The first lifeboat with 20 castaways from the British City of Canton arrived near Pinda lighthouse on July 18, 1943, just over 24 hours after the ship was sunk by U-178. On July 19, at 4 pm, another lifeboat arrived in the same area, with 44 men, after a trip that had been partially made towing two rafts.

On the previous morning, however, the two rafts had been left alone because the lifeboat was unable to make progress. The 19 men who were on them received a reinforcement of food and water and the promise that help would be sent, as soon as they reached land. Shortly afterwards they were found by the Portuguese vessel Luabo, which left them in Porto Almino.

The commander and another injured crew member were found on a raft by the French cruiser FFL Suffren which left them in Durban on July 26.

The City of Canton was hit by a torpedo fired by U-178 in the first minutes of July 17, 1943.

The commander gave order to abandon her and some of the men were still doing it when the explosion of a new torpedo split the ship in half, sinking it at 00.31 hours. Seven crew members died.

Carlos Guerreiro