| Conflict: | Convoy OB 293 |
| Partof: | World War II |
| Date: | 2 March 1941 – 8 March 1941 |
| Place: | Western Approaches |
| Result: | Allied victory |
| Combatant1: | Germany |
| Combatant2: | United Kingdom |
| Commander1: | Admiral Karl Dönitz |
| Commander2: | convoy: escort: LtCdr JM Rowlands |
| Strength1: | 4 U-boats |
| Strength2: | 37 ships 4 escorts |
| Casualties1: | 2 U-boats sunk 1 damaged |
| Casualties2: | 2 ships sunk 3 damaged |
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.
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, and, and two corvettes, 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 6 March 1941 the convoy was sighted by 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 (Eckermann).
The wolf pack launched its attack on the night of March 6-7.
In the early hours of 7 March U-99 slipped into the convoy from ahead, to attack on the surface. She torpedoed and sank the tanker Athelbeach, already damaged by U-47, 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, forcing U-70 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 reinforcements. They 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.
At about 1am on the night of March 7-8, Wolverine sighted a U-boat on the surface which she identified as U-47. She and Verity attacked, and after four hours 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.
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.
| Name | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athelbeach (1931) | 6,568 | Sunk by ; 7 dead. 37 survivors.[2] | |
| Basil (1928) | 4,913 | ||
| Bayano (1917) | 6,815 | Vice-Admiral Sir FM Austin KBE CB (Commodore) | |
| Capsa (1931) | 8,229 | ||
| Cardium (1931) | 8,236 | ||
| City of Baroda (1918) | 7,129 | ||
| Delilian (1923) | 6,423 | Damaged by [3] & towed to Clyde | |
| Dunaff Head (1918) | 5,258 | Damaged by ; 5 dead & 39 survivors.[4] | |
| Eastgate (1940) | 5,032 | ||
| Embassage (1935) | 4,954 | ||
| Empire Attendant (1921) | 7,524 | ||
| Empire Wildebeeste (1918) | 5,631 | ||
| Jade (1938) | 930 | ||
| Kelbergen (1914) |  | 4,823 | |
| Korsholm (1925) |  | 2,647 | |
| Leerdam (1921) | | 8,815 | |
| Leiesten (1930) |  | 6,118 | |
| Loreto (1913) | 6,682 | ||
| Mercier (1915) |  | 7,886 | |
| Michael J Goulandris (1921) |  | 6,669 | |
| Mijdrecht (1931) | | 7,493 | Damaged by [5] |
| Miralda (1936) | 8,013 | ||
| New Brunswick (1919) | 6,529 | ||
| New Westminster City (1929) | 4,747 | ||
| Peru (1916) | 6,569 | ||
| Port Caroline (1919) | 8,263 | ||
| Puck (1935) |  | 1,065 | |
| Sacramento Valley (1924) | 4,573 | ||
| Terje Viken (1936) | 20,638 | Sunk by ; 2 dead and 105 survivors.[6] | |
| Tiradentes (1922) | | 4,960 | |
| (1936) | 5,201 | ||
| Ulysses (1918) | | 2,666 | |
| Vernon City (1929) | 4,748 | ||
| Viking Star (1920) | 6,445 | ||
| Waroonga (1914) | 9,365 | ||
| White Crest (1928) | 4,365 | ||
| Woensdrecht (1926) | | 4,668 | |
| Yselhaven (1921) | | 4,802 | |
| 2 March | 7 March | attacked and sank U-70, 7 March | |||
| 4 March | 8 March | ||||
| Flower | Corvette | 2 March | 7 March | attacked and sank U-70, 7 March | |
| Town | Destroyer | 2 March | 7 March | ||
| Destroyer | 2 March | 7 March | attacked and damaged UA, 7 March | ||
| V and W | Destroyer | 2 March | 7 March | attacked and damaged UA, 7 March | |
| N/A | Did not make contact | |||
| hit Terje Viken | lost, cause unknown; originally credited to d/c attacks by Wolverine, Verity | |||
| KL Joachim Matz | hit Athelbeach hit Delilan, hit Mijdrecht | rammed by Mijdrecht, attacked and sunk by Arbutus, Camellia | ||
| VIIB | hit Terje Viken (sank later), sank Athelbeach | |||
| FK Hans Eckermann | sank Dunaff Head | attacked by Wolverine, Verity; damaged and force to return to base | ||