MV Empire Atoll

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History
Name
  • Empire Atoll (1941-46)
  • Hadrian Coast (1946-67)
  • Elda (1967-70)
Owner
  • Ministry of War Transport (1941-46)
  • Coast Lines Ltd (1946-67)
  • E Davidou & others, Greece (1967-70)
Operator
  • Coast Lines Ltd (1942-67)
  • E Davidou & others (1967-70)
Port of registry
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Liverpool (1941-67)
  • Flag of Greece.svg Piraeus (1967-70)
BuilderArdrossan Dockyard Ltd, Ardrossan
Yard number385
Launched12 July 1941
CompletedJanuary 1942
Identification
FateWrecked 10 January 1970
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length201 ft 3 in (61.34 m)
Beam33 ft 2 in (10.11 m)
Depth11 ft 7 in (3.53 m)
Propulsion2 x 7 cylinder SCSA diesel engines (British Auxiliaries Ltd, Glasgow) 1,120 hp (840 kW)
Speed11 knots (20 km/h)
Capacity50,604 cubic feet (1,432.9 m3) refrigerated cargo space

Empire Atoll was a British 693 ton refrigerated coaster which was built to the order of Coast Lines Ltd. She was requisitioned by Ministry of War Transport, being returned to Coast Lines in 1946 and renamed Hadrian Coast. She was sold to Greece in 1967 and renamed Elda. She was shipwrecked near Mehidia, Morocco on 10 January 1970.

Contents

History

War service

Empire Atoll was built by Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd, Ardrossan as yard number 385. She was powered by two 7 cylinder diesel engines. [1] She was built to the order of Coast Line Ltd and was the only refrigerated coaster built in wartime in the UK. She was launched on 12 July 1941 [2] and completed in January 1942. [3] She was built for Coast Lines Ltd [2] but was requisitioned by the MoWT, operating under the management of Coast Lines. Her port of registry was Liverpool. [4]

Empire Atoll was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

FS 33

Convoy FS 33 sailed from Methil on 7 February 1943 and arrived in London on 10 February. Empire Atoll was carrying a cargo of frozen meat. [5]

Postwar

In 1946, Empire Atoll reverted to Coast Lines and was renamed Hadrian Coast. She was sold to E Davidou & others, Greece in 1967 and renamed Elda. [2] Her port of registry was changed to Piraeus. [1] On 10 January 1970, Elda dragged her anchors and grounded near Mehidia, Morocco after developing engine trouble and a leak on a voyage between Ravenna, Italy and Kenitra, Morocco. She was a total loss. [2]

Official number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Empire Atoll had the UK Official Number 168807 and used the Code Letters BOSZ. [4]

Related Research Articles

Storaa was a 1,980 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1918 by the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company as Wellpark for British owners. In 1927, she was sold to Belgium and was renamed Navex. A further sale in 1937 saw her renamed Prina. In 1938, she was sold to the Netherlands and was renamed Willy. In 1939, she was sold to Denmark and was renamed Storaa.

Empire Bell was a 1,744 GRT collier which was built by Öresundsvarvet, Landskrona, Sweden as the 2,023 GRT passenger ship Belgia in 1930. In 1940 she was rebuilt as a cargo ship. In 1941, she was damaged by enemy bombing and burnt out. She was salvaged and sold to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), repaired and renamed Empire Bell. She was torpedoed and sunk by U-442 on 25 September 1942.

Ravelston was an 2,808 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1906 for the Ravelston Steamship Co Ltd. She was requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) in 1941 and renamed Empire Bond. In 1946 she was sold and renamed Prenton. Following a grounding in 1949, she was declared a constructive total loss, but was sold and repaired, returning to service as Agios Dionysissios. In 1951 she was renamed Sandenis and then San Denis, serving until she was scrapped in 1959.

Gripfast was a 2,852 GRT coaster which was built in 1941 as Empire Brook for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold into civil service in 1946 and renamed Stancliffe. She ran aground in 1948 and was declared a constructive total loss, having broken her back. Despite this, she was repaired and saw further service as Gripfast, Capetan Costas P, Karine M and Pitsa before sinking when under tow on 6 December 1967.

Yelkenci was a 7,052 GRT refrigerated cargo ship which was built in 1943 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Camp. She was sold in 1946 and renamed Valacia. In 1951, she was sold and renamed New York City. A further sale in 1955 saw her renamed Loch Morar. A final sale to Turkish owners saw her renamed Yelkenci. She served with them until scrapped in 1971.

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.

