Murmansk Run and Artic Convoys

Murmansk Run, perhaps one of the most dangerous runs for ships during WWII and was a dreaded passage for most Merchant Mariners. As luck would have it this was the passage my father would make sailing the SS Jame Smith, convoy JW.58. The ship was transporting general cargo which could be anything used in the war effort. The ship would travel across the North Atlantic passed Scotland into Murmansk, Russia, coordinates 68"58'N x 33"5'E. The ship arrived Loch Ewe, Scotland March 27, 1944 and arrived Kola Inlet April 4, 1944 then discharging her cargo in Murmansk. German U-boats and bombers were for sure in the area just waiting to pick off what they could. About 1400 Merchant ships delivered vital supplies to the Soviet Union with 85 Merchant vessels lost. There were 3,000 British sailors and Merchant Marines lost to German attacks from air, sea and artic weather on this run.

My father never talked much about the war when I was growing up but will pass on what I know.


During this passage there were 56 merchant ships and 41 escorts in convoy JW.58, the SS James Smith number 14th in line. Liberty ship engine rooms had what is called sky lights at the top of engine room that could be opened to let hot air out and aided in ventilation. One day he said as he was looking out into the sky and he spotted a German bomber ready to strike. All he said is he just new that one of those bombs/torpedo's had his name on it, but luck was on his side this time. I remember my mother saying that when he left on this run his hair was black but when he returned home his hair was white and is probably why I did not here much from him about the war. I don't know all of the passages he made but do know he received the following Decorations: Merchant Marine Emblem, Atlantic War Zone Bar, Pacific War Zone Bar, Mediterranean-Middle East War Zone Bar, Combat Bar (with stars), Honorable Service Button and Presidential Testimonial Letter. Don't know where all his travels took him but seems like a lot for sure. He had also been given the designation grade of Lieutenant in the United States Maritime Service and later the grade of Lieutenant Commander. He was also Honorably Discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States of America by the United States Coast Guard. Oh, there was one more story I heard that on one of the ships he was on a torpedo landed in the engine room on the main control station but did not explode. Of course no one wanted to get near it or even be in the engine room. As I understand they came back all the way home with this extra unwanted bomb live. More white hair!



I1 know all this information is a lot of facts you may or may not need to know or be interested in but feel that to understand what is to be happen later I need to give you this information. As you will see, a lot of this will have a big effect on me and our family later.