Convoy ON 153

Convoy ON 153 was the 153rd of the numbered series of ON convoys of merchant ships Outbound from the British Isles to North America. The World War II convoy departed Liverpool on 11 December 1942 and was met on 12 December by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-7. Two merchant ships and the escort group leader were sunk in a North Atlantic battle with U-boat Wolf pack Raufbold before reaching the Western Ocean Meeting Point (WOMP) where the Western Local Escort Force assumed responsibility for the convoy on 23 December. Surviving ships reached New York City on 31 December.^[1]

Convoy ON.153
Part of World War II
Date 11 December 1942 – 31 December 1942 Location North Atlantic Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom Canada
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz	Rear-Admiral Sir E Manners KBE
Strength
13 U-boats	45 merchant ships 6 escorts
Casualties and losses
	3 ships sunk 1 Damaged 249 killed

Escorts

The convoy was protected by Escort Group B-7 comprising

• 2 Destroyers

• Royal Navy – HMS Chesterfield, HMS Firedrake

• 4 Corvettes

• Royal Navy - HMS Alisma, HMS Pink, HMS Snowflake, HMS Sunflower

• 1 Replenishment oiler

• British Lady

and by a Western Local Escort Force of

• 1 Destroyer

• Royal Canadian Navy – HMCS Annapolis

• 3 Corvettes

• Royal Canadian Navy - HMCS Buctouche, HMCS Edmundston, HMCS Timmins

• 1 Minesweeper

• Royal Canadian Navy - HMCS Minas

U-boats

The convoy was attacked by 13 U-boats from Wolfpack Raufbold, namely

• U-135, U-203, U-211, U-356, U-409, U-410, U-439, U-600, U-609, U-610, U-621, U-623 and U-664

Ships in the convoy

Name[1]	Flag	Tonnage (GRT)	Notes
HMS Alisma	Royal Navy		Escort 12 Dec - 23 Dec. Corvette
Amstelkerk (1929)	Netherlands	4,457	Bound for Freetown
HMCS Annapolis	Royal Canadian Navy		Escort 25 Dec - 27 Dec. Destroyer
Antilochus (1906)	United Kingdom	9,082	Bound for South Africa
Argolikos (1921)	Greece	4,786	Bound for St John's, Newfoundland
Asbjorn (1935)	United Kingdom	4,387	Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Bello (1930)	Norway	6,125	Sunk by U-610[2] On 16 Dec. 33 of 40 crew died. Survivors picked up by HMS Pink (K137)
Bornholm (1930)	United Kingdom	3,177	Returned
British Lady (1923)	United Kingdom	6,098	Replenishment oiler
HMCS Buctouche	Royal Canadian Navy		Escort 23 Dec - 31 Dec. Corvette
Canada (1921)	Sweden	5,527	12 passengers
HMS Chesterfield	Royal Navy		Escort 12 Dec - 19 Dec. Destroyer
City of Hongkong (1924)	United Kingdom	9,609	150 passengers. Bound for Karachi
City of Lille (1928)	United Kingdom	6,588	Bound for Basra
Comedian (1929)	United Kingdom	5,122	Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
HMCS Edmundston	Royal Canadian Navy		Escort 23 Dec - 29 Dec. Corvette
Emile Francqui (1929)	Belgium	5,859	11 Passengers. Sunk by U-664[3] on 16 Dec. 46 dead.
Empire Grenadier (1942)	United Kingdom	9,811	Bound for New York City
Empire Highway (1942)	United Kingdom	7,166	Bound for Beira
HMS Firedrake	Royal Navy		Escort 12 Dec - 17 Dec. Destroyer. Sunk by U-211[4] on 17 Dec. Broke in two in heavy weather. 170 of 196 crew died. Survivors picked up by HMS Sunflower
Geo W McKnight (1933)	United Kingdom	2,502	Bound for New York City
Gulf of Mexico (1917)	United States	7,807	Bound for New York City
Hilary (1931)	United Kingdom	7,403	365 Passengers, Bound for Freetown
Idefjord (1921)	Norway	4,287	Bound for Halifax
Jan Van Goyen (1919)	Netherlands	5,704	Fell Out Disabled
Kaldfonn (1936)	Norway	9,931
Mafuta (1920)	Belgium	6,322	Bound for Freetown
Magdala (1931)	Netherlands	8,248	Bound for New York City
Mahana (1917)	United Kingdom	10,951	Bound for New York City
Marquesa (1918)	United Kingdom	8,979	Bound for Montevideo
HMCS Minas	Royal Canadian Navy		Escort 25 Dec - 31 Dec. Minesweeper
Norbris (1930)	Panama	7,619	Bound for New York City
North Gaspe (1938)	United Kingdom	888
Nueva Granada (1937)	Norway	9,968	Bound for New York City
Otina (1938)	United Kingdom	6,217	Straggled
Pandorian (1941)	United Kingdom	4,159	Bound for New York City. Rear-Admiral Sir E Manners KBE (Commodore)
HMS Pink	Royal Navy		Escort 12 Dec - 20 Dec. Corvette
Regent Lion (1937)	United Kingdom	9,551	Tanker. Torpedoed and damaged by U-610[5] on 16 Feb. Hulk towed to Falmouth, Cornwall, arriving 5 Jan 43
Robert F Hand (1933)	United Kingdom	2,197	Bound for New York City
Saint Bertrand (1929)	United Kingdom	5,522	Bound for Saint John, New Brunswick
Salamis (1939)	Norway	8,286	Bound for New York City
San Andres (1921)	Norway	1,975	Returned
Sandanger (1938)	Norway	9,432	Bound for New York City
Santos (1928)	Norway	4,639	Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
HMS Snowflake	Royal Navy		Escort 12 Dec - 23 Dec. Corvette
Solstad (1927)	Norway	5,952	Bound for New York City
Sovac (1938)	United Kingdom	6,724	Bound for New York City
HMS Sunflower	Royal Navy		Escort 12 Dec - 23 Dec. Corvette
Tetela (1926)	United Kingdom	5,389	10 Passengers, Bound for New York City. Vice-commodore is Ship's Master
HMCS Timmins	Royal Canadian Navy		Escort 23 Dec - 31 Dec. Corvette
Torr Head (1937)	United Kingdom	5,021	Bound for Saint John, New Brunswick
Tortuguero (1921)	United Kingdom	5,285	10 Passengers. Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Tucurinca (1926)	United Kingdom	5,412	10 Passengers. Bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Vaalaren (1936)	Sweden	3,406	Bound for New York City
Vestfold (1931)	Panama	4,547	Bound for New York City
Villanger (1929)	Norway	4,884	Bound for New York City
Walter Jennings (1921)	United States	9,564	Bound for New York City