MV British Bombardier

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

History
Name
  • Empire Fusilier (1942)
  • Empire Bombardier (1942-46)
  • British Bombardier (1946-59)
Owner
  • Ministry of War Transport (1942-46)
  • British Tanker Co Ltd (1946-55)
  • BP Tanker Company (1955-59)
Operator
  • Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd (1942-46)
  • British Tanker Co Ltd (1946-55)
  • BP Tanker Company (1955-59)
Port of registry
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Belfast (1943-46)
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg London (1946-59)
BuilderHarland & Wolff, Belfast
Yard number1158
Launched8 August 1942
Completed18 February 1943
Identification
FateScrapped 1959
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length465 ft 6 in (141.88 m)
Beam56 ft 6 in (17.22 m)
Depth34 ft (10.36 m)
Propulsion1 x 4SCSA diesel engine

British Bombardier was an 8,202 GRT tanker which was built in 1942 as Empire Fusilier and completed as Empire Bombardier. She was built for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT); postwar, she was sold to British Tanker Co Ltd, serving until she was scrapped in 1959.

Contents

Description

Empire Fusilier was built by Harland and Wolff Ltd, Belfast. [1] She was yard number 1158, [2] and was launched on 8 August 1942. She was completed in February 1943 as Empire Bombardier. [1] The ship was 465 feet 6 inches (141.88 m) long, with a beam of 56 feet 6 inches (17.22 m) and a depth of 34 feet (10.36 m). She was propelled by a four stroke, Single Cycle Single Action diesel engine which had eight cylinders of 25+9⁄16 inches (64.9 cm) bore by 55+1⁄8 inches (140 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Harland & Wolff. [3]

Career

The MoWT placed Empire Bombardier under the management of Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was Belfast. [3] Empire Bombardier was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

HX 242

Convoy HX 242 departed New York on 31 May 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 15 June. Empire Bombardier was bound for the Stanlow Refinery, Ellesmere Port. [4]

HX 304

Convoy HX 304 departed New York on 17 August 1944 and arrived at Liverpool on 1 September. Empire Bombardier was bound for Thameshaven. [5]

In 1946, Empire Bombardier was sold to the British Tanker Co Ltd and renamed British Bombardier. [1] Her port of registry was changed to London. [6] In 1955, the British Tanker Company was renamed to BP Tanker Company. [7] She served until 1959, when she was sold for scrap to a firm in Tamise, Belgium. She arrived for scrapping on 15 March 1959. [1]

Official Numbers and Code Letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. The ship had the UK Official Number 168521. Empire Bombardier used the Code Letters BFJY. [3] British Bombardier is recorded as using the same code letters in 1946. [6]

Related Research Articles

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Athelqueen was an 8,202 GRT tanker which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast in 1942 as Empire Benefit for the Ministry of War Transport. Postwar she was sold into merchant service and renamed Athelqueen and later Mariverda, serving until scrapped in 1961.

Empire Blanda was a cargo ship that Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow built in 1919 as Nile. It was sold to a Yugoslavian company in 1930 and renamed Sokol in 1933, serving until 1939 when it was sold to a Panamanian company and renamed Rio Grande. In 1940, the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) requisitioned Nile, which was renamed Empire Blanda. On 19 February 1941 U-69 torpedoed Nile, sinking it.

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Esso Cadillac was an 8,149 GRT tanker which was built in 1940 as Empire Bronze for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold into civil service in 1946 and renamed Esso Cadillac. Another change of ownership in 1956 saw her renamed Maribella II and she served under this name until scrapped in 1959.

Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher was a 7,067 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1944 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Call. In 1945 she was sold to the French government and renamed Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher. In November 1945, she ran aground on Stromboli and broke in two. Declared a total loss, she was scrapped in 1947.

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Holmbury was a 7,058 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1943 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Canyon. In 1947 she was sold and renamed Holmbury. In 1960, she was sold to Pakistan and renamed Ilyasbaksh. In 1965, she was detained by India as war had broken out between India and Pakistan. She was declared a war prize and seized by the Indian Government. She was scrapped in 1970.

Nelson Star was a 7,365 GRT refrigerated cargo liner that was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946 she was sold to Blue Star Line and renamed Gothic Star. She was renamed Nelson Star in 1948 and Patagonia Star in 1958. In 1961, she was sold and renamed Eirini. In 1970, she was sold to Cypriot owners and renamed Byzantium. After engine damage and a fire while laid up, she was scrapped in 1971.

British Cavalier was a 9,891 GRT tanker that was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Cavalier. In 1945, she was sold to the British Tanker Co Ltd and renamed British Cavalier, serving until 1959 when she was scrapped.

Belgian Captain was a 7,041 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1942 as Empire Centaur for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1943 she was passed to the Belgian Government and renamed Belgian Captain. Postwar, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Capitaine Lambe. In 1960 she was sold to Hong Kong and renamed Ardee, being renamed Alpha Trader in 1964. She served until 1967 when she was scrapped.

Empire Cheer was a 7,297 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1943 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. She was built for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and completed in July 1943. After the Second World War she was sold to her managers, Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd, who renamed her Cornish City. On 8 December 1962 she suffered an engine room fire, after which she was scrapped in March 1963.

SS <i>Inkosi</i> (1937)

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Empire Clarion was a 7,031 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1942 by William Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946 she was sold and renamed Cedarpool. She served until 1959, when she was scrapped.

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Empire Clive was a 7,069 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1941 by Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). During the Second World War, she served as a CAM ship, armed with a Hawker Hurricane aircraft. In 1946 she was sold and renamed Charlebury. In 1958, she was sold to Hong Kong and renamed Isabel Erica. She served until 1969 when she was scrapped.

SS Empire Cobbett was a 9,811 GRT tanker which was built in 1942 by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946 she was sold into merchant service and renamed San Wilfrido. She was scrapped in 1959.

Empire Coleridge was a 9,811 GRT tanker which was built in 1942 by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946 she was sold into merchant service and renamed Esso Cheyenne. She was scrapped in 1961.

Empire Chapman was an 8,194 GRT tanker which was built in 1942 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946 she was sold into merchant service and renamed British Commando. She was scrapped in 1959.

Talthybius was a 10,224 GRT Cargo liner that was built in 1911 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom for a British shipping line. She was sunk at Singapore in an air raid in 1942. Salvaged by the Japanese, she was renamed Taruyasu Maru, serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy until 1945 when she either struck a mine off Sado Island and sank or was sunk in an attack by aircraft of Task Force 38. She was salvaged by the British, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Evenlode. She served until 1949, when she was scrapped.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN   1-85044-275-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "5617419" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  4. ↑ "Convoy HX 242". Warsailors. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  5. ↑ "Convoy HX 304". Warsailors. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  6. 1 2 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS AND MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  7. ↑ "the history of our flag" (PDF). BP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
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