Empire Breeze was a 7,457 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1940 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

The captain of U-438 claimed the kill, but postwar analysis shows that it was U-176 which had fired the fatal shot.

The tug HMS Frisky was sent from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Flower-class corvette HMCS Rosthern was detached from the convoy to assist in salvaging Empire Breeze.

The surviving crew abandoned ship, but later reboarded her and sent distress signals after repairing the radio set.

[4] Those lost on Empire Breeze are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

Empire Breeze had the UK Official Number 168662 and used the Code Letters GPFP.