The story
German submarine U-178 attacked transport ship Robert Bacon with torpedoes in the Indian Ocean 35 miles off the Mozambique Light at 0236 hours. After the initial damage was brought under control, 52 survivors began a relatively orderly evacuation of the ship with the 3 surviving lifeboats and 3 surviving rafts. At 0314 and then again at 0443, U-178 fired additional torpedoes at the burning wreck, sinking her. U-178 would surface to point to the survivors toward land before departing.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.