MV Empire MacKay

Fairey Swordfish landing on Empire MacKay in 1944
History
United Kingdom
Name	Empire MacKay
Owner	Ministry of War Transport
Operator	British Tanker Co. Ltd.
Builder	Harland & Wolff, Govan
Yard number	1167 [1]
Launched	17 June 1943
Completed	5 October 1943 [1]
Renamed	British Swordfish in 1946
Fate	Scrapped Rotterdam 1959
General characteristics
Tonnage	8,908  GRT
Length	460 ft (140 m) (pp) 482 ft 9 in (147.14 m) (oa)
Beam	59 ft (18 m)
Depth	27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Propulsion	Diesel one shaft 3,300 bhp
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h)
Complement	110
Armament	1 × 4 in (100 mm) 8 × 20 mm
Aircraft carried	Four Fairey Swordfish

MV Empire MacKay was an oil tanker constructed with rudimentary aircraft handling facilities as a merchant aircraft carrier (MAC ship).

MV Empire MacKay was built by Harland & Wolff, Govan under order from the Ministry of War Transport. She entered service as a MAC ship in October 1943, however only her air crew and the necessary maintenance staff were naval personnel. ^[2] She was operated by the British Tanker Company. ^[3]

She returned to merchant service as an oil tanker in 1946 as British Swordfish and she was eventually scrapped in Rotterdam in 1959. ^[3]

References

1. McCluskie, Tom (2013). The Rise and Fall of Harland and Wolff. Stroud: The History Press. p. 152. ISBN   9780752488615.
2. H.T. Lenton & J. J. Colledge (1973). Warships of World War II. Ian Allan. p. 296. ISBN   0-7110-0403-X.
3. "List and history of the Empire ships – M". Mariners. Retrieved 18 March 2007.

External links

• FAA Archive