At 19.55 hours on 14 December 1940 the unescorted Euphorbia (Master Thomas Hilton), dispersed on 12 December in 59°04N/15°30W from convoy OB-256, was hit on starboard side in the foreship by one G7e torpedo from U-100 about 310 miles west of Rockall. The U-boat had spotted the freighter about four hours earlier in bad visibility and missed with one G7a torpedo at 19.48 hours. Schepke observed how the ship caught fire and stopped, so he waited nearby but the flames went out and the Euphorbia remained afloat despite a high sea and heavy swell. The ship sank quickly after being hit on port side aft of amidships by a coup de grâce at 20.28 hours. The Germans then questioned the survivors in the lifeboats before leaving the area. However, the boats were never found: the master, 32 crew members and one gunner were lost.