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On the bright sunny morning of 5 September 1914, Hersing spotted HMS Pathfinder heading south-south-east, followed by elements of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. At midday, the destroyers came about and began to head back towards May Island. Hersing watched as Pathfinder detached from them and continued her patrol to the south.

Later that afternoon, whilst at periscope depth, Hersing again spotted Pathfinder – this time she was returning to her base. With her endurance limited by her poor stocks of bunker coal, she was only making about 5 knots, to conserve her coal. A speeding warship was a very difficult target for any submarine to hit, but at this lumbering slow speed she presented a relatively easy and valuable target for Hersing.

At approximately 3.45 p.m., Hersing gave the command for a single torpedo to be fired.

Lookouts on Pathfinder spotted the torpedo track heading towards their starboard bow at a range of 2,000 yards. The officer of the watch, Lieutenant-Commander Favell, gave orders for the starboard engine to be put astern and the port engine to be set at full ahead with full helm. This should turn her bow to starboard as quickly as possible and allow her to comb the track of the torpedo, and avoid it.