Empire Oak
British Steam tug
We don't have a picture of this vessel at this time.
| Name | Empire Oak | ||
| Type: | Steam tug | ||
| Tonnage | 484 tons | ||
| Completed | 1941 - Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole | ||
| Owner | United Towing Co Ltd, Hull | ||
| Homeport | Goole | ||
| Date of attack | 22 Aug 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-564 (Reinhard Suhren) | ||
| Position | 40° 43'N, 11° 39'W - Grid CG 1953 | ||
| Complement | 37 (23 dead and 14 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | OG-71 | ||
| Route | Methil Roads - Gibraltar | ||
| Cargo | |||
| History | Completed in July 1941 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 23.31 hours on 22 August 1941, U-564 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at convoy OG-71 west of Aveiro, Portugal and observed four different detonations and three columns of fire, later lifeboats were seen. Suhren thought that he had sunk two ships and damaged two others. However, only two ships were hit and sunk, the Empire Oak and Clonlara. The Empire Oak (Master Frederick Edward Christian) had picked up six survivors from Aguila and eleven survivors from Alva on 19 August. Eleven crew members, three gunners, five men from Aguila and four from Alva were lost. The master, five crew members and eight of the shipwrecked men were picked up by HMS Campanula (K 18) (LtCdr R.V.E. Case, DSC, RD, RNR), transferred to HMS Velox (D 34) (LtCdr E.G. Roper, DSC, RN) and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August. | ||
| On board | We have details of 34 people who were on board. | ||
If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.