At 16.25 hours on 18 Jan 1940 the neutral Pajala (Master A. Ericsson) was hit forward of the bridge by one torpedo from U-25, after the ship had been spotted with an escort in a scurry of snow about 20 minutes earlier. The explosion shattered the bridge and injured the radio operator. Lookouts had observed the U-boat before the attack and the crew immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboats after the hit. At 16.50 hours, a first coup de grâce missed due to the bad visibility, but the second fired at 17.03 hours hit aft and caused the ship to sink quickly by the stern 10 miles 72° from North Rona, Hebrides. The escort observed was the armed boarding vessel HMS Northern Duke (4.11) (Lt R.M. Pattinson, RNR), escorting the ship to Kirkwall for contraband inspection. At 17.26 hours, she forced the U-boat to submerge by gunfire and then attacked with depth charges. They claimed hits on the conning tower and the sinking of the enemy, which in fact escaped undamaged. The survivors were picked up after two hours by the armed trawler and taken to Kirkwall. The destroyers HMS Kimberley (F 50) (LtCdr R.G.K. Knowling, RN) and HMS Ashanti (F 51) (Cdr W.G. Davis, RN) were sent to the area for an anti-submarine sweep, but found nothing except wreckage from the freighter.