Nummer: 11703
| Area : | Western Area |
| Sea area : | Carribean Sea |
| Date of attack : | 18.08.1942 |
| Time of attack : | 06:03 |
| Nationality of U-boat : | German |
| U-boat : | U 553 |
| Commander : | Thurmann |
| Grid : | DN 7472 |
| presumed target type : | Tanker |
| presumed tonnage : | 6000 BRT |
| presumed result : | damaged |
| Used weapon(s) : | Torpedo(es) |
| Convoy : | TAW.13 |
| Date of observation : | 18.08.1942 |
| Time of observation : | 04:18 |
| Nationality of target : | British |
| Actual type of target : | Motor Freighter |
| Name of target : | Empire Bede |
| Year of launch : | 1942 |
| Actual tonnage : | 6959 BRT |
| Actual result : | not repaired, total loss |
| Position of target : | 19.35n 76.25w |
| Footnote : | U-553 fired another 2-torpedo spread and oberserved one hit on a tanker with it's stern dipping in the sea but not sinking. - "Empire Bede" did not sink immediately, but was damaged beyond recovery, and later sunk by the corvette HMS "Pimpernel" with gunfire. |
| related attacks : | Angriff 1 Angriff 2 Angriff 3 |
| Convoy : | TAW.13 |
| Route of convoy : | Trinidad - Aruba - Key West |
| Remark to convoy : | Jul to Aug 1942, then TAG. Counter traffic = WAT |
| updated on: | 05.05.2019 |
| Remark: | SCHIFF, ZEIT2, ANM |
| Changes: | 1) Rohwer 1968 und 1995 hatte hier keine Treffer. 2) Weis + Cloots 2019 sehen hier Treffer ohne Versenkung: EMPIRE BEDE |