Donald James Slater

TOWER HILL MEMORIAL Panel 46.

Name Empire Surf
Type: Steam merchant
Tonnage 6,641 tons
Completed 1941 - Bartram & Sons Ltd, South Dock, Sunderland
Owner South American Saint Line, Cardiff
Homeport Sunderland
Date of attack 14 Jan 1942 Nationality: British

Fate Sunk by U-43 (Wolfgang Lüth)
Position 58° 42'N, 19° 16'W - Grid AL 2691
Complement 53 (47 dead and 6 survivors).
Convoy ON-55
Route Manchester - Jacksonville, Florida
Cargo Ballast
History Completed in April 1941 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT)
Notes on event
At 02.54 hours on 14 January 1942, U-43 attacked convoy ON-55 south of Iceland and sank the Empire Surf (Master Albert Sandham). At 03.04 hours, the U-boat attacked again and heard a heavy detonation after 40 seconds (about 600 meters), but a few minutes later was unable to see the target. The KTB has the marginal comment Apparently not a hit..

The master, 37 crew members and nine gunners from the Empire Surf were lost. Six crew members were picked up by HMS Alisma (K 185) (LtCdr M.G. Rose, RANVR) and landed at Londonderry. (Courtesy of uboat.net)

Unknown