Empire Oil
British Steam tanker
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| Name | Empire Oil | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 8,029 tons | ||
| Completed | 1941 - Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill, Middlesbrough | ||
| Owner | Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Middlesbrough | ||
| Date of attack | 11 Sep 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-584 (Joachim Deecke) | ||
| Position | 51° 23'N, 28° 13'W - Grid AK 9881 | ||
| Complement | 53 (3 dead and 50 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ON-127 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Swansea - Milford Haven (3 Sep) - New York | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in May 1941 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) | ||
| Notes on event | At 21.10 hours on 10 September 1942, U-659 (Stock) attacked convoy ON-127 southwest of Iceland and reported hits on two ships. In fact, two torpedoes hit the Empire Oil (Master Edward Marshall) at the bow and stern and stopped the tanker. At 01.47 hours the next day, U-584 sank the drifting Empire Oil with two coups de grâce. Two crew members were lost. The master, 20 crew members and six gunners were picked up by HMCS St. Croix (I 81) (A/LtCdr A.N. Dobson, RCNR) and landed at St. John’s on 15 September. 19 crew members and five gunners were picked up by HMCS Ottawa (H 60) (A/LtCdr C.A. Rutherford, RCN), but one gunner died of wounds on 13 September. Twelve crew members and four gunners were lost when the destroyer was torpedoed and sunk by U-91 (Walkerling) on 14 September. Only seven men from Empire Oil survived the second sinking. | ||
| On board | We have details of 20 people who were on board. | ||
Attack entries for Empire Oil
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Loss type | Tons | Nat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 1942 | U-659 | Kptlt. Hans Stock | Damaged | 8,029 | |
| 11 Sep 1942 | U-584 | Kptlt. Joachim Deecke | Sunk | 8,029 | |
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