SS Empire Bunting SS " Empire Bunting " was a 6 , 318 ton cargo ship which was built in 1919 . She saw service in the interwar period under the American flag , but was transferred to the British Ministry of War Transport during the Second World War . She made a number of cross - Atlantic voyages , often sailing in convoys . She ended her career by being sunk as a blockship on the Normandy coast , supporting the allied landings there in 1944 . Description . " Empire Bunting " was built as " Eelbeck " by the shipbuilding firm of Skinner & Eddy Corporation , Seattle , Washington , and launched on 28 June 1919 and completed in August 1919 for service with United States Shipping Board ( USSB ) . She was long , with a beam of and a depth of . She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of , and bore by stroke . The engine was built by Hooven , Owens & Rentschler , Hamilton , Ohio . The ship had a speed of . Career . " Eelbeck " ' s port of registry was Seattle . She sailed for the USSB until the board ' s abolition , and by 1937 was sailing for its successor organisation , the United States Maritime Commission . " Eelbeck " continued to sail under the American flag after the outbreak of the Second World War , during the period of American neutrality . In 1941 , with the American entry to the war , " Eelbeck " was transferred to the ownership of the Ministry of War Transport , which assigned her to be operated by the firm of Headlam & Sons , under the name of " Empire Bunting " . Her port of registry was changed to London . " Empire Bunting " went on to sail in a considerable number of convoys across the North Atlantic , often carrying scrap steel or general cargo to Britain from Canada or the United States . Convoy SC 38 depatred Sydney , Nova Scotia on 22 July 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 8 August . " Empire Bunting " was carrying a cargo of scrap steel . She was forced to return to St John ' s aftee she collided with the Greek merchant ship " Dimitrios Chandris " . Convoy SC 121 departed New York on 23 February 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 14 March . " Empire Bunting " was one of three ships which joined the convoy from St . John ' s , Newfoundland . She was carrying a general cargo bound for the Clyde . On 11 March , her steering failed and she arrived at Liverpool under tow . Convoy HX 254 departed New York on 27 August 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 12 September . " Empire Bunting " was carrying a general cargo bound for Glasgow . She put into St John ' s with an engine defect which was causing her to produce heavy smoke and run at reduced speed . In early 1944 she was reassigned to be operated by J & J . Denholm Ltd , but in February she was purchased by the Admiralty . She made her last wartime voyage as part of one of the Corn cob convoys , sailing from Poole to the Seine Bay in early June 1944 . She was scuttled at Juno Beach on 9 June 1944 , forming one of the corn cobs designed to shelter the landing beaches for the invasion forces . " Empire Bunting " was salvaged in 1947 , towed to Strangford Lough and broken up there . Official Numbers and Code Letters . Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers . " Eelbeck " had the United States Official Number 218667 . " Empire Bunting " had the UK Official Number 168163 . " Eelbeck " used the Code Letters LSGC until 1934 , when they were changed to KINQ . " Empire Bunting " used the Code Letters GMKM .