The Empire ships were a series of ships in the service of the British Government. Their names were all prefixed with "Empire". Mostly they were used during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), who owned the ships but contracted out their management to various shipping lines. Some ships requisitioned during the Suez Crisis

Suez Crisis

The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...

 were also given the Empire prefix. They were acquired from a number of sources. Many were built for the MoWT, others obtained from the USA, still others were captured or seized from enemy powers.

Empire Unicorn

Empire Unicorn was a 7,067 GRT

Gross Register Tonnage

Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...

 cargo ship

Cargo ship

A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...

 which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool

West Hartlepool

This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...

. Launchedon 29 October 1943 and completed in December 1943. Allocated in 1945 to the French Government

Government of France

The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...

 and renamed Pierre Corniou. Sold in 1950 to Société Navale de l’Ouest and renamed Saint Andre. Sold in 1953 to O Wallenius, Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

 and renamed Otello. Sold in 1956 to L Jeansson AB, Stockholm and renamed Apollo. Sold in 1961 to Polska Zegluga Morska, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 and renamed Kopalnia. Relegated to a storage vessel

Hulk (ship)

A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...

 at Gdynia

Gdynia

Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...

 in 1971 and renamed MP-ZP-GDY 7.

Empire Union

Empire Union was a 5,952 GRT cargo ship which was built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino

Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino

Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino was a private shipbuilding company based in Trieste from the mid-19th to early 20th century, and the most important naval shipbuilding firm of the Austro-Hungarian Empire....

, Trieste

Trieste

Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...

. Completed in 1924 as Salvore. Sold in 1937 to Lloyd Triestino

Italia Marittima

Italia Marittima S.p.A. is a shipping company with its head office in Trieste, Italy, and run by Evergreen Marine Corporation.-History:It was founded "Österreichischer Lloyd" in 1836 and became one of the world's biggest shipping companies by managing most oversea trade and passenger travel of...

 and renamed Sistiana. Seized on 10 June 1940 as a war prize

Prize (law)

Prize is a term used in admiralty law to refer to equipment, vehicles, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of prize in this sense is the capture of an enemy ship and its cargo as a prize of war. In the past, it was common that the capturing force would be allotted...

 by the South African Navy

South African Navy

The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....

 in Table Bay

Table Bay

Table Bay is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named because it is dominated by the flat-topped Table Mountain.Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to explore this...

. To the South African Government

Government of South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a constitutional democracy with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a nearly unique system that combines aspects of parliamentary and presidential systems. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa...

 and renamed Myrica. To MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Union. Torpedo

Torpedo

The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

ed on 26 December 1942 and sunk by U-356 at 47°30′N 24°30′W while a member of Convoy ON 154.

Empire Unitas IV

Empire Unitas IV was a 341 GRT whaler

Whaler

A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...

 which was built by Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Mashcinenbau

Bremer Vulkan

Bremer Vulkan AG was a great German shipbuilding company located at the Weser river in Bremen-Vegesack. It was founded in 1893 and closed in 1997 because of financial problems and mismanagement....

, Bremen

Bremen

The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

. Completed in 1937 as Unitas 4 for Jurgens Van Den Bergh Margarine Verkaufs Union GmbH, Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine

Kriegsmarine

The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...

 in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Flensburg

Flensburg

Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Unitas IV. Scrapped in 1955 in Port Glasgow

Port Glasgow

Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...

.

Empire Unitas V

Empire Unitas V was a 341 GRT whaler which was built by Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Mashcinenbau, Bremen. Completed in 1937 as Unitas 5 for Jurgens Van Den Bergh Margarine Verkaufs Union GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Flensburg. To MoWT and renamed Empire Unitas IV. Scrapped in 1954 in Port Glasgow.

Empire Unitas VIII

Empire Unitas VIII was a 341 GRT whaler which was built by Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Mashcinenbau, Bremen. Completed in 1937 as Unitas 8 for Jurgens Van Den Bergh Margarine Verkaufs Union GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel

Kiel

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Unitas VIII. Sold in 1956 to Union Whaling Co Ltd, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 and renamed Sir Liege. Scrapped in October 1961 in Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

.

Empire Unitas X

Empire Unitas X was a 339 GRT whaler which was built by F Schichau GmbH

Schichau-Werke

The Schichau-Werke was a German engineering works and shipyard based in Elbing, formerly part of the German Empire, and which is today the town of Elbląg in northern Poland. It also had a subsidiary shipyard in Danzig .-Early years:...

, Danzig. Completed in 1939 as Unitas 10 for Jurgens Van Den Bergh Margarine Verkaufs Union GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Emden

Emden

Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Unitas X. Sold in 1956 to Union Whaling Co Ltd and renamed C P Robinson. Scrapped in January 1963 in Durban.

Empire Unity

Empire Unity was a 6,386 GRT cargo ship which was built by AG Weser

AG Weser

Aktien-Gesellschaft Weser was one of the great German shipbuilding companies, located at the Weser River in Bremen. Founded in 1873 it was finally closed in 1983. Altogether, AG Weser built about 1400 ships of different types, including many war ships...

, Bremen. Completed in 1927 as Biscaya for J T Essberger, Hamburg. Captured on 19 October 1939 by north of Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

 and escorted to Leith

Leith

-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Unity. Torpedoed on 4 May 1945 and damaged by U-979 south west of Iceland (64°23′N 22°27′W) and abandoned. Later reboarded and sailed to Hvitanes

Hvítanes

Hvítanes is a village in the Faroe Islands, noted for its beauty . It is on Streymoy's east coast, northeast of Hoyvík and Tórshavn. Its name means "White Point" in Faroese.*Population: 99*Postal code : FO 187*Location: *Municipality: Tórshavnar...

, Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

 and then Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...

 for temporary repairs. Departed Reykjavík on 20 June 1945 under tow bound for Methil

Methil

Methil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....

 and then Leith where she was repaired. Sold in 1947 to Storship Transports Ltd, London and renamed Stordale. Sold in 1961 to T Pappadrinitriou, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 and renamed Mageolia. Arrived under tow on 9 October 1963 at Cerigo

Kythira

Cythera is an island in Greece, once part of the Ionian Islands. It lies opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is administratively part of the Islands regional unit, which is part of the Attica region , Greece.For many centuries, while naval travel was the only means...

 where she was used as a depot ship

Depot ship

A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...

. Arrived under tow on 12 April 1966 at Burriana

Burriana

Borriana or Burriana is a town in eastern Spain, in the province of Castellón, part of the autonomous community of Valencia. Its population exceeds 34,000, some of them recent immigrants from North Africa and Eastern Europe ....

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 for scrapping.

Empire Upland

Empire Upland was a 683 GRT dredger which was built by William Simons & Co Ltd, Renfrew

Renfrew

-Local government:The town of Renfrew gave its name to a number of local government areas used at various times:*Renfrew a town to the west of Glasgow*Renfrewshire, the present unitary local council area in which Renfrew is situatated....

. Launched on 26 December 1944 and completed in February 1945. Sold in 1945 to the Superintendent Civil Engineer, Bombay. To the Indian Navy

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...

 in 1949 and renamed INS Nirmal.

