Kretschmer himself was sunk because a junior officer left in charge on the bridge after the boat had been maneuvered away from the convoy panicked at the sight of an ASW vessel that probably hadn't even seen U-99 and ordered a crash dive. By diving the u-boat became visible where it had been invisible and lost all its speed. It was curtains for Otto's war after that.
That's the reason I follow his advice namely, "When reacting to objects spotted at night, stay surfaced"
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Because I'm the captain, that's why!
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