At 00.05 hours on 12 Oct 1941, U-75 began shelling HMS TLC-2 (A 2) (SubLt E.L. Clark, DSC, DSM, RNVR) and HMS TLC-7 (A 7) (SubLt A.C. Bromley, RNVR). The U-boat had followed the ships since they left Tobruk and attacked from astern, scoring several hits on both vessel, but was forced to dive by return fire and due to malfunctions at the 20mm AA gun and MG34 machine gun. At 01.24 hours, HMS TLC-2 (A 2) was hit by a torpedo and lost her bow, but did not sink. The other landing craft had been disabled by gunfire and missed by a torpedo that passed underneath at 01.49 hours. Ringelmann then decided to finish off both vessels by gunfire, surfaced and shelled the first landing craft that sank in flames at 02.34 hours. They then shelled HMS TLC-7 (A 7), which sank at 07.00 hours.

The commander, one officer, eleven ratings and eight passengers (two officers of the British Army, four Australian soldiers and two Italian prisoners of war) were lost. The only survivor (A/PO W.A. Henley, DSM, RN) was picked up the next night by the U-boat and taken prisoner. He was landed at Salamis on 2 November and later brought to Germany.