Convoy HX 79

German military communiqués exaggerated the results of the attacks on Convoys SC 7 and HX 79, claiming an even greater victory than the one achieved.

The British began to revise their tactics and organisation, creating permanent escort groups and hurrying the provision of new equipment like R/T for anti-submarine ships and aircraft to communicate.

From 22 September the U-boats U-29, U-43, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-37, U-38, U-137 and U-123 were to pick off ships sailing independently and attack convoys in the area between the North Channel and the Rockall Bank.

[4] The meagre ocean escort of the armed merchant cruisers HMS Alaunia and Montclare with the Netherlands submarine HNLMS O 14 accompanied the convoy in case of attack by a surface raider.

[2] Having received the sighting report from U-48, Admiral Karl Dönitz, the Befehlshaber der U-Boote (Commander, U-boats) established another patrol line with U-101, U-46, U-123, U-99, U-100.

[5] In the late morning of 19 October Alaunia and Montclare turned west, handing over Convoy HX 79 to the 1st Escort Group (1st EG).

[2] U-boats which failed to reach Convoy HX 79 in time continued to attack ships sailing independently.

[7] U-46 had also fired at Wandby and close to midnight torpedoed the British tramp steamer Ruperra full of steel scrap and aircraft, the ship sinking quickly with the captain, D. T. Davies, 29 crew members and a naval gunner being killed; seven men were rescued by Induna.

Caprella (Captain P. Prior, from Curaçao with a cargo of 11,300 long tons (11,500 t) of heavy fuel oil .was hit at 11:15 p.m.

U-100 attacked Sitala, also bound for Stanlow with 8,444 long tons (8,580 t) of crude oil, killing a member of the engine-room staff; Captain J. L. Morgans and 42 crew were rescued by Lady Elsa.

U-47 still on the surface, torpedoed Whitford Point at the back of the convoy, carrying 7,840 long tons (7,970 t) of steel and sinking quickly with the Captain J. E. Young and 35 men; a survivor was rescued by Sturdy.

[9] The convoy had lost twelve ships out of 49, with a tonnage of 75,069 gross register tons (GRT) for no loss to the U-boats.

[11] In the German semi-official history, "Germany and the Second World War" (2015), Bernd Stegemann wrote that the U-boats had their best success per-day-at-sea in October 1940, a period that the submariners called the Happy Time.

During the winter of 1940–1941 the U-boats had less success, due to the seasonal weather, the British–US destroyers-for-bases deal, the arrival of more corvettes, the addition of radar sets and radio-telephones to British destroyers and the slow increase in the number of Coastal Command aircraft.

Rockall, Rockall Bank and the North Channel
HMS Aubrietia , an example of a flower-class corvette
Cross-section of a type VIIC U-boat
Photograph of Karl Dönitz, Konteradmiral (rear admiral) and Commander of the Submarines ( Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote BdU)