Maritime History

Convoy QP 10

Convoy QP 10 (10–21 April 1942) was an Arctic convoy of the Second World War, consisting of empty merchant ships returning from Murmansk in the Soviet Union. The convoy had 16 merchant ships and an escort of nine warships. The convoy was attacked by German U-boats and aircraft, resulting in the loss of four merchant ships. Stone Street was damaged by air attack and forced to turn back to the Kola Inlet. The convoy escorts shot down six German aircraft and damaged another during the voyage and arrived at Reykjavík on 21 April. Luftflotte 5 had been reinforced from 152 aircraft in January to 175 in February and 221 in March, that made it a much more capable anti-shipping force. On 13 April, Adolf Hitler stressed to Admiral Erich Raeder, the head of Oberkommando der Marine (the professional head of the navy) that "attacks on on the Murmansk convoys are most important at the moment". On 17 April, Vice-Admiral Henry Moore, the Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff, reported that the losses of Convoy QP 10 and the reciprocal Convoy QP 14 were more than 20 per cent. As the weather improved, convoy losses would increase. The increased number of U-boats also required more convoy escorts to counter them only possible if the frequency of Arctic convoys was reduced to three in two months and no more than 25 ships each.

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See also

• ▸French ironclad Richelieu
• ▸Albert Eugene Gallatin
• ▸Italian ironclad Affondatore

Uncatalogued shelf

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