SS Empire Amethyst
Encyclopedia
{|Empire Amethyst was a 8,032 ton tanker
which was built in 1941. She was torpedoed and sunk by U-154 on 13 April 1942.
as yard number 330. She was launched on 8 July 1941 and completed in December 1941. Empire Amethyst was built for the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the management of the Hadley Shipping Co Ltd, Middlesbrough. Empire Amethyst was homeported in Middlesbrough
.
Empire Amethyst was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
ON 17
Convoy ON 17 sailed from Liverpool
on 17 September 1941 and Loch Ewe
on 19 September. The convoy dispersed on 29 September.
On 23 January 1942, Empire Amethyst picked up five survivors from the Norwegian
SS Innerøy, which had been torpedoed and sunk by U-553. The survivors were taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
HX 173
Convoy HX 173 sailed from Halifax for Liverpool on 1 February 1942, arriving on 14 February.
OS 21
Convoy OS 21 sailed from Liverpool on 4 March 1942 and arrived at Freetown
, Sierra Leone
on 24 March. Empire Amethyst was in ballast, having discharged her cargo at Milford Haven
. She had to call at Belfast
to allow a crew member to be discharged through illness and a replacement to be taken on board. On reaching Freetown, Empire Amethyst sailed for New Orleans.
and then across the Atlantic
to Freetown.
Empire Amethyst was spotted by the crew of U-154 on 12 April 1942. The U-boat captain, Walther Kölle, believed that she was being escorted by HMCS Prince Henry and did not attack.
At 03:02 hrs Empire Amethyst received a distress call from the American SS Delvalla which had been torpedoed by U-154 and was sinking. Prince Henry headed for the reported position of the Delvalla and a Catalina
aircraft was despatched. The survivors were taken aboard Prince Henry.
U-154 spotted Empire Amethyst again at 11:42 hrs; she was again under escort by Prince Henry but at 16:00 hrs the escort had been lost. As he was short of torpedoes, Kapitän Kölle decided to attack from the surface. The chase began at 20:00 hrs with Empire Amethyst zig-zagging but generally following a heading of 110° towards Trinidad
. Empire Amethyst managed to lose her pursuer at 00:24 on 13 April by making a sharp turn. At 01:27 hrs, Kölle ordered his engines stopped in order to try and ascertain where Empire Amethyst was. Kölle decided to head in the direction that Empire Amethyst was generally heading and by 04:30 had found her again. At 05:52, Kölle aimed the first of two torpedoes at Empire Amethyst, which hit under the bridge. The second exploded forward of the engine room and she exploded in a mass of flames that were visible from 30 nautical miles (55.6 km) away. Empire Amethyst sank with the loss of all 47 crew at 17°40′N 74°50′W.
The crew of Empire Amethyst are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial
.
.
Empire Amethyst had the UK Official Number 164848 and used the Code Letters
BCPL.
Tank ship
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
which was built in 1941. She was torpedoed and sunk by U-154 on 13 April 1942.
History
Empire Amethyst was built by the Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-TeesHaverton Hill
Haverton Hill is an area within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England.It is situated to the north of the River Tees, near Billingham. The A1046 is the main road linking to Stockton and the A19 in the west and Port Clarence and the A178 in the east.- History...
as yard number 330. She was launched on 8 July 1941 and completed in December 1941. Empire Amethyst was built for the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the management of the Hadley Shipping Co Ltd, Middlesbrough. Empire Amethyst was homeported in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
.
Empire Amethyst was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
ON 17
Convoy ON 17 sailed from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 17 September 1941 and Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on 19 September. The convoy dispersed on 29 September.
On 23 January 1942, Empire Amethyst picked up five survivors from the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
SS Innerøy, which had been torpedoed and sunk by U-553. The survivors were taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
HX 173
Convoy HX 173 sailed from Halifax for Liverpool on 1 February 1942, arriving on 14 February.
OS 21
Convoy OS 21 sailed from Liverpool on 4 March 1942 and arrived at Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
on 24 March. Empire Amethyst was in ballast, having discharged her cargo at Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
. She had to call at Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
to allow a crew member to be discharged through illness and a replacement to be taken on board. On reaching Freetown, Empire Amethyst sailed for New Orleans.
Final voyage and sinking
In mid-April 1942, Empire Amethyst left New Orleans bound for Freetown carrying a cargo of 12,000 tons of motor spirit. Her intended route took her via the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
and then across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to Freetown.
Empire Amethyst was spotted by the crew of U-154 on 12 April 1942. The U-boat captain, Walther Kölle, believed that she was being escorted by HMCS Prince Henry and did not attack.
At 03:02 hrs Empire Amethyst received a distress call from the American SS Delvalla which had been torpedoed by U-154 and was sinking. Prince Henry headed for the reported position of the Delvalla and a Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
aircraft was despatched. The survivors were taken aboard Prince Henry.
U-154 spotted Empire Amethyst again at 11:42 hrs; she was again under escort by Prince Henry but at 16:00 hrs the escort had been lost. As he was short of torpedoes, Kapitän Kölle decided to attack from the surface. The chase began at 20:00 hrs with Empire Amethyst zig-zagging but generally following a heading of 110° towards Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. Empire Amethyst managed to lose her pursuer at 00:24 on 13 April by making a sharp turn. At 01:27 hrs, Kölle ordered his engines stopped in order to try and ascertain where Empire Amethyst was. Kölle decided to head in the direction that Empire Amethyst was generally heading and by 04:30 had found her again. At 05:52, Kölle aimed the first of two torpedoes at Empire Amethyst, which hit under the bridge. The second exploded forward of the engine room and she exploded in a mass of flames that were visible from 30 nautical miles (55.6 km) away. Empire Amethyst sank with the loss of all 47 crew at 17°40′N 74°50′W.
The crew of Empire Amethyst are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial
Tower Hill Memorial
The Tower Hill Memorial is a national war memorial on the south side of Trinity Square Gardens, just to the north of the Tower of London. It commemorates those from the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets who died during both world wars and have "no grave but the sea".The First World War memorial...
.
Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO NumbersIMO ship identification number
The IMO ship identification number is made of the three letters "IMO" followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above...
.
Empire Amethyst had the UK Official Number 164848 and used the Code Letters
Code letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
BCPL.