"Abdiel", carrying troops of the British 1st Airborne Division (6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion and 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery), took the berth which had been declined earlier by the captain of the US cruiser .Shortly after midnight, two mines detonated beneath "Abdiel" and the minelayer sank in three minutes, with great loss of life among both sailors and soldiers.