Ships hit by U-boats


Empire Chaucer

British Steam merchant


We don't have a picture of this vessel at this time.


NameEmpire Chaucer
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,970 tons
Completed1942 - Wm. Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland 
OwnerW.J. Tatem Ltd, Cardiff 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack17 Oct 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-504 (Hans-Georg Friedrich Poske)
Position38° 12'S, 20° 04'E - Grid JJ 1313
Complement50 (3 dead and 47 survivors).
Convoy
RouteCalcutta - Durban (13 Oct) - Capetown - Trinidad - UK 
Cargo2000 tons of pig iron and 6500 tons of general cargo, including tea and bags of mail 
History Built for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) 
Notes on event

At 06.15 hours on 17 Oct 1942 the unescorted Empire Chaucer (Master Roy Jennings) was torpedoed and sunk by U-504 about 450 miles south of Capetown. Three crew members were lost. She had also one passenger on board which was among the survivors. The master and 11 survivors were picked up by the British merchant Empire Squire and landed at Trinidad. 15 survivors in one lifeboat were picked up by the British merchant Nebraska after 23 days in an open boat and landed at Capetown. The remaining 20 survivors in another lifeboat landed at Bredasdorp near Simonstown after 14 days.

 
On boardWe have details of 11 people who were on board


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