At 23.23 hours on 20 Mar, 1941, U-106 attacked the shadow of a merchant ship with a spread of two stern torpedoes in bad light from the port side of the convoy SL-68 about 250 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Oesten heard hits after 2 minutes 37 seconds and 3 minutes 35 seconds. One torpedo damaged HMS Malaya (01) and the other the Meerkerk.

HMS Malaya (01) (Capt A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN) was hit by the torpedo on the port side, causing considerable damage. Due to the flooding of some rooms the ship took a list of 7 degrees and was forced to leave the convoy and head for Trinidad, escorted by HMS Crocus (K 49) (LtCdr E. Wheeler, RNR) until 23 March. On 29 March, the battleship arrived at Port of Spain and after temporary repairs continued to the New York Navy Yard, where the battleship was docked for 4 months. On 9 July, the ship left for the Clyde, arriving on 28 July.