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Shortly after this, Victor signalled that she could not maintain any speed greater than 12 knots, and so at 1830, Hampshire signalled that she should also return to base. Off the entrance to Hoy Sound, the two destroyers turned for home whilst Hampshire went on alone, fighting the fury of the Force 9 severe gale and its 7–10-metre-high swell.

Hampshire struggled to make progress up the west coast. Her bow dipped and crashed in the heavy seas and the bow splash billowed over her fo’c’sle – she was only able to make 13.5 knots.

At about 2040, when she was about 1.5 miles from shore between Marwick Head and the Brough of Birsay, a rumbling explosion suddenly shook the whole ship as she hit a mine. A hole was torn in her keel between her bows and the bridge, the helm jammed and the lights gradually went out as the power failed. With no power, she could not make radio contact with the shore to call for assistance.

The explosion seemed to have taken place on the port side, just forward of the bridge and according to survivors, seemed to tear the heart right out of the ship. Her bow immediately began to settle into the water and a cloud of brown, suffocating smoke poured up from the stokers’ mess forward, making it difficult to see on the bridge.