Shortly after 22:00 on 18 July 1944, light signals and flares were spotted from the Portuguese sloop Gonçalves Zarco, fired by 29 occupants of a lifeboat from the British ship Director, sunk three days earlier by U-198.

The survivors had sailed more than a hundred miles since the attack and were about 30 miles from Lourenço Marques, in Mozambique, when they were found. They were in good shape and climbed aboard the Portuguese ship by their own.

Once on board, they were given a meal of tea and toast. After a bath, they received a change of clean clothes and were able to visit the barber. They were then assigned to the various meal shifts, taking their meals from then on with the crew.

Seven crew members were attended to by the ship's doctor, and two were admitted to the sick bay.

For two days the lifeboat had sailed alongside another, carrying a further 28 survivors, and the Portuguese immediately launched a wider search-and-rescue operation, which yielded no results.

The second lifeboat later came ashore at Kosi Bay, South Africa.

In the early evening of 19 July, the Gonçalves Zarco entered Lourenço Marques and the survivors were left in the care of the British consul. Days later they went by train to Durban, South Africa.

The Director had been sailing from Durban to the Seychelles when it was struck by a torpedo fired by U-198. One crew member died in the attack.

Carlos Guerreiro