SS Empire Amethyst Empire Amethyst was a 8 , 032 ton tanker which was built in 1941 . She was torpedoed and sunk by on 13 April 1942 . History . " Empire Amethyst " was built by the Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd , Haverton Hill - on - Tees as yard number 330 . She was launched on 8 July 1941 and completed in December 1941 . " Empire Amethyst " was built for the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the management of the Hadley Shipping Co Ltd , Middlesbrough . " Empire Amethyst " was homeported in Middlesbrough . " Empire Amethyst " was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War . Convoy ON 17 sailed from Liverpool on 17 September 1941 and Loch Ewe on 19 September . The convoy dispersed on 29 September . On 23 January 1942 , " Empire Amethyst " picked up five survivors from the Norwegian SS " Innerøy " , which had been torpedoed and sunk by " U - 553 " . The survivors were taken to Halifax , Nova Scotia . Convoy HX 173 sailed from Halifax for Liverpool on 1 February 1942 , arriving on 14 February . Convoy OS 21 sailed from Liverpool on 4 March 1942 and arrived at Freetown , Sierra Leone on 24 March . " Empire Amethyst " was in ballast , having discharged her cargo at Milford Haven . She had to call at Belfast to allow a crew member to be discharged through illness and a replacement to be taken on board . On reaching Freetown , " Empire Amethyst " sailed for New Orleans . Final voyage and sinking . In mid - April 1942 , " Empire Amethyst " left New Orleans bound for Freetown carrying a cargo of 12 , 000 tons of motor spirit . Her intended route took her via the Lesser Antilles and then across the $ 3 to Freetown . " Empire Amethyst " was spotted by the crew of " U - 154 " on 12 April 1942 . The U - boat captain , Walther Kölle , believed that she was being escorted by and did not attack . At 03 : 02 hrs " Empire Amethyst " received a distress call from the American SS " Delvalla " which had been torpedoed by " U - 154 " and was sinking . " Prince Henry " headed for the reported position of the " Delvalla " and a Catalina aircraft was despatched . The survivors were taken aboard " Prince Henry " . " U - 154 " spotted " Empire Amethyst " again at 11 : 42 hrs ; she was again under escort by " Prince Henry " but at 16 : 00 hrs the escort had been lost . As he was short of torpedoes , Kapitän Kölle decided to attack from the surface . The chase began at 20 : 00 hrs with " Empire Amethyst " zig - zagging but generally following a heading of 110° towards Trinidad . " Empire Amethyst " managed to lose her pursuer at 00 : 24 on 13 April by making a sharp turn . At 01 : 27 hrs , Kölle ordered his engines stopped to try to ascertain where " Empire Amethyst " was . Kölle decided to head in the direction that " Empire Amethyst " was generally heading and by 04 : 30 had found her again . At 05 : 52 , Kölle aimed the first of two torpedoes at " Empire Amethyst " , which hit under the bridge . The second exploded forward of the engine room and she exploded in a mass of flames that were visible from away . " Empire Amethyst " sank with the loss of all 47 crew at . The crew of " Empire Amethyst " are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial . Official number and code letters . Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers . " Empire Amethyst " had the UK official number 164848 and used the Code Letters BCPL .