At 10.23 hours on 3 May 1942 the unescorted Geo. W. McKnight (Master Robert Edward Hopkins), dispersed from convoy ON-87, was hit on the port side by the last torpedo from U-66 about 40 miles west of Tobago. The U-boat had chased the zig-zagging tanker since 5 hours and afterwards surfaced to attack with the deck gun. The Germans fired three rounds and scored two hits from a distance of about 4000 meters, but the ten gunners aboard the ship fired back accurately with shots falling as close as 80 meters, forcing the U-boat to break off its attack.

Geo. W. McKnight reached Port of Spain, Trinidad under her own power later the same day, where it was discovered that the explosion had opened a hole of 60 by 30 feet and broke the back of the ship. As there were no facilities available to execute the extensive repairs required, the crew sailed the tanker after temporary repairs at the end of the month to New York, where the ship was repaired at the Bethlehem Steel Yard and returned to service in August 1942.

Examination of the torpedo damage. Photo courtesy of Colin Narramore