The Antilla, almost brand new (built in 1939) slipped into Aruba seeking supplies and fuel from the nearby oil refinery. News of Holland's invasion had spread and when Dutch marines appeared at the dock, the captain knew his ship was in jeopardy. Conceding defeat but not submission, he fired its boilers, opened the sea cocks and set his ship ablaze. The 4,363-ton Hamburg American Line steamer, capable of carrying 120 passengers and crew in addition to cargo, turned on its port side and sank while facing shore only 600 yards from Malmok Beach. Avoiding fatalities, the captain and crew rowed ashore and landed near the northwest tip of Aruba.
