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Arctic Convoys, 1941–1945
The story of Allied merchant ships and crews who braved the frigid far north to extend a lifeline to Russia, filled with “sheer heroism and brazen drama” (Literary Review).
During the last four years of the Second World War, the Western Allies secured Russian defenses against Germany by supplying vital food and arms. The plight of those in Murmansk and Archangel who benefited is now well known, but few are aware of the courage, determination, and sacrifice of Allied merchant ships, which withstood unremitting U-boat attacks and aerial bombardment to maintain the lifeline to Russia.
In the storms, fog, and numbing cold of the Arctic, where the sinking of a ten thousand–ton freighter was equal to a land battle in terms of destruction, the losses sustained were huge. Told from the perspective of their crews, this is the inspiring story of the long-suffering merchant ships without which Russia would almost certainly have fallen to Nazi Germany.
During the last four years of the Second World War, the Western Allies secured Russian defenses against Germany by supplying vital food and arms. The plight of those in Murmansk and Archangel who benefited is now well known, but few are aware of the courage, determination, and sacrifice of Allied merchant ships, which withstood unremitting U-boat attacks and aerial bombardment to maintain the lifeline to Russia.
In the storms, fog, and numbing cold of the Arctic, where the sinking of a ten thousand–ton freighter was equal to a land battle in terms of destruction, the losses sustained were huge. Told from the perspective of their crews, this is the inspiring story of the long-suffering merchant ships without which Russia would almost certainly have fallen to Nazi Germany.
711 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 1994
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About the author
Richard Woodman
133 books72 followersCaptain Richard Martin Woodman was an English novelist and naval historian who retired in 1997 from a 37-year nautical career, mainly working for Trinity House, to write full-time.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 29, 2022
On 12 August 1941, a motley collection of six merchant ships carrying wool, tin, rubber, and two dozen crated Hawker Hurricane fighter planes departed from Liverpool. Escorted by a Royal Navy destroyer and a pair of armed trawlers, the convoy sailed first for Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, where they took on additional cargo, then Hvalfjord Iceland. With the support of a fleet oiler and additional escorts the ships sailed from there for their ultimate destination, Archangelsk in the Soviet Union, where they arrived on 31 August to discharge their cargoes.
Remarkably, the convoy arrived unmolested by the forces of the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe, with the only casualty being a sailor who was shot upon arrival in Archangelsk by a nervous Russian who mistook his British uniform for that of a German. The 77 convoys that followed, however would not be so fortunate, as they would face a fearsome gauntlet of planes and warships attempting to halt the flow of supplies intended to support the Soviet war effort. As Richard Woodman demonstrates, this was on top of the considerable challenges imposed by the unforgiving Arctic climate, which added to their burdens of the sailors and added to the dangers they faced on their voyages. That they persevered in the face of these threats was a testament to the importance to their mission, one which Woodman argues was among the most important of the war.
This was because of the contributions the Arctic convoys made to the Soviet war effort. From August 1941 until the autumn of 1945 over £300 million in war material and £120 million in raw materials, industrial equipment, foodstuffs, and medical supplies was sent to the Soviet Union, roughly a quarter of which was sent via the Arctic route. This included thousands of tanks and airplanes, small arms with hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, hundreds of locomotives, millions of pairs of boots, and millions of tons of canned food. Such materials greatly aided the Soviet cause, which is why the Germans were keen to sink as many of the ships as they could. Not only did this entail the deployment of U-boats and aircraft to the area to interdict the convoys, but it also involved the redeployment most of the Kriegsmarine’s remaining capital vessels. Though the ships were hampered by a lack of fuel and restrictions on their use, their existence as a “fleet-in-being” was the source of nightmares for the Royal Navy.
Over the course of 1941, a routine developed in which convoys were sent north protected by two groups: a close escort of cruisers, destroyers, and antisubmarine trawlers, and a “distant escort” consisting of larger warships at the ready in case the Kriegsmarine deployed their remaining capital ships. While there were occasional attempts to do so, the main threat came in the form of U-boats, bombers, and torpedo planes. These wreaked a fearful toll on the Allied convoys, one that Woodman details with accounts of each convoy’s passage. The dangers of sinking were exacerbated by the climate in the region, as sailors who escaped sinking ships could survive only a few minutes in the frigid Arctic waters before the poorly-understood effects of hypothermia would prove fatal. Such conditions only added to the misery of the crew, who often felt that they were left exposed by escorts more interested in hunting than defending, and neglected by a public seemingly indifferent to their sacrifice.
And amongst nobody was this sense of ingratitude greater than those who were the convoy’s main beneficiaries. Sailors who risked so much to deliver cargoes to Murmansk and Archangelsk were often treated poorly by Soviet officials and shunned by aloof locals. Woodman is particularly critical of Joseph Stalin, who either could not or refused to appreciate the difficulties facing the convoys and the price they were paying. With the Royal Navy shouldering the bulk of convoy escorting duties, the Soviet leader was disengaged from the problems that they faced, and even posed obstacles to operations to neutralize the Germans’ most formidable surface threat, the battleship Tirpitz. Yet the convoys continued in spite of this, driven in no small measure by the awareness of Winston Churchill, the British prime minister, that the Soviet Union was shouldering the lion’s share of the fighting against the Third Reich. Unprepared as they were to open up the “Second Front” in western Europe that Stalin demanded, supplying the Soviets seemed the least the British could do.
