Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - Sea Battle: HMCS Assiniboine vs. U-210

On 6 August 1942, the Canadian destroyer HMCS Assiniboine, escorting straggling ships at the rear of convoy SC 94, sighted German submarine U-210 on the horizon. In a pursuit that culminated in a running gun battle, Assiniboine, damaged and set on fire by U-210's guns, rammed and sank the submarine.

U-210 Survivors

This photograph shows a ship's boat rescuing survivors from U-210 following the submarine's destruction.

Most of U-210's crew managed to escape from their sinking submarine, and the boat holds a number of them, identifiable by their inflatable life jackets. A sailor in the boat's bow (right) holds a boat hook, useful for pulling in survivors. HMCS Assiniboine and the British corvette HMS Dianthus, which had become separated during the battle, rescued 37 of the U-Boat's 43 crew members. The "X" above one of the survivors indicates a German submariner who had lived in Saskatchewan for 17 years.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19880063-001_7