Ships hit by U-boats


Empire Moat

British Steam merchant


We don't have a picture of this vessel at this time.


NameEmpire Moat
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage2,922 tons
Completed1941 - Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow 
OwnerWatts, Watts & Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack20 Sep 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-124 (Johann Mohr)
Position48° 07'N, 22° 05'W - Grid BE 4232
Complement32 (0 dead and 32 survivors).
ConvoyOG-74
RouteLondon - Oban - Gibraltar 
CargoBallast 
History Built for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) 
Notes on event

At 23.31 hours on 20 Sep 1941, U-124 fired three torpedoes in two minute intervals at convoy OG-74 north-northeast of the Azores and heard one detonation, then a tanker was observed being hit (there was a burst cloud). Another ship was hit and sank immediately after a heavy explosion. Mohr claimed two ships with 15.000 grt sunk and another with 8000 grt damaged. In fact, the Baltallinn and the Empire Moat were hit and sunk.

The master, 28 crew members and three gunners from the Empire Moat (Master James Fawcett Travis) were picked up by the British rescue ship Walmer Castle (Master Gerald Lewis Clarke).
On 21 September, five crew members were lost when the rescue ship was bombed and sunk northeast of the Azores in 47°16N/22°25W by a German Fw 200 aircraft of I./KG 40. The remaining men from the Empire Moat were picked up by the HMS Marigold (K 87) (Lt W.S. Macdonald) and the HMS Deptford (L 53) (LtCdr H.R. White) and landed at Gibraltar on 28 September.

 
On boardWe have details of 6 people who were on board


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