EMPIRE UNITY - A voyage in a tanker during WW2.

[Stan Mayes (remembered)]

Antwerp - City and Port.
Captured by Canadian and British Forces 0n 4th September 1944.
100,000 German soldiers defended Walcheren at mouth of Scheldt,
delaying the advancement of our Army so the RAF bombed the dykes
and flooded the land..
Nearly three months to clear the Scheldt of mines and wrecks and the
first convoy -TAM6 arrived in Antwerp on 2nd December 1944.
From the day of Liberation, Antwerp was under constant attack by many V1 and V2 missiles causing many casualties and much damage..
EMPIRE UNITY - a tanker -MOWT and managed by Hunting and Sons.
I joined this ship at Thameshaven on 14th November 1944 -she was
halfway through 6 Months Agreement.
We made a coastal trip to Swansea- loaded 10,000 tons of petrol and returned to the Thames and joined TAM 8,the third convoy into Antwerp.We arrived on 5th Dec.and berthed at Hoboken refinery.
Our 2nd cargo from Thameshaven in TAM 18.Berthed Hoboken 16th Dec
3rd cargo from Thameshaven in TAM32 - Berthed Hoboken 29th Dec.
Each trip to and from Antwerp took us through swept minefields and there were many ship losses as the Germans laid more mines during
the dark hours.
As I mentioned,Antwerp was under prolonged attack by V1 and V2 missiles,also by the Luftwaffe and we experienced much of it.-Discharging petrol at Hoboken on 31st Dec 1944 - New Years Eve..
At 10pm two shipmates and myself left the ship to celebrate New Year
at Blue Dove bar outside the refinery- as we left the jetty a V2 rocket
struck a storage tank ahead of us and the resulting blast blew us off our feet...a huge fire ensued and with a strong wind blowing flames toward us we ran back to the ship and assisted in disconnecting the pipeline and releasing the moorings.
Before the engines could be started the wind blew our ship accross the
river and we grounded on the opposite riverbank and were soon high and dry with an ebb tide.
The fire attracted many Luftwaffe bombers during the night and some bombs exploded in the mud around us-it was a very uncomfortable time.
The front line was only 60 miles from there.
I will continue after smoko....
Refloating at dawn we received orders to proceed to the Thames with
5,000 tons of petrol still in the tanks.
Sailing down river in single file with other ships we came under attack by many
Luftwaffe aircraft and as we passed the tanker San Roberto at anchor an aircraft
dropped bombs and a bomb struck her fore topmast and exploded.Her gunners shot down the attacker and I witnessed it as it exploded on the river bank.
I have been in correspondence with the 3rd Officer of San Roberto at that time.
This was New Years Day 1945 and many German and Allied aircraft (300?) were
destroyed on this epic day..it was during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium.
Arriving in the Thames we lay at anchor for two days then berthed at Thameshaven to top up our tanks with more petrol.
Durring the time we had hurriedly disconnected the pipeline in Antwerp I had injured my elbow and at times it was painful so I asked the Chief Officer if I could
go ashore to see a Doctor to which he agreed and he reminded me that the ship
would sail in a few hours.
The Doctor sent me to a hospital in Romford about 15 miles away for an X ray.
Three hours to get there from Thameshaven then a wait and when I returned to the ship she had sailed.
I went to Tilbury Shipping office and produced the hospital report (no damage to bones just heavy bruising) and I was told to rejoin ship on her return.
I lived at Grays with my parents at the time so I went home.
Reporting to the ship on her return from Antwerp the Captain told me he was not paying me for the five days I was 'adrift' -his words.
I did not expect to be paid as my wages were shared by the crew as shorthand money.The Seamens Union later made a claim and I was paid..
Rejoining ship we again went to Antwerp and this time we discharged some cargo
at Hemixem and the rest into canal tankers. A ten days job.
Each time we went in convoy to and from Antwerp we sailed in swept channels but
during the night more mines were laid by fast German naval craft and from the air
With final discharge of cargo we were ordered to join a convoy for the Mersey.
At Ellesmere Port we loaded 10,000 tons of diesel -sailed independently for Loch Ewe and from here in a convoy for Iceland.
At Hvalfjord we saw many Royal Navy units at anchor and we supplied them with
diesel.A few days at anchor and we repeated the bunkering process.
With our tanks empty we returned to the Mersey in convoy and paid off - 28th Feb 1945.
As an A B my wages for the five days was £4.
Empire Unity was returning from another trip to Iceland when she was damaged
by a torpedo from U 979 - but she made port.

[Dartskipper]

My Dad Ken, was 3rd Mate on San Roberto from 4th Sept 1943 to 3rd Jan 1944. I found a memento on eBay of the shooting down of the aircraft mentioned by Stan. It is a table lighter fashioned from an Oerlikon shell case, mounted on a circular brass base, and engraved with the date of the action in Antwerp. I bought it for Dad just before he crossed the Bar himself. I believe it was made by one of the engineers of the San Roberto.


Roy.

[Y0ungN1ck]

My father was second officer of CAPE HOWE when she reached Antwerp in Convoy TAM6 in early December 1944. CAPE HOWE subsequently shuttled between the Thames Estuary and Antwerp for nearly 5 months.

Stan Mayes had previously sailed in CAPE HOWE and has written about the experience.