crew from making any good observations, but by the early afternoon, as visibility improved, the crew managed to take some photographs of the area. On 7 November 1942, Blackfish reconnoitered Dakar Point and Gorée Island, noting that at Point Manuel several buildings believed to be part of a naval base were under construction on reclaimed land in the area. On 8 November 1942, Operation Torch began in earnest with Allied amphibious landings in French Morocco and Algeria. Blackfish continued her patrol of the Senegalese coast, on the lookout for Vichy French forces heading for French Morocco. Surface traffic in the area was light and Blackfish′s log reported some "doubt" as to whether it was “the best patrol area,” given that “A position south to southwest of Point Manuel offers the best opportunities for observing the harbor but very little chance of successful attack in case ships hug the coast.” The day concluded without Blackfish making contact with enemy forces. Blackfish′s patrol proved significantly more eventful on 9 November 1942. While patrolling submerged north of Pointe des Almadies, Blackfish sighted a Vichy French convoy of three cargo ships escorted by a destroyer. Once in range, she fired two torpedoes at each cargo ship and then prepared for a potential counterattack by the destroyer. Her torpedoes missed the first cargo ship, which Blackfish attributed to her torpedoes suffering a "loss of depth control." However, her second torpedo struck the second cargo ship, a 7,110-gross register ton vessel, abaft her stack and Blackfish′s sound operator reported that the ship's screw stopped. Meanwhile, the destroyer sped up and dropped a series of eight depth charges. Blackfish dove to and cleared the area to the northwest, running silently. Following the action on 9 November 1942, Blackfish encountered few other particularly exciting events. On 12 November, her crew sighted a small trawler deemed too small for a torpedo attack. On the night of 12 November, she observed a peculiar flashing searchlight on Cape Verde Point that appeared to be making some type of signal. Nothing developed that evening, but on 13 November 1942, Blackfish patrolled the area again in case the light was signalling incoming convoys. Unfortunately for Blackfish, bad weather developed and visibility became severely limited, and in consequence she nearly collided with a previously undetected ship, which ultimately she did not identify. She dove prior to making contact and narrowly avoided a collision. On