Empire Cloud
British Steam merchant
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| Name | Empire Cloud | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,969 tons | ||
| Completed | 1941 - Wm. Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | Allan, Black & Co, Sunderland | ||
| Homeport | Sunderland | ||
| Date of attack | 19 Aug 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-564 (Reinhard Suhren) | ||
| Position | 11° 58'N, 62° 38'W - Grid ED 9453 | ||
| Complement | 54 (0 dead and 54 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | TAW(S) | ||
| Route | Durban - Trinidad (18 Aug) - Philadephia - New York | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in April 1941 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) At 14.26 and 14.28 hours on 9 May 1941, U-201 (Schnee) attacked the convoy OB-318 east-northeast of Cape Farewell in grid AK 2181 (61°00N/32°30W), sank the Gregalia and badly damaged the Empire Cloud. The Empire Cloud (Master Charles Cottew Brown) was on her maiden voyage from Sunderland to Father Point via Loch Ewe in ballast. Developing a very heavy list she was abandoned by her crew, but HMS St. Apollo remained nearby to protect the drifting ship. Five crew members were lost. The master, 36 crew members and eight gunners were picked up by HMS Nigella (K 19) (T/Lt T.W. Coyne, RNR) and taken to Iceland. The Dutch tug Thames was sent out from Reykjavik, arriving on the 13 May and took the torpedoed ship in tow. With a speed of six knots they arrived at Greenock after seven days, where she was repaired and returned to service in November 1941. | ||
| Notes on event | Between 10.07 and 10.10 hours on 19 August 1942, U-564 fired torpedoes at convoy TAW(S) northeast of Trinidad and observed three hits after 2 minutes 5 seconds and one after 2 minutes 50 seconds. Suhren claimed that he sank two ships and damaged two. At 13.56 hours, the U-boat attacked again in grid ED 9416 and heard hits after 59 seconds and 1 minute 19 seconds, but they were probably prematures or duds. In fact, the British Consul and the Empire Cloud were hit. The first was probably sunk by more than one torpedo and the latter remained afloat. The Empire Cloud (Master Charles Cottew Brown) was taken in tow by the Dutch tug Roode Zee, but sank in 10°54N/62°10W on 21 August. The master, 45 crew members and eight gunners were picked up by ships in convoy and landed at Key West, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama. | ||
| On board | We have details of 7 people who were on board. | ||
Attack entries for Empire Cloud
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Loss type | Tons | Nat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 1941 | U-201 | Oblt. Adalbert Schnee | Damaged | 5,969 | |
| 19 Aug 1942 | U-564 | Kptlt. Reinhard Suhren | Sunk | 5,969 | |
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