SS Empire Javelin

History
United Kingdom
Class and type	C1-S-AY1, Landing Ship Infantry
Name	Cape Lobos (laid down); Empire Javelin (completed);
Owner	MoWT
Operator	Blue Star Line
Port of registry	London
Builder	Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, CA
Launched	25 October 1943
Completed	January 1944
Identification	UK official number 169774; call sign MYMQ; ;
Fate	Sunk on 28 December 1944
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,177 GRT; tonnage under deck 6,087; 4,823 NRT; 11,650 tons displacement;
Length	396.5 ft (120.9 m)
Beam	60.1 ft (18.3 m)
Depth	35.0 ft (10.7 m)
Propulsion	2 × steam turbines, single screw
Sensors and ; processing systems	wireless direction finding; gyrocompass;
Armament	1 × 4 inch gun; 1 × 12 pdr gun; 12 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;

SS Empire Javelin was an Infantry Landing Ship or "LSI (Large)" in service with the UK in the latter part of the Second World War. Launched on 25 October 1943, she was a United States Maritime Commission C1-S-AY1 subtype, one of thirteen similar ships built by Consolidated Steel Corporation.

SS Empire Javelin served as a troop ship in Operation Overlord, including "D-Day" on 6 June 1944.^[1] She was lost on 28 December 1944 while en convoy to France with 1,483 troops aboard somewhere around the midpoint between Southampton, England, and Le Havre, France.^[2] It is unknown whether she was sunk by U-322, active in the area on the same day,^[3] or struck a mine.^[4]

History[]

Construction and operation[]

SS Empire Javelin was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California as the Cape Lobos, and transferred under the terms of lend lease on completion in January 1944.^[5]^[6] She was bareboat chartered by the War Shipping Administration to the Ministry of War Transport and managed by Blue Star Line.^[6]^[7]

D-Day[]

The ship sailed from Portland Harbour anchorage on 5 June 1944, destined for Dog Green Omaha Beach, Normandy, after embarking troops of the 1st Battalion 116th Infantry regiment of US 29th Division by landing craft from Weymouth, Dorset.^[8] Most notably, the ship carried members of Company A, 116th Infantry, who were from Bedford, Virginia. Bedford is the home of the United States' National D-Day Memorial. 551st Landing Craft Assault (LCA) Flotilla crewed by Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) of Combined Operations was based aboard Empire Javelin on D-Day. Six of the eighteen LCAs of 551st LCA Flotilla were lost on D-Day, with the remainder being severely damaged.^[9]

Loss[]

L'Escarmouche, a Free French frigate escorting SS Empire Javelin that rescued her survivors

SS Empire Javelin embarked 1,483 US servicemen at Southampton for Le Havre, France on 28 December 1944. She was in convoy with USS LST-325 and escorted by the Free French frigate L'Escarmouche. In the English Channel on the afternoon of the 28th there was an explosion without warning at

50°5′N 1°0′W / 50.083°N 1.000°WCoordinates:

50°5′N 1°0′W / 50.083°N 1.000°W; at least 20 lives were lost and 20 more injured.^[10] The L'Escarmouche was called alongside once the extent of the damage had been assessed, and for approximately an hour the men on board the Empire Javelin jumped from the ship. HMS Hargood (K582) arrived to assist, standing off nearby on submarine watch. Two minutes after the last man jumped off, there was a large explosion and the ship began settling by the stern. About 10 minutes later she was completely submerged.^[10]^[11]

Initially it was thought that the ship had been torpedoed by German submarine U-772,^[12] but it was later revealed that U-772 was sunk earlier that month.^[13] Another U-boat, U-322, was active in the area on the same day, and was sunk on the next day south of Weymouth.^[3] There is no definitive proof of what sank the Empire Javelin; it has also been proposed it struck a mine.^[4]

Notes[]

