Empire Unity
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| Name | Empire Unity | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 6,386 tons | ||
| Completed | 1927 - AG Weser, Bremen | ||
| Owner | Hunting & Son Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 5 May 1945 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Damaged by U-979 ( Johannes Meermeier) | ||
| Position | 64.23N, 22.37W - Grid AE 4723 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 46 (0 dead and 46 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | RU-161 | ||
| Route | Reykjavik (4 May) - Belfast Lough - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in April 1927 as Biscaya for John T. Essberger, Hamburg. In August 1939 interned at Las Palmas while en route from Hamburg to Port Arthur, Texas. On 7 Oct, 1939, left to return to Germany but was intercepted and captured on 19 October by HMS Scotstoun (Capt S.K. Smyth, RN) on Northern Patrol in the Denmark Strait in 66°30N/23°00W. The ship was taken to Leith by a prize crew (LtCdr R.H.A. Clark, RNR) and renamed Empire Unity by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Post-war: | ||
| Notes on loss | At 01.05 hours on 5 May, 1945, U-979 fired a spread of three torpedoes at the convoy RU-161 and hit the Empire Unity 14 miles west-northwest of Akrenes, Iceland. The tanker was struck on the starboard side by two torpedoes, causing the flooding of six tanks. The crew initially abandoned ship, but most soon reboarded the damaged vessel after she was brought to Hvalfjordur by HMS Northern Spray (FY 129). 12 survivors were picked up by HMS Northern Sky (4.41) and taken to Belfast. On 20 Jun, 1945, the Empire Unity left Reykjavik under tow after temporary repairs and arrived five days later in Methil for permanent repairs. | ||
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