Convoy OB-293
Encyclopedia
OB 293 was a North Atlantic convoy
which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II
.
It was notable for seeing the loss to the Kriegsmarine
(KM) of , with her commander KL Günther Prien
, the person responsible for the sinking of two years previously.
on 2nd March 1941 bound for ports in North America
.
It was escorted by an escort group of two destroyer
s, and , and two corvette
s, and . They were led by LtCdr Rowlands of Wolverine, which would stay with them till they left the Western Approaches
. (At this stage of the campaign escort groups were too scarce to provide “end-to-end” cover).
On 6th March 1941 the convoy was sighted by U-47 commanded by Prien.
After sending a sighting report he set to shadowing the convoy, being joined throughout the day by three other boats. They were (Kretschmer
), (Matz) and (Eckerman).
In the early hours of 7 March U-99 slipped into the convoy from ahead, to attack on the surface; she torpedoed the tanker Athelbeach, sinking her, and the whale factory ship Terje Viken, which was damaged.
U-70 hit a freighter Dunaff Head, which sank, and a Dutch tanker, Mijdrecht.
She was only damaged, however, rounding on U-70 and attempting to ram; U-70 was forced to crash-dive to escape.
U-A hit a freighter but did not sink her.
The response of the escorts was swift and effective. The U-boats were subjected to a fierce bombardment as the warships chased down contacts; over 100 depth-charges were expended over a 5 hour period.
U-A was damaged but was able to escape;
U-99 only escaped by diving deep and waiting out the attack.
U-70 was damaged in the onslaught and forced to the surface, where she was fired on and sunk by the corvettes Camellia and Arbutus.
U-47 avoided damage and was able to stay in contact with the convoy, sending further reports and requesting re-inforcements. He had also been able to torpedo Terje Viken which was straggling after being damaged, though she still remained afloat. The escorts attempted to bring her to port, but she finally sank on the 14th; her loss was credited to both U-99 and U-47.
Meanwhile, on the night of 7th/8th, at about 1am on the 8th, Wolverine sighted a U-boat on the surface which she identified as U-47. She and Verity attacked, and after 4 hours, which had shown evidence of damage, the U-boat was driven to the surface within yards of Wolverine, before diving again. The destroyer sent down a pattern of depth-charges and was rewarded with an underwater explosion, marked by an orange glow, and flames that broke the surface.
No conclusion can be reached about the fate of U-47, and it is thought likely to be the result of a diving accident.
The success of the defence of OB 293, with the loss of the U-boat ace Prien, coupled with the successful defence of Convoy HX-112
, and the loss of two more aces, Kretschmer and Schepke, one week later, marks a minor turning point in the Atlantic campaign.
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
It was notable for seeing the loss to the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
(KM) of , with her commander KL Günther Prien
Günther Prien
Lieutenant Commander Günther Prien was one of the outstanding German U-boat aces of the first part of the Second World War, and the first U-boat commander to win the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Under Prien's command, the submarine sank over 30 Allied ships totaling about...
, the person responsible for the sinking of two years previously.
Prelude
OB 293 was a west-bound convoy of 37 ships, either in ballast or carrying trade goods, and sailed from LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 2nd March 1941 bound for ports in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
It was escorted by an escort group of two destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, and , and two corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s, and . They were led by LtCdr Rowlands of Wolverine, which would stay with them till they left the Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
. (At this stage of the campaign escort groups were too scarce to provide “end-to-end” cover).
On 6th March 1941 the convoy was sighted by U-47 commanded by Prien.
After sending a sighting report he set to shadowing the convoy, being joined throughout the day by three other boats. They were (Kretschmer
Otto Kretschmer
Flotilla Admiral Otto Kretschmer was a German U-boat commander in the Second World War and later an admiral in the Bundesmarine. From September 1939 until being captured in March 1941, he sank 47 ships, a total of 274,333 tons. For this he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak...
), (Matz) and (Eckerman).
Action
On the night of the 6/7 March the pack launched its attack.In the early hours of 7 March U-99 slipped into the convoy from ahead, to attack on the surface; she torpedoed the tanker Athelbeach, sinking her, and the whale factory ship Terje Viken, which was damaged.
U-70 hit a freighter Dunaff Head, which sank, and a Dutch tanker, Mijdrecht.
She was only damaged, however, rounding on U-70 and attempting to ram; U-70 was forced to crash-dive to escape.
U-A hit a freighter but did not sink her.
The response of the escorts was swift and effective. The U-boats were subjected to a fierce bombardment as the warships chased down contacts; over 100 depth-charges were expended over a 5 hour period.
U-A was damaged but was able to escape;
U-99 only escaped by diving deep and waiting out the attack.
U-70 was damaged in the onslaught and forced to the surface, where she was fired on and sunk by the corvettes Camellia and Arbutus.
U-47 avoided damage and was able to stay in contact with the convoy, sending further reports and requesting re-inforcements. He had also been able to torpedo Terje Viken which was straggling after being damaged, though she still remained afloat. The escorts attempted to bring her to port, but she finally sank on the 14th; her loss was credited to both U-99 and U-47.
Meanwhile, on the night of 7th/8th, at about 1am on the 8th, Wolverine sighted a U-boat on the surface which she identified as U-47. She and Verity attacked, and after 4 hours, which had shown evidence of damage, the U-boat was driven to the surface within yards of Wolverine, before diving again. The destroyer sent down a pattern of depth-charges and was rewarded with an underwater explosion, marked by an orange glow, and flames that broke the surface.
Aftermath
Wolverine was credited with destroying U-47, and this featured in the official record until the late 1990’s. However, after reviewing the available records modern historians regard this attack as being directed against U-A, which was badly damaged, but survived to reach port.No conclusion can be reached about the fate of U-47, and it is thought likely to be the result of a diving accident.
The success of the defence of OB 293, with the loss of the U-boat ace Prien, coupled with the successful defence of Convoy HX-112
Convoy HX-112
HX 112 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It was notable in that it saw the loss of U-boats commanded by two of the Kriegsmarine's foremost U-boat aces, U-99 with Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer and U-100 with...
, and the loss of two more aces, Kretschmer and Schepke, one week later, marks a minor turning point in the Atlantic campaign.