At 20.29 hours on 6 December 1939 the unescorted and neutral Britta (Master Lauritz Knutsen) was hit on port side aft by one G7a torpedo from U-47, broke in two and sank slowly about 45 miles southwest of Longships Lighthouse. The Germans had recognized the Norwegian nationality markings, but sank the ship in accordance with orders recieved by radio message on 23 November that authorized the U-boats to attack all tankers within a declared blockade area around Britain without warning. The survivors from Britta were subsequently rescued by the Belgian trawler Memlinc.