SS Empire Dell Empire Dell was a 7 , 065 GRT CAM ship that was built in 1941 by Lithgows Ltd , Port Glasgow , United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . She served until May 1942 , when she was torpedoed and sunk by whilst a member of Convoy ONS 92 . Description . The ship was built in 1941 by Lithgows Ltd , Port Glasgow . She was yard number 947 . The ship was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at 7 , 065 GRT , 5 , 168 NRT . The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by Rankin & Blackmore Ltd , Greenock . She was armed with a Hawker Sea Hurricane . Her crew numbered 41 , plus seven Royal Air Force personnel . History . " Empire Dell " was built for the MoWT . She was launched on 26 May 1941 . She was placed under the management of George Nisbet & Co Ltd , Glasgow . " Empire Dell " was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 167004 and Code Letters BCMD . Her port of registry was Greenock . " Empire Dell " departed from the Clyde on 11 July 1941 for the Belfast Lough , from where she sailed on 16 July to join Convoy OB 347 , which departed from Liverpool , Lancashire that day and dispersed at sea on 31 July . she then sailed to Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada , arriving on 2 August . Laden with grain , she departed from Halifax on 10 August as a member of Convoy HX 144 , which arrived at Liverpool on 30 August . " Empire Dell " was transferred to Convoy SC 40 , which had departed from Sydney , Cape Breton , Nova Scotia on 10 August and arrived at Liverpool on 29 August . " Empire Dell " was a member of Convoy ON 16 , which departed from Liverpool on 13 September and dispersed at sea on 27 September . She sailed to Halifax , arriving on 5 October . She departed from Halifax a week later and sailed to Sydney , arriving the next day . Laden with a cargo of wheat , " Empire Dell " was a member of Convoy SC 50 , which departed from Sydney on 17 October and arrived at Liverpool on 4 November . She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 3 November to join Convoy BB 97 , which departed on 6 November and arrived at Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire the next day . She sailed on to Avonmouth , Somerset , arriving on 8 November . She left four days later and sailed to Cardiff , Glamorgan , arriving on 13 November . " Empire Dell " departed from Cardiff on 22 November and sailed to Liverpool , arriving on 24 November . She was a member of Convoy ON 40 , which departed on 25 November and dispersed at sea on 4 December . She detached from the convoy and put into the Clyde , arriving on 27 November . She sailed from the Clyde the next day to join Convoy OG 77 , which departed from Milford Haven on 24 November and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 December . She departed from Gibraltar on 29 December for Huelva , Spain , arriving the next day . " Empire Dell " departed from Huelva on 7 January 1942 for Gibraltar , arriving the same day . Laden with a cargo of iron ore , she departed from Gibraltar on 11 January as a member of Convoy SL 97G , which arrived at Liverpool on 24 January . She sailed to the Clyde , arriving on 23 January . " Empire Dell " departed from the Clyde on 24 February to join Convoy OG 80 , which departed from Milford Haven on 22 February and arrived at Gibraltar on 8 March . She left Gibraltar on 26 March , returning on 30 March . Carrying a cargo of iron ore , she departed from Gibraltar on 5 April as a member of Convoy HG 81 , which arrived at Liverpool on 15 April . " Empire Dell " was a member of Convoy ON 92 , which departed from Liverpool on 6 May and arrived at Halifax on 21 May . At around 02 : 00 ( German time ) on 12 May , " Empire Dell " was hit by a torpedo fired by , which was under the command of Kapitänleutnant Johann Mohr . " U - 124 " was operating as part of Wolf pack Hecht . She sank at . Two of her crew of 48 , which included seven RAF personnel , were killed . Twenty - one survivors were rescued by the convoy rescue ship and 25 were rescued by . They were landed at St . John ' s , Newfoundland on 17 and 16 May respectively . Those lost on " Empire Dell " are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial , London .