Empire Housman
British Motor merchant
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| Name | Empire Housman | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 7,359 tons | ||
| Completed | 1943 - Wm. Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 3 Jan 1944 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-744 (Heinz Blischke) | ||
| Position | 60° 50'N, 22° 07'W - Grid AE 7877 | ||
| Complement | 46 (1 dead and 45 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ON-217 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Tyne - Loch Ewe (24 Dec) - New York | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Built for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) | ||
| Notes on event | On 30 Dec 1943, U-545 (Mannesmann) fired four torpedoes at convoy ON-217 in 60°30N/24°35W and heard four detonations. Mannesmann claimed hits on four ships and observed one ship sinking on 1 January. However, the only ship hit was Empire Housman (Master David John Lewis), which did not sink after this attack. At 03.55 hours on 3 Jan 1944 the Empire Housman, now straggling from convoy, was hit by two torpedoes from U-744 and foundered two days later. One crew member was lost. The master, 37 crew members and seven gunners were picked up by HMS Elm (T 105) (Lt K.A. Grant) and HMS Earner (W 143) and landed at Reykjavik. | ||
| On board | We have details of 2 people who were on board. | ||
Attack entries for Empire Housman
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Loss type | Tons | Nat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 1943 | U-545 | Gert Mannesmann | Damaged | 7,359 | |
| 3 Jan 1944 | U-744 | Oblt. Heinz Blischke | Sunk | 7,359 | |
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