Woodman makes clear that it was the men aboard the merchant vessels who paid the price for this. As a former merchant sailor himself he writes about their experiences with both insight and empathy. His passages recounting their lives aboard their ships and during their stays in the Soviet Union are among the greatest strengths of the book, as they bring to life experiences of the war that are often overlooked in most standard accounts of the convoys. His empathy is also on display in his determination to cover every convoy, even if the repetitive nature of their journeys taxes his considerable abilities as a writer. Yet such detail is necessary for his book to serve as a proper tribute to the men to whom he dedicates his book, and it helps to make it one that anyone interested in the Arctic convoys and the struggle waged over them should read.
Remarkably, the convoy arrived unmolested by the forces of the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe, with the only casualty being a sailor who was shot upon arrival in Archangelsk by a nervous Russian who mistook his British uniform for that of a German. The 77 convoys that followed, however would not be so fortunate, as they would face a fearsome gauntlet of planes and warships attempting to halt the flow of supplies intended to support the Soviet war effort. As Richard Woodman demonstrates, this was on top of the considerable challenges imposed by the unforgiving Arctic climate, which added to their burdens of the sailors and added to the dangers they faced on their voyages. That they persevered in the face of these threats was a testament to the importance to their mission, one which Woodman argues was among the most important of the war.
This was because of the contributions the Arctic convoys made to the Soviet war effort. From August 1941 until the autumn of 1945 over £300 million in war material and £120 million in raw materials, industrial equipment, foodstuffs, and medical supplies was sent to the Soviet Union, roughly a quarter of which was sent via the Arctic route. This included thousands of tanks and airplanes, small arms with hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, hundreds of locomotives, millions of pairs of boots, and millions of tons of canned food. Such materials greatly aided the Soviet cause, which is why the Germans were keen to sink as many of the ships as they could. Not only did this entail the deployment of U-boats and aircraft to the area to interdict the convoys, but it also involved the redeployment most of the Kriegsmarine’s remaining capital vessels. Though the ships were hampered by a lack of fuel and restrictions on their use, their existence as a “fleet-in-being” was the source of nightmares for the Royal Navy.
Over the course of 1941, a routine developed in which convoys were sent north protected by two groups: a close escort of cruisers, destroyers, and antisubmarine trawlers, and a “distant escort” consisting of larger warships at the ready in case the Kriegsmarine deployed their remaining capital ships. While there were occasional attempts to do so, the main threat came in the form of U-boats, bombers, and torpedo planes. These wreaked a fearful toll on the Allied convoys, one that Woodman details with accounts of each convoy’s passage. The dangers of sinking were exacerbated by the climate in the region, as sailors who escaped sinking ships could survive only a few minutes in the frigid Arctic waters before the poorly-understood effects of hypothermia would prove fatal. Such conditions only added to the misery of the crew, who often felt that they were left exposed by escorts more interested in hunting than defending, and neglected by a public seemingly indifferent to their sacrifice.
And amongst nobody was this sense of ingratitude greater than those who were the convoy’s main beneficiaries. Sailors who risked so much to deliver cargoes to Murmansk and Archangelsk were often treated poorly by Soviet officials and shunned by aloof locals. Woodman is particularly critical of Joseph Stalin, who either could not or refused to appreciate the difficulties facing the convoys and the price they were paying. With the Royal Navy shouldering the bulk of convoy escorting duties, the Soviet leader was disengaged from the problems that they faced, and even posed obstacles to operations to neutralize the Germans’ most formidable surface threat, the battleship Tirpitz. Yet the convoys continued in spite of this, driven in no small measure by the awareness of Winston Churchill, the British prime minister, that the Soviet Union was shouldering the lion’s share of the fighting against the Third Reich. Unprepared as they were to open up the “Second Front” in western Europe that Stalin demanded, supplying the Soviets seemed the least the British could do.
Woodman makes clear that it was the men aboard the merchant vessels who paid the price for this. As a former merchant sailor himself he writes about their experiences with both insight and empathy. His passages recounting their lives aboard their ships and during their stays in the Soviet Union are among the greatest strengths of the book, as they bring to life experiences of the war that are often overlooked in most standard accounts of the convoys. His empathy is also on display in his determination to cover every convoy, even if the repetitive nature of their journeys taxes his considerable abilities as a writer. Yet such detail is necessary for his book to serve as a proper tribute to the men to whom he dedicates his book, and it helps to make it one that anyone interested in the Arctic convoys and the struggle waged over them should read.
January 8, 2012
This is a gripping story, not often enough told, and I think I'd find it so even if I didn't have a personal family interest. It's a very thorough and scholarly book which nevertheless does not neglect readability and has plenty of human touches - also maps, which are essential to a proper understanding of what is going on. My one caveat is that his attitude to the Russians is a bit too politically coloured. He is right, of course, to stress both what a monster Stalin was and how ungratefully he behaved about the convoys (though Gorbachev later made up for that by striking a medal for men whom their own country seems to have overlooked; my father was very proud of his). But he seems to attribute the extreme poverty of Russia at the time solely to Communism, forgetting that the government, for all its faults, had inherited a mediaeval, ungovernable mess from the tsars. But on all else, and certainly on the British side of the story, it's as authoritative as need be.
