I would like to find two things about 2 ships which were sunk in WW2
firstly which shipping line they belonged too and secondaly where I
can find a picture of them, preferably on the net. The first was
called SS Effna the second was called Empire Lake. The information I
currently have is that SS Effna was torpedoed & sunk by U-108 SE of
Iceland on 28.2.41 at 61 30N 15 45W  and that Empire Lake was
torpedoed and sunk by U-181 at 21.27S 51.47E

Try the following Sites
http://www.warsailors.com/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=364&t=364
http://www.angelfire.com/hi5/empirelake/

Cannot find images

Kind regards
Ross

If there is anyone who knows everything about U-Boat warfare it is my
countryman and friend Gummi at www.uboat.net - If you are not Gummi
himself obtaining more material, then check his enormous website
uboat.net and if that is not enough send him an email at
gummi@uboat.net

His website has this info on the uboat U-181:
Type IXD2   
Laid down 15 Mar, 1941 AG Weser, Bremen 
Commissioned 9 May, 1942 Kptlt. Wolfgang Lüth (Knights Cross) 
Commanders 9 May, 1942 - 31 Oct, 1943   KrvKpt. Wolfgang Lüth (Knights Cross) 
1 Nov, 1943 - 8 May, 1945   Kpt. Kurt Freiwald 
 
Career 4 patrols 9 May, 1942 - 30 Sep, 1942  4. Flottille (training)
1 Oct, 1942 - 31 Oct, 1942  10. Flottille (front boat)
1 Nov, 1942 - 30 Sep, 1944  12. Flottille (front boat)
1 Oct, 1944 - 8 May, 1945  33. Flottille (front boat)
 
Successes 27 ships sunk for a total of 138.779 tons
 
Fate Taken over by Japan in May 1945 and became the Japanese submarine
I 501 on 15 July 1945.


And they have similar info on the other uboat. There is a small price
to pay for admission to all the content but I am pretty sure that if
you can't find info on Effna and Empire Lake there it is not to be
found easily.

regards, 
F.