At 23.40 hours on 25 March 1940 the neutral and illuminated Cometa was spotted by U-38 and missed with a torpedo because the vessel stopped about 65 miles northwest of Noup Head, Orkneys. The Germans then asked by flashlight for the papers which were brought by the first mate, a difficult task due to the high seas and the darkness. He told Liebe that the ship had been ordered by the British authorities to go to Kirkwall for examination - she had been stopped by HMS Kingston Peridot (4.69) and one officer and four ratings were placed aboard. The Germans ordered the crew to abandon ship within one hour and then fired one torpedo at 02.20 hours on 26 March. She was struck amidships and broke in two. The stern sank immediately and the forepart was sunk by a coup de grâce at 02.57 hours. The 31 crewmembers, six Swedish passengers and five British sailors left the ship in onne motorboat and two lifeboats and were picked up by HMS Northern Sky (4.41) on 26 March.