 Sacandaga inAntwerp in the 1920s or early 1930s | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Namesake |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Builder | American International Shipbuilding Co,Hog Island, Pennsylvania |
| Yard number | 494 |
| Laid down | 20 March 1918 |
| Launched | 29 October 1918 |
| Completed | 12 January 1919 |
| Refit | 1932 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | sunk by torpedo, 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Design 1022cargosteamship |
| Tonnage | 5,735 GRT, 3,445 NRT, 7,500 DWT |
| Length | 390.0 ft (118.9 m) |
| Beam | 54.2 ft (16.5 m) |
| Depth | 27.6 ft (8.4 m) |
| Decks | 2 |
| Installed power | 1 ×steam turbine +reduction gearing; 600NHP; 2,500ihp |
| Propulsion | 1 ×screw |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h) |
| Crew | 1942: 47, + 5DEMS gunners |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament | 1942: 1 × 4-inch or 4.7-inchnaval gun; 8 × machine guns |
SSEmpire Barracuda was aDesign 1022cargosteamship. She was built in 1919 for theUnited States Shipping Board (USSB) asSacandaga.American Diamond Lines was operating her by 1926; and in 1931 bought her and renamed herBlack Heron. In 1941 the United KingdomMinistry of Shipping bought her, and renamed herEmpire Barracuda. In 1942, a GermanU-boat sank her by torpedo, killing 13 of the people aboard her.
The American International Shipbuilding Co ofHog Island, Philadelphia built the ship for the USSB 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] Her registered length was 390.0 ft (118.9 m); herbeam was 54.2 ft (16.5 m); and her depth was 27.6 ft (8.4 m). Hertonnages were 5,735 GRT; 3,445 NRT;[4] and about 7,500 DWT.[5] She had a singlescrew, driven by aGeneral Electricsteam turbine viadouble reduction gearing. She had threewater-tube boilers,[4] and their furnaces were fuelled withheavy fuel oil.[6] Her turbine was rated at 600NHP[4] or 2,500ihp,[7] and gave her a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h).[8] The USSBregisteredSacandaga atPhiladelphia. Her USofficial number was 217429, and hercode letters were LPKQ.[4][7]
By 1926,Sacandaga was equipped withsubmarine signalling,[9] and she was one of seven USSB ships that American Diamond Lines was using on its transatlantic cargo service toAntwerp in Belgium. The company was also running eight USSB ships on its transatlantic route toRotterdam in the Netherlands. In March 1926, theUnited States Postmaster General awarded American Diamond Lines a contract to carry mail on both routes.[10]
In 1931, American Diamond Lines bought six USSB ships, includingSacandaga, for its transatlantic cargo service.[11] Her new owner registered her inNew York.[12][13] In 1932, theFederal Shipbuilding and Drydock Companyrefitted her inKearny, New Jersey,[11] and she was renamedBlack Heron.[14][15]
By 1934,Black Heron was equipped with anecho sounding device. Also by 1934, herwireless telegraphcall sign was KESC, and this had superseded her code letters.[16] By 1935, she was equipped with wirelessdirection finding.[17]
In 1937 or '38, the company renamed itself Black Diamond Lines.[18] By 1939, its ships operated fromWeehawken, New Jersey.Black Heron operated betweenBaltimore, Boston,Newport News, New York, andNorfolk in the United States; and Antwerp,Amsterdam, and Rotterdam in theLow Countries.[19]
In November 1939, the US government imposed a "Neutrality Zone" around parts of Europe, which stopped Black Diamond Line from using US-registered ships for its transatlantic cargo services. By 14 December that year, it hadchartered all but one of its fleet to other operators. TheStates Marine Corporation charteredBlack Heron to trade between the Far East and ports in theGulf of Mexico.[20]
In November 1940, Black Diamond applied to theUnited States Maritime Commission (USMC) for permission to sell eight of its ships to UK shipping interests. It was reported thatCunard-White Star Line sought to buyBlack Heron and one of hersister ships,Black Tern.[5][21] In fact, it may have been that the UKMinistry of Shipping sought to buy the ships, and place them under Cunard-White Star management. On 3 December, the USMC agreed to the sale of only four of the eight Black Diamond ships:Black Heron andBack Tern, which Cunard-White Star would manage; andBlack Condor andBlack Osprey, which Cairn Line ofNewcastle upon Tyne would manage.[22]
Black Heron loaded a mixed cargo in New York: mattresses, blankets, used clothing, children's sleeping garments,layettes,air raid shelter kits, medical supplies, and food for theAmerican Red Cross; similar items from theBritish War Relief Society; but alsomateriel including aircraft parts, and threeDouglasbombers as deck cargo.[23][24] The Douglas bombers may have beenA-20 Havocs; whichFrance had ordered; but which the UK bought afterFrance capitulated in June 1940, and renamed the "Boston".
