This duty generally lasted several days. On outbound convoys, the danger zone escort would escort the convoy to a meeting with the ocean escort at sea. The danger zone escort would return to base while the convoy proceeded to its destination under the protection of only one warship, the ocean escort. On inbound convoys, the danger zone escort relieved the ocean escort from duty and accompanied the convoys into the ports of destination, generally when the convoys were within a short distance of their port of destination. Ossipee served as a danger zone escort from the time of her arrival at Gibraltar until 30 October, with the exception of three special service cruises of short duration. Ocean escort On 30 October, the cutter again left Gibraltar, this time as the ocean escort for a convoy bound for England. This was the tenth convoy with which she had been associated, but the first for which she was the ocean escort. The convoy having arrived safely in British waters, Ossipee proceeded to Plymouth, then later to Devonport, where she arrived on 8 November. On 13 November, Ossipee left for Gibraltar with another convoy acting as the ocean escort, and arrived at her destination on 27 November. She continued to make alternate cruises from Gibraltar to British waters and from British ports to Gibraltar until the war came to an end. There were two exceptions, however, when she was the ocean escort for convoys between Gibraltar and Bizerte, Tunisia. First action While most of the convoys on which Ossipee served as ocean escort were not attacked, there was one exception. Leaving Milford Haven, Wales, on 13 December with a convoy bound for Gibraltar, good progress was made. On the morning of the 15 December at 9:10 a.m., a German U-boat torpedoed the merchant steamer Bernard. This ship, which belonged to "Column YA," had been out of position. In proceeding toward her proper position, she was struck in the starboard quarter. Bernard was on Ossipee'''s starboard quarter, just abeam the commodore's ship. The latter was the leading ship in the right column.Ossipee sounded "general quarters," and in an attempt to drop depth charges on the unseen enemy, the cutter made full speed and the helm was cut hard to port. Ossipee was assisted in this work by some of the danger zone escort ships, while others rescued the survivors from Bernard, which sank at