Source: Report of Proceedings HMS Britomart QP15
ADM199/721
From: The Commanding Officer HMS Britomart
Date: 28th November 1942
To: The Commanding Officer HMS Halcyon
Report on proceedings with convoy QP15 from Archangel to Iceland
Diary of Events
17th November
Proceeded from Dvina Bar with convoy in two columns.
18th November
On passing Cape Gorodetski at Noon convoy formed in 9 columns, HMS
Britomart stationed on starboard quarter.
19th November
Wind freshened from the starboard and enveloped into a gale by pm.
Visibility deteriorated to five cables. Contact with convoy was
lost for three hours during the night owing to breakdown of the
gyro compass and Type 271 reporting wave contacts as ships.
20th November
Gale increased to force 9, ship rolling heavily in high seas.
Position CC was reached at 1400A and convoy altered course to 270
degrees. Visibility was then about 5 cables and from plot obtained
by Type 271 it was obvious that ships were becoming scattered.
Wind backing and reaching force 10 in squalls. C in C H F’s
1343A/20 altering convoy route was received at 1952A. Contact by
Type 271 with about six ships was maintained during the night.
21st November
Wind NE Force 9, whip rolling very heavily in high seas, starboard
whaler and motor boat stove in. Gyro compass wandering.
During the forenoon in semi-daylight I made contact with the SS
Empire Morn, American SS Charles McCormack and Russian SS
Petrovski. I requested Empire Morn to act as Commodore and passed
the new route. Course was altered for position YY south of Bear
Island at 1100A. Ships were unable to keep station and became
separated after dark, contact with Empire Morn and Charles
McCormack was maintained by Type 271 but Petrovski straggled to
the Northward.
Communication was not possible for about 21 hours each day during
prolonged gales , the risk attached to closing to V/S distance in
darkness and in the high seas was considerable. As the convoy
route was altered three times this entailed considerable amount of
signalling on the part of the escorts and convoy was badly
scattered before the first and major alteration was received. In
view of the above difficulties it is submitted that all
alterations of route for PQ and QP convoys be passed by BAMS
during the winter months.
Type 271 proved invaluable for rounding up stragglers in low
visibility but with high seas running operators had some
difficulty in distinguishing between wave and ship contacts at
ranges under 3000 yards.
The weather proved too much for the gyro compass (Browns) and it
was quite unreliable for the major part of the voyage. The main
trouble was experienced by Britomart in Arctic Waters during the
winter of 1941-1942 and a new master and repeater system were
installed in May 1942. This new compass behaved satisfactorily
until the recent heavy weather was encountered.
S S Stammwitz
Lt Commander in Command
