Convoy PQ 1

Convoy PQ-1 was the second of the Arctic Convoys of World War II by which the Western Allies supplied material aid to the Soviet Union in its fight with Nazi Germany. The Convoy sailed from Hvalfiord Iceland on 29 September 1941 and arrived at Archangelsk on 11 October 1941.

Ships

This Convoy consisted of 11 merchant ships loaded with raw materials, 20 tanks and 193 crated Hawker Hurricane fighter planes. Escorted ships convoy PQ-1 (29.09.1941 - 11.10.1941) — cruiser HMS Suffolk, destroyers HMS Antelope and HMS Anthony, 4 minesweepers — HMS Britomart , HMS Gossamer , HMS Leda , HMS Hussar . Escorted ships convoy PQ-1 initially (29.09.1941 - 4.10.1941) — destroyer HMS Anthony , RFA Black Ranger . Escorted ships convoy PQ-1 at later stage (2.10.1941 - 11.10.1941) — destroyer HMS Escapade . Escorted ships convoy PQ-1 in the coastal waters of the USSR (10 - 11.10.1941) — minesweeper HMS Harrier , destroyers Uritski , Valerian Kuybyshev . All ships arrived safely.

Trivia

The code PQ was chosen from the initials of Commander Phillip Quellyn Roberts an operations officer in the Admiralty

References

• Richard Woodman, Arctic Convoys 1941-1945, 1994, ISBN 0-7195-5752-6
• Convoy web
• Russian Convoy PQ-1. www.naval-history.net