Convoy PQ 18 HMS Avenger (D14)

fleet air arm sea hurricanes flying in formation

on 3 september 1942, avenger, under command of ex-swordfish pilot commander anthony paul colthust, left britain iceland take part in convoy pq 18. weather cold, , in heavy seas 1 of sea hurricanes broke restraints , lost on side. ship located @ sea luftwaffe focke-wulf condor, , shortly after arriving in iceland, avenger subjected bombing attack condor. both of bombs dropped missed ship, 2 houses ashore demolished. in determination pq 18 success, royal navy created largest escort force ever assembled arctic convoy until time. under command of rear-admiral robert burnett, force included avenger—the aircraft carrier—which joined anti-aircraft cruiser hms scylla , 16 fleet destroyers, plus normal complement of close support sloops, corvettes, , minelayers. avenger , scylla, close escort destroyers wheatland , wilton, left iceland , joined convoy late on 9 september 1942. 1 of swordfish aircraft sent on anti-submarine patrol. bad weather prevented flying following 2 days, weather cleared noon on 12 september. clearer skies revealed blohm & voss bv 138 flying boat shadowing convoy. 4 hurricanes took off intercept not find in clouds. later same day, swordfish on anti-submarine patrol sighted 2 u-boats; had dived time escorts got position.

the next day, 13 september, swordfish took off on patrol @ 03:45 , attacked u-boat on surface. @ 07:00, swordfish sighted 2 u-boats, dived before attack launched. later blohm & voss bv 138 sighted , sea hurricanes sent intercept it, lost in clouds. @ 09:00 2 merchant ships torpedoed , sunk; more aircraft , u-boats located shadowing convoy. time sea hurricanes did locate german reconnaissance aircraft found .303 calibre machine guns had little effect on armoured blohm & voss aircraft. @ 15:00 6 junkers ju 88 had been circling convoy headed in on bombing attack. no ships hit, , sea hurricanes started engage them. bombing mission appears have been diversion fighters out of position. followed torpedo attack mixed formation of 50 junkers ju 88 , heinkel 111. planes flew intense anti-aircraft barrage shot down 5 aircraft , disrupted others, out of 96 torpedoes 8 found target. 1 of he 111s intercepted , shot down sea hurricanes. air attack 9 heinkel 115 torpedo bombers followed @ 16:15. 1 shot down convoy s anti-aircraft barrage, , rest sufficiently deterred torpedoes, dropped @ distance, evaded ships in convoy. during attack sea hurricanes had again been diverted shadowing blohm & voss bv 138, shot 1 of them down without apparent damage itself. @ 20:40 force of 12 he 111 torpedo-bombers attacked in small groups, half shot down anti-aircraft barrage , sea hurricanes, in position intercept them time.

convoy pq 18 underwater detonation erupts next hms ashanti

at 03:30 on 14 september, u-boat torpedoed , sank tanker @ rear of convoy. patrolling swordfish attacked @ 04:00 , forced surfaced u-boat dive, although submarine did not appear damaged. swordfish sighted u-589 @ 09:40; submarine dived, located , sunk hms onslow. avenger s captain had change tactics work around limitation of sea hurricanes , fairey swordfish: not able use usn designed catapult required tail down take off, rather tail method used royal navy s catapults, , needed full deck length take off. endeavoured keep section of fighter aircraft in air during daylight hours , ready launch, break large german aircraft formations. entailed continuous cycle of take offs , landings re-fuel , re-arm. @ 12:30 group of 22 ju 88s , he 111s escort of messerschmitt bf 110s approached convoy dead ahead. aboard avenger, 9 sea hurricanes took off. presence forced of german planes drop torpedoes , turn away, while others shot down anti-aircraft barrage. simultaneous attack force of 14 ju 88s @ rear of convoy divided sea hurricane squadrons, shot down 1 of ju 88s. carrier , escorts targeted german aircraft, , 20 aircraft succeeded in making bombing run. 1 aircraft shot down barrage, eleventh of day.

immediately following, @ 15:30, 25 he 111 torpedo bombers appeared in front of convoy. of these, 17 targeted avenger, managed evade torpedoes. however, 3 of sea hurricanes, had closed on 111s, shot down escorts barrage. pilots rescued. force of ju 88s appeared , targeted avenger , scylla. neither ship hit, number of near misses recorded. 1 near miss started small fire in avenger s catapult room, dealt with. last attack of day. sea hurricanes claimed 5 out of 24 aircraft shot down; 3 shot down; , 14 damaged.

a merchant ship exploding, photographed flight deck of hms avenger

during hours of 15 september, convoy fogbound. fog started clear @ 12:20, , avenger s radar operator reported group of 70 bombers approaching. of avenger s remaining sea hurricanes took off intercept them. presence of fighters kept bombers above cloud level; altitude kept them bombing accuracy. bombers remained in vicinity of convoy until fuel shortages forced them leave, , 16:45 avenger s radar clear of targets. on 16 september consolidated catalina of no. 210 squadron raf, based in russia, arrived take on anti-submarine patrols avengers swordfish. allowed clear deck of swordfish , assemble spare sea hurricanes return journey. avenger, scylla, , destroyers left pq 18 evening join homeward bound convoy leaving russian waters. when convoy pq 18 arrived @ archangel no escorts , ten of 41 merchant ships in convoy had been sunk.

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