Sinking of Empress of Britain

26–28 October 1940, North-west of Ireland

German success; the largest ship sunk by a U-boat

The liner Empress of Britain, carrying troops' families and servicemen home from the Middle East round the Cape, was nearly home on 26 October 1940 when a Focke-Wulf Condor long-range bomber, flown by Bernhard Jope, hit her with two bombs off north-west Ireland and set her ablaze. About 45 people were killed and the rest were taken off. Tugs took the burning hulk in tow with destroyers in escort, but early on 28 October Hans Jenisch in U-32 found her and hit her with two torpedoes, and she sank. At 42,348 tons she was the largest ship sunk by a U-boat in the war. Two days later U-32 was sunk by the destroyers Harvester and Highlander, and Jenisch was taken prisoner.