Empire Amethyst was built by the Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees[1] as yard number 330.

[2] Empire Amethyst was built for the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the management of the Hadley Shipping Co Ltd, Middlesbrough.

[3] On 23 January 1942, Empire Amethyst picked up five survivors from the Norwegian SS Innerøy, which had been torpedoed and sunk by U-553.

[5] In mid-April 1942, Empire Amethyst left New Orleans bound for Freetown carrying a cargo of 12,000 tons of motor spirit.

The U-boat captain, Walther Kölle, believed that she was being escorted by HMCS Prince Henry and did not attack.

[5] At 03:02 hrs Empire Amethyst received a distress call from the American SS Delvalla which had been torpedoed by U-154 and was sinking.

The chase began at 20:00 hrs with Empire Amethyst zig-zagging but generally following a heading of 110° towards Trinidad.