The Cities Service Empire was a 465' long tanker, owned by the Cities Service Oil Company. Built in 1918 at Sparrows Point, Maryland, the ship was originally named the Ampetco.
February 1942 found the Empire steaming from Port Arthur, Texas, to Philadelphia with full load of petroleum products. Off Cape Canaveral, the Empire was spotted by the U-128, which, just two days earlier, had sent the Pan Massachussetts to the bottom; the Pan Massachussetts was the first merchant vessel sunk off Florida during World War II. The U-128 placed two torpedoes into her starboard quarter from long-range, instantly igniting the tanker. Shortly thereafter, the Cities Service Empire slipped beneath the surface...
The stern deck gun still points astern, adorned by a large thicket of Oculina coral that has enveloped the breach of the gun. All decks above the main deck have been flattened; only the scattered vertical bulkhead supports remain, presenting a ghostly scene. Due to her current disposition, it is a safe bet that the wreck was depth charged several times after her sinking, as every fixture and vertical structure appears to have been vibrated loose. Portholes and other brass goodies lie loose amongst the stern area. Approximately 80 feet forward of the stern, one can witness the impact area from one of the torpedoes. It appears as if someone took a bite out of the starboard side of the wreck as an entire tank has been removed and flattened down to the sand.