Empire Usk

Empire Usk was a 3,229 GRT cargo ship which was built by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

. Completed in 1918 as War Combe. Sold in 1920 to Oakwin Steamship Co and renamed Watsness. Operated under the management of Sir W R Smith & Sons Ltd. Sold in 1927 to Mervyn Steamship Co, Newport

Newport

Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...

, Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire (historic)

Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....

 and renamed Markkyn. Ran aground on 20 January 1942 at Crammag Head, Port Logan

Port Logan

Port Logan, formerly Port Nessock, is a small village in the parish of Kirkmaiden in the Rhins of Galloway in Wigtownshire.Port Nessock Bay is now all that remains of the western end of a strait that in post-glacial times separated the main part of what is now the Rinns of Galloway from three...

. Cargo of iron ore discharged but she was damaged further in storms. Refloated on 5 June 1942 and arrived under tow on 17 June 1942 at Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

. Repaired, to MoWT and renamed Empire Usk. Sold in 1946 to Constants (South Wales) Ltd and renamed Heminge. Sold in 1948 to Crete Shipping Co Ltd, London and renamed Bluestone. Sold in 1953 to Grosvenor Shipping Co and renamed Grosvenor Mariner. Operated under the management of Moller Line (UK) Ltd. Scrapped in September 1955 in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

.

Empire Valour

Empire Valour was a 2,906 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 22 February 1943 and completed in May 1943. Sold in 1948 to Eskgarth Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Eskgarth. Operated under the management of H M Lund, London. Sold in 1951 to Uskside Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Uskmouth. Operated under the management of R W Jones & Co, Newport. Sold in 1963 to Compagnia Marabello San Nicolas, Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

 and renamed Alexandra K. Sold in 1968 to Pateras Bros Ltd, Greece and renamed Aristios II. Sold in 1969 to Reinato Marino Navigazione SA, Panama. Scrapped in June 1971 in Piraeus

Piraeus

Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....

, Greece.

Empire Vauxhall

Empire Vauxhall was a 2,025 GRT collier

Collier (ship type)

Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...

 which was built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd

Grangemouth Dockyard Company

The Grangemouth Dockyard Company was a British shipbuilding and ship repair firm located at Grangemouth, on the Firth of Forth, Scotland.-History:...

, Grangemouth

Grangemouth

Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...

. Launched on 30 November 1944 and completed in March 1945. Sold in 1946 to William France, Fenwick & Co Ltd and renamed Braywood. Sold in 1960 to Faruk & Ozmelek, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 and renamed Abdullah. Sold in 1976 to Kalkavan Ziya Koll, Sirketi, Turkey and renamed Taylan Kalkavan. Scrapped in April 1982 at Aliaga, Turkey.

Empire Venture

Empire Venture was a 12,639 GRT factory ship

Factory ship

A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish...

 which was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd

Swan Hunter

Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...

, Newcastle upon Tyne. Completed in 1929 as Vikingen. Sold in 1938 to Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg and renamed Wikinger. Requisitioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine. Formally seized by Royal Navy on 16 June 1945 at Kiel. To Howaldtswerke yards, Kiel, for repair and refit, August-November 1945. To MoWT November 1945 and renamed Empire Venture. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account c 20 November 1945. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Whaling equipment fitted at Kiel removed at Liverpool, June-September 1946. Handed over to USSR in Britain 26 September 1946 and renamed Slava. Re-refitted, presumably at Liverpool, September-December 1946. Sailed from Liverpool 22 December 1946 for the first Soviet whaling season in the Antarctic. Sold to Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese buyer in 1971 and renamed Fuji Maru. Scrapped in October 1971 at Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

, Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

.

Empire Venus

Empire Venus was a 8,159 GRT tanker

Tank ship

A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...

 which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd

Harland and Wolff

Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....

, Govan

Govan

Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....

. Laid down as Empire Venus but taken over by the Admiralty

Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...

 on 28 January 1944 and name cancelled. Launched on 6 July 1944 and completed in November 1944 as RFA Wave Monarch for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...

. Sold in March 1960 to H G Pound, Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

 and used as an oil hulk at Le Havre

Le Havre

Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...

, replacing RFA Wave Conqueror. Sold in 1960 to Società Miroline and renamed Noema. Arrived on 8 April 1964 at Bilbao

Bilbao

Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 for scrapping.

Empire Vera

Empire Vera was a 292 GRT tug

Tugboat

A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...

 which was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby

Selby

Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...

. Launched on 14 May 1945 and completed in December 1945. Sold in 1947 to United Towing Co Ltd and renamed Rifleman. New steam engine

Steam engine

A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...

 fitted in 1949. On 3 June 1949 she was assisting Tradesman towing to Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, for scrapping when Norjerv broke in two and sank. Scrapped in November 1967 at Blyth

Blyth, Northumberland

Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres  northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...

, Northumberland

Northumberland

Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...

.

Empire Viceroy

Empire Viceroy was a 7,803 GRT (10,360 DWT

Deadweight tonnage

Deadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew...

) heavy lift ship

Heavy lift ship

A heavy lift ship is a vessel designed to move very large loads that cannot be handled by normally equipped ships. They are of two types: semi-submerging capable of lifting another ship out of the water and transporting it; and vessels that augment unloading facilities at inadequately equipped...

 which was built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, Barrow in Furness. Launched on 8 April 1943 and completed in August 1943. Sold in 1954 to Gypsum Carriers Inc and renamed Harry Lundeberg. Operated under the management of Kaiser Gypsum Co, USA. Renamed Ocean Carrier in 1957. Laid up on 13 November 1971 at Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. Arrived on 11 July 1973 under tow at Kaohsiung, Taiwan for scrapping.

Empire Victory

Empire Victory was a 21,846 GRT factory ship which was built by Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG

Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG

Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau Aktiengesellschaft was a cooperation of eight German shipyards in the period 1926 to 1945...

, Bremen. Completed in 1937 as Unitas for Unitas Deutsche Walfang GmbH. Requisitioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Flensburg. To MoWT and renamed Empire Victory. Bomb damage repaired in July 1946 by Harland & Wolff, Southampton

Southampton

Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...

. Then refitted by Silley, Cox & Co Ltd, Falmouth

Falmouth, Cornwall

Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....

, Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

. To Ministry of Food, operated under the management of United Whalers Ltd. Sold in 1950 to Union Whaling Co Ltd, South Africa and renamed Abraham Larsen. Sold in 1957 to Taiyo Gyogyo KK, Japan. Rebuilt with new diesel engine

Diesel engine

A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...

s, now 27,059 GRT and renamed Nisshin Maru No 2. Scrapped in March 1987 at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Empire Vigilance

Empire Vigilance was a 8,093 GRT tanker which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd Govan. Launched on 18 February 1942 and completed in May 1942 as British Vigilance for British Tanker Co Ltd. Torpedoed on 3 January 1943 while sailing in Convoy TM 1 and damaged by U-514

German submarine U-514

German submarine U-514 was a Type IXC U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II, commissioned in December 1941 and sunk by RAF aircraft after 19 months.Humphrey Metzgen and John Graham, , University of West Indies Press, 2007,...

 at 29°58′N 44°40′W and abandoned. Torpedoed on 24 January 1943 and sunk by U-105

German submarine U-105 (1940)

German submarine U-105 was a Type IXB U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine. U-105 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 24 May 1938 as part of Nazi Germany's naval rearmament program. Her keel was laid down by AG Weser in Bremen on 16 November 1938...

