Convoy SL 140/MKS 31

Convoy SL 140/MKS 31
Part of World War II
Date 24 November-5 December 1943 Location Mid Atlantic Result Allied victory, complete failure for Germany
Belligerents
Nazi Germany	United Kingdom United States
Commanders and leaders
Adm. Karl Dönitz	Comm: Escort:Cdr EC Bayldon
Strength
13 U-boats	65 ships 18 escorts
Casualties and losses
6 U-boats lost, 2 U-boats damaged	none

Convoys SL 140/MKS 31 was a combined Allied convoy which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II, sailing to Britain in November 1943. SL convoys originated in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with their destination Liverpool and other ports in Britain. This was the 140th convoy to make that trip in WWII. SL 140 was composed of merchant ships bringing raw materials to the UK from various parts of the world. MKS was the designation for convoys from the Mediterranean to Britain. MK indicated ‘Mediterranean to the UK'. More than 100 MK convoys operated during the war. The S in this acronym specified ‘slow.’ This was a slow convoy, since it included thirteen LSTs, which had a top speed of about 10 knots. The LSTs and the additional landing craft they carried would be vital for the upcoming invasion of northern France.

These two convoys rendezvoused off Gibraltar on 24 November 1943 and sailed north.

They were the subject of a U-boat attack, as part of the Kriegsmarine's renewed Autumn offensive.