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Contents
Motor tanker San Emiliano was launched on 20th December 1938 and delivered on 5th April 1939 by Harland and Wolff in Govan. The two photos above are understood to have been taken taken when the ship was on trials in the Clyde in April 1939. She was sunk on 6 August 1942 by German U-boat U-155 (Captain: Adolf Cornelius Piening) at Position: 07.22N, 54.08W - Grid EO 6134.
At the time of sinking San Emiliano was part of Convoy: E-7 (dispersed) following a route from Curaçao (29 Jul) - Trinidad (6 Aug) - Table Bay - Suez amd was carrying a cargo of 11.286 tons of aviation spirit. More information about the sinking can be found at Reference 1.
The total complement of the ship was 48, of whom only 8 survived.
This incident is covered in the television 'World at War' series ' Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic 1939 - 1944' with film of some of the survivors being rescued.
San Emiliano - Other Guide Entries[edit]
Click on this link to view the Guide entry containing a survivors report: San Emiliano (survivors report)
Click on this link to view the Guide entry containing a US Navy Department report about the fate of San Emiliano and the U-boat that sunk her:
San Emiliano - Summary of Statements by US Navy Department
Basic Data[edit]
Armaments[edit]
At an unknown date, San Emiliano was kitted out as a Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship (DEMS).
Standard references state that San Emiliano was equipped with one 4.7" gun, one 12 pounder, two Twin Marlins, two Hotchkiss, one Savage Lewis and four P.A.C. Rockets.
Stan Mayes states: the 4.7" gun was on the poop (see photo later in this Guide) and that in addition there were two 20 mm Oerlikons located in nests built on the bridge, and one 40mm Bofors gun installed near the funnel.
DEMS Gunners were on the ship...**** Snashall and I had gunnery courses and gained a certificate ..We were paid 6d per day for it while on ships Articles.. We performed our normal duties,but manned guns during action stations..also had lots of gun drill when at sea...
It should be noted that there were four Royal Navy casualties amongst those who died and these were presumably the DEMS gunners.
The photo below has been enlarged and enhanced (the full photo is shown later in this Guide) and shows the nests for the Oerlikons which can be accessed from the deck by rope ladders as well as from the bridge.
Image 3:
San Emiliano before WW2[edit]
San Emiliano discharged petrol at Santos in August 1939 and arrived in the river Amazon on 3rd September 1939 - the day the war began. She loaded a full cargo of fresh water from the Amazon for Curacao. It was common practice for tankers to take water from the Amazon for Curacao on their return from EastCoast South American ports. At present that is the limit of known information about her service prior to the war.
San Emiliano participation in WW2 Convoys[edit]
The data in the following table was provided by Billy McGee from the personal data of the late Arnold Hague.
A key to the routes for these convoys can be found on this page: World War 2 Convoy Names

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Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 San Emiliano - Other Guide Entries
- 3 Basic Data
- 4 Armaments
- 5 San Emiliano before WW2
- 6 San Emiliano participation in WW2 Convoys
- 7 Accounts of San Emiliano Convoys by Stan Mayes
- 8 Photographs taken on Convoy HX 184 from the collection of Stan Mayes
- 9 External resources
- 10 Images
- 11 Contributors
Motor tanker San Emiliano was launched on 20th December 1938 and delivered on 5th April 1939 by Harland and Wolff in Govan. The two photos above are understood to have been taken taken when the ship was on trials in the Clyde in April 1939. She was sunk on 6 August 1942 by German U-boat U-155 (Captain: Adolf Cornelius Piening) at Position: 07.22N, 54.08W - Grid EO 6134.
At the time of sinking San Emiliano was part of Convoy: E-7 (dispersed) following a route from Curaçao (29 Jul) - Trinidad (6 Aug) - Table Bay - Suez amd was carrying a cargo of 11.286 tons of aviation spirit. More information about the sinking can be found at Reference 1.
The total complement of the ship was 48, of whom only 8 survived.
This incident is covered in the television 'World at War' series ' Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic 1939 - 1944' with film of some of the survivors being rescued.
San Emiliano - Other Guide Entries[edit]
Click on this link to view the Guide entry containing a survivors report: San Emiliano (survivors report)
Click on this link to view the Guide entry containing a US Navy Department report about the fate of San Emiliano and the U-boat that sunk her:
San Emiliano - Summary of Statements by US Navy Department
Basic Data[edit]
- Type: Motor tanker
- Registered owners,managers and operators: Eagle Oil & Shipping Co Ltd, London
- Builders: Harland & Wolff Ltd
- Yard: Govan, Glasgow Glasgow
- Country: UK
- Yard number: 1015G
- Registry: Glasgow, UK
- Official number: 167216
- Signal letters: N/K
- Call sign: GRGL
- Classification society: N/K
- Gross tonnage: 8,071
- Net tonnage: 4,818
- Deadweight: 12,152
- Length: 479Feet 5 Inches
- Breadth: 61 Feet 2 Inches
- Depth: N/K
- Draught: 27 Feet 0 Inches
- Engines: N/K
- Engine builders: Harland & Wolff
- Works: Belfast Engine Works
- Country: UK
- Power: 4,300
- Propulsion: N/K
- Speed: 12 knots
- Crew: 48 at time of sinking
- Homeport: London
Armaments[edit]
At an unknown date, San Emiliano was kitted out as a Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship (DEMS).
Standard references state that San Emiliano was equipped with one 4.7" gun, one 12 pounder, two Twin Marlins, two Hotchkiss, one Savage Lewis and four P.A.C. Rockets.
Stan Mayes states: the 4.7" gun was on the poop (see photo later in this Guide) and that in addition there were two 20 mm Oerlikons located in nests built on the bridge, and one 40mm Bofors gun installed near the funnel.
DEMS Gunners were on the ship...**** Snashall and I had gunnery courses and gained a certificate ..We were paid 6d per day for it while on ships Articles.. We performed our normal duties,but manned guns during action stations..also had lots of gun drill when at sea...
It should be noted that there were four Royal Navy casualties amongst those who died and these were presumably the DEMS gunners.
The photo below has been enlarged and enhanced (the full photo is shown later in this Guide) and shows the nests for the Oerlikons which can be accessed from the deck by rope ladders as well as from the bridge.
Image 3:

San Emiliano before WW2[edit]
San Emiliano discharged petrol at Santos in August 1939 and arrived in the river Amazon on 3rd September 1939 - the day the war began. She loaded a full cargo of fresh water from the Amazon for Curacao. It was common practice for tankers to take water from the Amazon for Curacao on their return from EastCoast South American ports. At present that is the limit of known information about her service prior to the war.
San Emiliano participation in WW2 Convoys[edit]
The data in the following table was provided by Billy McGee from the personal data of the late Arnold Hague.
A key to the routes for these convoys can be found on this page: World War 2 Convoy Names
List of Convoys |