In March 1921, the West Hartland (Master Alwen) collided with the passenger ship Governor during a foggy night in Puget Sound. The bow of the ship opened a large hole in the starboard side of the passenger ship and caused her to sink within 20 minutes. Most survivors rescued themselves by jumping over to the West Hartland from the already sinking ship. 

The Michigan (Master Birger Jacobsen) was hit by one torpedo between the #1 and #2 holds with a muffled explosion. The blast caused extensive damage to the hull and minor to the deck and superstructure and threw water to the height of the bridge. The ship began to settle rapidly by the bow and lost way immediately. The engines were secured and all eight officers, 29 crewmen, 23 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and six 20mm guns) and one passenger abandoned ship in two lifeboats and three rafts within ten minutes. The ship stayed afloat for about one hour before sinking bow first. The survivors were picked up after two hours by the HMS Stella Carina (FY 352) and HMS Foxtrot (T 109), later transferred to the HMS Felixstowe (J 126) and landed in Oran. Some of the crew remained in their lifeboats to assist in the rescue of survivors from the other torpedoed ship, which carried Senegalese troops. The crew was later repatriated to New York on the American steam merchant Delnorte.