Empire Comet

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.

Torpedoed and Sunk in The North Atlantic - 1942

Empire Comet Left Bombay For Manchester via Table Bay & Halifax Lost 17 February 1942		Fate
Master	H R Willis	Lost
Chief Officer	H J Calnon	Lost
Second Officer	J W Melvin	Lost
Third Officer	J A Milne	Lost
Apprentices	R D Brook A B Robertson	Both Lost
First Radio Officer	C Watson	Lost
Second Radio Officer	A L Putz	Lost
Third Radio Officer	E Richardson	Lost
Chief Engineer	J Simm	Lost
Second Engineer	W J Morrow	Lost
Third Engineer	R A Garrick	Lost
Fourth Engineer	W H Grange	Lost
Asst Engineers	A G Christie M E Diggle S A McIlroy E Scott	All Lost
Chief Steward	R D Clarke	Lost
Bosun	E A Dearson	Lost
Carpenter	W D Halcrow	Lost
Able Seamen	W L Lindsay J A Tulloch R W Tulloch	All Lost
Ordinary Seamen	M MacDonald H Wood	Both Lost
Sailors	R W Anderson J T Balfour J T Mullen J A Nicholson	All Lost
Donkeyman & Greaser	C C Grierson D Herd B McEntaggart	All Lost
Greaser	J Frodsham	Lost
Cook	W Tierney	Lost
Asst Cook	W D Clarke	Lost
Asst Steward	J Donnelly	Lost
Mess Room Steward	N S Winthorpe	Lost
Cabin Boy	H Cook	Lost

Vessel

Built

Service

Tonnage

Empire Comet

1941

1941 Managed by Dodd Thompson

1942 Torpedoed and sunk in North Atlantic

6914

Official Number

Ship Builder

Engine Builder

Engine Type

Screws

166996

Lithgows

Port Glasgow

J G Kincaid

Glasgow

Motor 6 Cyl

Burmeister & Wain

490 NHP