▁The ▁str icken ▁vessel ' s ▁bo ilers ▁expl oded ▁soon ▁after ▁being ▁hit , ▁and ▁the ▁ship ▁s ank ▁in ▁approximately ▁five - min utes , ▁tra pping ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁and ▁passengers ▁in ▁the ▁ship . ▁ ▁Car ib ou ▁depart ed ▁North ▁Sydney , ▁Nova ▁Scot ia , ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁heading ▁for ▁its ▁home ▁port ▁Port ▁aux ▁Bas ques ▁in ▁New found land . ▁She ▁made ▁this ▁trip ▁three ▁times ▁a ▁week ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁SP AB ▁con voy ▁series ▁( SP AB ▁for ▁Sydney - Port ▁aux ▁Bas ques ) ▁organized ▁by ▁. ▁The ▁one - ship ▁coast al ▁con voy ▁was ▁esc orted ▁by ▁, ▁a ▁. ▁ ▁Cont ro vers y ▁surrounded ▁H M CS ▁Grand m ères ▁actions ▁immediately ▁after ▁the ▁s inking ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁Cape ▁Bre ton ▁Island ▁media . ▁Instead ▁of ▁searching ▁for ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁right ▁away , ▁she ▁engaged ▁the ▁U - bo at ▁in ▁combat , ▁almost ▁ram ming ▁her , ▁and ▁firing ▁off ▁six ▁depth ▁charges . ▁Grand m ère ▁purs ued ▁U - 6 9 ▁for ▁close ▁to ▁two ▁hours , ▁then ▁turned ▁back ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁surv iv ors . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁some ▁surv iv ors ▁of ▁the ▁s inking ▁died ▁from ▁expos ure ▁in ▁the ▁cold ▁Atlantic . ▁As ▁noted ▁in ▁a ▁dispatch ▁a ▁few ▁weeks ▁later ▁by ▁the ▁Flag ▁Officer ▁of ▁the ▁New found land ▁Force , ▁Com mod ore