^ "Omaha Beach: American Troops". D-Day: The assault. D-Day: Etat Des Lieux.
^ Schoichet's account of the sinking of Empire Javelin: [1]"Noon of December 28 found us approaching the half way mark in the channel...Suddenly, without warning, the whole world erupted."
^ ^a ^b Pocock, Michael W. "Daily Event for December 28, 2007". Maritime Quest.
^ ^a ^b Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2014). "Empire Javelin". Ships not hit by U-boats. Guðmundur Helgason.
^ Colledge. Ships of the Royal Navy. p. 113.
^ ^a ^b Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships (PDF). 1945. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
^ "Empire – H –I – J". The 'Empire' Ships. Mariners.
^ Winser, John de S (1994). The D-day Ships. Kendal: World Ship Society. p. 37. ISBN 0-905617-75-4.
^ "BBC - WW2 People's War - the Royal Navy on Omaha Beach".
^ ^a ^b The Daily Mirror, 11 July 1945
^ Some pictures of the sinking can be seen here
^ Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1990). The Empire Ships (2nd ed.). London: Lloyd's of London Press. p. 427. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2014). "U-772". List of all U-boats. Guðmundur Helgason.

References[]

Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

v t Empire ships beginning with Empire J
Cargo ships	Empire Jack¹ Empire Jaguar Empire Jamaica Empire Janus Empire Jessica Empire Jill¹ Empire Johnson Empire Jonquil¹ Empire Joy Empire Judy¹
Landing ships	Empire Javelin
Ocean liners	Empire Jewel (II)
Tankers	Empire Jet Empire Jewel (I) Empire Jumna Empire Jupiter Empire Jura¹
Tugs	Empire Jane² Empire Jean (I) Empire Jean (II) Empire Jenny Empire Jester Empire Joan³ Empire John Empire Jonathan Empire Josephine Empire Julia Empire Juna
A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z
1 Coaster 2 Coastal tug 3 Estuary tug

v t Ships of the Blue Star Line
Ships owned, suffixed with Star.	(I) (II) (I) (II) Almeda Star (I) (II) (I) (II) Arandora Star (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) Avila Star (I) (II) Brisbane Star (I) (II) (I) California Star (II) (III) (I) Celtic Star (II) (I) (II) Doric Star Dunedin Star (I) (II) (I) Empire Star (II) (III) (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) Gothic Star (II) (I) (II) (I) (II) Melbourne Star (I) (II) (I) (II) Nelson Star (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) (I) (I) (II) (III) (IV) (I) (II) (III) (I) Patagonia Star (II) (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) (I) Saxon Star (II) (I) (II) (III) (I) (II) Timaru Star (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) (II) (I) Tuscan Star (II) (III) Vancouver Star Victoria Star (I) (II) (III)
Other ships owned by Blue Star Line	Almeda Arandora Avila Doricstar
Managed ships	Empire Bardolph Empire Galahad Empire Javelin Empire Strength Rangatira
Chartered ships	(III) (II) (IV) (II) (III)
Planned ships	Titanic II

v t Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1944
Shipwrecks	1 Dec: HMS Empire Dace 2 Dec: Hawaii Maru 3 Dec: USS Cooper, Revoljucija 4 Dec: Kishinami 5 Dec: Hozu, USS LSM-149 6 Dec: Antoine Saugrain, HMS Bullen, U-297 7 Dec: USS Mahan, USS Ward 9 Dec: U-387 10 Dec: William S. Ladd 11 Dec: USS Reid 12 Dec: Uzuki, U-416, Yūzuki, Z35, Z36 13 Dec: U-365 14 Dec: HMS Aldenham 15 Dec: USS LST-472, USS LST-738 17 Dec: U-772 18 Dec: USS Hull, USS Monaghan, Schleswig-Holstein, USS Spence, Theresia L M Russ, U-1209, Zähringen 19 Dec: U-737, Unryū 21 Dec: USS LST-460, USS LST-749 22 Dec: USS LST-563 24 Dec: Alan A. Dale, HMCS Clayoquot, Léopoldville 26 Dec: HMS Capel, Kiyoshimo, U-2342, Benjamin Ide Wheeler 27 Dec: U-877 28 Dec: Empire Javelin, John Burke, U-735 29 Dec: U-322 30 Dec: USS Porcupine, Hobart Baker 31 Dec: U-2530 Unknown date: Ha-83, U-196, U-400
Other incidents	5 Dec: Antoine Saugrain, Hira 9 Dec: Jun'yō 13 Dec: Myōkō, USS Nashville 14 Dec: Schauenberg 25 Dec: HMS Dakins 26 Dec: HMS Affleck 30 Dec: Juan de Fuca, USS Orestes Unknown date: HMS Charlestown, U-262
1943 1944 1945 November 1944 January 1945