Naval battle during the Second World War
The action of 27 March 1942 was a naval encounter between the United States and Germany during World War II in the Atlantic Ocean. While patrolling off Norfolk, Virginia, an American Q-ship encountered a U-boat and a short surface engagement ensued.
USS Atik.
 (Lieutenant Commander Harry Lynnwood Hicks), was originally a merchantman named SS "Carolyn" which was converted to a Q-ship after America's entry into World War II. "Atik" displaced 6,610 tons with a crew of 141 men and an armament of four naval guns, eight machine guns and six K-guns.
Action.
It was about 5:00 pm on 27 March when detected "Atik". At 19:37, on the surface, "Kapitänleutnant" Reinhard Hardegen fired a spread of G7e torpedoes and one of them struck "Atik"'s bow on the port side. The Q-ship caught fire and took on a slight list. Hicks apparently decided that the only way to lure the U-boat within range of his guns was by ordering a lifeboat to be lowered on the starboard side. The trick worked and when "U-123" was maneuvering to starboard, around "Atik"'s stern, she opened fire with all of her weapons, including depth charges. The first shots fell short of the U-boat and the others deflected. The American machine gunners were successful, the U-boat's conning tower was slightly damaged and a German midshipman was mortally wounded.
Immediately after the Americans opened fire, Hardegen ordered his deck gun into action and fled out of "Atik"'s range before diving but at 21:29 "U-123" attacked again to finish the Q-ship off. After hitting the ship with another torpedo, "Atik" remained afloat with her bow slowly settling. The remainder of the American crew appeared to be evacuating their ship at this point and "U-123" surfaced at 10:27 pm to watch "Atik" sink. At 10:50 pm "Atik" exploded. A gale blew in and all of the 141 American sailors were lost. The one German casualty was buried at sea ten minutes later and then "U-123" departed. An SOS had been received by three nearby American warships, , Q-ship and fleet tug USS "Sagamore" but when they arrived there were no survivors, only wreckage. American aircraft searched for several days, finding nothing but debris and five empty lifeboats.
Footnotes.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;