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This story appears courtesy of and with thanks to Mike Kemble

The escort continued on over the rolling U-boat and finished her off with a pattern set shallow. Some of the Germans were already in the water when these charges went off and did not survive, but five were later picked up, along with 25 from the STANLEY.
While in the middle of her rescue operation STORK observed an explosion from within the convoy. U108 (Schonder) having sneaked in and scored a kill. This proved to be the SS RUCKINGE a ship of 2,869 tons gross. As this was the first loss to the convoy, for three U-boats sunk, it was a great victory. Even more so when convoys were being decimated in night attacks. On the down side, STORK had damaged her ASDIC in the ramming and bent her bows so badly she could no longer steam at full speed. The AUDACITY had however been lucky, as one torpedo narrowly missed her during the attack. During the same day the Luftwaffe were attempting to re-establish contact with the convoy. In the morning a pair of Fw200’s approached but Red Flight intercepted. In a daring head on attack one was shot down by Sub Lt Brown. The other was chased by Sub Lt Lamb and fled into the clouds. During the afternoon another Fw200 was spotted by STORK which passed on the information to AUDACITY. Sub Lt Sleigh of Yellow Flight, tried several stern attacks before giving up and taking it head on as Brown had done. He downed the Condor, but in doing so his own aircraft was damaged. He returned to the carrier with part of the Condors wireless aerial still wrapped around his tail wheel. At dusk the aircraft of AUDACITY reported a U-boat 15 miles to port. This was U107 ( Gelhaus) which had been able to stay in touch with the convoy and although hunted by DEPTHFORD, MARIGOLD & CONVOLVULUS it could not be found. This was good luck for the Germans as U107 was directing the arrival of U108 (Scholtz), U71, U751, & U567 (Endrass). The commander of U567 Kapitanleutnant Endrass, was a holder of the Knights Cross and one of the few remaining aces. He had been 1st Lt. to Gunther Prien , of U47 when they penetrated into Scapa Flow and sank the Battleship ROYAL OAK. Doenitz placed such faith in this commander that he signalled the U-boats that Endrass was on the way, hoping to boost their morale.
Unfortunately while returning to the convoy the escorts were mistaken for the enemy and many of the Merchant ships fired snowflake, lighting themselves up brilliantly in the darkness. To the amazement of all no attacks developed and in fact the next day, the 20th also passed almost without incident apart from a 55 mile chase in which Red Section Martlets attempted to catch a Fw200. During the afternoon another Martlet sighted two U-boats ahead, which enabled HG76 to alter course and avoid them. Most of the daylight hours of the 21st also passed without attacks but several U-boats were sighted. A pair were 25 miles astern, exchanging personnel across a plank when they were strafed by Sub.Lt.Brown. .Walker detached four of his escorts, including DEPTFORD to pursue them but they escaped. At 1130 two more U-boats were sighted to port of the convoy and Walker sent MARIGOLD and CONVOLVULUS to pursue. Shortly after another was sighted off the port bow shadowing the convoy from about 10 miles out. At 1500 yet another U-boat was sighted . The night of the 21st to 22nd was promising to be very dangerous. HG76 was now turned onto a direct course for the Western Approaches, the reasoning being that as the Germans obviously knew they were there, it made little point to sail a longer, diversionary route. Besides as her route had been plotted for several days, the radical change of course after dark, might fool some of the submarines. As dusk fell AUDACITY went over to her night procedure of zig-zagging well clear of the convoy. Despite Walker recommending the port side as being the most likely to be safe, McKendrick preferred the starboard and went off without escort as the convoy having had two escorts turn back, one sunk and one now damaged, could not spare a screen.
