Empire Miniver
British Steam merchant
Empire Miniver under her former name West Cobalt. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Empire Miniver | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6,055 tons | ||
| Completed | 1918 - Columbia River Shipbuilding Corp, Portland OR | ||
| Owner | Andrew Weir & Co, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 18 Oct 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) | ||
| Position | 56° 40'N, 10° 45'W - Grid AM 2924 | ||
| Complement | 38 (3 dead and 35 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-7 | ||
| Route | Baltimore - Sydney (5 Oct) - Newport, Mon | ||
| Cargo | 4500 tons of pig iron and 6200 tons of steel | ||
| History | Built as American West Cobalt for US Shipping Board, Portland OR. 1918/19 part of the US Navy in the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. 1933 sold to Lykes Bros SS Co Inc, New Orleans and 1940 given to Britain and renamed Empire Miniver by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 22.06 hours on 18 Oct 1940 the Empire Miniver (Master Robert Smith) in convoy SC-7 was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 about 100 miles west by south of Barra Head. Three crew members were lost. The master and 34 crew members were picked up by HMS Bluebell (K 80) (LtCdr Robert E. Sherwood) and landed at Greenock on 20 October. | ||
| On board | We have details of 4 people who were on board. | ||
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