Empire Springbuck
British Steam merchant
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| Name | Empire Springbuck | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,591 tons | ||
| Completed | 1918 - Ames Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co, Seattle WA | ||
| Owner | W.A. Souter & Co Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 9 Sep 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-81 (Friedrich Guggenberger) | ||
| Position | 61.38N, 40.40W - Grid AD 6886 | ||
| Complement | 42 (42 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | SC-42 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Boca Grande, Cuba - Sydney (30 Aug) - Leith - London | ||
| Cargo | Steel and explosives | ||
| History | Ordered as British War Dido by The Shipping Controller, but while building taken over by the US Shipping Board (USSB) and renamed Westmead. Acquired upon completion in October 1918 by the US Navy as cargo transport USS Westmead (ID # 3550) for the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. In June 1919 returned to the USSB after two Trans-Atlantic crossings and later laid up as part of the reserve fleet. 1927 renamed Willanglo for Williams SS Corp, New York. 1929 renamed San Angelo for Pacific-Atlantic SS Co (States SS Co), Portland OR. 1940 transferred to Britain and renamed Empire Springbuck by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on loss | At 06.55 hours on 9 Sep, 1941, the unescorted Empire Springbuck (Master Watson Edward O’Connell), a straggler from convoy SC-42, was hit by two torpedoes from U-81, exploded and sank northeast of Cape Farewell. The master, 38 crew members and three gunners were lost. | ||
| Crewlists | We have listing of 37 people who were on this vessel | ||
Location of attack on Empire Springbuck.
ship sunk.
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