Empire Heritage (Ss) Wreck

Field Value
Empire heritage (ss) Wreck Location
Marine Coordinates (DMM) 		55 32.558 N,7 43.037 W
Latitude, Longitude
Decimal Degrees
  • Latitude: 55.542630
  • Longitude: -7.717280
Name EMPIRE HERITAGE (SS)
Type steam ship
Date Sunk Sep 8, 1944
Original Source Brady et. al. 2012, 146-9;Bishop 2002, 50-56; Hocking 1969, 217; Larn & Larn 2002; UKHO Wreck Data; Wynn 1997, Vol. I, 317; www.uboat.net
WRECK MAP LOADING ... 55 32.558 N,7 43.037 W
Empire Heritage (Ss) on Wreck Map Empire Heritage (Ss) Wreck on Google Map
Wreck No: W09623, Place of Loss: Malin Head, 28km NW of, Source of Coordinate: GSI Wreck Data, Description: The Empire Heritage was built by Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne for the Kerguelen Sealing & Whaling Co. of Capetown, South Africa. It originally operated as a whaler called the Tafelberg and weighed 13,640 tons. After hitting a mine and running ashore in the Bristol Channel in 1941, it was declared a total loss and rebuilt as a tanker for the Ministry of War Transport. The newly renamed Empire Heritage weighed 15,702 tons and was capable of 11 knots. It was re-launched in February 1943 and operated by Christian Salvesen & Co., Edinburgh. The vessel was part of a convoy (HXF-305) of nearly 100 ships, en route from New York to Liverpool and the Clyde, when it was torpedoed and sunk 28km northwest of Malin Head. The tanker was under the command of Captain James Campbell Jamieson and had on board a cargo of military tanks, vehicles, 16,000 tons of fuel, 88 crew and 73 passengers. The submarine that destroyed it, U-482, had been patrolling the northwest approaches since 16 August and had already sunk the tanker Jacksonville, HMS Hurst Castle and SS Fjordheim by the time it encountered the Empire Heritage and convoy HXF-305. In the early hours of 8 September, U-482, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hartmut Graf von Matuschka, fired a number of torpedoes at the convoy, successfully hitting the Empire Heritage on its starboard side abaft the bridge. Within ten minutes the tanker had capsized and sunk, with the loss of 113 crew and passengers. The Pinto, a convoy rescue ship, was sunk shortly afterwards by the same submarine as it attempted to rescue survivors from the Empire Heritage. The survivors of both ships were picked up by HMS Northern Wave and landed at Derry. On the seafloor In her prime the Empire Heritage was an eye-catching ship, but not necessarily the most graceful. Despite this, her wreck is an extraordinary sight. It is orientated NW–SE on the seafloor and covers an area 155m long by 37m wide and has a maximum height of 6.9m. The entire ship has collapsed down and across to starboard, leaving the bulk of the deck and its cargo sitting on the seafloor. Towering over this scene are the 1.5m-girth, 20m-high midships derricks, though these are looking increasingly unstable as the years progress. Scattered around to starboard are the remains of the vessel’s cargo that makes this dive unique: the deck cargo of Sherman tanks and 20-ton trucks, seemingly in any position except upright, bar one solitary tank. There is nothing remotely like this extraordinary sight anywhere else in Europe. Aft past the six gigantic Scotch boilers the stern is almost inverted, with a huge propeller dominating the scene and a 4-inch gun lying off to one side.

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FAQ

Where is the EMPIRE HERITAGE (SS) wreck located?

The EMPIRE HERITAGE (SS) wreck is located at coordinates 55 32.558 N,7 43.037 W.

When did the EMPIRE HERITAGE (SS) sink?

The EMPIRE HERITAGE (SS) sank on Sep 8, 1944.

What type of wreck is the EMPIRE HERITAGE (SS)?

The EMPIRE HERITAGE (SS) is classified as a steam ship.

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