Английская Википедия:Convoy OB 293
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox military conflict Шаблон:Campaignbox Atlantic Campaign
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 Шаблон:GS, with her commander KL Günther Prien, the person responsible for the sinking of Шаблон:HMS two years previously.
Prelude
OB 293 was a west-bound convoy of 37 ships, either in ballast or carrying trade goods, and sailed from Liverpool on 2 March 1941 bound for ports in North America.
It was escorted by an escort group of two destroyers, Шаблон:HMS and Шаблон:HMS, and two corvettes, Шаблон:HMS and Шаблон:HMS. 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 6 March 1941 the convoy was sighted by Шаблон:GS 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 Шаблон:GS (Kretschmer), Шаблон:GS (Matz) and Шаблон:GS (Eckermann).
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, damaged by U-47, sinking her, and the whale factory ship Terje Viken. U-70 damaged a British tanker, Delilian, and a Dutch tanker, Mijdrecht. The latter rounded on U-70 and attempted to ram; U-70 was forced to crash-dive to escape. UA 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 five-hour period. UA 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 four 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 1990s. However, after reviewing the available records modern historians regard this attack as being directed against UA, 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 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.
Ships involved
Merchant ships
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athelbeach (1931) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,568 | Sunk by Шаблон:GS; 7 dead. 37 survivors.[2] |
| Basil (1928) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,913 | |
| Bayano (1917) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,815 | Vice-Admiral Sir FM Austin KBE CB (Commodore) |
| Capsa (1931) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 8,229 | |
| Cardium (1931) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 8,236 | |
| City of Baroda (1918) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,129 | |
| Delilian (1923) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,423 | Damaged by Шаблон:GS[3] & towed to Clyde |
| Dunaff Head (1918) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 5,258 | Damaged by Шаблон:GS; 5 dead & 39 survivors.[4] |
| Eastgate (1940) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 5,032 | |
| Embassage (1935) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,954 | |
| Empire Attendant (1921) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,524 | |
| Empire Wildebeeste (1918) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 5,631 | |
| Jade (1938) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 930 | |
| Kelbergen (1914) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,823 | |
| Korsholm (1925) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 2,647 | |
| Leerdam (1921) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 8,815 | |
| Leiesten (1930) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,118 | |
| Loreto (1913) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,682 | |
| Mercier (1915) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,886 | |
| Michael J Goulandris (1921) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,669 | |
| Mijdrecht (1931) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 7,493 | Damaged by Шаблон:GS[5] |
| Miralda (1936) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 8,013 | |
| New Brunswick (1919) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,529 | |
| New Westminster City (1929) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,747 | |
| Peru (1916) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,569 | |
| Port Caroline (1919) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 8,263 | |
| Puck (1935) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 1,065 | |
| Sacramento Valley (1924) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,573 | |
| Terje Viken (1936) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 20,638 | Sunk by Шаблон:GS; 2 dead and 105 survivors.[6] |
| Tiradentes (1922) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,960 | |
| Шаблон:SS (1936) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 5,201 | |
| Ulysses (1918) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 2,666 | |
| Vernon City (1929) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,748 | |
| Viking Star (1920) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 6,445 | |
| Waroonga (1914) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 9,365 | |
| White Crest (1928) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,365 | |
| Woensdrecht (1926) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,668 | |
| Yselhaven (1921) | Шаблон:Flagcountry | 4,802 |
Escorts
| Name | Class | Type | Date joined | Date departed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Sclass2 | Corvette | 2 March | 7 March | attacked and sank U-70, 7 March |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Sclass2 | Destroyer | 4 March | 8 March | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Flower | Corvette | 2 March | 7 March | attacked and sank U-70, 7 March |
| Шаблон:HMS | Town | Destroyer | 2 March | 7 March | |
| Шаблон:HMS | Шаблон:Sclass2 | Destroyer | 2 March | 7 March | attacked and damaged UA, 7 March |
| Шаблон:HMS | V and W | Destroyer | 2 March | 7 March | attacked and damaged UA, 7 March |
U-boats
| Name | Type | Navy/Commander | Success | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:GS | IX | KL Nicolai Clausen | N/A | Did not make contact |
| Шаблон:GS | VIIB | KK Günther Prien | hit Terje Viken | lost, cause unknown; originally credited to d/c attacks by Wolverine, Verity |
| Шаблон:GS | VIIC | KL Joachim Matz | hit Athelbeach hit Delilan, hit Mijdrecht | rammed by Mijdrecht, attacked and sunk by Arbutus, Camellia |
| Шаблон:GS | VIIB | KK Otto Kretschmer | hit Terje Viken (sank later), sank Athelbeach | |
| Шаблон:GS | UA | FK Hans Eckermann | sank Dunaff Head | attacked by Wolverine, Verity; damaged and force to return to base |
References
- Stephen Roskill : The War at Sea 1939–1945 Vol I (1954). ISBN (none)
- Dan van der Vat : The Atlantic Campaign (1988). Шаблон:ISBN
- Arnold Hague : The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 (2000). SBN (Canada) 1 55125 033 0 . ISBN (UK) 1 86176 147 3
- Шаблон:Cite book
- *Шаблон:Cite book
