At 09.05 hours on 13 Nov 1942, U-159 began shelling the unescorted and unarmed Star of Scotland (Master Constantin Flink) from two miles abaft the port beam about 900 miles west of Luderitz Bay, Southwest Africa. The first shot went over the ship, the second fell short and the third hit the vessel and started a fire. The sails were struck immediately and the crew began to abandon ship in a lifeboat while the U-boat continued shelling the ship for 50 minutes with about 30 shells. The master remained behind to save the papers, a sextant, a chronometer and binoculars and then abandoned ship in a second boat.

The second mate fell overboard when launching the first boat and the U-boat assisted in searching him by towing a lifeboat around the area for two hours but he apparently drowned. While the survivors in the first boat were questioned, two men in a rubber boat from the U-boat boarded the burning ship for provisions (cigarettes, fruit, orange juice and soap) and also took clothing, accounts and instruments from the boat of the master, who was first taken prisoner but was allowed to return to his men after he explained that he was the only one able to navigate. The master was asked to promise he would not command another ship sailing against Germany and the survivors were given four cans with black bread and cigarettes. The ship settled on even keel and sank by the bow at 15.40 hours, after the U-boat had again fired some shells into the ship. The survivors set sail for Angola in one lifeboat and made landfall at Santa Maria Lighthouse on 1 December, having made a voyage of 1040 miles.