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While picking up troops in boats at 0505hours, a searchlight on shore suddenly lit up HMS Sikh. Quickly, HMS Zulu moved away, then came in bow first into the searchlight. Shore batteries opened fire. One 88mm shell exploded in Sikh\'s Gear Room, damaging the lubrication feed system and the steering gear. A second hit forward, blew up the ready-use ammunition locker for \'A\' gun and started a fierce fire that killed, burned, or disabled all of the Royal Marines who had just been picked up. It also trapped more Royal Marines who had been waiting in the messdecks. Emergency damage control and first aid parties rescued the wounded, flooded \'A\' and \'B\' magazines, and dealt with the blaze. Sikh was steaming in circles at 10 knots and getting slower. A third shell struck her range finder director and from then on, all her guns had to fire under local control. As Sikh came to a stop, Captain Micklethwait, Sikh's Commanding Officer, ordered all Royal Navy Forces to leave the area while HMS Zulu towed Sikh away from danger. While under tow, a forth shell hit the unlucky destroyer setting off the charges around Sikh's 'Y' mounting. This started another bad fire aft while a fifth shell struck 'B' mounting killing the gun crew. Others took up their places and the guns continued firing. During the shelling, the towline broke and Zulu made attempts to get a heaving line to Sikh. Captain Micklethwait, went forward to supervise the towing preparations on the fx'c'sle when a sixth shell smashed the bridge. It was now broad daylight and the two ships were getting underway when another 88mm shell hit the towline and severed it. There was no hope of saving Sikh. HMS Zulu laid a smokescreen around Sikh and tried to come in to take Sikh's crew. It was too dangerous. HMS Zulu was ordered away. Shells continued to hit Sikh but her''X" gun kept firing until the ammunition in the ready use locker was exhausted. Captain Micklethwait fired the scuttling charges which flooded the engine and boiler rooms. He made a final tour of his ship and left. Sikh took a long time to die, heeling over to starboard as she sank while shells continued to hit. All the survivors were taken as prisoner of war.