![]() MV Empire MacColl. | |
History | |
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Name | Empire MacColl |
Owner | Ministry of War Transport |
Operator | British Tanker Co. Ltd. |
Builder | Laird, Son & Co., Birkenhead |
Launched | 24 July 1943 |
Renamed | British Pilot in 1946 |
Fate | Scrapped Faslane 1962 |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 9,133 GRT |
Length | 463 ft (141 m) (pp) 481 ft 6 in (146.76 m) (oa) |
Beam | 61 ft 9 in (18.82 m) |
Depth | 27 ft 9 in (8.46 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 11 knots (20 km/h) |
Complement | 110 |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | Four Fairey Swordfish |
MV Empire MacColl was an oil tanker converted to a merchant aircraft carrier (MAC) ship.
MV Empire MacColl was built by Laird, Son & Co., Birkenhead under order from the Ministry of War Transport. She entered service as a MAC ship in November 1943, however only her air crew and the necessary maintenance staff were naval personnel. [1] She was operated by the British Tanker Company. [2]
She returned to merchant service as an oil tanker in 1946 and was eventually scrapped in Faslane in 1962.
A merchant aircraft carrier was a limited-purpose aircraft carrier operated under British and Dutch civilian registry during World War II. MAC ships were adapted by adding a flight deck to a bulk grain ship or oil tanker enabling it to operate anti-submarine aircraft in support of Allied convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic.
MV Empire MacAndrew was a grain ship converted to become a Merchant Aircraft Carrier or MAC ship.
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