Fate

Sunk by U-136 (Heinrich Zimmermann)

Position

58° 09'N, 13° 48'W - Grid AM 1811

Complement

46 (46 dead - no survivors)

Convoy

HX-174 (straggler)

Route

Bombay (12 Nov) - Table Bay (16 Dec) - Halifax (7 Feb) - Manchester

Cargo

8672 tons of general cargo, including manganese ore, linseed, tea and groundnuts

History

Completed in January 1941 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

Notes on event

At 22.17 hours on 17 Feb 1942 the unescorted Empire Comet (Master Hector Rayment Willis) was hit fore and aft by two torpedoes from U-136 about 33 miles north of Rockall.

The U-boat had chased the ship for about two hours and observed how she quickly sank after being torpedoed, following a heavy detonation aboard.

The master, 37 crew members and eight gunners were lost.

The ship was reported missing after straggling from station #12 in convoy HX-174 and was presumed lost in position 58°15N/17°10W on 19 February.

1941 Managed by Dodd Thompson

1942 Torpedoed and sunk in North Atlantic