Convoy PQ17 (Part 3/3)

[stanskistan]

Never Split the Party

[Honour42GB]

I stand in defence of Dudley Pound. He was in a position of 'damned if you do, and damned if you don't,' With the Tirpitz reported as heading north along the coast of Norway and PQ 17 heading for the North Cape they would appear to be on a collision course. A modern battle ship like the Tirpitz could have sat out of range of the allied escorts guns and sunk the ships one by one. Pound made a decission which hindsight says was wrong; but was it? You make your desission on the facts at the time.

[vk45de]

I don't see what's such a big deal about the Tirpitz. The US navy by that time had 9 battleships with bigger guns.

[MrRealmadridbernabeu]

@vk45de the Tirpitz was the largest battleship built by the European Navy, I think by that time the US was busy with the Japs.

[Ag3nt0fCha0s]

On behalf of all British everywhere, allow me to apologise for Pounds being an idiot.

[xxbobdeexx]

My dad was U.S. Navy Armed Guard, he served on the SS Bayou Chico, SS Lafayette, SS Egbert Benson,SS John W. Powell and the SS Chadd Ford from 1942-1946 in the European theater and the Asiatic theater.

[sr633]

600 million dollars of war materal went to the bottom. Many merchant seamen and armed guards, who manned the ships guns, met an icy death. These Merchant seamen were considered non-combatant and received no death benifits. They even had their pay stopped the day their ship was sunk. Sad.

[seafireliv]

I guess this is what they mean when they say `There`s nothing to fear but fear itself!`

The allies were so worried about the Tirpitz that they effectively sunk their own convoy without the Tirpitz even intending to get involved.

My condolences to the brave dead.

[whizbang47]

Dudley, you say.

[anisocoro]

This heavy casualties were due to the impossibility to carry enough resupplies through Transiberian railway and caspian sea, probably due to Soviet disorganization. This convoy teach us that if a Power has enough strenght to close sea-ways, it can win a war against USA and European allies. Now we should be worried about the improving Russian capabilities to make an effective naval strategy based upon Oscar class submarines, long range antiship missiles and Su-34 bombers.

[MareTranquil]

Isn't the last sentence a bit strange?

I mean, of course it's war, but how can u revenge a convoy by sinking a ship that was never even planned to attack that convoy?

[navyreviewer]

@MareTranquil A meaningless statement at best. What is revenge to the dead?

[animbuskiwi]

Thankyou for posting this.

My grandfather was telling me about it just yesterday. He was on one of the 11 ships (HMS Palomares) that made it to Archangel (Arkhangelsk), Russia.

[gtrundle1]

i also sailed in pq 17 convoy on the rescue ship zamalek iwas only 17

[AngusArmour1]

@gtrundle1 Hi - I've written once before - my father also served on the Zamalek in that convoy - did you know Dick Armour?

[articraider]

In memory of the bravest of the brave.

[lesmcluffalot]

Kewlios

[mdg23x]

this video should have alot more then 607 views! Another great WW2 video brought to you by zxwar!