An explosion in the water behind a boat in the Convoy SL 125 during World War II

written by Todd DePastino

On October 16, 1942, Convoy 125 (SL 125) sailed from Sierra Leone to Liverpool, England, unaware it was about to be sacrificed to the cause of Victory.

At least, that has long been the suspicion of some military experts who are convinced that the 42-ship convoy–12 of which were sunk by German U-boats–was an elaborate decoy used by the Allies to distract the enemy and protect other convoys bound for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa.

I recently heard from Régis Michel, a French journalist and filmmaker on a mission to discover the truth of SL 125. He’s embarking upon a detailed investigation to see of SL 125 was doomed from the start.

As an American historian, I’m ashamed to admit I had never heard of “SL convoys”–a series of numbered merchant ship group sailings that shipped commodities to the British Isles from South America, Africa, and the Indian Ocean. All these ships would travel alone to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where they would be gathered in convoys for transit to Liverpool escorted by British and Allied warships.

Convoy SL 125, led by Commodore Cecil Reyne aboard the SS Nagpore, set sail with a mix of cargo ships and some ships in ballast, including the Anglo Maersk. Escorting the convoy were four Flower-class corvettes: HMS Petunia, HMS Cowslip, HMS Crocus, and HMS Woodruff, commanded by Lieutenant Commander John M. Rayner.

However, from the start, SL 125 faced ominous challenges. Commodore Reyne’s decision to make the slowest ship, the Nagpore, his flagship guaranteed that the convoy’s speed would be reduced to a vulnerable seven knots. As the convoy moved northwards, it became an increasingly easy target for the German U-boat fleet, which had gathered to intercept Allied shipping near the coast of Gibraltar.

By late October, German U-boat command had assembled Wolfpack Streitaxt (Battleaxe), a force of ten submarines, including U-203, U-509, and U-604. These U-boats had been sent south from their bases in France after reports from Spanish agents indicated a significant Allied naval buildup around Gibraltar. The U-boats took up positions near the Canary Islands, right in the path of Convoy SL 125.

On October 25, U-203 spotted the convoy and began shadowing it. On October 27, the attack began in earnest, with U-509 torpedoing the British freighters Pacific Star and Stentor, and U-604 sending the Anglo Maersk to the bottom.

Over the next five days, the convoy suffered relentless attacks. By November 1, 12 ships, including Commodore Reyne’s flagship, the Nagpore, had been sunk, and seven more were damaged. A total of 407 men, including 260 aboard the French liner Président Doumer, perished in the attack. It was the deadliest assault on an SL convoy during the entire war.

The timing of the attacks on SL 125 has led to speculation that the convoy was deliberately sacrificed to draw attention away from the massive troop convoy heading for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa.

On October 22, just days after SL 125 left Freetown, the Operation Torch convoy embarked from the Chesapeake Bay, bound for the beaches of Morocco and Algeria. The success of this invasion would change the course of the war, providing a foothold for Allied forces in North Africa and relieving pressure on the Soviet Union.

The escort for the Torch convoy was immense, with warships drawn from across the globe. To provide protection for this crucial operation, other convoys, including vital supply convoys to the Soviet Union, were temporarily suspended or rerouted. Yet SL 125 was neither suspended nor rerouted. Some of its ships, including the Nagpore, were in ballast, carrying no cargo, which has further fueled suspicions that it was being used as a decoy.

While SL 125 was being attacked, the 340 ships of the Torch convoy sailed through the same waters, entirely unnoticed by the German U-boats. It was not until November 11, days after the Torch landings, that the U-boats turned their attention to the invasion fleet. By then, it was too late; the invasion had succeeded.

Commodore Cecil Reyne, commanding SL 125 from the Nagpore, narrowly escaped death when his ship was torpedoed. As the Nagpore sank, Reyne was knocked unconscious by debris but was rescued by nearby sailors and pulled into a lifeboat. Despite the heavy losses, Reyne was inexplicably praised by the British Admiralty upon his return to Liverpool.

He later remarked, “This is the only time I have been congratulated for losing ships.”

This curious remark, combined with the lack of adequate protection for the convoy and the timing of the Torch operation, has led many to wonder whether SL 125 was, in fact, deliberately sacrificed to ensure the success of the larger invasion effort.

Naval deception was not an uncommon tactic during the war. In fact, the Allies had already employed decoy convoys in the months leading up to Torch. One such convoy was RB-1, codenamed Operation Maniac, which left Newfoundland for England in September 1942.

Composed of eight packet steamers modified to look like cargo ships, and escorted by World War I-era destroyers, RB-1 successfully lured 17 U-boats away from the Torch convoy’s route. Four of the RB-1 ships were sunk, but the decoy mission achieved its objective.

Given the success of RB-1, it is plausible that SL 125 was used in a similar manner. After all, the stakes for Operation Torch were incredibly high. The landings in North Africa were critical to securing the Mediterranean and relieving pressure on the Eastern Front. If the Torch convoy had been detected and attacked by German U-boats, the entire operation could have been jeopardized.

Despite decades of research, the full truth about SL 125 remains elusive.

Régis Michel is determined to put the matter to rest, one way or another. He’s taken on the task of investigating this mystery, piecing together evidence and accounts from survivors, archives, and military records.

His goal is to produce a documentary and book that will finally answer the question: Was Convoy SL 125 sacrificed by the Allies to ensure the success of Operation Torch?

Michel and his colleagues are seeking to uncover new evidence, including radio transcripts, naval orders, and survivor testimonies, that could shed light on this potential act of wartime deception. If SL 125 was indeed a decoy, it would not be the first time the Allies had sacrificed lives to achieve a greater objective. But for the families of the 407 men who died in the attacks, the truth matters deeply. Were their loved ones merely casualties of war, or were they heroes unknowingly sent to their deaths for a larger cause?

If you have information that might help Michel’s Association SL125 accomplish its mission, you can reach them here. You can also donate to the cause and watch a trailer for the film in production.

We look forward to tracking Régis Michel’s progress and watching the film when completed!

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