Ships hit by U-boats


Edward M. House

American Steam merchant



NameEdward M. House
Type:Steam merchant (Liberty)
Tonnage7,240 tons
Completed1943 - St. John’s River Shipbuilding Co, Jacksonville FL 
OwnerA.L. Burbank & Co Ltd, New York 
HomeportJacksonville 
Date of attack29 Jun 1944Nationality:      American
 
FateDamaged by U-984 (Heinz Sieder)
Position50° 07'N, 0° 47'W - Grid BF 3532
Complement657 (0 dead and 657 survivors).
ConvoyECM-17
RouteSouthampton - Utah Beach, Normandy 
Cargo1000 tons of Army equipment and troops 
History Completed November 1943

Post-war:
1947 sold to Norway and renamed Blue Master for Skibs A/S Golden West (A.F. Klaveness & Co), Oslo. 1954 renamed Dicoronia and registered in Liberia for Bahia Salinas Cia Nav (Goulandris Bros), Panama. Broken up at Shanghai in February 1970. 
Notes on event

At 15.28 hours on 29 June 1944, U-984 fired a spread of two LUT torpedoes at convoy ECM-17 about 30 miles south of St. Catherine’s Point, Isle of Wight. The first struck the Edward M. House and the second the H.G. Blasdel. Six minutes later, the U-boat fired a single torpedo at one of the damaged ships and missed but struck the John A. Treutlen. At 15.43 hours, a Gnat was fired which struck the James A. Farrell.

The Edward M. House (Master Austin Stuart Fithian) was struck by one torpedo under the stern as she was proceeding as the third or fourth ship in the port column. The explosion threw up a column of water several hundred feet in the air, stoved in the forepeak, flooded the #1 port and starboard deep tanks and buckled the shell plating and the collision bulkhead. The engines were stopped briefly during the damage was examined and then followed convoy. One armed guard and one crewman were injured of the nine officers, 33 men, 28 armed guards (the ship was armed with two 3in and eight 20mm guns) and 587 troops on board. The ship continued to the Normandy beachhead, discharged her troops and equipment the same day and returned to the United Kingdom on 1 July. She was repaired at Newcastle-upon-Tyne from 9 July to 31 October and then sailed for New York, returning to service.

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.

Return to Allied Ships hit by U-boats