Empire Heron
British Steam merchant
Name | Empire Heron | ||
Type: | Steam merchant | ||
Tonnage | 6,023 tons | ||
Completed | 1920 - Moore Shipbuilding Co, Oakland CA | ||
Owner | Andrew Weir & Co, London | ||
Homeport | London | ||
Date of attack | 16 Oct 1941 | Nationality: British | |
Fate | Sunk by U-568 (Joachim Preuss) | ||
Position | 54° 55'N, 27° 15'W - Grid AK 6673 | ||
Complement | 43 (42 dead and 1 survivor). | ||
Convoy | SC-48 | ||
Route | Freeport, Texas - Sydney, CB (5 Oct) - Manchester | ||
Cargo | 7673 tons of sulphur | ||
History | Completed in August 1920 as Mosella for US Shipping Board (USSB) and later laid up as part of the reserve fleet. 1941 transferred to Britain and renamed Empire Heron by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
Notes on event | At 01.14 hours on 16 Oct 1941, U-568 fired a spread of three torpedoes at convoy SC-48 southeast of Cape Farewell and hit Empire Heron (Master James Dick Ross) in station #92 on the starboard side with two torpedoes after 88 seconds, causing the ship to sink fast by the stern. A sole survivor was rescued by HMS Gladiolus (K 34) (LtCdr H.M.C. Sanders, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR) astern of convoy, but he died when the corvette was herself torpedoed and sunk the next night. The master, 33 crew members and nine gunners were lost. | ||
On board | We have details of 43 people who were on board. |
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