The Spanish ship "Navemar" entered the Tagus river on 6 December 1940, carrying 27 survivors from the British merchant vessel "Palmella", which had been torpedoed by U-37.

The "Palmella" was a ship that called at Portuguese ports on the mainland and in the Azores with some regularity.

On 24 November 1940, due to bad weather, the "Palmella" lost sight of the convoy she was sailing with. On 1 December she was travelling alone when she was struck by a torpedo fired by U-37. The attack resulted in the death of a stoker.

The remaining crew abandoned ship in the only lifeboat not been damaged by the torpedo explosion.

The survivors faced rough seas for three days until they were picked up by the Spanish vessel. That same day, they were disembarked in Lisbon and handed over to the British authorities, who took charge of their repatriation.

Carlos Guerreiro