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SS Empire Adventure was a 5,787-ton steamship built in 1920 as the Eastney. She was sold to France in 1924 and renamed Germaine L D. In 1931 she was sold to Italy, being renamed Andrea, being seized in 1940 and renamed Empire Adventure. She was torpedoed on the night of 20/21 September 1940 and sank while under tow on 23 September 1940.

History

Eastney was built by the Northumberland Shipping Co, Howdon, Wallsend, as yard number 356. She was owned and operated by the Romney Steamship Co, London. In 1924, Eastney was sold to L Dreyfus & Co, France, and renamed Germaine L D. On 25 March 1929, she was in collision with Alice Marie in the North Sea off Vlissingen, Netherlands. She was beached at Rammekens for temporary repairs to be carried out. Germaine L D was refloated the next day. On 3 March 1931, she collided with Southborough at Rotterdam, Netherlands. Southborough sustained some damage but Germaine L D was undamaged. On 23 March 1932, she ran aground at Buenos Aires, Argentina, but was freed the next day with assistance from a tug. No damage was sustained. In 1932, Germaine L D was sold to Società Anonima di Navigazione Corrado, Genoa, and renamed Andrea. In June 1940, Andrea was seized at Newcastle upon Tyne and renamed Empire Adventure.

Convoy OB 216

Convoy OB 216 departed from Liverpool on 19 September 1940. During the night of 20/21 September 1940, Empire Adventure was torpedoed by U-138 52 miles (84 km) northwest of Rathlin Island 55°11′N 11°30′W / 55.183°N 11.500°W / 55.183; -11.500. Although taken in tow by HMS Superman, Empire Adventure sank on 23 September 1940 at 55°48′N 07°22′W / 55.800°N 7.367°W / 55.800; -7.367. A total of 21 of the 39 crew were killed. The survivors were picked up by HMS Arabis and the Swedish merchantman Industria and landed at Belfast. Those lost on Empire Adventure are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

Official number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Eastney and Empire Adventure had the UK Official Number 146165 Andrea had the Italian Official Number 1829.

Andrea used the Code Letters NDAT and IBXA. Empire Adventure used the Code Letters GLXW.

References

1. "SS Eastney (1921)". www.tynebuiltships.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
2. ^ "EMPIRE - A". Mariners-L. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
3. "1145165". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
4. "Casualty reports". The Times. No. 45161. London. 26 March 1929. col G, p. 21.
5. "Casualty reports". The Times. No. 45163. London. 28 March 1929. col D, p. 26.
6. "Mails and Shipping, Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 43762. London. 4 March 1931. col F, p. 23.
7. "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 46091. London. 26 March 1932. col E, p. 19.
8. ^ "Naval Events, September 1940, Part 2 of 2, Sunday 15th – Monday 30th". naval history.net. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
9. Ubootwaffe gives 21:26 on 20 September 1940 (German time), Uboatnet gives 02:27 on 21 September 1940
10. ^ "Empire Adventure". uboat.net. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
11. "EMPIRE ADVENTURE". ubootwaffe.net. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
12. "Ship Index A-F". Brian Watson. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
13. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
14. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
15. "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 10 January 2009.

External links

• Photo of Germaine L D Archived 14 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine

55°48′N 7°22′W / 55.800°N 7.367°W / 55.800; -7.367

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1929
Shipwrecks	16 Jan: Hsin Wah 12 Feb: Alloway 19 Feb: Kanowna 22 Mar: I'm Alone 25 Mar: Muggia 29 Mar: Selje 26 May: Aleutian 9 Jul: HMS H47 17 Jul: USS General Alava 1 Aug: Asakaze 30 Aug: San Juan 7 Sep: Kuru 9 Sep: Andaste 11 Sep: Acielle 2 Oct: Commandant Bultinck 22 Oct: Milwaukee 29 Oct: Wisconsin 31 Oct: Senator 4 Nov: Gilbert San 29 Nov: Norwich City 7 Dec: Ägir 18 Dec: Fort Victoria Unknown date: San Antonio
Other incidents	5 Jan: Siboney 20 Jan: President Garfield 29 Jan: City of Cairo 28 Feb: Liberty Glo 7 Mar: Thétis 10 Mar: Pengreep 22 Mar: USCGC Dexter 25 Mar: Germaine L D 26 Mar: Europa 28 Mar: Libia 30 Mar: Naïade 6 Apr USS Childs 7 Apr Paris 18 Apr Paris 27 Apr: Duchess of Richmond April (unknown date) Franconia 15 May: Irwell May (unknown date): Duke of Lancaster, Duke of Rothesay 9 Jul: HMS L12 11 Jul: I-55, Kinugasa 3 Aug: Medway Queen 9 Aug: Viceroy of India 20 Aug Paris September (unknown date): Binnendijk, Eider 5 Oct: NRP Adamastor 12 Oct: USFS Widgeon 13 Oct: Empress of Canada 19 Oct: Bowes Castle 20 Oct: USAT Liberty 6 Nov: Barbana G 13 Nov: Ro-63 22 Nov: Parizhskaya Kommuna 18 Dec: Algonquin 24 Dec: Roosevelt
1928 1930

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1940
Shipwrecks	1 Sep: HMS Ivanhoe 2 Sep: UJ-121 Jochen 3 Sep: U-57 5 Sep: V 201 Gebrüder Kähler, V 403 Deutschland 7 Sep: HMS Inanda, HMS Inkosi 8 Sep: Antonios Chandris 13 Sep: Flandre 15 Sep: HMS Dundee 17 Sep: Borea, Aquilone, Crown Arun, HMS Sussex, Tregenna, V 304 Breslau 18 Sep: City of Benares 20 Sep: Commissaire Ramel, Java, New Sevilla 21 Sep: Canonesa 23 Sep: Empire Adventure, Empire Airman, L'Audacieux, Persée 24 Sep: Ajax, HMS Wellesley
Other incidents	4 Sep: Sakito Maru 7 Sep: Méduse 21 Sep: Empire Adventure 25 Sep: HMS Resolution 27 Sep: Augusto Riboty, Nicolò Zeno
1939 1940 1941 August 1940 October 1940

• 1920 ships
• Ships built on the River Tyne
• Steamships of the United Kingdom
• Empire ships
• Ministry of War Transport ships
• Steamships of France
• Merchant ships of France
• Maritime incidents in 1929
• Steamships of Italy
• World War II merchant ships of Italy
• Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II
• World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
• Maritime incidents in September 1940
• Shipwrecks of Northern Ireland