At 04.19 hours on 24 Feb 1941 the unescorted Waynegate (Master Sydney Gray Larard), dispersed from convoy OB-288, was hit on the starboard side between #1 and #2 bulkhead by one torpedo from U-73 south of Iceland. The U-boat had spotted two ships from the recently dispersed convoy during snow squalls and at 03.51 hours fired one torpedo on the second ship, the Waynegate. This torpedo proved to be a dud, so a second torpedo was fired that hit. The crew immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboat as she quickly settled by the head. At 04.38 hours, the U-boat fired one G7e torpedo as coup de grâce to hasten the sinking and the ship sank by the bow five minutes after being hit on the starboard side in #2 hold. The lifeboats were about 100 feet away and were missed by a plate from the ship’s side blown away by the second explosion. The Germans left without questioning the crew in an attempt to catch the other ship. The master, 38 crew members and two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and two machine guns) were picked up after about six hours by FFL Léopard and landed at Greenock on 28 February.