[Tom]

Kapitänleutnant Josef Ochner reporting, September 11th, 1940, BF12.

After six combat patrols, the last of them a nearly two month patrol from Wilhelmshaven to the Canary Islands and Gibraltar, replenishing supplies at the Corrientes in Las Palmas, my requests for a brand new type VIIC and a transfer to the 7th flotilla at St. Nazaire were granted.

The new boat, U-93, was ready to sail on September 7th, with orders to patrol AM23.

Yesterday, September 10th, we received a radio contact report: outbound convoy some 150 miles northwest of us, heading west by southwest at medium speed. Only a couple of hours later, a new report: inbound convoy 70 miles west of us, moving slowly northeast. I decide to go for the slower convoy because it is closer to us, easier to intercept, and must be carrying war materials that soon will reach England if we do not try to stop them.

The weather is very favorable, 6 m/s winds, overcast, no rain, medium fog, with a visibility of maybe 5000-6000 meters. After a couple of hydrophone checks to find the convoy, we finally see the first ship at 10 pm.

We are on the starboard side of the convoy, and since no escorts can be seen, we maneuver to a position alongside a row in the convoy to easily match course and speed. Keeping the ships of the row behind each other on bearing 270, I know my speed and course must match. 55 degrees and 7 knots, as expected. We also spot a corvette in front of the convoy.

My intention is to attack 3 ships in the 2nd row, a 5000 ton cargo, a 4000 ton cargo and a 5000 ton tanker, counting from outer column towards the inside, with one torpedo each. Behind them, in the outer column, is a 8500 ton large cargo, which will get the stern torpedo after I turn. With this weather and no side escort, it will be a surface attack.

The maneuver to the attack position takes us a bit too close to the convoy, less than 500 meters from the outer column. Because no one seems to notice us even this close, I attack, firing three torpedoes from the bow tubes. As soon as the last torpedo leaves the tube, I order a fast turn port, towards the rear of the convoy, hoping to fire my stern tube at the large ship in the next row.

Just before the turn is completed, we see two almost simultaneous torpedo detonations. Both the 5000 ton tanker and the 4000 ton cargo are hit beneath the front mast, just where intended. Due to an unknown reason, the third torpedo aimed at the nearest ship never detonated. Either I set it too deep, it was a dud, or the distance was too short. Incredible, if I could get too close on the surface without being seen.

The intended target for my stern tube spots us soon after the detonations, starts turning, and turns its spotlights towards us. I fire the stern torpedo, order ahead flank and a heading away and to the back of the convoy. The torpedo hits the very front of the large cargo. Only 2 or 3 meters off, and it would have missed.

Then a starshell lights the sea and the escort corvette engages us, forcing us to dive. With only 80 meters of water, we dive to 70 meters at flank speed and then slow down, hoping to get far enough to not be detected. It works, and the one set of depth charges is way off. No other escort joins the attack, so we soon reload the tubes, raise to periscope depth, make a quick check and surface with the convoy still in sight. No escorts behind the convoy, so the lone corvette must be the only escort.

During our dive we heard the large cargo sink, but the fate of the two smaller ships we hit first is unknown.

I decide to attack again as soon as possible, so we run around the convoy at full speed, keeping a distance of 5000 meters to the nearest ship. During the maneuver we notice the positions of the two ships we hit are empty, so they must be somewhere behind the convoy. I choose new targets, two 5100 ton cargo ships in the first row, in the outer column and the column beside it. Both will get two torpedoes.

This time I don't go as close as on the first run, the estimated torpedo runs being 1700 meters and 2500 meters. With electric torpedoes, we should have enough time to turn and run away on the surface without ever being seen. We attack as planned, turn around and head out and to the rear of the convoy at flank speed. When the torpedo timers run out, nothing. 15 seconds later, still nothing. Just as I'm sure we missed, we hear two detonations, and a few seconds later, two more.

Again, spotlights light up and a starshell is fired from the corvette, but this time no one detects us. Keeping a distance of 5000 meters we run towards the rear of the convoy, my intention being to next find the two ships I torpedoed earlier. With only the stern tube loaded, an immediate new attack wouldn't be possible anyway.

After reaching a position behind the convoy, with the convoy still in sight, I set course in opposite direction, and after a few kilometers sight the two stragglers. The only escort must now be some 15 kilometers away, so I decide to attack with the deck gun from a range of 2000 meters. The tanker only needs 10 shells before it goes down. After we shift fire to the cargo ship, a starshell lights the horizon behind us. The escort was closer than I thought. We continue the attack anyway, firing a total of 30 shells at the cargo ship, before leaving the area at flank speed, certain that that ship too will sink.

Despite firing a couple of more starshells, the corvette never catches up with us. We dive, reload three of the bow tubes with the last internal reloads, and surface again. The convoy must now be over 30 km ahead of us, is getting closer to England all the time, and sunrise is only a few hours away, so I decide to let it go.

With 5 ships sunk for 28000 tons, four torpedoes in the tubes, and only two external reloads remaining, I order course towards AM23.

Kapitänleutnant Josef Ochner, end report.