Empire Geraint
British Steam merchant
Empire Geraint under her later name Oregon Star. Photo courtesy of Stuart Smith
| Name | Empire Geraint | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6,991 tons | ||
| Completed | 1942 - C. Connell & Co Ltd, Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Lamport & Holt Ltd, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | Glasgow | ||
| Date of attack | 6 Mar 1945 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Damaged by U-775 (Erich Taschenmacher) | ||
| Position | 51° 30'N, 5° 00'W - Grid AM 98 | ||
| Complement | 64 (0 dead and 64 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | MH-44 | ||
| Route | Mumbles Roads (6 Mar) – Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 4635 tons of general cargo, including 2800 tons of refrigerated foodstuffs | ||
| History | Completed in December 1942 as Empire Geraint for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), managed by Royal Mail Lines Ltd, London. 1945 transferred to Lamport & Holt Ltd, Liverpool. Post-war: In January 1946 renamed Millais for Lamport & Holt Ltd, Liverpool. In July 1952 renamed Oregon Star for Blue Star Line Ltd, London. In July 1954 registered in Panama as Captayannis for Iris Shipping & Trading Corp, Panama. 1960 transferred to Paleocrassas Brothers & Partners (Syros Shipping Co Ltd), Greece. On 28 Feb 1962, the ship went aground four miles from Goeree Light Vessel in position 51°40N/03°25E while en route from Tsarevo, Bulgaria to Rotterdam. She was refloated the next day, towed to Rotterdam and declared a total loss. In April 1962 broken up at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands. | ||
| Notes on event | At 14.30 hours on 6 March 1945 the Empire Geraint (Master Alfred Ryder Bibby, OBE), the leading ship of the starboard column in convoy MH-44, was hit on the starboard side in #3 hold by a torpedo from U-775 while steaming on a non-evasive course at 7 knots one mile northeast of St. Govan’s Light Vessel, Pembrokeshire. The ship was equipped with torpedo nets but they were not streamed because she had lost the starboard net during her previous transatlantic crossing. The explosion raised a column of water and debris to mast head height and badly holed the hull. The master, 56 crew members and seven gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, six 20mm and two machine guns) remained aboard and brought the ship under her own power to Milford Haven, where she was beached in Angle Bay with the assistance of tugs. On 26 April, the Empire Geraint left for Newport after her cargo was unloaded and returned to service after being repaired. | ||
| On board | We have details of 2 people who were on board. | ||
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