At 05.20 hours, the B.P. Newton (Master Einar Andersen) was hit by a torpedo on port side in the after section. Her cargo was ignited by the explosion and flaming fuel sprayed over stern and bridge, destroying all lifeboats apart of one on starboard. The crew members in the engine room were killed before they were able to stop the engines. Many of the crew on the stern jumped overboard and perished in the burning sea. The remaining crew members stayed on the forecastle.
The Master and the Second Lieutenant Gilbert Smith stayed for 40 minutes on the bridge to consider if anything could be done to save the tanker, but they were chased off by the flames and were able to launch the damaged lifeboat on starboard. Four men from the forecastle jumped into the water and were picked up by the lifeboat, which was then rowed away from the burning ship. 24 survivors, 12 of them badly burned were picked up by the escort vessels, which searched the whole day for other survivors, but it was not tried to reboard the B.P. Newton because the side-plates were red-glowing and no one was expected to be alive onboard. She sank about 150 miles northeast of Cayenne, French Guiana. All survivors were landed at Pernambuco on 17 July.