Empire Hawksbill
British Steam merchant
Empire Hawksbill under her former name Golden Coast. Photo from City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-2244
| Name | Empire Hawksbill | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,724 tons | ||
| Completed | 1920 - South Western Shipbuilding Co, San Pedro CA | ||
| Owner | Walter Runciman & Co Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 19 Jul 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-564 (Reinhard Suhren) | ||
| Position | 42° 29'N, 25° 56'W - Grid CE 3341 | ||
| Complement | 46 (46 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | OS-34 | ||
| Route | Barry - Belfast - Capetown | ||
| Cargo | Government stores | ||
| History | Completed in April 1920 as West Nivaria for US Shipping Board (USSB). 1928 renamed Golden Coast for Oceanic & Oriental Navigation Co, San Francisco CA. 1937 renamed Delawarean for American-Hawaiian SS Co, New York. 1940 transferred to Britain and renamed Empire Hawksbill by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 02.30 hours on 19 July 1942, U-564 attacked convoy OS-34 about 200 miles north of the Azores and observed four detonations between 1 minute 15 seconds and 1 minute 27 seconds after firing. Suhren thought that he had hit four ships. However, only the Empire Hawksbill and Lavington Court were hit at this time. There were probably two hits each on the two ships. The master, 37 crew members and eight gunners from the Empire Hawksbill (Master Harold Theodore Lamb) were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 46 people who were on board. | ||
If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.