SS Empire Ballad

Last updated

History
Name
  • Empire Ballad (1941-46)
  • Bibury (1946-51)
  • Stad Maassluis (1951-62)
  • Jaguar (1962-66)
  • Goldfield (1966-68)
  • Poseidon (1968-69)
Owner
  • Ministry of War Transport (1941-46)
  • Alexander Shipping Co Ltd (1946-51)
  • Halcyon Lijn NV, Rotterdam (1951-62)
  • Compagnia Navigazione Jaguar, Panama (1962-66)
  • Olamar SA, Panama (1966-68)
  • Compagnia de Navigazione Sulemar, Panama (1968-69)
Operator
  • Allan, Black & Co (1942-43)
  • Capper, Alexander & Co (1943-46)
  • Houlder Bros Ltd (1946-51)
  • Halcyon Lijn NV, Rotterdam (1951-62)
  • Palomba & Salvatori, Italy (1962-68)
  • V Coccoli, Italy (1968-69)
Port of registry
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Sunderland (1941-46)
  • Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK (1946-51)
  • Flag of the Netherlands.svg Rotterdam (1951-62)
  • Flag of Panama.svg Panama (1962-69)
BuilderBartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland
Yard number286
Launched17 December 1941
Completed13 March 1942
Identification
FateScrapped 1969
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length416 ft 6 in (126.95 m)
Beam56 ft 6 in (17.22 m)
Depth34 ft (10.36 m)
Propulsion1 x triple expansion steam engine (North East Marine Engine Co (1938) Ltd, Sunderland) 506 hp (377 kW)
Speed10.5 knots (19.4 km/h)
Armament1 x 4" gun, 2 x 3" guns, 8 x machine guns, smoke generating apparatus (Empire Ballad)

Empire Ballad was a 6,640 ton cargo ship which was built by Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold to Alexander Shipping Co Ltd in 1946 and renamed Bibury. In 1951 she was sold to Halcyon Lijn NV, Rotterdam, Netherlands and renamed Stad Maassluis. In 1962 she was sold to Compagnia Navigazione Jaguar, Panama and renamed Jaguar. In 1966 she was sold to Olamar SA, Panama and renamed Goldfield. In 1968 she was sold to Compagnia de Navigazione Sulemar, Panama and renamed Poseidon, [1] serving until 1969 when she ran aground and was subsequently scrapped.

Contents

History

Empire Ballad was built by Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland as yard number 290. She was launched on 17 December 1941 [2] and completed on 13 March 1942. [3] She was initially operated under the management of Allan Black & Co Ltd. [4] and then Capper, Alexander & Co. [5]

War service

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

HX 254

Convoy HX 254 sailed from New York on 27 August 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 12 September. Empire Ballad was carrying a general cargo and was bound for Hull. [6]

KMS 31

Convoy KMS 31 sailed from Liverpool on 27 October 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 19 November. Empire Ballad was carrying a toxic cargo and was bound for Italy. [7]

KMS 68

Convoy KMS 68 sailed from Liverpool on 3 November 1944 and dispersed at Gibraltar on 14 November. Empire Ballad was armed with one 4" gun, two 3" guns and eight machine guns as well as being fitted with smoke generating apparatus. Empire Ballad was carrying a cargo of stores, vehicles and matches bound for the Naples area [8]

Postwar

In 1946, Empire Ballad was sold to the Alexander Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Bibury. She was operated under the management of Houlder Brothers Ltd and served with them for five years. [2]

In 1951, Bibury was sold to Halcyon Lijn, Rotterdam and renamed Stad Maassluis after the town of Maassluis. She served with them until she was laid up in March 1958 at Rotterdam. [9]

In 1962, Stad Maassluis was sold to Compagnia Navigazione Jaguar, Panama and renamed Jaguar. She was operated under the management of Palomba & Salvatori, Italy. She served with Cia. Nav. Jaguar for four years and was sold in 1966 to Olamar SA, Panama and renamed Goldfield, remaining under the management of Palomba & Salvatori. In 1968, Goldfield was sold to Compagnia de Navigazione Sulemar, Panama and renamed Poseidon. She was operated under the management of V Coccoli, Italy. [2] In September 1969, Poseidon ran aground while on a voyage from Rouen, France to Alexandria, Egypt. She put into Naples, Italy. Her bottom was badly damaged and it was uneconomic to repair her. [9] She arrived under tow on 21 November 1969 at Split, Yugoslavia [2] where she was scrapped by Brodopas. [9]

Official number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Empire Ballad had the UK Official Number 169522 and used the Code Letters BCXB. [4] Stad Maassluis used the Code Letters PHRL. [9]

When IMO numbers were introduced in the late 1960s, the number 5167815 was allocated to the ship It would have been carried by Poseidon. [3]

Related Research Articles

Empire Asquith was a 7,082 ton cargo ship which was built in 1944. In 1947 she was sold and renamed Brockley Hill. Further name changes were Starcrest in 1951, Argosy in 1957 and Nezihi Ipar in 1960. She was scrapped in 1970.

Empire Baron was a 5,890 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1926 for Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Compagnia Società in Anzioni, Trieste, Italy. She was captured by the Royal Navy in 1940 and ownership passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was renamed Empire Baron. She was sold in 1947 to Navigation & Coal Trade Ltd, London and renamed Rubystone. She was sold to a Panamanian company in 1951 and was scrapped in 1960.