.

Empire Viking I

Empire Viking I was a 250 GRT whaler which was built by Smiths Dock Co Ltd

Smiths Dock Company

Smiths Dock Company, Limited, often referred to simply as Smiths Dock, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The company was originally established by Thomas Smith who bought William Rowe's shipyard at St. Peter's in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1810 and traded as William Smith & Co. The company...

, Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...

. Completed in 1929 as Vikingen I. Sold in 1938 to Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg and renamed Wiking 1. Requisitioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 18 October 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viking I. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed Slava VIII.

Empire Viking II

Empire Viking II was a 250 GRT whaler which was built by Smiths Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough. Completed in 1929 as Vikingen II. Sold in 1938 to Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg and renamed Wiking 2. Requisitioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 18 October 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viking II. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed Slava IX.

Empire Viking III

Empire Viking III was a 250 GRT whaler which was built by Smiths Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough. Completed in 1929 as Vikingen III. Sold in 1938 to Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg and renamed Wiking 3. Requisitioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 18 October 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viking III. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed Slava X.

Empire Viking VI

Empire Viking VI was a 381 GRT whaler which was built by Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau, Bremen. Completed in 1939 as Wiking 6 for Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 29 October 1945 at Emden. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viking VI. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed Slava II.

Empire Viking VIII

Empire Viking VIII was a 381 GRT whaler which was built by Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau, Bremen. Completed in 1939 as Wiking 8 for Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 29 October 1945 at Emden. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viking VIII. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed Slava III.

Empire Viking IX

Empire Viking IX was a 381 GRT whaler which was built by Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau, Bremen. Completed in 1939 as Wiking 9 for Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 29 October 1945 at Emden. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viking IX. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed Slava IV.

Empire Viking X

Empire Viking X was a 370 GRT whaler which was built by Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau, Bremen. Completed in 1939 as Wiking 10 for Hamburger Walfang-Kontor GmbH, Hamburg. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized by Royal Navy on 29 October 1945 at Emden. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viking X. Allocated to USSR by Tripartite Merchant Marine Commission at Berlin, 7 December 1945. Deployed to Southern Ocean on British account late November 1945. Handed over to USSR in Britain September 1946 and renamed Slava V.

Empire Villager

Empire Villager was a 2,066 GRT collier which was built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth. Launched on 31 August 1943 and completed in November 1943. Sold in 1946 to F T Everard & Sons Ltd and renamed Grit. Sold in 1957 to Bankstone Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Bankstone. Operated under the management of Stone & Rolfe Ltd, Swansea

Swansea

Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

. Sold in 1959 to Virtu Steamship Co Ltd, Malta and renamed Saver. Sold in 1965 to Marespuma Compagnia Navigazione, Panama and renamed Christoyannis. Operated under the management of A P Venetsanos, Greece. Sold in 1967 to Ann Poulos, Greece. Scrapped in November 1967 at Perama, Greece.

Empire Vincent

Empire Vincent was a 275 GRT tug which was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby. Launched on 3 September 1943 and completed in January 1944. Transferred in December 1945 to the Thai Government. Later transferred to the Royal Thai Navy

Royal Thai Navy

The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...

 and served as HTMS Samaesan, pennant number

Pennant number

In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...

 YTB 7. Laid up in 1982 in the Chao Phraya River

Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...

, Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

. Scrapped in 1983.

Empire Viscount

Empire Viscount was a 8,882 GRT tanker which was built by R Duncan & Co Ltd, Port Glasgow. Completed in 1929 as Athelviscount for United Molasses Co Ltd. Damaged on 31 August 1940 by bombing at Cammel Laird’s shipyard, Birkenhead

Birkenhead

Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...

. Torpedoed on 21 March 1942 and damaged by U-202 at 38°46′N 55°44′W. Salvage tug reached her on 26 March. Towed to John's, Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

. A journey not without problems as three U-boats were reported in the area and the vessels encountered storms and both drifted eastwards when the towline parted. Spotted by an aircraft on 4 April when still 100 nautical miles (185.2 km) offshore having been assumed by the Admiralty that both ships had foundered. Arrived at St John's with Athelviscount drawing 41 feet (12.5 m) aft and her bows high in the air. Moored to a buoy as she was unable to be drydocked but broke free on 9 April and grounded at the harbour entrance. Refloated and docked on 23 May for temporary repairs to be carried out. Departed under tow on 30 June bound for New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 where permanent repairs were carried out. To MoWT and renamed Empire Viscount. Returned to United Molasses in 1946 and renamed Athelviscount. Scrapped in October 1957 at Hendri- Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

.

Empire Voice

Empire Voice was a 6,828 GRT cargo ship which was built by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd

Barclay Curle

-History:The company was founded by Robert Barclay at Stobcross in Glasgow, Scotland during 1818. In 1862, the company built a large engineering works at Stobcross in Glasgow. In 1876, the company moved their yard down the river to Whiteinch. It was incorporated in 1884 as Barclay Curle...

, Glasgow. Launched on 3 September 1940 and completed in November 1940. Sold in 1946 to Booth Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Bernard. Sold in 1947 to Lamport & Holt Line Ltd and renamed Byron. Renamed Lalande in 1953. Sold in 1961 to William Brandt & Sons Ltd and renamed Uncle Batt. Arrived on 8 September 1961 at Moji

Moji-ku, Kitakyushu

is a ward of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the former city of Moji which was one of five cities merged to create Kitakyūshū in 1963. It faces the city of Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Straits between Honshū and Kyūshū....

, Japan for scrapping.

Empire Volunteer

Empire Volunteer was a 5,319 GRT cargo ship which was built by Harbour Marine Ltd, Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. Completed in 1921 as Canadian Traveller. Sold in 1932 to Achille Lauro & Co, Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

 and renamed Procida. Seized on 10 June 1946 at Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Volunteer. Torpedoed on 15 September 1940 and sunk by U-48 at 56°43′N 15°17′W while a member of Convoy SC 3.

Empire Wagtail

Empire Wagtail was a 4,893 GRT cargo ship which was built by Todd Drydock & Construction Corp, Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

. Completed in 1919 as Ossining for the United States Shipping Board

United States Shipping Board

The United States Shipping Board was established as an emergency agency by the Shipping Act , 7 September 1916. It was formally organized 30 January 1917. It was sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board.http://www.gwpda.org/wwi-www/Hurley/bridgeTC.htm | The Bridge To France by Edward N....

 (USSB). Sold in 1932 to Gulf Pacific Mail Line Inc and renamed Point Lobos. Operated under the management of Swayne & Hoyt Inc, San Francisco. To MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Wagtail. Torpedoed on 28 December 1942 and sunk by U-260 at 43°17′N 27°22′W while a member of Convoy ONS 154.

Empire Waimana

Empire Waimana was a 8,129 GRT refrigerated cargo liner

Cargo liner

A Cargo liner is a type of merchant ship which carried general cargo and often passengers. They became common just after the middle of the nineteenth century, and eventually gave way to container ships and other more specialized carriers in the latter half of the twentieth...

  which was built by Workman, Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast. Completed in 1911 as Waimana for Shaw, Savill & Albion Line Ltd

P Henderson & Company

P Henderson & Company, also known as Paddy Henderson, was a ship owning and management company based in Glasgow, Scotland and operating to Burma. Patrick Henderson started business in Glasgow as a merchant at the age of 25 in 1834...

