SS Empire Breeze explained

-- --> Ship Name: Empire Breeze Ship Builder: J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland Ship Yard Number: 603 Ship Launched: 3 October 1940 Ship Completed: January 1941 Ship Registry: Sunderland Ship Identification: UK Official Number 168662 Code Letters GPFP (1941-42) Ship Owner: Ministry of War Transport Ship Operator: J & J Denholm Ltd Ship Out Of Service: 25 August 1942 Ship Fate: Torpedoed 25 August 1942 and sank 27 August Ship Length: 310feet Ship Beam: 59feet Ship Depth: 352NaN2 Ship Propulsion: Triple expansion steam engine Ship Armament: 1 × 4-inch gun 1 × 20 mm anti-aircraft gun 2 × twin machine guns Ship Crew: 42, plus 6 DEMS gunners

Empire Breeze was a cargo ship which was built in 1940 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Shortly after entering service she ran aground but was repaired. Empire Breeze was torpedoed and sunk by on 25 August 1942.

Description

Empire Breeze was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.^[1] She was yard number 603. Launched on 3 October 1940, she was completed in January 1941.^[1]

Empire Breeze was 310feet long, with a beam of 59feet and a depth of 35feet. She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 25inches, 41inches and 68inches bore by 45inches stroke. The engine was built by George Clarke (1938) Ltd, Sunderland.^[2] Empire Breeze was armed with a 4" gun, a 20mm AA gun and two twin machine guns.

Career

Empire Breezes port of registry was Sunderland. She was operated under the management of J & J Denholm Ltd, Sunderland.^[2] On 5 February 1941, she ran aground on the Bondicar Rocks, off Amble, Northumberland. She was refloated on 13 March and taken in tow by the tug Bullger, but the tug struck a mine and sank in Druridge Bay.^[3] Empire Breeze was anchored off Cresswell and later taken to Sunderland for repairs. She was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

ON 37

Convoy ON 37 departed from Liverpool on 15 November 1941 and dispersed at sea on 24 November.^[4]

ON 122

Convoy ON 122 departed from Liverpool on 15 August 1942 and dispersed at sea on 3 September.^[5] On 25 August 1942, Empire Breeze was torpedoed by and . Two torpedoes struck Empire Breeze, killing one crew member. She began to settle by the stern. The captain of U-438 claimed the kill, but postwar analysis shows that it was U-176 which had fired the fatal shot. The tug was sent from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and was detached from the convoy to assist in salvaging Empire Breeze. The surviving crew abandoned ship, but later reboarded her and sent distress signals after repairing the radio set. On 27 August, the Irish merchant ship rescued the 42 surviving crew and six DEMS gunners. They were landed at Dunmore East, County Waterford on 1 September. Although Empire Breeze was still afloat on 27 August, she could not be found by HMS Frisky and the search was abandoned on 30 August.^[6] Those lost on Empire Breeze are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.^[7]

Official Numbers and Code Letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Empire Breeze had the UK Official Number 168662 and used the Code Letters GPFP.^[2]

References

49.3667°N -87°W

Notes and References

1. Book: Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A. 1995. The Empire Ships. Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong. 1-85044-275-4.
2. Web site: LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS . Plimsoll Ship Data . 8 December 2009.
3. Web site: RNLI Services 1941 . rnliarchive.blob.core.windows.net . 16 March 2020.
4. Web site: CONVOY ON (S) 37 . Warsailors . 8 December 2009.
5. Web site: CONVOY ON 122, Code Word MAGOG . Warsailors . 8 December 2009.
6. Web site: Empire Breeze . Uboat . 8 December 2009.
7. Web site: Ship Index A-F . Brian Watson . 20 May 2011 . 6 October 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111006025450/http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Ship%20Index%20A-F.html . dead .