Convoy HX 84

On the morning of November 5, HX 84 had been passed by the cargo liner Mopan, which was also bound for Liverpool, enroute from Port Antonio, during which an offer had been made to the Mopan's Master, Captain Sapsworth, for the Mopan to join HX 84. However the offer had been declined and the Mopan continued eastbound alone.[2][3]

Having been thwarted from using its two Arado Ar 196 seaplanes the previous day, on November 5 the weather was suitable for the Admiral Scheer to utilise its air reconnaissance.

Piloted by Lieutenant Pietsch, a seaplane was launched at 09:40hrs having been ordered to make a sweep 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) wide and 70 nautical miles (130 km; 81 mi) deep. When the seaplane returned at 12:05hrs the observer reported having sighted a convoy steaming eastbound at position 52°41′N 32°52′W. This meant that the intervening distance between the Scheer and the convoy was approximately 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi). No escort had been observed.

This confirmed the earlier B-Dienst radio intercept by the Scheer which had identified the convoy as being HX 84.[4][5]

Onboard the Admiral Scheer a dilemma was presented to Kapitän zur See Theodor Krancke regarding whether he should attack the convoy before nightfall, or wait and make his attack at dawn the following day. Kapitän Krancke made the decision to attack, with the Scheer altering course onto 150 degrees and increasing speed to 23 knots (43 km/h) allowing Krancke to intercept at approximately 15:30hrs.[6][7]

At 14:27hrs, an hour before the Scheer was scheduled to intercept the convoy, a single smoke column was observed. Once visual acquisition had been made a flag could be observed flying from the vessel's masthead, however the purpose of this could not be established. Unsure as to the identity of the vessel Krancke decided to maintain his course, as to turn away to the east would significantly reduce his ability to intercept HX 84 before darkness fell.[8][9]

The vessel was the Mopan, by this time approximately three hours ahead of HX 84. On the bridge of the Admiral Scheer, as the range decreased, it was decided that the vessel was an armed merchantman, acting as a screen, and stationed ahead or on the flank of the convoy. Krancke trained all his armament on to the Mopan with the Scheer firing warning shots from her secondary armament of 15 cm (5.9 in) SK C/28 guns, which exploded close to the freighters bow.

At 15:08hrs, by use of a signal lamp, the Scheer ordered the Mopan to heave to.[10][11]

Admiral Scheer then proceeded to hoist a flag signal stating "Take to your boats and bring your papers across." Kapitän Krancke kept his guns trained on the Mopan's wireless transmission aerials on her masthead and accompanied this with an order that the ship's wireless was not to be used.

This caused some rancour onboard the Mopan with her Wireless Officer, James Macintosh, on more than one occasion pleading with Captain Sapsworth to ignore the request from the Admiral Scheer and transmit the internationally recognised signal: R-R-R (I Am Being Attacked By A Raider), thereby affording Convoy HX 84 the ability to take some form of evasive action.[12][13]

However with the guns of the Scheer trained on the Mopan, and given the realisation that at any time his ship could be blown from beneath him, Captain Sapsworth chose to refuse Macintosh's requests and instead ordered his ship's company to abandon ship, upon when they would transfer to the Admiral Scheer in order to be taken prisoner. The order was carried out in a measured and organised manner, something that was not lost on Kapitän Krancke.[14][15]

Following the evacuation of the Mopan, Admiral Scheer proceeded to sink the vessel. However this proved to be a more difficult task than was initially envisaged.[16][17]

If he was to make a successful interception of HX 84 before nightfall, Krancke knew that time was beginning to run short. No prize crew was sent to the Mopan, instead Admiral Scheer opened fire on the merchantman from a distance of approximately 300 yards using a combination of her secondary armament of 15 cm (5.9 in) SK C/28 guns and her main armament of 28 cm (11.0 in) SK C/28 guns. Vexed by the continued stubbornness of the Mopan, Kapitän Krancke ordered an increase in the rate of fire from the Scheer's gunners in addition to which he requested the presence of Captain Sapsworth, who cautioned against the targeting of the aft end of his ship as it was where the ammunition for the Mopan's 4in gun was stored. Mopan finally sank at 16:05hrs.[18][19]

• Dan van der Vat : The Atlantic Campaign (1988).ISBN 0-340-37751-8
• Arnold Hague : The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 (2000). ISBN (Canada) 1 55125 033 0 . ISBN (UK) 1 86176 147 3
• Theodor Krancke, Hans Brennecke : The Battleship 'Scheer' (1956). ISBN
• Calum MacNeil : San Demetrio (1957). ISBN

• HMS Jervis Bay
• "The Ballad of Convoy HX84"
• http://www.bristolmerchantnavy.com/thirty-eight-ships