At 20.30 hours on 19 Oct, 1943, the Penolver in convoy WB-65 was hit by a mine from a minefield laid by U-220 on 9 October 15 miles off St.Johns and sank within three minutes.
The Penolver was in station #21 about 300 yards ahead of the Delisle (Master William Watts Clendaniel) in station #22, which stopped to pick up the survivors. 15 minutes later, another mine from U-220 struck the Delisle forward of the bridge. The explosion lifted the bow in the air, the foremast collapsed and the ship bounced several times before righting herself on an even keel. The blast virtually blew the bow off and collapsed the wheelhouse and the after gun platform. The ship sank bow first 40 minutes after the hit. The seven officers, 25 men and seven armed guards (the ship was armed with one 3in, one 6pdr and two .30cal guns) and three rescued crewmen from the Penolver abandoned ship in two lifeboats and two rafts. All survivors were picked up within 30 minutes by the HMCS Miscou (T 277) and landed at St.Johns.

Master William Watts Clendaniel was pinned down by one of the booms of the foremast, which had crashed onto the bridge. The master had a wooden leg and they were able to get him free by releasing the leg. He was taken to a hospital in St.Johns, where he recovered from a contracted pneumonia. He could not go home to Baltimore, because artificial limbs were in short supply, due to the war. But amazing as it may seem, a young boy found his wooden leg, which had floated in onto the beach.