Empire Breeze
British Steam merchant
Name | Empire Breeze | ||
Type: | Steam merchant | ||
Tonnage | 7,457 tons | ||
Completed | 1941 - J.L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
Owner | J. & J. Denholm Ltd, Glasgow | ||
Homeport | Sunderland | ||
Date of attack | 25 Aug 1942 | Nationality: British | |
Fate | Sunk by U-176 (Reiner Dierksen) | ||
Position | 49° 22'N, 35° 52'W - Grid BD 1667 | ||
Complement | 49 (1 dead and 48 survivors). | ||
Convoy | ONS-122 | ||
Route | Manchester (15 Aug) – Liverpool – New York - Hampton Roads - Baltimore | ||
Cargo | Ballast | ||
History | Completed in January 1941 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) | ||
Notes on event | At 01.57 hours on 25 Aug 1942, U-176 and U-438 (Franzius) simultaneously fired torpedoes at ships in convoy ONS-122 from its starboard bow. Dierksen observed detonations after 1 minute 33 seconds and 1 minute 36 seconds after firing a spread of two torpedoes and Franzius fired one torpedo and observed a detonation after 1 minute 31 seconds and a ship settling by the stern and sinking. Empire Breeze (Master Robert Thomson) in station #41 was hit by two torpedoes in #3 hold and amidships and the Athelprince in station #51 saw a torpedo missing astern of her around the time. Judging from the attack positions and torpedo courses it is clear that only the torpedoes of U-176 had hit and U-438 mistook this success as her own. | ||
Revisions | November 2009 by Rainer Kolbicz: Empire Breeze was listed as being sunk by U-176 and U-438 because both U-boats attacked at exactly the same time and Rohwer was not able to credit the success to one of them with reasonable certainty. A detailed analysis of the Allied reports, the KTBs and the torpedo firing reports shows that she could only have been hit by U-176. Thanks to Mark McShane and Jerry Mason for assistance. | ||
On board | We have details of 4 people who were on board. |
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