In June of 1944 U-boats attempting to break out into the Atlantic faced a daunting task. Attack by aircraft was quite common and the Allies were getting quite experienced at sending Hitler's submariners to the great beyond. Crossing the Bay of Biscay at this time had to be done submerged, but even then the Schnorchel could be picked up on radar. Boats leaving from Kiel had to make their way around Denmark, through the North Sea, around the Orkneys and choose a route through one of the well patrolled straits which lead to the open ocean, many a boat failed to make it.

One such boat was U-1225, her mission was to be a weather reporting boat, a duty U-boat men did not like, but was work that had to be done. This was the first command for Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Sauerberg and the first war patrol for U-1225. After departing Kiel the boat stopped in Kristiansand, Norway then on June 20 headed out toward the Atlantic, the most dangerous part of the trip.

At 0930 hours on June 24, 1944 a Consolidated Canso (Catalina PBY) "P" of 162 Squadron RCAF piloted by Flight Lieutenant David E. Hornell, RACF and seven crewmen departed from RAF Wick in Scotland and headed for the waters west of Norway. Ten hours into the patrol, about 175 miles west of Alesund, Norway, a surfaced submarine was sighted about five miles distant to port. He turned to attack, but the aircraft was sighted and the U-boat crew began to fire. With the additional anti-aircraft guns provided to U-boats, the aircraft was hit several times before being able to make an attack.

The starboard engine was hit and was on fire, one of the guns on the Canso had jammed so they could only bring one machine gun into action against the enemy, but even so they managed to obtain several hits on the boat. The Germans continued to fire on the Canso, and Hornell, while having great difficulty maintaining control over an increasingly damaged aircraft, remained determined to attack the submarine. Not straying from his course, Hornell got to within 50' and released four depth charges. They hit the water and detonated beneath the boat, exactly what damage was done is unknown, but it was enough to ultimately send her to the bottom. As many as forty of the crew got off the boat and were seen in the water, but no attempt was made to rescue any of them, all fifty-six men of U-1225 perished.

The aircraft was on fire and before long the starboard engine fell off, with no choice and with great skill Hornell brought his plane down and landed in the heavy swells. All eight men got out of the flaming hulk before it sank, but only one dinghy was of any use, the other had become damaged in the battle. Only four men could fit in the dinghy at one time so the other four had to hang on to the sides and float in the water. The men took shifts at being in the water until the dinghy capsized tossing all of them into the sea. After it was righted they all attempted to get into the dinghy, and they apparently succeeded albeit with some difficulty. Before they were found the next day two of the men died of exposure.

The radio man, Campbell, had sent out a distress signal, but his radio had apparently been knocked out and it was not picked up, however they were located by Lt. Carl F. Krafft of 333 Norwegian Squadron (Krafft had sunk U-423 only days before on June 17), he (Krafft) also reported seeing an oil slick and the survivors from U-1225 in the water about three miles away, but he could not land his Canso. Krafft was soon joined by an aircraft from 281 Squadron RAF and the planes remained in the area to direct the rescue. At 1100 hours a Wellington bomber flew over and dropped a rubber raft, but it landed over 500 yards away from the survivors. Hornell wanted to swim to it, but he was restrained by his men, he was terribly exhausted and by the time he was picked up he was blind. By 1500 hours a HSL was on scene and the six men were picked up, sadly Hornell passed away twenty minutes later. For his daring, courage in sinking the U-boat and for his leadership after the loss of his aircraft, Hornell was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the first Canadian airman so decorated, it was also the first VC awarded to someone from Coastal Command.

Flying Officer Bernard C. Denomy, RCAF, the 2nd pilot was awarded the D.S.O., Flying Officer Graham Campbell, RCAF and Flying Officer Sidney E. Matheson, RCAF were both awarded the D.F.C., Flight Sergeant Israel J. Bodnoff, RCAF and Flight Sergeant Sidney R. Cole, RCAF were awarded the D.F.M.