SS Empire Eve Empire Eve was a CAM ship that was built in 1941 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd , Sunderland , Co Durham , United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . She served until 1943 , when she was torpedo ed and sunk by off Algeria . Description . The ship was built in 1941 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd , Sunderland , Co Durham . The ship was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of . She was assessed at 5 , 970 GRT , 3 , 88 NRT . The ship was propelled by a 292 nhp triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by George Clark ( 1938 ) Ltd , Sunderland . History . " Empire Eve " was launched on 26 April 1941 and completed in June . She was placed under the management of J A Billmeir & Co Ltd . Her port of registry was Sunderland . The United Kingdom Official Number 168912 and Code Letters BCLM were allocated . Management would later be transferred to Headlam & Sons Ltd , Whitby , Yorkshire . " Empire Eve " was towed from Sunderland to the Tyne on 12 July 1941 . She departed on 14 July to join Convoy EC 45 , which had departed from Southend , Essex on 13 July and arrived at the Clyde on 18 July . She put in to Methil , Fife on 16 July , departing the next day to join Convoy EC 46 , which had departed from Southend on 15 July and arrived at the Clyde on 20 July . " Empire Eve " sailed on 27 July to join Convoy ON 1 , which had departed from Liverpool , Lancashire the previous day and dispersed at on 9 August . She was bound for Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada , where she arrived on 12 August . Laden with a cargo of grain , she departed with Convoy HX 146 on 21 August . Her Hawker Sea Hurricane was carrying the Squadron Code NJ - V . The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 September . She left the convoy at the Clyde , arriving on 7 September . " Empire Eve " sailed on 19 September to join Convoy ON 18 , which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at on 2 October . She was bound for Halifax , where she arrived on 5 October . She departed the next day for Saint John , New Brunswick , arriving on 7 October and sailing four days later for Halifax , where she arrived on 12 October . " Empire Eve " was a member of Convoy HX 155 , which departed on 16 October and arrived at Liverpool on 31 October . She was carrying a cargo of grain , and left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 30 October . " Empire Eve " then sailed to Liverpool , from where she departed on 15 November as a member of Convoy ON 37 , which dispersed at on 30 November . Her destination was Halifax , where she arrived on 5 December . Laden with a cargo of grain , she returned with Convoy HX 165 , which departed on 15 December and arrived at Liverpool on 30 December . She left the convoy at the Clyde , arriving on 28 December . " Empire Eve " then sailed to Liverpool , She was a member of Convoy ON 56 , which departed on 12 January 1942 and dispersed at on 16 January . She was bound for Halifax , arriving on 28 January . She departed the next day for Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , arriving on 1 February . " Empire Eve " sailed on 7 February for Halifax , where she arrived on 11 February . She was a member of Convoy HX 175 , which departed on 13 February and arrived at Liverpool on 25 February . She was carrying a cargo of grain but was not carrying an aircraft . " Empire Eve " departed on 17 March as a member of Convoy OG 81 , which arrived at Gibraltar on 29 March . She left the convoy and put into the Clyde , arriving on 18 March . She sailed on 8 April to join Convoy OG 82 , which had departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at Gibraltar on 20 April . She departed on 12 May to make a round trip to Melilla , Spain , returning on 15 May . " Empire Eve " was a member of Convoy HG 83 , which departed on 22 May and arrived at Liverpool on 3 June . She was carrying a cargo of iron ore bound for Glasgow , Renfrewshire . She arrived at the Clyde on 2 June . She then spent 6 weeks being fitted out for an Arctic convoy to Russia . However , due to the heavy losses suffered by another convoy under enemy action , this convoy was cancelled after loading had commenced . The " Empire Eve " never went to Russia . " Empire Eve " sailed on 25 July to join Convoy ON 116 , which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed off Boston , Massachusetts on 12 August . Sailing in ballast , without her Hurricane or operational radar , her destination was Sydney , Cape Breton , Nova Scotia , which was reached by leaving the convoy and sailing to Halifax , where she arrived on 10 August , and then joining Convoy HS 40 , which departed on 11 August and arrived at Sydney on 13 August . She sailed the next day with Convoy SQ 28 , which arrived at Father Point , Quebec on 17 August . " Empire Eve " returned to Sydney with Convoy QS 30 , which departed on 26 August and arrived on 30 August . She sailed on 30 August to join Convoy SC 98 , which had departed from Halifax the previous day and arrived at Liverpool on 13 September . She was carrying a cargo of grain and lorries bound for Manchester , Lancashire . and had a deck cargo of 4 Sherman tanks and 8 crated Mustang fighters . " Empire Eve " was a member of Convoy ON 134 , which departed from Liverpool on 26 September and arrived at New York , United States on 17 October . Her captain was the convoy ' s Vice Commodore . She was bound for Halifax , where she arrived on 14 October . A round trip was made to Saint John via convoys HF 8 and FH 11 , arriving back at Halifax on 30 October . " Empire Eve " sailed on 4 November to join Convoy SC 108 , which had departed from New York on 1 November and arrived at Liverpool on 19 November . Her cargo consisted flour and grain . She left the convoy at the Clyde on 18 November . " Empire Eve " sailed to Liverpool and joined Convoy ON 150 , which departed on 1 December and arrived at New York on 25 December . She was bound for Halifax , arriving on 22 December . She departed on 25 December to make a round trip to Saint John , returning to Halifax ( loaded with wheat ) on 7 January 1943 . " Empire Eve " sailed on 15 January to join Convoy SC 117 , which had departed from New York on 12 January and arrived at Liverpool on 3 February . She was carrying general cargo and grain . She arrived at the Clyde on 2 February . " Empire Eve " sailed on 22 February to join Convoy ON . 169 , which departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at New York on 21 March . She was bound for Halifax , where she arrived on 17 March . Laden with a cargo of grain , she departed on 31 March as a member of Convoy SC 125 , which arrived at Liverpool on 15 April . She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 14 April , joining Convoy BB 279 , which sailed that day and arrived at Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire the next day . She sailed on 20 April for Cardiff , Glamorgan , arriving later that day , where she was loaded with coal and returned to fully operational status with a Hurricane fighter and full radar crew . " Empire Eve " sailed on 3 May for Milford Haven , arriving the next day . She sailed immediately to join Convoy OS47KM , which departed from Liverpool on 5 May and split at sea on 16 May to form convoys OS 47 and KMS 14 . Convoy OS 47 arrived at Freetown , Sierra Leone on 25 May . KMS 14 arrived at Gibraltar on 17 May . " Empire Eve " was armed with a 4 - inch or 4 . 7 - inch gun , a 12 - pounder gun , four Bofors gun s and a number of kite s . She was carrying a cargo of of coal and of lubricating oil . She then joined Convoy KMS 14 , which departed on 17 May and arrived at Bône , Algeria on 21 May . On 18 May , " Empire Eve " was torpedo ed and sunk by north east of Mostaganem , Algeria ( ) ( 7 days later , U414 was herself sunk with the loss of all 41 crew ) . Empire Eve was manned by 61 Merchant Navy crew , and 26 Service personnel coming from all 3 Services . Five crew were killed , all Merchant Navy . The survivors were rescued by and a LCT . They were landed at Algiers . Those killed serving on " Empire Eve " are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial , London .