At 03.32 hours on 20 April 1941 the unescorted Empire Endurance (Master William Willis Torkington) was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-73 southwest of Rockall. The ship had been missed with one G7a stern torpedo 7 minutes earlier. She broke in two and sank after being hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grâce at 03.57 hours. The motor launches HMS ML-1003 and HMS ML-1037 were lost with the ship. 39 crew members, two gunners and one passenger were lost. 18 crew members, two gunners and four passengers were picked up on 21 April by HMCS Trillium (K 172) (LtCdr R.F. Harris, RCNR) in position 52°50N/22°50W and landed at Greenock on 26 April. The corvette had searched in vain for the lifeboat in charge of the master with 28 occupants. On 9 May this boat was found by the British motor passenger ship Highland Brigade. However, the most survivors including the master had died of exposure and only seven crew members were still alive. Two of them died shortly after being picked up and another died in a hospital at Liverpool where the men were landed on 11 May.