Empire Barracuda
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| Name | Empire Barracuda | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant (Hog Island) | ||
| Tonnage | 4.972 tons | ||
| Completed | 1918 - American Int Shipbuilding Corp, Hog Island PA | ||
| Owner | Cunard White Star Ltd, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 15 Dec, 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-77 (Heinrich Schonder) | ||
| Position | 35.30N, 06.17W - Grid CG 9843 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 52 (13 dead and 39 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Gibraltar - Capetown - Suez | ||
| Cargo | 5800 tons of naval and military stores, including munitions | ||
| History | Built as American Sacandaga for US Shipping Board, Philadelphia; 1931 sold to Black Diamond Lines Inc, New York; 1932 renamed Black Heron for the same owner; 1941 taken over to Britain and renamed Empire Barracuda by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) for Cunard White Star Line, Liverpool (managed by Stanhope SS Co). | ||
| Notes on loss | At 04.10 and 04.30 hours on 15 Dec, 1941, U-77 attacked a small escorted convoy of four ships 34 miles 310° from Cape Trafalgar and saw later a freighter in sinking condition after one hit and a tanker stopped after two. In fact only the Empire Barracuda (Master Frederick Ridley) was hit and sunk. Nine crew members and four gunners were lost. The master, 37 crew members and one gunner were picked up by the British corvette HMS Coltsfoot (K 140) (LtCdr Hon W.K. Rous) and landed at Gibraltar. | ||
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