. Requisitioned as a troopship during the First World War. Detained at Newport News

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 on 28 August 1915 as she had been armed with a 4.7 inches (119.4 mm) gun. Detention lasted until 22 September and ship was only released once the gun had been dismantled and landed ashore.Chartered

Bareboat charter

A bareboat charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible for taking care of such things....

 by the Aberdeen line in 1926 and renamed Herminius. Returned to Shaw, Savill in 1932 and renamed Waimana. Laid up in Gareloch in 1939. Purchased by the Admiralty and converted to a dummy battleship representing . To MoWT in 1942 and renamed Empire Waimana, reconverted for trade as there was a shortage of refrigerated cargo ships. Returned to Shaw, Savill & Albion Line Ltd in 1946 and renamed Waimana. In February 1951, she towed the liberty type ship

Liberty ship

Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...

 SS San Leonardo 300 nautical miles (555.6 km) from Cape Northumberland, South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

 to Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 after the latter had lost her propeller. Arrived on 27 January 1952 at Milford Haven

Milford Haven

Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...

, Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....

 for scrapping.

Empire Wall

Empire Wall was the intended name of a cargo ship which was to have been built by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dockyard Co Ltd

Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock

Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock was a Hong Kong dockyard once among the largest dockyards in Asia. Founded in 1863 by Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company...

, Hong Kong. Laid down on 24 June 1941. In 1945 she was 80% complete with all materials needed to complete her available. Scrapped in May 1950.

Empire Wallace

Empire Wallace was a 7,800 GRT cargo ship which was built by Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd

Greenock Dockyard Company

The Greenock Dockyard Company was a Scottish shipbuilding and ship repair firm located at Greenock, on the River Clyde.-History:The company was established by J E Scott of Greenock, with the yard at Cartsdyke being taken over in 1879 by Russell and Company, of Greenock, which later became Lithgows...

, Greenock

Greenock

Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...

. Launched on 4 September 1945 and completed in February 1946. Sold in 1956 to Ben Lin Steamers Ltd and renamed Benarty. Engines removed in 1962 at Hong Kong ready for replacement but came ashore on 1 September 1962 at Kowloon Docks during Typhoon Wanda. Refloated on 14 September 1962, repaired and fitted with a new diesel engine. Sold in 1963 to Harbour Line Ltd, Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

 and renamed Elys Harbour. Operated under the management of Mollers Ltd, Hong Kong. Sold in 1967 to Unique Development Co Inc, Liberia

Liberia

Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...

 and renamed Unique Developer. Operated under the management of R Y Chen, Hong Kong. Sold in 1969 to Taboga Enterprises Inc, Panama and renamed Fermenco. Chartered in 1973 by Compagnia Agropecuaria y Maritima Santa Rosa Ltd, Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, returning to Taboga Enterprises later that year. Sold in 1974 to Wayne Inc, Panama and renamed Avalon. Sold in 1981 to Pizano SA and renamed Bahia Columbia. Operated under the management of Abella Compagnia Ltda, Barranquilla

Barranquilla

Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...

 Colombia. Arrived on 5 December 1988 at Chittagong

Chittagong

Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...

, Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

 for scrapping.

Empire Walter

Empire Walter was a 244 GRT tug which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle

Hessle

Hessle is a town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, situated west of Kingston upon Hull city centre. Geographically it is part of a larger urban area which consists of the city of Kingston upon Hull, the town of Hessle and a number of other villages but is not part of the...

. Launched on 30 December 1943 and completed in March 1944. Sold in 1946 to C J King & Sons Ltd, Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

 and renamed Sea Queen. Scrapped in June 1974 at Gijon

Gijón

Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...

, Spain.

Empire Wandle

Empire Wandle was a 3,093 GRT cargo ship which was built by Flensburger Schiff- Gesellschaft. Completed in 1935 as Wilhelm Traber for W Traber & Co, Hamburg. Seized in May 1945 at Brunsbüttel

Brunsbüttel

Brunsbüttel is a town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany that lies on the mouth of the Elbe river, near the North Sea. It is the location of the western entrance to the Kiel Canal, the eastern entrance being located at Kiel-Holtenau...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Wandle. Allocated to USA in 1947. To United States Maritime Commission

United States Maritime Commission

The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and replaced the U.S. Shipping Board which had existed since World War I...

 (USMC) and renamed Yankee Dawn. Operated under the management of William C Atwater & Co Inc, Fall River

Fall River, Massachusetts

Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

. Sold in 1948 to Fall River Navigation Co, New York. Sold in 1950 to Oliver J Olsen & Co, San Francisco and renamed Cynthia Olsen. Scrapped in March 1971 in the USA.

Empire Wansbeck

Empire Wansbeck was a 3,508 GRT troopship

Troopship

A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...

 which was built by Danziger Werft AG

Danziger Werft

Danziger Werft was a German shipbuilding company, located in Danzig. It was founded in 1921 on the site of the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig that had been closed after World War I.During World War II Danziger Werft built 42 Type VII U-boats for the Kriegsmarine....

, Danzig. Launched in 1939 as refrigerated cargo ship Linz for Norddeutscher Lloyd

Norddeutscher Lloyd

Norddeutsche Lloyd was a German shipping company. It was founded by Hermann Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann in Bremen on February 20, 1857. It developed into one of the most important German shipping companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was instrumental in the economic...

 and completed at Odense Staalskibsværft

Odense Steel Shipyard

Odense Steel Shipyard located in Odense, Denmark was constructed in 1918–1919 by the A.P. Møller company and will be closed sometime in 2012. A new yard with bigger and better facilities was constructed 1957–1959 on a new site located in Munkebo a few kilometres outside of Odense proper...

, Odense

Odense

The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...

, Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

. Requistioned by the Kriegsmarine and used as a minelayer

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel Fjord

Kiel Fjord

Kiel Fjord is an approximately long fjord or firth of the Baltic Sea along the shores of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Formed by glacial movement during the last Ice Age, it lies between the Danish Wold and Wagria. It originates at the Hörn in centre-city Kiel and merges into the Bay of Kiel.The...

. To MoWT and rebuilt as a troopship, renamed Empire Wansbeck. Operated under the management of Wilson Line. Sold in 1962 to Kavounides Bros, Greece and renamed Esperos. Converted to a passenger ship. Withdrawn in March 1980, scrapped in 1981 in Spain.

Empire Wapping

Empire Wapping was a 2,025 GRT collier which was built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth. Launched on 15 March 1945 and completed in May 1945. Sold in 1947 to Thomas Stone Shipping Ltd and renamed Maystone. Operated under the management of Stone & Rolfe Ltd, Swansea. Collided on 18 October 1949 with and sank 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off the Longstone Lighthouse

Longstone Lighthouse

Longstone Lighthouse was built and designed by Joseph Nelson in 1826, and was originally called the Outer Farne lighthouse.The site had a long history of need for a light. In the late 17th Century Sir John Clayton, and later, in 1755, Captain J. Blackett, requested a light for the island...

.

Empire Warlock

Empire Warlock was a 254 GRT tug which was built by Ferguson Brothers Ltd

Ferguson Shipbuilders

Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited is a shipyard located in Port Glasgow on the River Clyde in Scotland. It is the last remaining shipbuilder on the lower Clyde, and is currently the only builder of merchant ships on the river - the company's mainstay has long been Roll-on/roll-off ferries.-History:The...

