Convoy TAG 5

Convoy TAG 5 was a trade convoy of merchant ships during the second World War. It was the 5th of the numbered TAG Convoys from Trinidad and Aruba to Guantánamo.^[1] The convoy was found on 13 September 1942 by U-558. Kapitänleutnant Günther Krech (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) destroyed three ships from the convoy in two approaches aboard U-558.^[2]

Convoy TAG.5
Part of World War II
Date 12–16 September 1942 Location Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea Result German tactical victory
Belligerents
Germany	Canada Netherlands Norway Panama United Kingdom United States
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz Kapitänleutnant Günther Krech
Strength
1 U-boat	17 merchant ships 1 destroyer 2 corvettes 2 submarine chasers 2 minesweepers
Casualties and losses
	2 ships sunk 1 damaged, and then total loss

Ships in the convoy

Name[3]	Flag	Tonnage (GRT)	Notes
Alar (1939)	Norway	9,430	Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Altair (1920)	United States	6,933	Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Beaconoil (1919)	United Kingdom	6,893	Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base; probably this convoy
Cottica (1927)	Netherlands	3,989
Empire Kangaroo (1919)	United Kingdom	6,219
Empire Lugard (1941)	United Kingdom	7,241	Sunk by U-558[4]
Examiner (1942)	United States	6,736
Gulftide (1937)	United States	7,140
HMCS Halifax	Royal Canadian Navy		Escort 12 Sep – 14 Sep
Henry D Whiton (1921)	United States	4,548
Hoegh Silverdawn (1940)	Norway	7,715
Leonatus (1938)	Panama	2,242
Macabi (1921)	Panama	2,802
Peter Hurll (1930)	Panama	10,871
Saintonge (1936)	United Kingdom	9,386	Curaçao to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Suriname (1930)	Netherlands	7,915	Sunk by U-558[5]
USS PC-481	United States Navy		Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep
USS PC-574	United States Navy		Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep
USS Spry	United States Navy		Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep
USS Upshur	United States Navy		Escort 12 Sep – 16 Sep
USS YMS-24	United States Navy		Escort 13 Sep – 16 Sep
USS YMS-56	United States Navy		Escort 13 Sep – 16 Sep
Vilja (1928)	Norway	6,672	Torpedoed by U-558[6] and abandoned, but reboarded and safely arrived in Trinidad damaged. Later declared a total loss.
West Kyska (1918)	United States	5,552	Did not sail