Hi Billy, like you I am complexed with this POW report.Taking a look at the situation, U96, according to Lloyd's War Losses, she had on board 150 men, 118 crew, convoy commodore with 26 staff, three gunners, 1 DBS and one Chinese POW. Of these 16 crew, two Gunners and four 'Staff' were lost. According to Tennent, twenty-two men died in the sinking, then three HM Trawlers, rescued 108 men, Alsey (34), Ebor Wyke (49) and Varanga (25), with the two POW's, leaving a short fall of eighteen men??. However in convoyweb.org, the ships compliment or the losses are not clearly explained. I can only assume some sources have not taken in to account the extra men on board, given Lloyd's numbers are correct. As to U96 rescuing two men, with there being three enemy auxilary warships picking up survivors, why would a experienced U-boat commander halt the attack, put his boat and crew at risk under these unfavourable conditions to rescue two men?, of whom he could not possibly know who they were, probably of no signifcant benefit to the Germans regarding intelligence, especially as the Rotorua captain and convoy commordore had been lost. With U96 being still in active contact, as she pursued the convoy to sink the Towa, giving the time on the surface needed to rescue two men under safe normal conditions, why would the C/O risk surfacing when three enemy auxilary war ships were present?, locate two, while avoiding the three HM Trawlers, then set off after the convoy to, find, close to pick a target, get in position, torpedo, maybe twice, as Towa was hit by two torpedoes, then surface and sink her with gun fire all within the five hour time margin??. I can only come up with, after her involment with HX-92, when moving on she came across the two, but again I have seen no mention of this. Regards john