William Geroux, The Ghost Ships of Archangel: The Arctic Voyage that Defied the Nazis by David H. Gray

Most of us have heard of the wartime convoy PQ-17 to Archangel, Russia in July 1942 and the fact that many of the ships in the convoy were sunk after the convoy was ordered to scatter because of the perceived threat of being attacked by the Tirpitz and/or other major units of the German Navy.As much as this book deals with that decision -taken in London -it is not the raison d'être of the book.Rather, the book provides the personal accounts of sailors who survived that event, their experiences while in Russia, and their trip home.In the first chapter, after introducing the reader to some of the major interviewees, Geroux explains the history behind the need for Arctic convoys and the general war situation.In chapter two, the reader meets most of the other interviewees and starts hearing about the make-up of the convoy, the weather and sea conditions (even in July), the seaworthiness of the merchant ships, the cargo, the financial incentives for crewing, and life on board.As much as there were shadowing capital ships and a nearby cruiser force to oppose the major German ships, the convoy's close escort comprised six Royal Navy destroyers, four corvettes, four armed trawlers, two anti-aircraft ships, three rescue ships, three minesweepers, and two submarines.The convoy departed Hvalfjord, Iceland, on 27 June 1942 with 36 merchant ships flying the flags of at least five nations and carrying roughly three-quarters of a billion dollars' worth of war supplies -more than $11.2 billion in today's dollars (31). Ice, not an enemy attack, was the first thing to damage three ships, which left the convoy to return to Iceland.A German long-range reconnaissance aircraft spotted the convoy about noon on 1 July.Torpedo-carrying seaplanes (Heinkel 115s) made the first enemy attack 24-hours later, but it was not until 3 July that the Christopher Newport became the first victim -sunk by an aerial torpedo attack.As the convoy passed Bear Island the next day, Heinkel 111 and Junker 88 bombers came within range to deliver bombs and torpedoes.The Tirpitz also was on the move, but only along the Norwegian coast and not out to sea.The British didn't know where the Tirpitz was, and the Germans weren't about to risk her until they knew for certain that there were no British aircraft carriers guarding the convoy.But the English feared that the Tirpitz was at sea and first ordered the nearby cruisers to withdraw once they were 150 miles east of Bear Island.After much deliberation, on 4 July at 9:11 pm, Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, in London, sent a message to the cruiser force to withdraw westward at high speed.The order to all escorting ships for the convoy to disperse and proceed to Russian ports came 22 minutes later.

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