Na de nachtelijke aanval op konvooi OB-290 door de U-47 kwamen in de avond van die lange dag de vliegtuigen. Vier (sommige bronnen noemen 6) Focke-Wulf FW 200 ‘Condor’ bommenwerpers, begerig hun vernietigende taak uit te voeren. In 10 minuten tijd werden 3 aanvallen uitgevoerd die 7 schepen ten onder brachten en aan 55 mensen het leven kostten.

De Zweedse stoomboot Gdynia haalde 93 overlevenden van de getroffen schepen op en keerde terug naar Engeland onder begeleiding van één torpedojager.

Het is aannemelijk dat het toch om een aanval door 4 vliegtuigen gaat. Tweemaal is melding van het raken van 1 vliegtuig door het luchtafweergeschut vanaf het konvooi. De tweede aanval om 18.45 uur noemt 3 vliegtuigen met dezelfde aanvalsmethode op laag niveau. De vliegtuigen vielen aan vanuit 3 richtingen en 3 schepen werden vernietigd.

Kapitein J. Olsen van de Samuel Bakke rapporteerde:
‘The same day at 18:45 the convoy is again attacked from the air, now by 3 enemy planes. The planes used the same low level attack method. The planes attacked from 3 directions and 3 ships were destroyed. The convoy put up a heavy barrage with their H. A. and machine guns but with very little effect. One plane approached us at low height from port side. Our 4″ gun was manned and so were our machine guns. At reasonable distance 2 rounds were fired from our 4″ gun and as the plane was about 50 yards away both machine guns opened up. Direct hits could be seen as the tracer bullets hit the plane, but had no effect. 

(…) Ship’s carpenter who manned our 4″ gun reports that he is certain that our second round hit the plane, as he saw parts from the under carriage being thrown away, and parts from the plane was later found on deck.’

Admiraal Hornell schrijft daarover: ‘Our Hotchkiss machine guns and the 4″ gun were all manned, and it is due to the bravery and effective fire of the men stationed at these guns that M.V. Samuel Bakke was saved from destruction. A stream of bullets was poured into the rapidly approaching plane, while the attacker opened a concentrated machine gun fire onto this ship. In spite of this all remained at their posts and the 4″ gun opened fire at almost point blank range at extreme elevation. It is reliably reported both by gunner Barman, and by Ldg. Sig. C. L. Minson, R.N.V.R., the senior V/S rating on my staff, as well as others of the crew, that he secured a hit on the undercarriage. 

It is also confirmed that the port Hotchkiss gunner succeeded in hitting the undercarriage, and three bombs were seen to drop into the water on the port side. Although the ship was riddled with machine gun bullets no one was hit, though some glass was broken and serious dents in various bulkheads. I attach drawing of what is evidently a portion of bomb rack which was found after attack. (…) The attacking plane was undoubtably hit, and after leaving us lost height, but whether it was mortally damaged or not it is impossible to say.’

Je kunt dus veronderstellen dat de Condor geraakt is waarna deze terugkeerde naar zijn basis terwijl de andere drie nogmaals aanvielen.

 

De Britse regering vorderde de Clan Macneil op 23 maart 1940. Het Ministerie van Oorlogsverkeer gaf haar op 11 mei 1946 terug aan haar eigenaren. Van de zes schepen van de Clan Macnab-klasse was ze een van de slechts twee die de Tweede Wereldoorlog overleefden.