At 13.15 hours on 14 Sep 1939 the unescorted British Influence (Master Ingersoll Hall McMichael) was stopped by U-29 with two shots across her bow 180 miles southwest of Cape Clear and the crew was ordered to abandon ship. At 14.15 hours, the tanker was hit in the engine room by one G7a torpedo and sank by the stern. The U-boat then fired rockets to attract the attention of rescuers and stopped the Norwegian motor merchant Ida Bakke (Master Anton Zakariassen) en route from Liverpool to the USA and told them where the lifeboats could be found. The master and 41 crew members were picked up by the Norwegian ship, transferred on 15 September off Old Head of Kinsale near Fastnet Light to the Courtmacsherry lifeboat, Co. Cork, and landed at Kinsale Harbour.

The next day, the Ida Bakke rescued the survivors of the Cheyenne, which had been sunk by U-53 (Heinicke).