At 20.08 hours on 4 July 1943 the unescorted Michael Livanos (Master N. Papalios) was hit on the port side in the engine room by one torpedo from U-178 while steaming at 10 knots in the Mozambique Channel. The explosion killed one crew member on watch below and another one in the vicinity of the hit. The U-boat had spotted and attacked her while following another ship sighted earlier that day, first missing with a spread of two G7e torpedoes at 20.07 hours. The other ship eventually escaped because the U-boat lost contact after sinking this ship and Breiviken, which had also crossed its path during the chase. At 20.36 hours, the Michael Livanos sank after the master, 35 crew members and four gunnners (the ship was armed with one 3in, two 20mm and four machine guns) abandoned ship in one lifeboat. They were questioned by the Germans and made landfall after rowing 64 miles to Punta da Barra Falsa in Portuguese East Africa during the morning of 6 July.