, Port Glasgow. Launched on 23 July 1942 and completed in September 1942. Sold in 1947 to the Egyptian Government

Politics of Egypt

The government of Egypt, as of February 27, 2011, is a republic currently under military rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak stepped down following several days of mass protests. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the...

 and renamed Sakr.

Empire Warner

Empire Warner was a 2,961 GRT cargo ship which was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd

Ailsa Shipbuilding Company

-History:The company was founded in 1885 by the 3rd Marquess of Ailsa.In 1902 the Ailsa yard fitted out the polar exploration ship Scotia for the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-04...

, Troon

Troon

Troon is a town in South Ayrshire. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services...

. Launched on 21 March 1946 and completed in June 1946 as Uskside for Uskside Steamship Co Ltd. Operated under the management of R W Jones & Co, Newport. Sold in 1965 to N Michalos & Sons Maritime Co Ltd, Greece and renamed Gero Michalos. Ran aground on 10 May 1968 in a cyclone at Akyab

Sittwe

-Economy:In February 2007, India announced a plan to develop the port, which would enable ocean access from Indian Northeastern states, so called "Seven sisters", like Mizoram, via the Kaladan River....

, Burma in a cyclone and broke up. Declared a total loss.

Empire Warrior

Empire Warrior was a 1,306 GRT cargo ship which was built by Hamburg-Elbe Schiffsbau, Hamburg. Completed in 1921 as Bianca. Sold in 1927 to A Kirsten, Hamburg and renamed Elbe. Captured on 20 October 1939 in the North Sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

 by and escorted to Kirkwall

Kirkwall

Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...

, Orkney Islands

Orkney Islands

Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Warrior. Damaged on 19 June 1941 by bombing off Villa Real

Vila Real de Santo António

Vila Real de Santo António is a city, civil parish, and municipality in the Algarve, Portugal. It is one of only three municipalities in Portugal without territorial continuity : its territory comprehends two parts, with the municipal seat located in the eastern part. Both the city and the...

 , Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. Crew rescued by a Marinha Portuguesa

Portuguese Navy

The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....

 destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

. A trawler

Naval trawler

A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...

 attempted to tow her to shallow water but she broke free and sank.

Empire Waterhen

Empire Waterhen was a 5,948 GRT (7,500 DWT) cargo ship which was built by Oscar Daniels Shipbuilding Co, Tampa

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. Completed in 1920 as Manatee for the USSB. To USMC in 1937 and MoWT in 1941, renamed Empire Waterhen. Sunk on 9 June 1944 as a blockship

Blockship

A blockship is a ship deliberately sunk to prevent a river, channel, or canal from being used.It may either be sunk by a navy defending the waterway to prevent the ingress of attacking enemy forces, as in the case of HMS Hood at Portland Harbour; or it may be brought by enemy raiders and used to...

 as part of Gooseberry 4, Juno Beach

Juno Beach

Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...

, Courseulles, Calvados

Calvados

The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...

, France. Raised in 1948 and scrapped at Penarth

Penarth

Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...

, Glamorgan

Glamorgan

Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...

.

Empire Wave

Empire Wave was a 7,463 GRT CAM ship

CAM ship

CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...

 which was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 28 March 1941 and completed in July 1941. Torpedoed on 2 October 1941 and sunk by U-562 at 59°08′N 32°26′W while a member of Convoy ON 19.

Empire Waveney

Empire Waveney was a 16,754 GRT ocean liner which was built by Blohm & Voss

Blohm + Voss

Blohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a...

, Hamburg. Completed in 1929 as Milwaukee for Hamburg America Line

Hamburg America Line

The Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft was a transatlantic shipping enterprise established in Hamburg, Germany during...

. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940 and used as an accommodation ship

Barracks ship

Barracks ship or barracks barge are terms used to indicate a ship or a non-self-propelled barge containing a superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for sailors. A barracks ship may also be used as a "Receiving Unit" for sailors who need temporary residence prior to being...

 and depot ship

Depot ship

A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...

 at Kiel. Bombed by the RAF

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 to prevent her being used as an escape ship by top-ranking Nazi personnel. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel and used by the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 as a transport ship. Allocated to USA but declined as her electrical system was of the single-pole type. To MoWT in October 1945 and renamed Empire Waveney. To Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

 for a refit. Caught fire on 8 February 1946 while in drydock. Caught fire on 2 March at the Canada Dock, Liverpool, gutted and sank. Refloated on 4 May and drydocked. Declared to be a total loss. Departed on 26 January 1947 under tow bound for Dalmuir

Dalmuir

Dalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...

, West Dunbartonshire

West Dunbartonshire

West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East...

 for breaking. Departed on 25 September 1947 under tow bound for Troon for final demolition.

Empire Weaver

Empire Weaver was a 2,822 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lübecker Flenderwerke AG, Lübeck. Completed in 1939 as Dalbek for Knorh & Burchard, Hamburg. Seized in May 1945 at Rendsburg

Rendsburg

Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Weaver. Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Chernigov. Scrapped in June 1969 at Split

Split (city)

Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

, Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

.

Empire Webster

Empire Webster was a 7,043 GRT cargo ship which was built by Short Brothers Ltd

Short Brothers of Sunderland

Short Brothers Limited was a British shipbuilding company formed in 1850 and based at Pallion, Sunderland since 1869. The company closed in 1964 when it failed to invest to build bigger ships.-19th century:...

, Sunderland. Launched on 18 July 1942 and completed in October 1942. Torpedoed on 7 February 1943 and sunk by U-77

German submarine U-77 (1940)

German submarine U-77 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine built by the Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack. The boat was sunk on 28 March 1943 east of Cartagena, Spain, in position by four depth charges and one bomb from two British Lockheed Hudson aircraft.-Ships sunk or...

 off Algiers

Algiers

' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...

 (36°47′N 01°37′E) while a member of Convoy KMS 8.

Empire Welfare

Empire Welfare was a 7,083 GRT cargo ship which was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 11 November 1943 and completed in January 1944. To the French Government in 1945 and renamed Matelot Becuwe. Sold in 1949 to Société Algeriènne de Navigation and renamed Marcel Schiaffino. Operated under the management of Charles Schiaffino et Compagnie, Algiers. Sold in 1965 to Bulet, Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

 and renamed Desmin. Sold in 1968 to Navigation Maritime Bulgare, Bulgaria and renamed Stefan Karadja. Scrapped in 1973 in Yugoslavia.

Empire Welland

Empire Welland was a 17,780 GRT ocean liner which was built by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg. Completed in 1938 as Patria. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. This was the ship on which Admiral Dönitz

Karl Dönitz

Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner...

 and the German High Command surrendered to the Allies in Flensburg. Seized, to MoWT and refitted as a troopship by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast and renamed Empire Welland. Allocated on 29 January 1946 by the Prize Court to the United Kingdom. Agreement reached with USSR and passed to them in 1946 and renamed Rossia, later Rossiya. Renamed Aniva in 1985 and arrived in December 1985 at Kure

Kure, Hiroshima

is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...

, Japan for scrapping.

