Empire Mersey
Empire Mersey under her former name Ramon de Larrinaga. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Empire Mersey | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5.791 tons | ||
| Completed | 1920 - R. Duncan & Co Ltd, Port Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Larrinaga & Co Ltd, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 14 Oct, 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-618 (Kurt Baberg) | ||
| Position | 54N, 40.15W - Grid AJ 9323 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 55 (16 dead and 39 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-104 | ||
| Route | New York (3 Oct) - Manchester | ||
| Cargo | 8400 tons of government stores | ||
| History | Built as British Ramon de Larrinaga for Larrinaga & Co Ltd, Liverpool. On 8 Feb, 1941, the ship sprang leak and was beached near Lewes, Delaware. Two days later the vessel capsized and sank. She was refloated and renamed Empire Mersey by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on loss | At 04.29 hours on 14 Oct, 1942, U-618 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the convoy SC-104 south-southeast of Cape Farewell and observed three hits. It is probable that all three hit and sank the Empire Mersey (Master Felix de Bastarrechea). The master, 13 crew members and two gunners were lost. 37 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship Gothland (Master James Murray Hadden OBE) and landed at Gourock on 21 October. | ||
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