At 16.01 hours on 31 Aug 1940 the unescorted and unarmed Ville de Hasselt (Master G. Foy) was hit on the port side in hold #6 by one stern torpedo from U-46 while steaming on a non-evasive course at 13.5 knots about 100 miles northwest of Barra Head. The crew abandoned ship in four lifeboats and due to high seas were soon separated. The U-boat was observed to surface, circled the ship to identify her and then left without questioning the crew after the ship sank by the stern. The master and 13 crew members in one boat were picked up by the Belgian steam trawler Transport about 12 miles west of St. Kilda the next day and landed at Stornoway on 2 September. The survivors in the remaining lifeboats were picked up by the Icelandic steam trawlers Egill Skallagrímsson and Hilmir (Master Sigurdsson) northwest of Barra Head in the morning on 2 September. They were en route with fresh fish to Fleetwood and landed them there later that day.