At 19.13 hours on 26 February 1942 the unescorted Mamura was hit on starboard side by two G7e torpedoes from U-504 about 230 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

One torpedo struck the engine room and the other detonated in the bow. The tanker was immediately ablaze and broke in two when the cargo exploded.

The U-boat had fired the torpedoes from a distance of only 400 meters and had to avoid the burning gasoline and debris falling close to the periscope by diving deeper. After surfacing eight minutes later, the Germans observed the stern section to sink about 30 minutes after the hits, while smoke from the still burning bow section was visible for about two hours.

None of the crew of 52 and four gunners, 34 of them Chinese, survived.

• mamura.
• Uboat.net.
  Mamura.
• marhisdata id 3945.