Fog bound duel off Cape Farewell

6th August 1942: A rare sequence of photographs illustrates the surface action between U-210 and the destroyer HMCS Assiniboine

A view of German submarine U-210 manoeuvering at full speed on the surface in a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to evade destruction by HMCS ASSINIBOINE - 6 August 1942

The U-boat war continued unabated. They were still mounting a serious threat to the Allied supply lines across the Atlantic. However, a process of attrition meant that more and more experienced U-boat crews were being lost - and the newly trained crews now putting to sea increasingly faced convoy escort ships that were refining their tactics and becoming ever more persistent.

U-210 had succeeded in getting out into the Atlantic and was within range of convoy SC-94, sailing from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to the United Kingdom, when she was spotted in the fog by the Canadian destroyer HMCS Assiniboine under Lieutenant Commander Stubbs.

HMCS ASSINIBOINE circa 1943 - 1944. Photo shows Type 271 radar above the bridge, 20mm Oerlikons on the bridge wings and the split Hedgehog on each side of 'A' gun.

The sequence of events was reconstructed from the interrogation¹ of survivors, mainly Mueller, who took over the helm of U-210 when the bridge watch changed at 2000 on August 6: