Operation Zorn

fury

'Zorn' was a U-boat wolfpack operation in the Norwegian Sea against the RA.60 convoy (26 September/2 October 1944).

The wolfpack comprised U-293, U-310, U-315, U-363, U-365, U-387, U-636, U-668, U-771, U-965, U-968, U-992 and U-995, and for the loss of none of its own number sank two ships (14,395 tons).

On 23 September a Soviet escort group comprising the flotilla leader Baku, destroyers Gremyashchiy, Gromkiy, Razumnyi, Razyaronnyi, Zharkiy, Zhguchiy, Derzkiy and Uritskiy, and 10 submarine chasers provided the escort for five transports and a tanker from the Kola inlet to the entrance of the White Sea, after which they became the escort of a Murmansk-bound feeder convoy for the RA.60 convoy with 16 ships and two tankers. The other ships reached Arkhangyel’sk on 25 September.

The RA.60 convoy of 31 unladen ships and a rescue vessel, which departed during the night of 27/28 September for the UK, was supported by the close escort force which had arrived with the JW.60 convoy, and avoided both the 'Grimm' wolfpack and the 'Zorn' wolfpack that had only just sailed. Only Oberleutnant Wolfgang Ley’s U-310 lay in the convoy’s path, and sank the 7,176-ton US Edward H. Crockett and 7,219-ton British Samsuva, but the boat missed a number of the escorting warships.

The British heavy covering group, based on the battleship Rodney, remained with the convoy until 3 October before breaking away to Scapa Flow, and on 5 October the RA.60 convoy reached Loch Ewe.