Cap Tafelneh was a 2,266 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1920 by Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Fife, Scotland. She was built for Joseph Lasry as Sydney Lasry. In 1931, she was sold to Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and renamed Ariège. In 1938 she was sold to Société Anonyme de Gerance D'Armement and renamed Cap Tafelneh. She was bombed and sunk at Dunkirk in 1940.

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

Inkosi was a 6,618 GRT refrigerated cargo liner which was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was hired by the Royal Navy in 1940 for use as an ocean boarding vessel, but was sunk in an air raid before she could be used for this purpose. The ship was salvaged, converted to a cargo ship and passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), who renamed her Empire Chivalry. In 1946 she was sold and renamed Planter. She served until 1958, when she was scrapped.

Scantic was a 326 GRT coaster that was built in 1936 by Noord Nederland Scheepsmakkerij, Groningen as Dr Colijn for a Dutch owner. In 1940, she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Crocus. In 1947, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Stainton. A further sale in 1951 saw her renamed Benwood. In 1955 she was sold to Finland and renamed Monica. A further sale to Sweden in 1957 saw her renamed Mona. In 1963, she was sold to Denmark and renamed Scantic, serving until 7 December 1964 when she foundered in St Georges Channel, United Kingdom.

British Diplomat was a 6,498 GRT tanker that was built in 1926 by J Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, United Kingdom for the British Tanker Co Ltd. Relegated to use as a depot ship in Algeria by the time the Second World War stated, she was returned to the United Kingdom and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) in 1940, renamed Empire Diplomat. War service was spent in home waters. She served until 1946 when she was scrapped.

Kowloon No.1 was a 2,942 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1943 as Empire Dirk by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Troon, Ayrshire, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Spending the war years in home waters, she was sold into merchant service in 1951 and renamed Nancy Moller, and then Mount Austin after a further sale later that year. In 1956, she was sold to the Australian Government and renamed Coolabah.

Sand Star was a 489 GRT dredger that was built in 1943 as the coaster Empire Dyke Clelands (Successors) Ltd, Wallsend, Northumberland, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was transferred to the Netherlands in 1943 and renamed Prinses Margriet. In 1954, she was sold to the United Kingdom and renamed Sand Star. She served until 1966 when she sank following a collision.

Empire Engineer was a 5,358 GRT refrigerated cargo ship that was built in 1921 as Canadian Commander by Canadian Vickers Ltd, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was sold to an Italian firm in 1932 and renamed Giaocchino Lauro. She was seized by the United Kingdom in 1940, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Engineer. She served until 4 February 1941 when she was torpedoed and sunk by U-123.

MV Murell was a 319 GRT coaster that was built in 1940 as Fiddown by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole, Yorkshire, United Kingdom for S Morris Ltd. In 1941, she was run down and sunk by HMS Campbelltown in the Mersey Estuary. She was salvaged in 1942, repaired and passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), renamed Empire Estuary. She was sold into merchant service in 1946 and renamed Goldfawn. A further sale in 1952 saw her renamed Creekdawn. A sale to an Irish company in 1954 saw her renamed Murell. She served until 1972, when she was scrapped.

Sheaf Mount was a 7,123 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1944 by Burntisland Shipbuilding Company, Burntisland, Fife, United Kingdom as Empire Fancy for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1947, she was sold and renamed Sheaf Mount. A further sale in 1957 saw her renamed Valldemosa. In 1961, she was sold to Hong Kong and renamed Ardfinnan. A sale in 1968 to Gibraltar saw her renamed Court Harwell. She was scrapped in Hong Kong in 1969.

Inchearn was a 7,024 GRT refrigerated cargo ship that was built as Empire Flag in 1943 by Sir W G Armstrong, Whitworth & Co (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold in 1946 and renamed Carmia. A further sale in 1954 saw her renamed Victoria Star. In 1955, she was sold to Hong Kong and renamed Inchearn. She served until 1966 when she was scrapped.

Empire Fusilier was cargo ship which was built as Mincio in 1921 by Cantiere Cerusa, Voltri, Italy for Pietro Ravano Fu Marco, Genoa. She was seized as a prize of war in 1940, passing to the Ministry of Shipping and renamed Empire Fusilier, serving until torpedoed and sunk by U-85 in 1942.

References

  1. 1 2 "On This Day: 10th January". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. 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. p. 316. ISBN   1-85044-275-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "1168807" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  4. 1 2 "LLOYDS REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  5. ↑ "CONVOY FS 33". Warsailors. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
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