At 16.40 hours on 24 May 1942 the unescorted Hector was hit by one stern torpedo from the German U-103. It took the U-boat almost four hours to get into a favorable attack position because the ship had received a U-boat warning, stopped zigzagging and tried to pass the area at full speed.

The 7e torpedo struck on the starboard side aft between #3 and #4 holds, blew the hatch covers high into the air and caused the ship to sink in less than four minutes. She sank so fast that the crew of 29 and two gunners (the ship was armed with one 3 inch gun) could only launch one of the four lifeboats and a raft to abandon ship in moderate sea after sending distress signals. However, the radio operator and the cook failed to leave the vessel and were lost

• Stichting Maritiem Historische Databank.
  HECTOR - ID 9182.
• Haersolte, J.W.J. van (ed) (1947).
  Scheepsrampen in oorlogstijd, nr. 183.
• Uboat.net.
  Hector.