Athelqueen was an 8,202 GRT tanker which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast in 1942 as Empire Benefit for the Ministry of War Transport. Postwar she was sold into merchant service and renamed Athelqueen and later Mariverda, serving until scrapped in 1961.

Derwentfield was an 8,602 GRT tanker that was built as Empire Coral in 1941 by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, United Kingdom. She was built for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Derwent River. Another sale in 1947 saw her renamed Derwentfield. She served until 1952 when she was severely damaged by an explosion and subsequent fire. In 1953, she was declared a constructive total loss and scrapped.

Philips Wouwerman was a 7,091 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1942 as Empire Courage by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd, Glasgow, United Kingdom. She was built for the Ministry of War Transport. in 1943, she was transferred to the Dutch Government and renamed Philips Wouwerman. In 1947, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Ceram. A further sale in 1953 saw her renamed Amsteltoren and then Amstelbrug. In 1959, she was sold to Greece and renamed Armathia. A further sale in 1965 saw her renamed Calliman. She served until scrapped in 1968.

Empire Deed was a 6,766 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1943 by Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Deed. In 1951, she was sold to Panama and renamed Doro. A sale to Greece in 1956 saw her renamed Leonidas Cambanis. In 1964, she was sold to Liberia and renamed Ever Fortune followed by a sale to Taiwan later that year and renaming to Ever Happiness. She served until 1967, when she was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Stakesby was a 4,026 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1930 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom. She was torpedoed by U-124 in 1940 and later sank. Raised in 1943, she was repaired, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Derwent. She was sold into merchant service in 1946 and renamed Swan Point, serving until she was wrecked in 1949.

Norholm was a 9,813 GRT tanker that was built in 1942 as Empire Druid by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1942, she was transferred to the Norwegian Government and renamed Norholm. She was sold into merchant service in 1946, and renamed Haukefjell. Fitted with a new engine in 1949, she was sold to Panama in 1952 and renamed Bluewater. She served until 1959, when she was scrapped in Japan.

Empire Duke was a 7,067 GRT cargo ship that was used during the Second World War in investigations into the metallurgical problems that Liberty ships were suffering from.

Empire Emerald was a 8,032 GRT tanker that was built in 1941 by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold into merchant service in 1946 and renamed El Gallo, serving until 1959 when she was scrapped.

MV <i>Empire Faith</i> World War II merchant ship of the United Kingdom

Empire Faith was a 7,061 GRT CAM ship that was built in 1941 by Barclay Curle & Co, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Converted to a cargo ship in 1943, she was sold to a British company in 1946 and renamed Jessmore. In 1958, she was sold to a Panamanian company and renamed Antiope. A further sale in 1964 saw her renamed Global Venture. She served until 1971, when she was scrapped.

SS <i>Quistconck</i> Cargo ship launched 1918

Quistconck was a 5,144 GRT Design 1022 Hog Islander that was laid down as Red Jacket in 1918 by the Stone & Webster subsidiary American International Shipbuilding Corp., Hog Island, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). Launched as Quistconck, she was sold to Lykes Brothers - Ripley Steamship Co Inc in 1933. In 1941, she was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Falcon. She was sold into merchant service in 1946 and renamed Barnby. A sale to a Panamanian company saw her renamed Mariandrea. She served until 1953, when she was scrapped.

Jolee was a 5,500-gross register ton (GRT) Design 1022 cargo ship that was built in 1920 by American International Shipbuilding, Hog Island, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). Launched as Cardington, She was completed as Jolee. She was sold in 1933 to Lykes Brothers - Ripley Steamship Co Inc. She was purchased by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) in 1941 and renamed Empire Flamingo. She served until June 1944 when she was sunk as a blockship at Juno Beach.

Stad Schiedam was a 6,140 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1942 as Empire Fortune by John Readhead and Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was transferred to the Dutch Government in 1943 and was renamed Van Honthorst. She was sold to the Halcyon Lijn in 1945 and renamed Stad Schiedam, serving until she was withdrawn in 1961. She was scrapped in 1962.

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.

Redgate was a 7,131 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1945 as Empire Freetown by Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Burntisland, Fife, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold to B J Sutherland & Co. Ltd. in 1946 and was renamed Inverness. She was sold to Turbull, Scott & Co. Ltd. in 1957 and renamed Redgate. She was sold to Compagnia Marvalia Navigazione SA, Monrovia, Liberia in 1963 and was renamed Agia Elpis. She was sold to Southern Cross Shipping Co. Ltd., Cyprus in 1967 and was scrapped in Shanghai, China in 1968.

References

  1. ↑ Often reported as Poseidone, but photographs show she carried the name Poseidon
  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. 24. ISBN   1-85044-275-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 "STAD MAASSLUIS 1942" (in Dutch). Scheepvaartned. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  4. 1 2 "LLOYDS REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  5. ↑ "LLOYDS REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  6. ↑ "CONVOY HX 254". Warsailors. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  7. ↑ "Convoy OS.57/KMS.31". Convoyweb. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  8. ↑ "Convoy OS.94/KMS.68". Convoyweb. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "STAD MAASSLUIS" (in Dutch). Koopvaardijschepen. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
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