Convoy OB 293 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Convoy OB 293
Part of World War II
Date 2 March 1941 – 8 March 1941 Location Western Approaches Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Karl Dönitz	convoy: escort:LtCdr JM Rowlands
Strength
4 U-boats	37 ships 4 escorts
Casualties and losses
2 U-boats sunk 1 damaged	2 ships sunk 3 damaged

During World War II, a convoy was a group of merchant ships traveling together, protected by warships, to keep them safe from enemy attacks. Convoy OB 293 was one such group that sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean in March 1941. This convoy was important because it saw the loss of a famous German submarine, U-47, and its well-known commander, Günther Prien. Prien was famous for sinking the British battleship HMS Royal Oak two years earlier.

Getting Ready for the Journey

Convoy OB 293 was heading west, carrying goods or traveling empty, with 37 ships in total. It left Liverpool, England, on March 2, 1941, heading for ports in North America.

The convoy was protected by a small group of escort ships. These included two destroyers, Wolverine and Verity, and two smaller warships called corvettes, Arbutus and Camellia. LtCdr Rowlands, commanding Wolverine, led this escort group. They would protect the convoy through the dangerous area known as the Western Approaches, which is the sea west of Great Britain and Ireland. At this time in the war, there weren't enough escort ships to protect convoys for their entire journey across the ocean.

On March 6, 1941, the German submarine U-47, commanded by Prien, spotted the convoy. After sending a message to other U-boats, Prien began to follow the convoy. Throughout the day, three other U-boats joined him: U-99 (led by Otto Kretschmer), U-70 (led by Matz), and UA (led by Eckermann). These four submarines formed a "wolf pack" ready to attack.

The Battle Begins

On the night of March 6-7, the U-boat wolf pack launched its attack on the convoy.

In the early hours of March 7, U-99 quietly entered the convoy from the front, attacking on the surface. It torpedoed the tanker Athelbeach, which had already been damaged by U-47, causing it to sink. U-99 also hit the large whale factory ship Terje Viken. U-70 damaged two more tankers, the British Delilian and the Dutch Mijdrecht. The Mijdrecht bravely tried to ram U-70, forcing the submarine to quickly dive to escape. UA hit a freighter, but the ship did not sink.

The escort ships reacted very quickly and effectively. They immediately began hunting the U-boats, dropping many depth charges (underwater bombs). Over 100 depth charges were used in about five hours. UA was damaged but managed to get away. U-99 escaped by diving very deep and waiting for the attack to end. U-70 was badly damaged by the depth charges and forced to the surface. There, it was attacked and sunk by the corvettes Camellia and Arbutus.

U-47 avoided damage and stayed in contact with the convoy, sending more reports and asking for more U-boats to join the attack. U-47 also managed to torpedo Terje Viken, which was struggling after being hit earlier. Even though the escorts tried to tow Terje Viken to port, it finally sank on March 14. Both U-99 and U-47 were given credit for its sinking.

Meanwhile, on the night of March 7-8, around 1 AM on March 8, the destroyer Wolverine spotted a U-boat on the surface. They believed it was U-47. Wolverine and Verity attacked it for four hours. The U-boat showed signs of damage and was forced to the surface very close to Wolverine before diving again. Wolverine then dropped more depth charges. An underwater explosion followed, with an orange glow and flames appearing on the surface of the water.

What Happened Next

For a long time, Wolverine was given credit for destroying U-47. This was even in official records until the late 1990s. However, after looking at all the information, historians now believe that Wolverine's attack was actually on UA, which was badly damaged but managed to return to its base.

The real fate of U-47 remains a mystery. It is now thought that it might have been lost due to a diving accident.

The successful defense of Convoy OB 293, along with the loss of Prien, was a significant moment. Just one week later, two more famous U-boat commanders, Kretschmer and Schepke, were also lost during the successful defense of Convoy HX 112. These events marked a small but important turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic, as the Allies started to get better at defending their convoys.

Ships Involved

Here are some of the ships that took part in Convoy OB 293.

Escort Ships

These warships protected the convoy from U-boat attacks.

German U-boats

These were the submarines that attacked the convoy.