SS Empire Airman (1941)

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History
Name
  • Empire Airman (1942-45)
  • San Wenceslao (1945-59)
Namesake Saint Wenceslas
Owner
OperatorEagle Oil & Shipping Co (1942-59)
Port of registry Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Sunderland
BuilderSir J. Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland
Yard number739
Launched18 November 1941
CompletedJanuary 1942
Identification
FateScrapped in Hong Kong, 1959
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length484 ft 0 in (147.52 m)
Beam68 ft 3 in (20.80 m)
Depth36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Propulsion1 x triple expansion steam engine (North East Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne) 674 hp (503 kW)
Speed14 knots (26 km/h)

Empire Airman was a 9,813 ton tanker that was built in 1941. She was renamed San Wenceslao in 1946 and served until 1959 when she was scrapped.

Contents

Description

The ship was 484 feet 0 inches (147.52 m) long, with a beam of 68 feet 3 inches (20.80 m) and a depth of 36 feet 1 inch (11.00 m). She was propelled by a 674 hp (503 kW) triple expansion steam engine that was built by the North East Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. [1] It could propel the ship at 14 knots (26 km/h). [2]

History

Empire Airman was built by Sir J. Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland as yard number 739. She was launched on 18 November 1941 and completed in January 1942. Empire Airman was owned by the Ministry of War Transport [2] and operated under the management of the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company. [3]

War service

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

HX 178

Convoy HX 178 sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on 3 March 1942 and reached Liverpool on 17 March. [4]

SL 112

Convoy SL 112 sailed from Freetown on 4 June 1942 and reached Liverpool on 23 June. Empire Airman joined the convoy at sea, being en route from Aruba to Belfast laden with oil and motor spirit. [5]

TAG 19

Convoy TAG 19 sailed from Aruba on 6 November 1942, arriving at Guantanamo on 11 November 1942. [6]

KMS 4

Convoy KMS 5 sailed from the Clyde on 11 December 1942, and reached Gibraltar on 24 December and Bone on 27 December.

MKS 16A

Convoy MKS 16A sailed from Tripoli on 29 June 1943 and reached Gibraltar on 6 July. [7]

From 1944 Empire Airman was under charter to an American oil company to carry aviation fuel. She operated between Williamstown on the Yarra River and various Pacific islands, including New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. [8]

Post war service

In 1945, Empire Airman was sold to her operators, who renamed her San Wenceslao. [9] She served for thirteen years and arrived for scrapping in Hong Kong on 20 July 1959. [2]

Official number and code letters

Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Empire Airman had the Official Number 169009 on Lloyd's Register and used the Code Letters BCWX [1]

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Clan Allan was a 7,043 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1942 as Empire Forest by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold to Clan Line in 1946 and renamed Clan Allan. Sold in 1958 to Bullard, King & Co Ltd and renamed Umtali, she was sold back to Clan Line the following year and renamed Clan Allan. She was sold to Mullion & Co Ltd, Hong Kong in 1961 and renamed Ardsirod, serving until 1966 when she was scrapped.

Hazelbank was a 6,140 GRT cargo ship built in 1942 as Empire Franklin by John Readhead and Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was converted to a CAM ship shortly after completion. She was sold to Bank Line in 1945 and was renamed Hazelbank. She was sold Compagnia Navigazione Nuevo Mundo SA, Panama in 1957 and renamed Irinicos. She was sold to Paleocrassos Bros, Greece in 1962 then to Salinas Compagnia Navigazione SA, Panama in 1963 and was renamed Iris II, serving until 1967 when she was scrapped in Hong Kong.

Matelots Pillien et Peyrat was a 7,058 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1943 as Empire Friendship by Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Ownership was transferred to the French Government in 1945, when she was renamed Matelots Pillien et Peyrat She was sold to Compagnie Havraise de Navigation à Vapeur, Paris in 1948. She was driven ashore at Port-de-Bouc, Bouches-du-Rhône in October 1962. Declared a constructive total loss, she was scrapped.

References

  1. 1 2 "STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 "1169009" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  3. ↑ "Empire - A". Mariners. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  4. ↑ "CONVOY HX 178". Warsailors. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  5. ↑ "ConvoySL.112". Convoyweb. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  6. ↑ "ConvoyTAG.19". Convoyweb. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Convoy MKS.16A". Convoyweb. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  8. ↑ "Mr D W Halden's story". BBC. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  9. ↑ "Public Notices". The Times. No. 50311. London. 28 November 1945. col D, p. 1.
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