At 08.40 hours on 3 June 1942 the unescorted and unarmed schooner Lillian (Master John Edghill) was spotted by U-156 about 40 miles south of Barbados and ordered to stop, but the vessel only slowed down and launched a lifeboat after a shot fired into the rigging. The Germans tried to question the occupants of the boat, asking the usual questions about name, nationality and cargo. However, due to their West Indian accent they were difficult to understand but Hartenstein learned from them that the master and three men were still aboard the Lillian. The U-boat went off after the schooner and opened fire with the anti-aircraft guns at 09.26 hours, when a further request to stop was ignored. The sailing vessel sank slowly after 52 rounds of 37mm and 270 rounds of 20mm were fired into the waterline at the bow. The master and two passengers were lost. The lifeboat made landfall on St. Vincent on 6 June.