Empire Wensum

Empire Wensum was a 2,515 GRT cargo ship which was built by Richardson, Duck & Co Ltd, Stockton on Tees. Completed in 1910 as Rotherhill. Sold in 1925 to Sauber & Co, Hamburg and renamed Robert Sauber. Requistioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Flensburg, to MoWT and renamed Empire Wensum. Sold in 1947 to Mooringwell Steamship Co and renamed Bruce M. Sold in 1956 to Compagnia de Transportes Maritime, Panama and renamed Sorengo. Scrapped in December 1966 at Spezia, Italy.

Empire Wessex

Empire Wessex was a 11,138 GRT cargo liner which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast. Launched on 5 December 1945 and completed in August 1946 as Port Hobart for Port Line Ltd. Scrapped in September 1970 in Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

.

Empire Wey

Empire Wey was a 2,645 GRT cargo ship which was built by Nakskov SKibs Akt, Nakskov

Nakskov

Nakskov is a town in south Denmark. It is in Lolland municipality in Region Sjælland on the western coast of the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 13,560 . To the west is Nakskov Fjord, an inlet from the Langeland Belt that runs between the islands of Lolland and Langeland...

, Denmark. Completed in 1944 as Robert Bornhofen for Robert Bornhofen, Hamburg. Requisitioned on completion by the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

. To MoWT and renamed Empire Wey. Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Yakutsk. Scrapped in 1970 in USSR.

Empire Whale

Empire Whale was a 6,049 GRT cargo ship which was built by Federal Shipbuilding Co

Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company

The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard, active from 1917 to 1949. During World War II, it built ships as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Operated by a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, the shipyard was located at...

, Kearny

Kearny, New Jersey

Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. Completed in 1919 as Winona County for USSB. To MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Whale. Torpedoed on 29 March 1943 and sunk by U-662 at 46°44′N 16°38′W while a member of Convoy SL 126.

Empire Wharfe

Empire Wharfe was a 3,072 GRT cargo ship which was built by Oresunds Varvet, Landskrona

Landskrona

Landskrona is a locality and the seat of Landskrona Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 28,670 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Landskrona was founded at the location of Scania's best natural harbour, as a means of King Eric of Pomerania's anti-Hanseatic policy, intended to compete...

 Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. Completed in 1938 as Viator. Sold in 1939 to H Schuldt & Co, Hamburg and rename Angelburg. Requistioned in 1939 by the Kriegsmarine for use as a target ship by the 24th U-Boat Flotilla. Participated in the evacuation

German exodus from Eastern Europe

The German exodus from Eastern Europe describes the dramatic reduction of ethnic German populations in lands to the east of present-day Germany and Austria. The exodus began in the aftermath of World War I and was implicated in the rise of Nazism. It culminated in expulsions of Germans from...

 of German Forces and refugee

Refugee

A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...

s from East Prussia

East Prussia

East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...

 to Germany in 1944-45. Seized in May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...

. Used as a hospital ship

Hospital ship

A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....

 at Flensburg. To MoWT in 1946 and renamed Empire Wharfe. Caught fire on 31 December 1946 off Lagos

Lagos

Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

. Arrived on 2 January 1947 at Lagos and beached in Badagry Creek. Refloated on 6 January. Repaired and sold in 1947 to Elders & Fyffes Ltd

Fyffes Line

Fyffes Line was the name given to the fleet of passenger-carrying banana boats owned and operated by the UK banana importer Elders & Fyffes Limited.-History:...

 and renamed Zent. Scrapped in 1962 in Bruges

Bruges

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....

, Belgium.

Empire Whimbrel

Empire Whimbrel was a 5,983 GRT cargo ship which was built by Moore Shipbuilding Co

Moore Dry Dock Company

Moore Dry Dock Company was a ship repair and shipbuilding company in Oakland, California. It was started in San Francisco in 1905 as the Moore & Scott Iron Works, but was destroyed by fire in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It reopened soon and in 1909 purchased the Boole Shipyard in Oakland....

. Oakland

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

, California. Completed in June 1919 as Monasses for the USSB. To MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Whimbrel. Torpedoed on 11 April 1943 and sunk by U-181 400 nautical miles (740.8 km) south south west of Freetown

Freetown

Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...

, Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...

 (02°31′N 15°55′W).

Empire Widgeon

Empire Widgeon was a 6,736 GRT C3-E type ship

Type C3 ship

Type C3 ships were the third type of cargo ship designed by the United States Maritime Commission in the late 1930s. As it had done with the Type C1 ships and Type C2 ships, MARCOM circulated preliminary plans for comment...

 which was built by Bethlehem Steel Co

Bethlehem Steel

The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...

, Quincy

Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...

, Massachusetts. Completed in August 1940 as Exemplar for American Export Lines

American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines

American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines, New York, was the leading US-flag shipping company between the US east coast and the Mediterranean from 1919 to 1977, offering both Cargo ship services and Passenger ship services, until declaring bankruptcy and was acquired by Farrell Lines, New York.-American...

. To MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Widgeon. To USMC in 1942 and renamed Exemplar. Conversion to a transport ship by Bethlehem Steel completed in September 1942. To US Navy as Dorothea L Dix. To American Export Lines in April 1946 and renamed Exemplar. Scrapped in November 1968 at Alicante

Alicante

Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...

, Spain.

Empire Wildebeeste

Empire Wildebeeste was a 5,631 GRT cargo ship which was built by Skinner & Eddy, Seattle. Completed in 1918 as West Ekonk for the USSB. Sold in 1933 to Lykes Brothers-Ripley Steamship Co

Lykes Brothers Steamship Company

Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., also called Lykes Lines, was a cargo shipping company acting from the beginning of the 20th century to 2005 having its main business in the trade to and from the United States.-History:In 1900 the sons of Dr...

 . To MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Wildebeeste. Torpedoed on 29 September 1942 and sunk by U-596 at 56°20′N 38°10′W while a member of Convoy SC 100.

Empire Willow

Empire Willow was a 129 GRT tug which was built by R Dunston Ltd, Thorne. Launched on 29 May 1941 and completed in October 1941. Allocated in 1947 to the Polish Government

Politics of Poland

The politics of Poland take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government of a multi-party system and the President is the head of state....

 and renamed Ŀos. Deleted from shipping registers in 1962.

Empire Wilson

Empire Wilson was a 9,916 GRT cargo liner which was built by C Connell & Co Ltd

Charles Connell and Company

Charles Connell and Company was a British shipbuilding company based in Scotstoun in Glasgow on the River Clyde.-History:The Company was founded by Charles Connell who had served an apprenticeship with Robert Steele and Co before becoming manager of Alexander Stephen and Sons Kelvinhaugh yard...

, Glasgow. Launched on 18 August 1944 and completed in December 1944. Sold in 1946 to Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd

Union-Castle Line

The Union-Castle Line was a prominent British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line...

 and renamed Kenilworth Castle. Arrived on 4 June 1967 at Hong Kong for scrapping.

Empire Wily

Empire Wily was a 6,343 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd

Lithgows

Lithgows Limited, was a British shipbuilding company based in Kingston, Port Glasgow, on the River Clyde in Scotland.-Founding:The Company was established by Joseph Russell and his partners Anderson Rodger and William Lithgow who leased the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow from Cunliffe & Dunlop and...

