On 4 August 1942, Empire Arnold was a member of Convoy EF 6, which was sailing from New York via Trinidad and Cape Town and then through the Suez Canal to Alexandria. She was carrying 10,000 tons of cargo including aircraft and tanks. At 16:15 hrs CET, Empire Arnold was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic off the South American coast () by U-155, captained by Adolf Piening. Nine crew members were killed and the captain, Frederick Tate, was taken prisoner. The 49 surviving crew members and two passengers were rescued by the Norwegian ship SS Dalvanger. They were landed in Georgetown, British Guiana on 14 August. Tate was landed at Lorient on 15 September and interned at Milag Nord POW camp, Westertimke. During his time as a POW, Tate was a signatory to a document praising the Pilots of the Panama Canal system for their efficiency, courtesy and reliability in assisting ships passing through the canal. Those lost on Empire Arnold are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
