At 19.40 hours on 13 March 1944 the unescorted Peleus (Master Minas Mavris) was hit by two torpedoes from U-852 and sank rapidly about 500 miles north of Ascension Island. The U-boat tried to destroy all evidences of the sinking by shooting at debris and rafts from the ship. During this action some survivors were killed and only four men were alive when the U-boat left the area. One of them later died, the remaining three survivors were picked up by the Portuguese steam merchant Alexandre Silva on 20 April and taken to Lobito, Angola. The master, 31 crew members and four British gunners were lost.