Ships hit by U-boats


Empire Oak

British Steam tug


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NameEmpire Oak
Type:Steam tug
Tonnage484 tons
Completed1941 - Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole 
OwnerUnited Towing Co Ltd, Hull 
HomeportGoole 
Date of attack22 Aug 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-564 (Reinhard Suhren)
Position40° 43'N, 11° 39'W - Grid CG 1953
Complement37 (23 dead and 14 survivors).
ConvoyOG-71
RouteMethil 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 boardWe have details of 34 people who were on board


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