Empire Bede
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| Name | Empire Bede | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6.959 tons | ||
| Completed | 1942 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Govan, Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Hain SS Co, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 18 Aug, 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-553 (Karl Thurmann) | ||
| Position | 19.35N, 76.25W - Grid DN 7472 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 45 (2 dead and 43 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | TAW-13 | ||
| Route | Alexandria - Trinidad (12 Aug) - Key West - New York | ||
| Cargo | Cotton | ||
| History | Built for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) | ||
| Notes on loss | At 05.59 and 06.03 hours on 18 Aug, 1942, U-553 fired two spreads each of two torpedoes at the convoy TAW-13 north of Jamaica and one stern torpedo at 06.06 hours. Thurmann reported three freighters sunk and one tanker damaged. However, only the Emipre Bede (Master Thomas Edward Daniel) was hit by one torpedo and was later scuttled by gunfire by HMS Pimpernel (K 71) (LtCdr F.H. Thornton) in 19°41N/76°50W. Two crew members were lost. The master, 34 crew members, six gunners and two singalmen were picked up by the corvette and landed at Santiago de Cuba. | ||
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