Empire Citizen
British Steam merchant
Empire Citizen under her former name Wahehe
| Name | Empire Citizen | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,683 tons | ||
| Completed | 1922 - Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik, Hamburg | ||
| Owner | P. Henderson & Co, Glasgow | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 3 Feb 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-107 (Günter Hessler) | ||
| Position | 58° 12'N, 23° 22'W - Grid AL 2714 | ||
| Complement | 83 (78 dead and 5 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | OB-279 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Liverpool - Rangoon | ||
| Cargo | General cargo | ||
| History | Laid down as Wadigo, completed in August 1922 as German Wahehe for Woermann Linie AG, Hamburg. On 21 Feb 1940, captured southeast of Iceland by HMS Manchester (15) (Cdr J.N. Sparks, RN) and HMS Kimberley (F 50) (LtCdr R.G.K. Knowling, RN) on Northern Patrol and taken to Kirkwall, arriving on 23 February. Renamed Empire Citizen by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 01.45 hours on 3 Feb 1941 the Empire Citizen (Master Edward Charles Hughes), a straggler from convoy OB-279, was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-107 southwest of Iceland. The ship had been spotted on a zigzag course six hours before and missed with a first torpedo at 00.19 hours. The U-boat observed how she sank slowly on even keel and the crew abandoned ship, then fired a stern torpedo at 02.23 hours that hit aft and caused her to sink by the stern quickly. The master, 64 crew members, one gunner and 12 passengers were lost. Four crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS Clarkia (K 88) (LtCdr F.J.G. Jones, RNR) and landed at Londonderry. | ||
| On board | We have details of 78 people who were on board. | ||
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