Empire Prairie
British Steam merchant
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| Name | Empire Prairie | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 7,010 tons | ||
| Completed | 1942 - Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Kaye, Son & Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Greenock | ||
| Date of attack | 10 Apr 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-654 (Ludwig Forster) | ||
| Position | 37° 33'N, 60° 06'W - Grid CB 6788 | ||
| Complement | 49 (49 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Halifax - Capetown - Alexandria | ||
| Cargo | 9022 tons of general cargo | ||
| History | Completed in February 1942 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 02.20 hours on 10 April 1942 the unescorted Empire Prairie (Master Richard Townsend Payne) was hit by one of two torpedoes from U-654 about 490 miles northeast of Bermuda. The U-boat had first spotted the ship about six hours earlier and observed how she broke in two and sank immediately after being hit. The Germans tried to question the survivors who clung to debris and cried for help, but misunderstood the name of the ship as Empire Lairing. The master, 43 crew members and five gunners were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 49 people who were on board. | ||
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