|
History
|
Name
|
- Sacandaga
(1918?32)
- Black Heron
(1932?41)
- Empire Barracuda
(1941?42)
|
Owner
|
- United States Shipping Board (1918?19)
- Carolina Co (1919?25)
- United States Shipping Board (1925?31)
- American Diamond Lines
(1931?41)
- Ministry of War Transport (1941?42)
|
Operator
|
- American Palmetto Line (1919?25)
- United States Shipping Board (1925?32)
- American Diamond Lines (1932?41)
- Cunard White Star Line Ltd, Liverpool (1941?42)
|
Port of registry
|
- USA (1918?41)
- London (1941?42)
|
Builder
| American International Shipbuilding Co, Hog Island, Philadelphia
|
Yard number
| 494
|
Laid down
| 20 March 1918
|
Launched
| 29 October 1918
|
Completed
| 12 January 1919
|
Identification
|
- US Official Number 217429 (1919?1941)
- UK
Official Number
168073 (1941?42)
- Code Letters GNPP (1941?42)
|
Fate
| Sunk 15 December 1942
|
General characteristics
|
Class and type
| draught
|
Tonnage
| |
Length
| 391 ft 9 in (119.41 m)
|
Beam
| 54 ft 2 in (16.51 m)
|
Depth
| 28 ft (8.53 m)
|
Propulsion
| 1 x steam turbine (General Electric Corp, Schenectady), double reduction geared. 600 hp (450 kW)
|
Speed
| 12 knots (22 km/h)
|
Crew
| 47, plus 5 DEMS gunners (
Empire Barracuda
)
|
Armament
| 1 x 4.7" gun, 8 machine guns (
Empire Barracuda
)
|
Location of the sinking of
Empire Barracuda
off
Morocco
.
Empire Barracuda
was a 4,972 GRT
cargo ship
which was built in 1918 for the
United States Shipping Board
(USSB) as
Sacandaga
. She was sold to
American Diamond Lines
in 1932 and renamed
Black Heron
. In 1941 she passed to the
Ministry of War Transport
(MoWT) and was renamed
Empire Barracuda
. She was
torpedoed
on 15 December 1941 and sunk by
U-77
.
History
[
edit
]
Sacandaga
was built by American International Shipbuilding Co,
Hog Island
,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
as yard number 494.
[1]
She was laid down on 20 March 1918, launched on 20 October 1918
[2]
and completed on 12 January 1919.
[3]
She was built for the USSB, but was sold in 1919 to the Carolina Co, and placed under the management of American Palmetto Line. In 1925 she was returned to the ownership of the USSB.
[1]
In 1931, she was sold to American Diamond Lines Inc and in 1932
Sacandaga
was renamed
Black Heron
.
[4]
In 1939,
Black Heron
was serving
Baltimore
, Boston,
Newport News
, New York, and
Norfolk
in the United States and
Antwerp
, in
Belgium
with
Amsterdam
and
Rotterdam
in the
Netherlands
.
[5]
War service
[
edit
]
On 10 January 1941, a fire broke out aboard
Black Heron
whilst she was moored at Brooklyn Pier, New York. Although some mattresses and medical supplies were destroyed, three
bombers
being carried were undamaged.
[6]
In 1941,
Black Heron
was transferred to the MoWT and renamed
Empire Barracuda
.
[1]
Her port of registry was London and she was placed under the management of
Cunard White Star Line Ltd
.
[7]
Empire Barracuda
was a member of a number of convoys in the
Second World War
.
- OB 297
Convoy OB 297 sailed from
Liverpool
on 12 March 1941 and dispersed at sea on 17 March.
Empire Barracuda
was in ballast and bound for
Corpus Christi, Texas
.
[8]
- ON 9
Convoy ON 9 which sailed from Liverpool on 20 August 1941 and dispersed at sea on 25 August.
Empire Barracuda
was bound for New York.
[9]
- HX 151
Convoy HX 151 sailed from
Halifax
, Nova Scotia on 22 September 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 7 October.
[10]
- OS 11
Convoy OS 11 sailed from Liverpool on 7 November 1941 and arrived at
Freetown
, Sierra Leone on 21 November.
Empire Barracuda
was carrying a cargo of stores, outbound from the
Clyde
and her final destination was
Gibraltar
.
[11]
Sinking
[
edit
]
On 15 December 1941,
Empire Barracuda
was torpedoed by
U-77
under the command of
Heinrich Schonder
and sunk at
35°30′N
06°17′W
/
35.500°N 6.283°W
/
35.500; -6.283
while on a voyage from Gibraltar to
Cape Town
and
Suez
. Nine crew members and four
DEMS
gunners were killed. Thirty eight crew members and one DEMS gunner were rescued by
HMS
Coltsfoot
and landed at Gibraltar.