, Port Glasgow. Launched on 26 March 1940 as Dalesman for T & J Harrison Ltd. Completed in May 1940. Bombed on 14 May 1941 by German aircraft at Suda Bay, Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

 and sunk. Salvaged by German forces and renamed Pluto. Bombed at Trieste and sunk (date unknown). Salvaged by the British in May 1945 and rebuilt at Trieste. To MoWT and renamed Empire Wily. Returned to T & J Harrison and renamed Dalesman. Arrived on 15 September 1959 at Ghent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

, Belgium for scrapping.

Empire Wind

Empire Wind was a 7,459 GRT cargo ship which was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 9 July 1940 and completed in September 1940. Bombed on 13 November 1941 by German aircraft and sank at 53°48′N 15°52′W.

Empire Windrush

Empire Windrush was a 14,651 GRT ocean liner which was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg. Completed in 1930 as Monte Rosa for Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft

Hamburg Süd

Hamburg Süd is one of the key carriers on the North-South trade routes by ocean transportation. It is part of the Oetker Group, a family-owned German conglomerate.-History:...

, Hamburg. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine and used as a barracks ship at Stettin until 1942. Later used as a troopship between Denmark and Norway. In October 1943 she was used as a repair ship for Tirpitz

German battleship Tirpitz

Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...

. Resumed trooping duties in 1944 and then used as a hospital ship

Hospital ship

A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....

 in connection with the evacuation of German citizens from East Prussia. Struck a mine on 15 February 1945 off Hela

Hel, Poland

Hel is a town in Puck County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, located on the tip of the Hel Peninsula, some 33 kilometres from the Polish mainland.-Early developments:...

 and was towed to Gdynia. Temporary repairs carried out and towed with 5,600 refugees to Copenhagen. Used there as a hospital ship. Departed Copenhagen under tow on 23 June 1945 for Kiel. Allocated to the Unied Kingdom in August 1945. In November 1945 she was taken to Jarrow

Jarrow

Jarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England, located on the River Tyne, with a population of 27,526. From the middle of the 19th century until 1935, Jarrow was a centre for shipbuilding, and was the starting point of the Jarrow March against unemployment in 1936.-Foundation:The Angles re-occupied...

, Northumberland and laid up there until April 1946 when she was refitted as a troopship by Alex, Stephen & Sons Ltd, Glasgow. Renamed Empire Windrush in January 1947. Arrived at Tilbury

Tilbury

Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...

 in June 1948 with 500 Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

n immigrants, the first of the post-war immigrants into the United Kingdom. Refitted at Southampton between April and August 1950. Caught fire on 28 March 1954 32 nautical miles (59.3 km) off Cape Caxine, Algiers and abandoned with the loss of four lives from 1,487 people aboard. Taken in tow by but sank stern first on 29 March at 37°00′N 02°11′E.

Empire Winnie

Empire Winnie was a 487 GRT tug which was built by Clelands (Successors) Ltd

Clelands Shipbuilding Company

Clelands Shipbuilding Company was a leading British shipbuilding company. The Company was based in Wallsend was nationalised by the British Government.-History:...

, Willington Quay-on-Tyne

Willington Quay

Willington Quay is an area in the borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear in northern England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, facing Jarrow, and between Wallsend and North Shields. It is served by the Howdon Metro station in Howdon. The area from 2006 onwards has been an...

. Launched on 2 September 1943 and completed in January 1944. Sold in 1946 to William Watkins Ltd and renamed Zealandia. Sold in 1952 to Adelaide Steamship Company

Adelaide Steamship Company

The Adelaide Steamship Company was formed by a group of South Australian businessmen in 1875. Their aim was to control the transport of goods between Adelaide and Melbourne and profit from the need for an efficient and comfortable passenger service...

 Ltd, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and renamed Yuna. Sold in 1971 to C R Rotendella, Australia. Converted to a barge

Barge

A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...

 in 1973 and scrapped in April 1974 at Bunbury

Bunbury, Western Australia

The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...

, Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

.

Empire Wisdom

Empire Wisdom was a 9,208 GRT refrigerated cargo liner which was built by Greenock Dock Company, Greenock. Launched on 29 July 1942 and completed in November 1942. Sold in 1946 to Blue Star Line Ltd and renamed Royal Star. Refitted in November 1961 by Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack. New diesel engine fitted and renamed Caledonia Star. Arrived on 1 December 1972 at Kaohsiung, Taiwan for scrapping.

Empire Witham

Empire Witham was a 1,923 GRT cargo ship which was built by J Cockerill SA, Hoboken, Belgium. Completed in 1944 as Aeolus for Neptun Line. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Witham. Sold in 1948 to Indo-China Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Choysang. Sold in 1961 to Hemisphere Shipping Co, Hong Kong and renamed Milford. Sold in 1967 to Continental Navigation Co, Panama and renamed Salamanca. Scrapped in May 1969 in Hong Kong.

Empire Wold

Empire Wold was a 268 GRT tug which was built by John Crown & Sons Ltd

John Crown & Sons Ltd

John Crown & Sons Ltd, was a British shipbuilding company founded in 1847 and based on the River Wear, Sunderland.-Ships built by John Crown & Sons Ltd:-See also:* List of shipbuilders and shipyards...

, Sunderland. Launched on 24 March 1942 and completed in June 1942. British records claim that she was torpedoed on 13 November 1942 by U-300. German records do not claim her as a kill. Believed to have foundered at 64°08′N 22°38′W while attempting to assist Shirvan, which had been torpedoed and was later sunk by U-300.

Empire Wolfe

Empire Wolfe was a 2,888 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 26 July 1941 and completed in September 1941. Sold in 1946 to Ulster Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Wicklow Head. Operated under the management of G Heyn & Sons Ltd. Ran aground on 2 May 1947 at Joli Point, Port Mouton

Port Mouton, Nova Scotia

Port Mouton is a small village along Highway 103 on the southwest coast of Region of Queens Nova Scotia, Canada. It is about ten miles from Liverpool, Nova Scotia, the nearest significant community, and 100 miles from the provincial capital of Halifax, Nova Scotia.On May 13, 1604, the French...

, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. Salvage was proposed by the ship was further damaged in storms between 8 and 12 June 1947 and was declared a constructive total loss.

Empire Woodcock

Empire Woodcock was a 5,572 GRT cargo ship which was built by Ames Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, Seattle. Completed in November 1918 as West Cape for the USSB. Sold in 1927 to McCormick Steamship Co. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Woodcock. Allocated in 1942 to the Greek Government and renamed Epiros. Sold in 1948 to Zaunos, Stavrides & Cocolis, Greece. Sold in 1951 to Transworld Lines SA, Panama and renamed San Andrea. Scrapped in January 1953 at Stockton on Tees.

Empire Woodland

Empire Woodland was a 683 GRT dredger which was built by William Simons & Co Ltd, Greenock. Launched on 17 April 1946 and completed later that year as W 103 for the Admiralty. Renamed W 32 in 1948. To Ministry of Public Buildings and Works in 1963.

Empire Woodlark

Empire Woodlark was a 7,793 GRT troopship which was built by New York Shipbuilding Corp

New York Shipbuilding

The New York Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1899 and opened its first shipyard in 1900. Located in Camden, New Jersey on the east shore of the Delaware River, New York Ship built more than 500 vessels for the U.S...

