At 17.45 hours on 1 February 1943 U-617 fired a spread of four torpedoes at a vessel identified as cruiser of the Dido class and observed two hits and a boiler explosion. The ship capsized and sank by the stern after two hours. The victim was HMS Welshman (M 84) (Capt W.H.D. Friedberger, DSO, RN) which sank about 45 miles east-northeast off Tobruk, Libya. Eight officers, 144 ratings and 13 passengers, including two civilians and four air crew members that had been badly burnt in a plane crash on Malta. The commander, five officers and 112 ratings were picked up by HMS Tetcott (L 99) (LtCdr H.R. Rycroft, RN) and HMS Belvoir (L 32) (A/LtCdr J.F.D. Bush, DSC, RN) after five hours and taken to Alexandria. Another six survivors were rescued by small craft from Tobruk.