SS Empire Adur

Last updated

History
Name
  • 1920-1935: Griffdu
  • 1935-1940: Noyo
  • 1940-1942: Nang Suang Nawa
  • 1942-1948: Empire Adur
  • 1948-1955: Nang Suang Nawa
Owner
  • 1920-1925: Universal Steamship & Barge Co, Seattle
  • 1925-1935: The Charles Nelson Co, San Francisco
  • 1935-1940: Union Lumber Co, San Francisco
  • 1940-1942: Thai Niyom Panich Co, Bangkok
  • 1942-1948: Ministry of War Transport
  • 1948-1955: Thai Maritime Navigation Co
Operator
  • Owner operated except:-
  • Singapore Straits Steamship Co (1942-48)
Port of registry
  • Flag of the United States.svg San Francisco (1920-40)
  • Flag of Thailand.svg Bangkok (1940-42)
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Singapore (1942)
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg London (1942-48)
  • Flag of Thailand.svg Bangkok (1948-55)
BuilderJ F Duthie & Co, Seattle
Yard number37
Launched20 September 1920
CompletedOctober 1920
Identification
  • US official number 220755 (1920-40)
  • UK Official Number 173071 (1942-48)
  • Code Letters KJLP (1920-40)
  • ICS Kilo.svg ICS Juliet.svg ICS Lima.svg ICS Papa.svg
  • Code letters VSTP (1940-42)
  • ICS Victor.svg ICS Sierra.svg ICS Tango.svg ICS Papa.svg
  • Code letters BFBW (1942-48)
  • ICS Bravo.svg ICS Foxtrot.svg ICS Bravo.svg ICS Whiskey.svg
FateSank whilst under tow to scrapyard, 23 November 1955.
General characteristics
Tonnage1,479 GRT
Length219 ft 9 in (66.98 m)
Beam40 ft 1 in (12.22 m)
Depth18 ft 5 in (5.61 m)
Propulsion1 x triple expansion steam engine (Hendricks Manufacturing Co, Seattle).
Speed11 knots (20 km/h)
China edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
Location where Nang Suang Nawa foundered.

SS Empire Adur was a 1,479 ton steamship which was built in 1920 as the Griffdu. She was renamed Noyo in 1935 and in 1940 was sold to Thailand, being renamed Nang Suang Nawa, being seized in 1942 and renamed Empire Adur. She was sold to Thailand in 1948, reverting to Nang Suang Nawa and was lost at sea in 1955 while being towed to Hong Kong for scrapping.

Contents

History

Griffdu was built by J. F. Duthie & Company, Seattle, Washington. She was the 37th and last ship built by Duthie. [1] Griffdu was launched on 20 September 1920, and completed the following month. [2] Her original owner was the Universal Steamship & Barge Co, Seattle. In 1925, Griffdu was sold to The Charles Nelson Co, San Francisco, serving with them for ten years. In 1935, Griffdu was sold to the Union Lumber Co, San Francisco, who renamed her Noyo. She served for five years before being sold to the Thai Niyom Panich Co, (Thai Navigation Co Ltd) Bangkok, who reflagged her and renamed her Nang Suang Nawa. [3] In 1942, Nang Suang Nawa was seized, [4] and passed to the Ministry of War Transport and renamed Empire Adur. She was placed under the management of the Singapore Straits Steamship Company. [3]

Empire Adur was not a popular member of convoys due to the condition of her boilers, and the fact that she would belch black smoke and flames from her funnel. The convoy escorts threatened to ask Empire Adur to leave the convoy or sink her. Another of her faults was that the nut holding the steering wheel on often came loose, with the result that the wheel came off in the helmsman's hands. [4]

Empire Adur joined Convoy KMS 21 at Gibraltar on 29 July 1943, arriving at Port Said on 9 August. Empire Adur had a final destination of Tripoli and Alexandria. [5]

In 1948, Empire Adur was sold to the Thai Maritime Navigation Co, Bangkok and regained her former name of Nang Suang Nawa. She served for a further seven years but went missing under tow by the Philippines registered tug Albacore to Hong Kong for scrapping. Both vessels were presumed lost. [3] Her last reported position was north of the Paracel Islands at 17°56′N113°45′E / 17.933°N 113.750°E / 17.933; 113.750 on 23 November 1955. [6]

Official number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Griffdu [7] and Noyo had the US Official Number 220755. [8] Nang Suang Nawa [9] and Empire Adur had the UK Official Number 166215. [10]

Griffdu [7] and Noyo used the Code Letters KJLP. [8] Nang Suang Nawa used the Code Letters VSTP. [9] Empire Adur used the Code Letters BFBW. [10]

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Clan Mackenzie was a 7,039 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Cato. In 1948 she was sold to Clan Line and renamed Clan Mackenzie, serving until 1960 when she was scrapped.

SS Empire Chamois was a 5,864 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1918 by Ames Shipbuilding and Drydock Co, Seattle. She was ordered by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique but was requisitioned by the United States Navy and commissioned as USS West Mount with the pennant number ID-3202 in 1918. She was decommissioned in May 1919 and passed to the United States Shipping Board (USSB) as SS Westmount. In 1927 she was sold to the Dimon Steamship Corporation and renamed SS Pacific Redwood. She returned to the USSB in 1932 and passed to the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) in 1937. In 1940, she was passed to the Ministry of Shipping, passing to the Ministry of War Transport in 1941 and being renamed SS Empire Chamois. She was sold to Astral Shipping Co Ltd in 1946 and renamed SS Granview. In 1949 she was sold to the Compagnia Maritime del Este, Panama and renamed SS Chamois, serving until 1958 when she was scrapped. She was the last Ames-built ship afloat.

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SS <i>Frontier</i> (1922)

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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.

References

  1. ↑ "J. F. Duthie & Company, Seattle WA". shipbuildinghistory.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  2. ↑ "2220755" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 "EMPIRE - A". Mariners-L. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  4. 1 2 "STRAITS STEAMSHIP COMPANY". merchantnavyofficers.com. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  5. ↑ "CONVOY KMS 21". warsailors.com. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  6. ↑ Mitchell, W H; Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN   1-85044-275-4.
  7. 1 2 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS, 1934-35" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  8. 1 2 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS, 1938-39" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  9. 1 2 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS, 1941-42" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  10. 1 2 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS, 1945-46" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
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