Thanks a lot, Paul!
Very interesting. I have only one question, have you info from German sources on the size of the main convoy? 12 escorts for 3 ships seems a bit high for a North Norway convoy in that stage of the war when compared what I know on those convoys. I admit that my knowledge on this is limited and much depend on what the ships were carrying. According to Jürgen Rohwer's and Gerhard Hümmelchen's Chronik des Seekrieges 1939-1945, see
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/43-04.htm, Leesee was escorted only by UJ 1207. The report of the Finnish AF liaison-officer at the HQ of the Lfl 5 doesn't give the composition of the convoy neither Flyalarm but the latter says that the convoy attacked on 14 April consisted of three ships escorted by eight Vps and UJs. According to Valtonen's Pohjoinen Ilmasota: Suomeen liittyvät sotatoimet syksystä 1944 kevääseen 1945 (1996) the convoy La 135 Ki which sailed 24 - 25 Sept 1944 to Kirkenes consisted of one 1,975 BRT steamship and a repair barge escorted by three Vps. And the convoy against which VVS SF attacked on 16 Oct 1944 consisted 4 ships and 3 cutters escorted by 4 minesweepers, 3 Vps and 7 R-boats and behind the convoy proper sailed one Vp towing a MFP protected by two R-boats. And these convoys sailed in the later part of 1944 when VVS SF was much more powerful than in early 1943.
Very much appreciated
Juha