they had with them. To help morale and provide entertainment, the Russian government set up clubs for the shipsž crews in all three ports. The north Russia run also cemented relations between the seafarers of Great Britain and the United States. The excellent work done by escorts of the Royal Navy was greatly appreciated by the merchant sailors. After sinking or driving off a U-boat or fending off an aerial attack, the stout British escort vessels were loudly cheered from the rails of the merchant ships, with the crews giving the thumbs-up sign or the famous "V-for-victory" salute. By 1944, the Russians had improved facilities at Murmansk: rail heads came right out onto the piers, facilitating unloading, and Russian stevedore crews were able to move 7,000 tons of cargo per day through the port. Another positive aspect by this time was that the Luftwaffe had been driven from its airfields in Norway and Finland by the Royal Air Force. Aerial attack was no longer a threat. No other convoy run of World War II was subjected to the pressures applied to the north Russia convoys. The U-boat menace was unrelenting and the weather was the worst of any steamer route in the world. In addition, there was pressure from Allied commands to see that the convoys arrived and unloaded their supplies as quickly as possible for use against the Germans on the Russian front. Remarkable men with remarkable ships kept the supply lines to the north Russia ports open. Between the beginning of the convoy runs in August 1941 and waržs end, 40 convoys made the dangerous voyage to the north Russian ports. A total of 720 ships sailed and 63 of them were sunk. Almost 4 million tons of cargo were shipped and 3.7 million tons arrived. With improved anti-submarine measures from November 1942, merchant vessel sinkings decreased and convoy escorts sank 27 U-boats. This was achieved at great cost in men and materiel. The Royal Navy lost two cruisers, six destroyers and 10 smaller ships during the duration of the north Russia convoy runs. Sources: Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II,Vol. 10, The Atlantic Battle Won, May 1943-May1945. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1956. Schofield, William G. Eastward the Convoys. New York: Rand McNally & Company, 1965. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Navy & Marine Corps World War II Commemorative Committee Navy Office of Information (CHINFO) The Pentagon, Room 2E352 Washington, DC 20350-1200 -----------------------------------------------------------------