Convoy PQ 17

First sighting of the Convoy PQ-17 by a German Blohm & Voss BV 138 aerial reconnaissance plane, early in its voyage to Murmansk, on 1 July 1942.

Escorts and merchant ships at Hvalfjord before the sailing of Convoy PQ-17. Behind the destroyer Icarus (1.03) is the Russian tanker AZERBAIJAN. The sea voyage to the north Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel was the shortest route for sending Allied supplies to Russia. But it was also the most dangerous owing to the large concentration of German forces in northern Norway. The convoy PQ-17 was decimated by U-boats and the Luftwaffe after a communication from the Admiralty on 4 July 1942 ordered the escort to 'scatter'.

80-G-24827: The covering forces of the PQ-17 Convoy (British and American ships) at anchor in the harbor at Hvalfjord, Iceland, May-June 1942. The convoy left Iceland on June 27, but a large part of the convoy was wiped out by German aircraft from July 1 to 10. (2015/10/20).

80-G-24831: The covering forces of the PQ-17 Convoy (British and American ships) at anchor in the harbor at Hvalfjord, Iceland, May-June 1942. The convoy left Iceland on June 27, but a large part of the convoy was wiped out by German aircraft from July 1 to 10. (2015/10/20).

80-G-24833: The covering forces of the PQ-17 Convoy (British and American ships) at anchor in the harbor at Hvalfjord, Iceland, May-June 1942. The convoy left Iceland on June 27, but a large part of the convoy was wiped out by German aircraft from July 1 to 10. (2015/10/20).

Схема атаки подводной лодки К-21 05.07.1942 по состоянию на 16.33 (момент первого акустического контакта). Реконструкция. Создана на базе схемы, опубликованной в книге Н.Скрынникова, М.Морозова "Неизвестная атака командира Лунина", 2019

Схема атаки подводной лодки К-21 05.07.1942 по состоянию на 17.25. Реконструкция. Создана на базе схемы, опубликованной в книге Н.Скрынникова, М.Морозова "Неизвестная атака командира Лунина", 2019

Схема атаки подводной лодки К-21 05.07.1942 по состоянию на 17.46. Реконструкция. Создана на базе схемы, опубликованной в книге Н.Скрынникова, М.Морозова "Неизвестная атака командира Лунина", 2019

Схема атаки подводной лодки К-21 05.07.1942 по состоянию на 18.01.30 (момент пуска подлодкой торпед). Реконструкция. Создана на базе схемы, опубликованной в книге Н.Скрынникова, М.Морозова "Неизвестная атака командира Лунина", 2019

Convoy PQ 17, Approximate Movement of Ships, 4th - 28th July 1942.

Escorts and merchant ships at Hvalfjord before the sailing of Convoy PQ-17. Behind the destroyer Icarus (1.03) is the Russian tanker AZERBAIJAN. The sea voyage to the north Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel was the shortest route for sending Allied supplies to Russia. But it was also the most dangerous owing to the large concentration of German forces in northern Norway. The convoy PQ-17 was decimated by U-boats and the Luftwaffe after a communication from the Admiralty on 4 July 1942 ordered the escort to 'scatter'.

Carte du convoi PQ-17 en juillet 1942 avec le nom des navires alliés et soviétiques coulés par des attaques aériennes allemandes ou par des U-Boot.

Convoy PQ-17 map 1942

Convoy PQ-17 map 1942, legends in Polish

Convoy PQ-17 map 1942

The U.S. Navy cruiser USS Wichita (CA-45) and HMS London (69) formed the covering force for PQ17, together with USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and HMS Norfolk (78).

The German Admiral Otto von Schrader, Admiral of the Norwegian West Coast, distributes iron crosses to crewmembers of the German submarine U-703, at Bergen, Norway, following the battle against convoy PQ-17. The U-boat's commander Kapitänleutnant Heinz Bielfeld, is at left. Note: U-703 left Bergen on 29 June 1942 and returned on 31 December 1942, after operating from different Norwegian ports in the meantime. It sank two ships of convoy PQ-17 on 5 July 1942.

German Korvettenkapitän Hans Cohausz, Commander 11th U-Boat Flotilla, greets Kapitänleutnant Heinz Bielfeld, commander of the German submarine U-703, on the submarine's gangway, at Bergen, Norway (original text "after the battle against convoy PQ-17"). Note: U-703 left Bergen on 29 June 1942 and returned on 31 December 1942, after operating from different Norwegian ports in the meantime. It sank two ships of convoy PQ-17 on 5 July 1942. U-703 is missing since it left Narvik, Norway, on 19 September 1944. Heinz Bielfeld went to command U-1222 and died when it was sunk with all hands on 11 July 1944 in the Bay of Biscay.

NH 71382: PQ-17 Convoy, July 1942. German aerial reconnaissance photo of the convoy underway for Murmansk. The presence of a British cruiser, at left, indicates that the photo was taken before 4 July, when the convoy was dispersed. NHHC Photograph Collection.

NH 71382: PQ-17 Convoy, July 1942. German aerial reconnaissance photo of the convoy underway for Murmansk. The presence of a British cruiser, at left, indicates that the photo was taken before 4 July, when the convoy was dispersed. NHHC Photograph Collection.

Схема боевого противолодочного ордера немецкой эскадры под командованием адмирала О.Шнивинда 5 июля 1942 года. Создана на основе схемы из журнала боевых действий эсминца Z-30, опубликованной в книге Н.Скрынникова, М.Морозова "Неизвестная атака командира Лунина", 2019

Convoy PQ-17. Low level torpedo-bomber attack (8.30 p.m. 4 july 1942)

The fate of convoy ships after the departure of the escort ships

Layout of merchant ships in convoy PQ-17 on 4 july 1942

Расположение сил непосредственного охранения конвоя PQ-17