SS Almeria Lykes ( 1940 ) Almeria Lykes was a 7 , 773 GRT Type C3 cargo ship that was built in 1940 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Kearny , New Jersey for the Lykes Brother Steamship Co . She was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) and renamed Empire Condor . In 1942 , she was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission ( USMC ) and renamed " Almeria Lykes " . She was torpedo ed and sunk by Axis motor torpedo boat s on 13 August 1942 . Description . The ship was built in 1940 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Kearney , New Jersey . The ship was long , with a beam of a depth of . She had a GRT of 7 , 773 and a NRT of 4 , 585 . She was propelled by two steam turbines , double reduction geared , driving a single screw propellor . The turbines were built by DeLaval Steam Turbine Company , Trenton , New Jersey . History . " Almeria Lykes " was a Type C3 ship built for the USMC . She was placed under the management of the Lykes Brothers Steamship Co . Her port of registry was Galveston , Texas . The Code Letters WFJX were allocated . She was also allocated the United States Official Number 239664 . In 1941 , " Almeria Lykes " was transferred to the MoWT and renamed " Empire Condor " . She was placed under the management of Donaldson , Brothers & Black Ltd . Her port of registry was changed to London . The Code Letters BCJN and United Kingdom Official Number 168167 were allocated . On 3 June 1941 , " Empire Condor " departed the United Kingdom as part of Convoy WS 9A , which assembled off Oversay , the ship departing from Avonmouth or Liverpool . The convoy arrived at Freetown , Sierra Leone on 18 June . It departed Freetown on 20 June and arrived at Durban , South Africa on 4 July . The convoy departed Durban on 8 July and dispersed of Aden on 21 July , its ships then proceeding independently to Suez , Egypt . In 1942 , " Empire Condor " was transferred back to the USMC . She was renamed " Almeria Lykes " and placed under the management of the Lykes Steamship Co . Her port of registry was changed to Galveston . The Code Letters WFJY were allocated and she regained her United States Official Number 239664 . On 31 May 1942 , " Almeria Lykes " departed Halifax , Nova Scotia as part of Convoy HX 192 . the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 June . " Almeria Lykes " was carrying general cargo . On 2 August 1942 , " Almeria Lykes " departed from the Clyde as part of Convoy WS 21S . Passing Gibraltar on 10 August , the convoy became Operation Pedestal , consisting 14 merchant ships escorted by a total of 23 warships at various times from 2 August . On 12 August , gunners on board " Almeria Lykes " shot down two enemy aircraft . Also on that day , an unexploded torpedo mine was caught on the bridge of " Almeria Lykes " . It was safely deposited into the sea . On 13 August , " Almeria Lykes " was torpedoed at 3 : 14 AM by German E boat S36 and later , at 3 : 40 AM , by Italian MAS 554 off Kelibia , Tunisia . She had been under attack for 60 hours . " Almeria Lykes " was badly damaged , and was scuttled to prevent her capture . During this period , gunners on board " Almeria Lykes " sank an E boat . All 105 crew , which included Naval Armed Guard members were rescued by and landed at Gibraltar . The ship was depicted on a Maltese postage stamp that was issued on 10 August 2012 commemorating the 70th anniversary of Operation Pedestal .