[4]
Those lost on
Empire Barracuda
are commemorated at the
Tower Hill Memorial
, London.
[12]
Propulsion
[
edit
]
She was powered by a double reduction geared steam turbine of 600 horsepower (450 kW) which was built by
General Electric Corp
,
Schenectady, New York
.
[7]
She could make 12 knots (22 km/h).
[11]
Official number and code letters
[
edit
]
Official Numbers were a forerunner to
IMO Numbers
.
Sacandaga
and
Black Heron
had the US Official Number 217429.
[2]
Empire Barracuda
had the UK
Official Number
168073 and used the
Code Letters
GNPP.
[7]
References
[
edit
]
35°30′N
6°17′W
/
35.500°N 6.283°W
/
35.500; -6.283
|
---|
Built
| |
---|
Canceled
|
- Beaverdam
- Hackney
- Hexlena
- Skipjack
- Skitticook
- Skokomish
- Skowhwgan
- Skunkscut
- Snapeene
- Socatean
- Solano
- Somonauk
- Souhegan
- Souneunk
- Squam
- Suamico
- Succasunna
- Suison
- Suspecought
- Taghkanick
- Talladega
- Tamaroa
- Tankhanna
- Taopi
- Tackio
- Tatamy
- Tatibka
- Tanawa
- Taycheedah
- Tehama
- Tekonsha
- Tenino
- Teton
- Tintah
- Tippah
- Tishomingo
- Tiskilwa
- Tosesefka
- Tomah
- Tomaski
- Tombikon
- Tomoka
- Tongamoxie
- Tonica
- Totowa
- Totoganic
- Totket
- Toolbah
- Towaliga
- Tucson
- Tolabo
- Tullahoma
- Ujuah
- Unalaska
- Wabeno
- Waconia
- Wahoo
- Wahpeton
|
---|
- Names shown are those at launch; many ships were completed under different names.
|
|
---|
Current fleet
| |
---|
Former ships
1840–1994
| |
---|
For MoWT
| |
---|
Years indicate year of entry into Cunard service.
|
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1941
|
---|
Shipwrecks
|
- 2 Dec:
Virsaitis
- 6 Dec:
HMS
Perseus
- 7 Dec:
USS
Arizona
,
USS
California
,
USS
Cassin
,
Cynthia Olson
,
USS
Downes
,
Ha-19
,
M-16
,
M-18
,
M-20
,
M-22
,
USS
Nevada
,
USS
Oglala
,
USS
Oklahoma
,
Sauternes
,
USS
Shaw
,
U-208
,
USS
Utah
,
USS
West Virginia
,
HMCS
Windflower
- 8 Dec:
SS
Capillo
,
Nisqually
,
USS
Penguin
,
HMS
Peterel
,
Ravnaas
- 10 Dec:
HMS
Banka
,
USS
Bittern
,
I-70
,
HMS
Prince of Wales
,
HMS
Repulse
,
Takao Maru
,
No. 10
, USS
YP-16
- 11 Dec:
Hayate
,
Kisaragi
,
HMS
Lady Shirley
- 12 Dec:
Awazisan Maru
,
HMS
Moth
,
HMS
Tamar
- 13 Dec:
Alberico da Barbiano
,
Alberto di Giussano
- 14 Dec:
HMS
Galatea
- 15 Dec:
Empire Barracuda
,
HNLMS
O 16
,
U-127
- 16 Dec:
U-557
- 17 Dec:
Corregidor
,
Ro-66
,
Shinonome
,
U-131
- 18 Dec:
U-434
- 19 Dec:
HMS
Neptune
,
HNLMS
O 20
,
HMS
Stanley
,
U-574
- 20 Dec:
Emidio
,
HMS
Kandahar
- 21 Dec:
HMS
Audacity
,
HMS
Cicala
,
HNLMS
K XVII
,
U-451
,
U-567
- 23 Dec:
Hayataka Maru
,
Montebello
,
Patrol Boat No. 32
,
Patrol Boat No. 33
,
Shuntien
,
U-79
- 24 Dec:
Absaroka
,
HNLMS
K XVI
,
USS
Rochester
,
Sagiri
,
HMS
Salvia
- 25 Dec:
Empire Dragon
,
USS
Sealion
,
HMS
Thracian
- 26 Dec:
Unyo Maru No. 2
- 27 Dec:
Arayat
,
Canlaon
- 28 Dec:
Banahao
,
DCH-1
,
U-75
,
Volo
,
SS
Connecticut
- 29 Dec:
BRP Banahaw
,
Ro-60
- Unknown date:
HMS
H31
,
USS
Nereus
,
HMS
Triumph
,
Vizcaya
|
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Other incidents
| |
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|