In view of the success of the previous night, Walker took two escorts with him and staged a mock battle off the port rear side of the convoy along the course HG76 had previously been sailing on and might be expected to be found. By the use of snowflake and starshell he hoped to trick the U-boats into hurrying to the wrong spot as they sought the convoy in the darkness. Unfortunately the merchant ships of the convoy believed this to be a real attack and commenced firing snowflake as well, which left them brightly lit up and spoiled the diversion. Walker then raced back to rejoin but as he did the Norwegian tanker ANNAVORE, of 3,324 dwt, rear ship of the centre column exploded in flames as U567 closed for the attack. Walker then made a mistake in ordering another ‘Buttercup’ be carried out, instead of sweeping astern for the offending U Boat. Once again the Merchant ships fired snowflake and AUDACITY was illuminated. U751 (Korvettenkapitan Gerhard Bigalk) could not believe his luck. Ten miles out to starboard of the convoy, the small carrier was brightly silhouetted and he immediately torpedoed her. She was struck aft and was out of control although she continued to steam. The engines were stopped to avoid collision and the little carrier floated helpless in the darkness for twenty minutes. Escorts were racing to the area but before reaching AUDACITY she was finished off by U751 which came in so close she was fired on by one of the 20mm Oerlikon’s of the Carrier. The U-boat fired two torpedoes which struck AUDACITY in the bows and she sank ten minutes later. As the escorts dashed about the sight of the sinking, searching for survivors, the DEPTFORD sighted a U-boat on the surface and fired starshell with STORK assisting. This was followed up by a series of heavy depth charge attacks. U567 (Kapitanleutnant Endrass) had been destroyed with all hands, although the escorts were uncertain of the kill, despite oil being sighted. Shortly after this, with excitement running high, DEPTFORD accidentally rammed the STORK and although the damage was not severe, the brig was wrecked, killing two of the five U-boat survivors who had been locked in it.
U67 also attacked the convoy but missed her target, the CAM ship DARWIN and was shortly after forced to dive when illuminated by starshell. Forty one depth charges, some very close, shook the U-boat for the next two hours as RHODODENDRUM attacked, with some help from DEPTFORD. She was able to surface at 0430 but was trailing oil and suffering machinery defects which forced her to withdraw well astern of the convoy. By the morning of the 22nd of December 1941, HG76 had now lost two of its merchant ships, the carrier and one escort, but had sunk four submarines, a score which up until that time was unheard of. STORK was of course also damaged as was DEPTFORD, depth charges were running low and various other equipment include radar sets had started to fail. The loss of the AUDACITY meant fighter cover had also been lost as with early warning of U-boats nearby. During this day U71 and U125 made contact after being diverted from missions to the US East coast. Reinforcements had been sent to HG76 from Western Approaches however. The VANQUISHER and WITCH were both V&W destroyers converted to Short Range Escorts, and soon joined the screen. The Admiralty were delighted that at last in these dark days of the war, a convoy had forced the U-boats into a one for one, swap. Indeed as far as the merchantmen and their valuable cargoes were concerned this was a two for one swap in British favor. Walker’s aggressive tactics had obviously worked. Now however HG76 was nearing the UK and a Liberator aircraft of 19 Group, patrolled around them for several hours during the day. At 1600 it reported two U-boats stopped on the surface 25 miles astern of the convoy. One of these was U67, assessing her damage, which she reported to Lorient. During the night, the SS OGMORE CASTLE was hit by a very heavy sea and the crew panicked, convinced they had either rammed a submarine or being damaged. They abandoned ship but when the Corvette CONVOLVULUS arrived she found the merchant ship quite undamaged and informed the crew they should re-embark. The highly embarrassed crew went back on board and the ship resumed its place in the convoy just before dawn.
In the early morning of the 23rd U751 , U125 and U71 all attempted to penetrate the screen but were driven off by the determined escorts. U751 only just managed to elude VETCH which was assisted by VANQUISHER and WITCH. The convoy was now getting close to the UK and heavy air patrols are being maintained by Coastal Command. In view of this the damaged U67 is ordered home at 0921 and the remaining U-boats directed elsewhere. By the afternoon the convoy was safely in the control zone of Western Approaches and the Commodore signalled to STORK, "Despite the loss of Audacity and Stanley, you have won a great victory. On behalf of the convoy deepest congratulations and many thanks." Walker’s report on the proceedings of the convoy was anxiously awaited. On the 6th of January 1942 he attended a special meeting at the Admiralty with the Director of Anti Submarine Warfare during which his ideas were sought and considered. They were listened too and taken note of. Walker would later go on to command the famous Second Support Group that sank a hefty score of U-boats as the Battle of the Atlantic swung against the Germans. The ships under his command always enjoyed a high priority for repair and refit and his signature tune "A hunting we will go" greeted him from shore on his return from successful sorties. Before his untimely death from natural causes on July 9th 1944, the previously "passed over" officer had reached the rank of Captain, been re-instated in the seniority list and had won the DSO four times. He was to have been made a Knight Commander of the Bath and promoted to Flag rank after August 1944. Walker was given a full ceremonial naval funeral at Liverpool Cathedral attended by a thousand people, then borne through the streets on a gun carriage as the cortege wound its way to the Mersey dockyard. The coffin was taken aboard HMS HESPERUS and he was buried at sea. The first man to defeat a U-boat pack was a sailor of the best Nelsonian traditions, fighting against a different foe but on the same relentless waters.

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