Emergencies and World Disasters
Forty-seven men vanished. The sea off Sable Island in December 1942 kept everything
23 min•24 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
Forty-seven men vanished. The sea off Sable Island in December 1942 kept everything
Forty-seven men were aboard when a torpedo struck at 09:49 on 3 December 1942 and no bodies, no wreckage, no final minutes were ever returned to the surface. The ship sank near 43°N, 58°17′W - roughly 200 nautical miles southeast of Sable Island - and the only record left is a position on a chart: who were those men and how did a working ship built in 1919 end up alone in that water? What decisions and mechanical limits led to a ship that had survived falling behind once to be lost without trace the second time?
In this episode, we tell the documented history of the steamer from launch to loss, following its construction, transfers of ownership, convoy service, and the moments that preceded its final voyage to ask why it straggled from its convoy again. What does the ship’s 23-year biography and its slow eleven-knot speed reveal about its fate?
Person: 47 men (36 crew, 11 naval gunners)
Date: 3 December 1942, 09:49
Location: about 43°N, 58°17′W (≈200 nautical miles southeast of Sable Island)
Ship name(s): Kisnop (launched 1919), renamed Empire Dabchick (14 November 1940)
Ship measurements: length 426 ft 10 in; beam 54 ft 2 in; depth 27 ft; GRT 6,089
- Launched August 1919 as yard number one by Atlantic Corporation, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Engine: triple expansion steam, cylinders 24.5", 41.5", 72" with 48" stroke; single screw; top speed 11 knots
- Transferred to UK possession on 14 November 1940, UK Official Number 168184, code letters GNSN
- Fell behind Convoy SC 28 on 19 April 1941 after departing Halifax 9 April and diverted to an Icelandic port alone
- Forty-seven names are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial in London; no sea grave and no recovered wreckage
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
Forty-seven men were aboard when a torpedo struck at 09:49 on 3 December 1942 and no bodies, no wreckage, no final minutes were ever returned to the surface. The ship sank near 43°N, 58°17′W - roughly 200 nautical miles southeast of Sable Island - and the only record left is a position on a chart: who were those men and how did a working ship built in 1919 end up alone in that water? What decisions and mechanical limits led to a ship that had survived falling behind once to be lost without trace the second time?
In this episode, we tell the documented history of the steamer from launch to loss, following its construction, transfers of ownership, convoy service, and the moments that preceded its final voyage to ask why it straggled from its convoy again. What does the ship’s 23-year biography and its slow eleven-knot speed reveal about its fate?
Person: 47 men (36 crew, 11 naval gunners)
Date: 3 December 1942, 09:49
Location: about 43°N, 58°17′W (≈200 nautical miles southeast of Sable Island)
Ship name(s): Kisnop (launched 1919), renamed Empire Dabchick (14 November 1940)
Ship measurements: length 426 ft 10 in; beam 54 ft 2 in; depth 27 ft; GRT 6,089
- Launched August 1919 as yard number one by Atlantic Corporation, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Engine: triple expansion steam, cylinders 24.5", 41.5", 72" with 48" stroke; single screw; top speed 11 knots
- Transferred to UK possession on 14 November 1940, UK Official Number 168184, code letters GNSN
- Fell behind Convoy SC 28 on 19 April 1941 after departing Halifax 9 April and diverted to an Icelandic port alone
- Forty-seven names are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial in London; no sea grave and no recovered wreckage
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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