As "Rohna" listed 12 degrees to starboard, her crew launched most of her 101 liferafts. By 1750 hrs only a few rafts remained so they took the hatch boards from number three hold and threw them overboard too. By now number four hold, just aft of the engine room, was on fire. The and cargo ship fell behind the convoy to rescue survivors, protected by the , which made a smokescreen and gave anti-aircraft cover. "Clan Campbell" had a high freeboard so she lowered a cargo net for survivors to use as a scramble net. The climb was about from the sea to the deck, which was difficult for many of the exhausted survivors. The wind was only Force 4, but there was a swell that prevented the rescue ships from launching their own boats.