Empire Burton
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| Name | Empire Burton | ||
| Type: | Catapult armed merchant (CAM) | ||
| Tonnage | 6.966 tons | ||
| Completed | 1941 - Short Bros, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | Common Brothers Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 20 Sep, 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-74 (Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat) | ||
| Position | 61.34N, 35.05W - Grid AD 7851 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 60 (2 dead and 58 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-44 | ||
| Route | Halifax - Sydney (11 Sep) - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 9106 tons of wheat | ||
| History | Built for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) | ||
| Notes on loss | At 01.13 hours on 20 Sep, 1941, U-74 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the convoy SC-44 east of Cape Farewell. Kentrat reported two hits on a first ship and one hit on a second vessel, which sank later. The fourth torpedo hit a third ship but was a dud. However, only the Empire Burton (Master John Mitchell) was hit and sunk. One crew member and one gunner were lost. The master, 47 crew members, four gunners and six passengers (RAF personnel) were picked up by the British corvette HMS Honeysuckle (K 27) (LtCdr G.W. Gregorie) and landed at Reykjavik. | ||
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