Cargo vessel · 1930–1944 · Donegal, Ireland
SS Empire Heritage
Also known as Empire Heritage.
SS Empire Heritage is a British cargo vessel built in 1930 and torpedoed in 1944; the wreck lies at 60–70 metres off Donegal, Ireland. The site is a designated war grave.
Sherman tanks sit upright on the seabed at 67 metres, some perfectly intact, others still racked neatly in the holds three deep. The SS Empire Heritage was a 15,702 GRT tanker carrying aviation fuel, tanks, and half-track military vehicles from New York as part of Convoy HX-305 when U-482 torpedoed her on 8 September 1944 approximately 20 nautical miles northwest of Malin Head.
She went down in under five minutes, killing 113. Thirty minutes later, the same U-boat torpedoed the rescue vessel Pinto as she picked up survivors. The wreck is a designated war grave.
- Type
- Cargo vesselBritish
- Year built
- 1930
- Lost
- September 8th, 1944Torpedo
- Casualties
- 113World War II
- Tonnage
- 15,702 GRTsteam
- Length
- 155 m22 m beam
- Depth
- 60–70 m
- Location
- Donegal, IrelandInner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
5 of 8 facts above are cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 170 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
- Lives lost: 113 shown; range in sources 110–113. Other published figures exist (why sources disagree).
History and LossLost September 8th, 1944 · Torpedo · World War II · Donegal, Ireland.
On 8 September 1944, U-482 (Kapitänleutnant Hartmut Graf von Matuschka) torpedoed the Empire Heritage while she was sailing in Convoy HX-305 northwest of Malin Head. Two torpedoes struck and the ship sank in under five minutes, taking 113 souls with her.
Approximately 30 minutes later, the rescue ship Pinto, which was picking up survivors, was also torpedoed by U-482 and sank in just 90 seconds, causing further significant loss of life.
Built 1930; 14 years in service, also recorded as Empire Heritage. Lost September 8th, 1944, torpedo during World War II.
The Voyage
- Last voyage
- New York to Liverpool
- Destination
- Liverpool
- Cargo
- Oil, Sherman tanks, half-track vehicles
Condition of the WreckBroken, in 60–70 m.
Intactness
The hull sits mainly upright but has collapsed in places. Rises very little above the gravel seabed at 67m. Sherman tanks and half-track vehicles are scattered across the wreck and surrounding seabed. Some tanks sit upright and intact; others remain racked in the holds up to three deep.
Notable Features
- Sherman tanks scattered across wreck and seabed
- Half-track military vehicles
- Tanks racked in holds up to three deep
- Some vehicles upright and remarkably intact
- Part of Malin Head deep wreck cluster
Regulations and RestrictionsWar grave.
This is a war grave, where human remains may be present.
Additional Details13 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- British
- Flag
- United Kingdom
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- September 8th, 1944
- Conflict / event
- World War II
- Latitude
- 55.54° N
- Longitude
- 7.72° W
- Water body
- Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
- Protection regime
- Not designated under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2026 (SI 2026/286), and not old enough for the automatic protection the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014 give wrecks over 100 years old in Irish waters.
- War grave
- Yes
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Broken
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Marine Institutemarine.ie · Official record7 facts
- Geological Survey Ireland / Marine Institute (INFOMAR)gsi.geodata.gov.ie · Official record2 facts
- Irish Examineririshexaminer.com · Press9 facts
- Irish Wrecks Onlineirishwrecksonline.net · Secondary source8 facts
- coastmonkey.iecoastmonkey.ie · Secondary source7 facts
- wreckedinmyrevo.comwreckedinmyrevo.com · Secondary source7 facts
- go-to-ireland.comgo-to-ireland.com · Secondary source6 facts
- shetlandtimes.co.uk (archived)shetlandtimes.co.uk · Secondary source6 facts
- theshermantank.comtheshermantank.com · Secondary source6 facts
- derryjournal.com (archived)derryjournal.com · Secondary source5 facts
- barryniblock.co.uk (archived)barryniblock.co.uk · Secondary source4 facts
- irishcentral.comirishcentral.com · Secondary source4 facts
- coast.scotcoast.scot · Secondary source3 facts
- donegallive.ie (archived)donegallive.ie · Secondary source3 facts
- radioofficers.comradioofficers.com · Secondary source2 facts
- Argunnersargunners.com · Secondary source1 fact
- de.go-to-ireland.comde.go-to-ireland.com · Secondary source1 fact
- Dive Site Directorydivesitedirectory.co.uk · Secondary source1 fact
- guide-irlande.comguide-irlande.com · Secondary source1 fact
- Scuba Diving Magazinescubadiving.com · Secondary source1 fact
- The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2026, Schedules 1 and 2legislation.gov.uk · Secondary source1 fact
- Divernetdivernet.com · Club or operator5 facts
- Mevagh Divingmevaghdiving.com · Club or operator1 fact
- Wikipediade.wikipedia.org · Background reading6 facts
Background reading is listed for context and is not counted as a citation for the facts above.
- INFOMAR Shipwrecks © Geological Survey Ireland and Marine Institute. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- © Marine Institute. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
A further 3 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SS Empire Heritage?
SS Empire Heritage is the wreck of a cargo vessel, off Donegal, Ireland, at 70 metres. SS Empire Heritage was torpedoed in 1944.
How deep is the SS Empire Heritage?
SS Empire Heritage lies at 60 to 70 metres, Approximately 15-20 nautical miles northwest of Malin Head, County Donegal.
How did the SS Empire Heritage sink?
SS Empire Heritage was torpedoed on September 8th, 1944 during World War II, off Donegal, Ireland. 113 people lost their lives.
Is the SS Empire Heritage protected?
Yes. SS Empire Heritage is recorded as a war grave.