Convoy SL 139

Convoy SL 139/MKS 30
Part of World War II
Date 18–21 November 1943 Location North Atlantic Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Nazi Germany	United Kingdom  Canada
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz	Comm ? : Escort:Cdr JS Dalison
Strength
29 U-boats	66 ships 19 escorts
Casualties and losses
3 U-boats destroyed	1 ship sunk, 1 damaged 1 escort damaged

Convoys SL 139/MKS 30 were two Allied convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. SL 139 was one of the SL convoys from the South Atlantic to Britain, and MKS 30 one of the MKS convoys between Britain and the Mediterranean. They were sailing together on the Gibraltar homeward route, having made a rendezvous off Gibraltar in November 1943. They were the subject of a major U-boat attack, as part of the Kriegsmarine's renewed Autumn offensive.

Following the renewal of the U-boat offensive in the Atlantic, convoys on the UK/Gibraltar routes, had again come under attack. German U-boat Control (BdU) had established a patrol line off the coast of Portugal, which had already attacked Allied convoys in October, leading to an inconclusive clash over Convoy SL 138/MKS 28. In order to maximize the protection for convoys on this route the Admiralty and begun to run these in tandem, bringing together the South Atlantic and the Mediterranean routes at Gibraltar.

SL 139 left Freetown on 2 November 1943, arriving off Gibraltar on 16 November. It comprised 42 ships and was escorted by an Escort Group, of nine warships. MKS 30 sailed from Port Said on 2 November, similarly arriving off Gibraltar on 16 November to meet SL 139. The combined body of 66 ships then sailed for Britain. It was escorted by 40 Escort Group, of seven warships, led by HMS Exe (Cdr. JS Dalison).

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