Capt. Alfred Fredrik Schmidt, an Estonian with 40 years experience at sea, the last 5 years as Master of the Estonian Merisaar, ordered his crew to lower its 2 lifeboats and set to sea. U-boat 99 appeared alongside them. Otto Kretschmer, its commander appeared on the bridge; Capt. Schmidt waved documents, and presumably using a blow horn, explained in competent German, albeit a little nervously, that the Merisaar was a neutral merchant ship carrying a cargo of timber to Cork, Ireland. In answer, a second torpedo was fired at the Merisaar, and missed, likely because of the heavy ocean swells. The U-99 carried 14 torpedoes and Otto’s motto was “one torpedo… one ship.”
Kretschmer ordered the captain and crew to board the Merisaar with instructions to sail directly to the German-controlled port of Bordeaux, France, and on arrival declare the Merisaar as his ‘war prize.’ Speaking in German, Kretschmer told Schmidt he would follow them underwater, stressing that if the wireless radio telegraph was used or the vessel veered off course, he would sink the ship without notice. To this, Schmidt replied “Jawohl.” Kretschmer was bluffing. Capt. Schmidt wasn’t prepared to take any chances, he had a civilian crew to protect.
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