SS Empire Caribou
Encyclopedia
{|
Empire Caribou was a 4,861 GRT cargo ship
which was built in 1919 for the United States Shipping Board
(USSB) as Waterbury. She was sold in 1920 to the American Star Line and renamed Northern Star. In 1923, she was sold to American Sugar Transporters Inc and renamed Defacto. In 1941 she was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Caribou. On 10 May 1941, she was torpedo
ed and sunk by .
, New York
, as yard number 10. She was launched in 1919, and completed in November that year.
The ship was 386 in 8 in (117.86 m) long, with a beam of 52 in 2 in (15.9 m) and a depth of 27 in 4 in (8.33 m). Her GRT was 4,800, with a NRT of 2,999. Her DWT was 7,814. In 1940, her GRT was recorded as 4,861 and her NRT as 2,994.
She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 24 inches (61 cm), 40 inches (101.6 cm) and 70 inches (177.8 cm) diameter and 48 inches (121.9 cm) stroke. The ship could make 10 knots (19.6 km/h).
LTKB were allocated. In 1934, her Code Letters were changed to KOKC. On 18 March 1940, Defacto was given to the United Kingdom
. She was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Caribou. The United Kingdom Official Number 167431 and the Code Letters GQBN were allocated.
Empire Caribou was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
SC 25
Convoy SC 25 departed Halifax, Nova Scotia
on 10 March 1941 and arrived at Liverpool
on 29 March. Empire Caribou was carrying a cargo of steel
bound for London
.
OB318
Convoy OB 318
departed Liverpool on 2 May 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 10 May. Empire Caribou was carrying a cargo of 2,020 tons of chalk
and was bound for Boston, Massachusetts. On 10 May, she was torpedoed and sunk by at 59°28′N 35°44′W, with the loss of 29 of her 40 crew. Eleven survivors were rescued by . They were landed at Reykjavík
, Iceland
and transferred to which took them to Greenock
. Those lost on Empire Caribou are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial
, London.
Empire Caribou was a 4,861 GRT cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
which was built in 1919 for the United States Shipping Board
United States Shipping Board
The United States Shipping Board was established as an emergency agency by the Shipping Act , 7 September 1916. It was formally organized 30 January 1917. It was sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board.http://www.gwpda.org/wwi-www/Hurley/bridgeTC.htm | The Bridge To France by Edward N....
(USSB) as Waterbury. She was sold in 1920 to the American Star Line and renamed Northern Star. In 1923, she was sold to American Sugar Transporters Inc and renamed Defacto. In 1941 she was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Caribou. On 10 May 1941, she was torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed and sunk by .
Description
The ship was built by Downey Shipbuilding Corporation, ArlingtonArlington, New York
Arlington is a community in Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 12,481.Arlington is a suburb of the City of Poughkeepsie and is in the Town of Poughkeepsie...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as yard number 10. She was launched in 1919, and completed in November that year.
The ship was 386 in 8 in (117.86 m) long, with a beam of 52 in 2 in (15.9 m) and a depth of 27 in 4 in (8.33 m). Her GRT was 4,800, with a NRT of 2,999. Her DWT was 7,814. In 1940, her GRT was recorded as 4,861 and her NRT as 2,994.
She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 24 inches (61 cm), 40 inches (101.6 cm) and 70 inches (177.8 cm) diameter and 48 inches (121.9 cm) stroke. The ship could make 10 knots (19.6 km/h).
History
Waterbury was built for the USSB.She was launched on 23 July 1919. The United States Official Number 219134 was allocated. In 1920 she was sold to the American Star Line Inc and renamed Northern Star. In 1923, she was sold to American Sugar Transporters Inc and renamed Defacto. The Code LettersCode letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
LTKB were allocated. In 1934, her Code Letters were changed to KOKC. On 18 March 1940, Defacto was given to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. She was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Caribou. The United Kingdom Official Number 167431 and the Code Letters GQBN were allocated.
Empire Caribou was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
SC 25
Convoy SC 25 departed Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
on 10 March 1941 and arrived at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 29 March. Empire Caribou was carrying a cargo of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
bound for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
OB318
Convoy OB 318
Convoy OB 318
OB 318 was a North Atlantic convoy which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It saw the capture of U-110 and a wealth of signals intelligence, which led to the Allied breakthough into cracking the German naval Enigma code.-Prelude:...
departed Liverpool on 2 May 1941 and arrived at Halifax on 10 May. Empire Caribou was carrying a cargo of 2,020 tons of chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
and was bound for Boston, Massachusetts. On 10 May, she was torpedoed and sunk by at 59°28′N 35°44′W, with the loss of 29 of her 40 crew. Eleven survivors were rescued by . They were landed at Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and transferred to which took them to Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
. Those lost on Empire Caribou are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial
Tower Hill Memorial
The Tower Hill Memorial is a national war memorial on the south side of Trinity Square Gardens, just to the north of the Tower of London. It commemorates those from the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets who died during both world wars and have "no grave but the sea".The First World War memorial...
, London.