At 03.23 hours on 3 Feb, 1942, the unescorted ore carrier Amerikaland (Master Ragnar Schultz) was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-106 off Cape Hatteras. At 03.30 hours, a first coup de grâce was fired that missed, but a stern torpedo fired 22 minutes later hit aft and caused the ship to sink until 04.39 hours. The attack had been witnessed by U-86 (Schug).

The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats which soon lost contact. On 6 February, the master and 10 crew members were picked up from one boat by the British steam merchant Port Halifax (Master R.P. Fuller) and landed in New York. One man in this boat died before it had been located. Three men in a second boat also died of exposure before the other six in it were picked up on 6 February by the Dutch motor merchant Castor in 36°11N/72°35W and landed at Curaçao on 13 February. 17 of the 18 remaining survivors in the third boat (one man died of exposure) were picked up by the Brazilian steam merchant Taubate and taken to Recife, arrving on 22 February.