June 27, 2015
Re World War II, Woodman is to the British merchant marine what Lundstrom is to the naval war in the South Pacific: a master of English prose as well as a thorough historian. If you just want the story, you can safely skip the notes. If, like me, details interest you, you'll find plenty to satisfy your curiosity.
I had read about the Barents Sea battle many decades ago. Woodman's concise account brought back memories of Sherbrooke and HMS Onslow long relegated to my memory's tape drives.
I had never heard of the Liberty Ship SS Henry Bacon, and now understand why the Norwegian government demonstrated such high regard for her captain. In a world where merchant seaman were often viewed circumspectly, the story of this ship's loss is a red flag warning against rushing to judgment about people because of their so-called "station" in society.
While I fully comprehend the lack of trust between Churchill and Stalin, I'd never come across some of the anecdotes Woodman uses when describing the relationship. There is one Churchillian comment, which you will recognise when you read it, that illustrates a kind of dark humour I didn't know Churchill was capable of.
There is so much here - the descriptions of "life" at Murmansk, the reason for ASDIC's difficulty with layering when close to Kola, the excellent maps - that was new and/or very helpful to me. If you are a WWII naval history buff, this book is not to be missed. The Arctic Convoys is a masterpiece.
I had read about the Barents Sea battle many decades ago. Woodman's concise account brought back memories of Sherbrooke and HMS Onslow long relegated to my memory's tape drives.
I had never heard of the Liberty Ship SS Henry Bacon, and now understand why the Norwegian government demonstrated such high regard for her captain. In a world where merchant seaman were often viewed circumspectly, the story of this ship's loss is a red flag warning against rushing to judgment about people because of their so-called "station" in society.
While I fully comprehend the lack of trust between Churchill and Stalin, I'd never come across some of the anecdotes Woodman uses when describing the relationship. There is one Churchillian comment, which you will recognise when you read it, that illustrates a kind of dark humour I didn't know Churchill was capable of.
There is so much here - the descriptions of "life" at Murmansk, the reason for ASDIC's difficulty with layering when close to Kola, the excellent maps - that was new and/or very helpful to me. If you are a WWII naval history buff, this book is not to be missed. The Arctic Convoys is a masterpiece.
October 22, 2022
A detailed history of arctic convoys, both to and from Russia. It shows how successful were the convoys where out of 40 outward convoys comprising 811 shops, only 58 of them were sunk.
The enormous quantities of support provided by the USA alone included almost 15 thousand planes, over 7 thousand tanks, 51 thousand jeeps, 375 thousand trucks, almost 2 thousand locomotives, 11 thousand railway wagons, 15 million pairs of boots, etc. The British sent over 5 thousand tanks, 7 thousand planes, 10 destroyers and a battleship.
The author describes progression of each convoy, its structure and interaction with German attackers.
The enormous quantities of support provided by the USA alone included almost 15 thousand planes, over 7 thousand tanks, 51 thousand jeeps, 375 thousand trucks, almost 2 thousand locomotives, 11 thousand railway wagons, 15 million pairs of boots, etc. The British sent over 5 thousand tanks, 7 thousand planes, 10 destroyers and a battleship.
The author describes progression of each convoy, its structure and interaction with German attackers.
April 18, 2024
Tot i tenir un biaix probritànic, el llibre m'ha encantat. Molt ben escrit, descriu una guerra totalment desconeguda, en un clima inhòspit i terrible, plena de herois desconeguts. M'ha encantat.
March 14, 2026
I gave a four star rating to this fast-paced, adventurous read about the harrowing experiences of the navy and merchant seaman in the arctic during WW2. Recommended.
September 23, 2022
Excellent book describing the challenges of the Arctic Convoys. It covers the escort and convoy composition together with detail on the vast majority of the action and engagements. The narrative places this within the context of; the major military threats they faced, the politics that was the driver for their operation, the natural environment they had to traverse and the ambivalence of the state they delivered to.
April 29, 2019
Excellent and comprehensive summary of the political, military, naval and maritime aspects of the convoys organised to transport war materiel from the Western allies to support Stalin's Soviet Union in its war against Nazi Germany. The ultimate enemy turned out to be the extreme cold and unquiet weather of the Arctic seas.
March 5, 2026
A bit dry at times (with almost whole pages of names of ships), but only because this is supremely factual. Everything is covered in such detail, from the captains and commodores, the routes of the convoys, the decisions being made back in the admiralty, this is a complete account of the arctic saga. Despite this, it also isn’t without some lovely poetic passages “The ether was filled with the distress calls of the scattered merchantmen as they were picked off piecemeal.”
December 6, 2015
This is a painstaking account of the Arctic Convoys of WWII. The level of detail can be off-putting, but nevertheless it's an interesting and informative read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews