Battle of the Ligurian Sea which struck "TA24". "Meteor"s commander, Richard Pankhurst, saw a "geyser of flame and metal" and "TA24" sank just after 04:00, losing 30 men in 13 minutes. This was the German "Kriegsmarine"'s last surface action of the war. The British destroyers ended any possibility of German deep water offensive operations in the Ligurian Sea, let alone anywhere else in the Mediterranean. The engagement was also the last surface naval action the British fought in the western theatre and the last substantial surface action fought on the Mediterranean Sea. "TA32" was damaged but managed to escape; she was scuttled by her crew
Custom of the sea Custom of the sea A custom of the sea is a custom that is said to be practiced by the officers and crew of ships and boats in the open sea, as distinguished from maritime law, which is a distinct and coherent body of law that governs maritime questions and offenses. Among these customs is the practice of cannibalism among shipwrecked survivors, by the drawing of lots to see who is to be killed and eaten so that the others might survive. After a whale rammed and sank the whaling ship "Essex" of Nantucket on 20 November 1820, the survivors