At 23.30 hours on 9 Dec 1942, HMS Porcupine (G 93) (Cdr G.S. Stewart, RAN) was hit by one of three torpedoes fired by U-602 northeast of Oran while escorting HMS Maidstone (F 44) (A/Capt G.B.H. Fawkes, RN) from Gibraltar to Algiers. Most of the crew was taken off by HMS Vanoc (H 33) (A/Cdr C.F.H. Churchill, RN) and the badly damaged destroyer was taken in tow by HMS Exe (K 92) (A/Cdr M.A.O. Biddulph, DSC, RN) after topweight was jettisoned in an attempt to reduce the increasing list. The next day the tow was transferred to a French tug and the ship towed to Arzew, Algeria.

In March 1943 towed to Oran where HMS Porcupine was declared a total loss. She was later cut in two parts that were brought to Portsmouth via Gibraltar until June 1943 and used as base ships named HMS Pork and HMS Pine. They were scrapped at Plymouth on 6 May 1946.