Convoy PQ18 v He111s I./KG26 mystery

[Juha]

I digged a bit deeper. SS Copeland was the only proper rescue ship of the PQ 18 but in Richard Woodman's Arctic Convoys (paperback edition 1995) p. 262 added '...three motor minesweepers of American origin transferring to the Red Navy and under orders to operate as rescue ships...'. So far so good but the classification motor minesweepers of American origin indicates YMS/Yard class motor minesweepers but the first of those were handed over to the Soviet Navy not until the spring of 1945 (according to Peter Elliott's Allied Minesweeping in World War 2 (1979)) and anyway none of them is shown on the convoy disposition diagram of the PQ 18 in Woodman's book. But amongst the escorts were 3 Halcyon-class RN fleet minesweepers and a flotilla of Halcyons operated in Archangel area in 1942 - 44 helping Soviets in mine sweeping and acting as local eacorts.

The diagram in Woodman's book shows that the position of SS Copeland was behind the leftmost line of the merchant ships when 'Mary Luckenbach' was in the 2nd line from the right. But behind merchanmen were also 2 of the Halcyons, nearest to 'Mary Luckenbach' was HMS Sharpshooter, maybe its logbook, if survived, is worth of looking.


Juha