On 10 January 1941,Black Heron was moored on the south side of Pier 8 at the foot of Pineapple Street, Brooklyn. She had completed loading, her cargo, apart from 300 tons of steel. A welder was welding steel shackles to her deck to secure one of the Douglas aircraft, which was on the hatch cover of her number 3hold. At about 17:30 hrs, his welding torch burnt a small hole in the deck, and he smelt burning in the hole below. He raised the alarm, but a cargo fire developed in the hold.Black Heron'sSecond Officer alerted a police officer on the pier, who called theNew York City Fire Department.[23][24]
Twofireboats fought the fire; aided by theUnited States Coast Guard CutterHudson. The hatch to number 3 hold could not be opened; because of the bomber secured to it; so firefighters broke a hole in the deck. AMerritt-Chapman & Scott vessel equipped with aderrick stood by, ready to lift the bombers off the ship if necessary.New York City Police Department emergency squads and detectives, and a squad ofFBI investigators, also attended the fire and its aftermath.New York MayorLa Guardia came to observe the operation. The fire was put out after an hour, and the bombers were undamaged, but caused damage estimated at $150,000 to the aid supplies. A hearing the next day confirmed that the cause of the fire was entirely accidental, and there were no suspicious circumstances.[23][24]
The ship's sailing was not delayed. She sailed toHalifax,Nova Scotia, where she joinedConvoy HX 105. The convoy's escorts included thearmed merchant cruiser HMSAscania, which was a converted Cunard liner. HX 105 left Halifax on 25 January 1941, and reachedLiverpool safely on 9 February.[25]
By March 1941,Black Heron had been renamedEmpire Barracuda.[26] She was registered inLondon; Her UK official number was 168073; and her call sign was GNPP.[27]
On 12 March 1941,Empire Barracuda left Liverpool. She sailed with Convoy OB 297, which dispersed at sea on 17 March.[28] She continued toCorpus Christi, Texas, where she loaded scrap iron. She returned via Halifax, where she joined Convoy HX 125B. This convoy had no escorts, but sustained no losses,[29] andEmpire Barracuda safely reachedLoch Ewe on 22 May. She continued around the north coast of Scotland to theFirth of Forth, where she called atGrangemouth andLeith, and then on 12 June anchored inMethil Roads.[26]
On 18 June 1941, the ship left Loch Ewe. She reached New York on 3 July, and loaded steel. She returned via Halifax, where she joined Convoy HX 140. This convoy's escorts also included HMSAscania. HX 140 sustained no losses to enemy action, andEmpire Barracuda reached Loch Ewe on 6 August.[30] She continued via Methil Roads toMiddlesbrough, where she arrived n 10 August.[26]
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On 22 August 1941, the ship left Loch Ewe. She joined Convoy ON 9, which had left Liverpool on 20 August, and dispersed at sea on 25 August.[31] She reached New York on 3 September 1941, where she loaded steel. She returned via Halifax, where she joined Convoy HX 151.[32] On this return voyage she carried three passengers. The USA was still neutral at that time, but fourUnited States Navydestroyers formed part of the convoy's escort for one week of the voyage.[33]Empire Barracuda reached theFirth of Clyde on 5 October. On 10 October she anchored atTail of the Bank, and then called atGreenock.[26]
From 10 October,Empire Barracuda was inGlasgow, loading stores destined forGibraltar.[26] By that time, herdefensive armament was one 4-inch or 4.7-inchnaval gun, and eight machine guns.[8] On 4 November she moved to Tail of the Bank, and then to an anchorage in the Firth of Clyde.[26] On 7 November she joined Convoy OS 11, which had started from Liverpool, and was bound forFreetown,Sierra Leone. In due course, she and another cargo ship,Empire Panther, detached from OS 11 and safely reached Gibraltar.[8]Empire Panther was the another former USSB cargo ship.[34]
In December 1941,Empire Barracuda andEmpire Panther left Gibraltar, escorted by thecorvetteHMS Coltsfoot.[26]Empire Barracuda's cargo was 5,800 tons of naval and military stores, including munitions, and she was bound forSuez inEgypt viaSouth Africa. HerMaster wasCaptain Frederick Ridley. Hercomplement was 52 men, including fiveDEMS gunners.[35]
On 15 December,U-77 attacked the small convoy. She reported hitting a cargo ship with one torpedo at 04:10 hrs; atanker at 04:30 hrs; and that both ships were sinking.Empire Barracuda sank at position35°30′N6°17′W / 35.500°N 6.283°W /35.500; -6.283, and ten members of her crew and three of her gunners were killed. HMSColtsfoot rescued 39 survivors, and landed them at Gibraltar.[35] Those killed aboardEmpire Barracuda are commemorated in the Second World War section ofTower Hill Memorial, London.[36]
