At 14.24 hours on 24 Aug 1940 the unescorted and unarmed La Brea (Master George Edward Firth), a straggler from convoy HX-65 since 19 August due to problems with the fuel, was hit on the port side by one G7a torpedo from U-48 west-northwest of Rockall. The torpedo was a surface runner, but nevertheless hit between #10 and #11 tank, right at the break of the poop, opening the deck and causing a fire astern. It went out when the tanker rapidly settled by the stern on an even keel and sank suddenly with her bows in the air after 20 minutes, leaving wreckage and two rafts on the surface. The master had refused to leave as he thought she would remain afloat and was lost as was one crew member on watch below. The survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats in bad weather with rough seas and observed the U-boat nearby, but were not questioned. The chief officer and 16 men in one of the boats sailed 130 miles and reached South Uist, Outer Hebrides on 25 August. The second officer and 13 men in the other boat made landfall at Islivig Bay, Isle of Lewis on 26 August.