, Camden

Camden, New Jersey

The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...

, New Jersey. Completed in July 1913 as cargo liner Congress for Pacific Coast Steamship Co. Caught fire on 14 September 1916 off Crescent City, California

Crescent City, California

Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...

 and gutted. Rebuilt at Seattle. Sold in 1918 to China Mail Steamship Co, New York and renamed Nanking. Owners bankrupt in 1922 and ship seized and sold by Court Order. Sold in 1923 to Pacific Steamship Co Inc, Seattle and renamed Emma Alexander. To MoWT in 1940 and refitted as a troopship. Renamed Empire Woodlark in 1942. Scuttled on 2 November 1946 north of the Hebrides

Hebrides

The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...

 (59°00′N 07°40′W) with a cargo of obsolete chemical ammunition.

Empire Wordsworth

Empire Wordsworth was a 9,891 GRT tanker which was built by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 29 May 1942 and completed in September 1942. Sold in 1945 to British Tanker Co Ltd and renamed British Lancer. Arrived on 10 September 1960 at Briton Ferry

Briton Ferry

Briton Ferry is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The town encompasses the electoral wards of Briton Ferry East and Briton Ferry West....

, Glamorgan for scrapping.

Empire Wrestler

Empire Wrestler was a 797 GRT coastal tanker

Coastal trading vessel

Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled sea-going ships usually cannot....

 which was built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth. Launched on 22 May 1943 and completed in July 1943. Sold in 1946 to Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd and renamed Esso Genesee. Sold in 1951 to Esso Petroleum Co Ltd

ExxonMobil

Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...

. Scrapped in 1961 at Tamise

Temse

Temse is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Elversele, Steendorp, Temse proper and Tielrode. On January 1, 2006 Temse had a total population of 26,287...

, Belgium.

Empire Wycliff

Empire Wycliff was a 6,066 GRT cargo ship which was built by Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 28 July 1941 and completed in September 1941. Sold in 1946 to North Shipping Co and renamed North Anglia. Operated under the management of H Roberts & Sons Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Sold in 1960 to Mariner Shipping Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Happy Mariner. Scrapped in March 1967 at Hirohata

Himeji, Hyogo

is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 535,945, with 206,409 households. The total area is 534.43 km².- History :...

, Japan.

Empire Wye

Empire Wye was a 6,446 GRT cargo ship which was built by Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Maschinenbau, Vegesack. Launched in 1944 as Esmeralda for Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft, Hamburg. Completed in 1945 by Nederland Scheepsvaart, Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

. Seized in May 1945 on the Kiel Canal

Kiel Canal

The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....

. To MoWT and reanmed Empire Wye. Sold in 1947 to Indo-China Steam Navigation Co Ltd and renamed Eastern Saga. Sold in 1968 to Southern Shipping & Enterprise Co, Hong Kong and renamed Nanfung. Sold in 1972 to Yick Fung Shipping & Entreprise Co, Hong Kong and renamed Nan Fung. Scrapped in 1975 in China.

Empire Yare

Empire Yare was a 4,701 GRT ocean liner which was built by Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik

Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik

Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik, also known as Reiherstiegwerft, was a German shipbuilding company, located on the Reiherstieg River in Hamburg. It was founded in 1706 by Lucas Kramer....

, Hamburg. Completed in 1922 as Wadai for Woermann Line, Hamburg. Requisitoned by the Kriegsmarine in 1939, used as an accommodation ship, school ship and then a target ship. Seized in May 1945 at Flensburg. To MoWT and renamed Empire Yare. Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Gogol. Converted to a fisheries training ship and based at Petropavlosk. Scrapped in 1971.

Empire Yukon

Empire Yukon was a 7,651 GRT cargo liner which was built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, Trieste, Completed in 1921 as Duchessa D’Aosta for Lloyd Triestino, Trieste. Captured on 14 January 1941 by the Royal Navy

Operation Postmaster

Operation Postmaster was a British operation conducted on the Spanish island of Fernando Po, now known as Bioko, off West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, during the Second World War. The mission was carried out by the Small Scale Raiding Force and the Special Operations Executive in January 1942...

 off Fernando Po

Bioko

Bioko is an island 32 km off the west coast of Africa, specifically Cameroon, in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea with a population of 124,000 and an area of . It is volcanic with its highest peak the Pico Basile at .-Geography:Bioko has a total area of...

, Spanish Guinea

Spanish Guinea

Spanish Guinea was an African colony of Spain that became the independent nation of Equatorial Guinea.-History:The Portuguese explorer, Fernão do Pó, seeking a route to India, is credited with having discovered the island of Bioko in 1472. He called it Formosa , but it quickly took on the name of...

 and reflagged to the United Kingdom. Caught fire on 13 July 1942 at Greenock and sank. Refloated on 22 July 1942 and repaired. To MoWT and renamed Empire Yukon. Allocated in 1946 to the Canadian Government

Politics of Canada

The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...

. Sold in 1947 to Petrinovic & Co, London and renamed Petconnie. Sold in 1951 to C.O.C. Società per Azioni, Italy and renamed Liu O. Scrapped in November 1952 at Spezia, Italy.

Empire Zeal

Empire Zeal was a 7,009 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 29 December 1941 and completed in March 1942. Torpedoed on 2 November 1942 and sunk by Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci

Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a of the Italian navy during World War II. The unit operated in the Atlantic from September 1940 until its loss in May 1943, and became the top scoring non-German submarine of the all war.-Construction:...

 at 00°30′S 30°45′W.

Empire Zephyr

Empire Zephyr was a 6,237 GRT cargo ship which was built by C Connell & Co Ltd, Glasgow. Launched on 2 March 1941 and completed in April 1941. Sold in 1946 to Kelston Steamship co Ltd and renamed Valewood. Operated under the management of J I Jacobs & Co Ltd. Sold in 1949 to Ampleforth Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Ampleforth. Operated under the management of C Cravos & Co, Cardiff. Arrived on 12 August 1959 at Port Glasgow for scrapping.

Empire Zest

Empire Zest was a 316 GRT trawler

Naval trawler

A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...

 which was built by Gebroeders Fikkers, Muntendam

Muntendam

Muntendam is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen, municipality Menterwolde.Until 1990 it was a separate municipality, which boasted the title 'reddest municipality in the Netherlands', with a council of 11 containing 7 PvdA members and 2 CPN members...

, Netherlands. Launched in 1918 as Amsterdam. Sold in 1938 to J L de Groot, Netherlands and renamed Zeester. Requisitioned by MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Zest. Transferred to the Admiralty in 1957 and reported disposed of in 1962.

Empire Zona

Empire Zona was a 292 GRT tug which was built by Fleming & Ferguson Ltd

Fleming & Ferguson

Fleming and Ferguson was a Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding company that traded between 1877 and 1969.-1877–1914:W.Y. Fleming and P. Ferguson founded the company in Paisley, Scotland in 1877, making marine steam engines. In 1885 they expanded into shipbuilding by taking over the...

, Paisley

Paisley

Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...

. Launched on 26 October 1945 and completed in February 1946. To the Admiralty in 1946, renamed Resolve in 1959. Sold in 1974 to L Matsas, Greece and renamed Georgios L Matsas.

See also

The above entries give a precis of each ship's history. For a fuller account see the linked articles.