SS Empire Conveyor
Encyclopedia
{|Empire Conveyor was a 5,911 GRT cargo ship
that was built in 1917 as Farnworth by Richardson, Duck and Company
, Thornaby-on-Tees
, England
. After a sale in 1924 she was renamed Illinois. In 1926, she was sold to France
, and in 1934 to Greece
and was renamed Mount Pentelikon. In 1939, she was sold to Germany
and was renamed Gloria.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, she was in Buenos Aires
, Argentina
. An attempt to return to Germany resulted in her being captured by the Royal Navy
. Gloria was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and was renamed Empire Conveyor. She served until 22 June 1940 when she was torpedo
ed and sunk by off Barra Head
.
Ltd. of Thornaby-on-Tees
.
She was 400 in 3 in (122 m) long, with a beam of 51 in 6 in (15.7 m). She had a depth of 32 in 9 in (9.98 m), and a draught of 25 feet 11½ inches (7.91 m). She was assessed at 5,711 GRT, 3,589 NRT.
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 27 inches (68.6 cm), 44½ inches (113 cm) and 74 inches (188 cm) diameter by 48 inches (121.9 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Blair & Co Ltd, Stockton on Tees. It could propel the ship at 10 knots (19.6 km/h).
of Thornaby-on-Tees
built Farnworth was built for R.S. Dalgleish Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne
and completed her in June 1917. She was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 140672. Farnworth was used on routes serving the east and west coast of the United States
, the Caribbean
and West Indies.In 1924, she was sold to the Harlem Steamship Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and was renamed Illinois. She was initially operated under the management of F Newson. Later in 1924, management was transferred to Brown, Jenkinson & Co Ltd. In 1926 she was transferred to Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
. Her port of registry was Le Havre
and the Code Letters
OTRW were allocated. On 17 March 1932, Illinois was laid up at Roscanvel
. In 1934, Illinois was sold to Kulukundis Shipping Co
, Piraeus
, Greece
and renamed Mount Pentelikon. She was placed under the management of Rethymnis & Kulukundis Ltd
. Her port of registry was changed to Piraeus and the Code Letters SVAV were allocated.
In 1939, Mount Pentelikon was sold to Orion Schiffahrts GmbH, Rostock
, Germany
. She was operated under the management of E Behnke. The Code Letters DHBB were allocated. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gloria was at Buenos Aires
, Argentina
. She departed Buenos Aires on 6 October, bound for Hamburg
. On 21 October she was captured south east of Iceland
(65°30′N 22°05′W) by , escorted into Kirkwall
and then taken to Leith
. During the voyage into Kirkwall, three of her crew attempted to escape by lifeboat
but were recaptured at taken to Methil
, Scotland
.
Gloria was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Conveyor. Her port of registry was changed to London, and the Code Letters GLTN were allocated. Empire Conveyor regained her Official Number 140572. She was placed under the management of H Hogarth & Sons Ltd. The Code Letters GLTN were allocated. On 20 June 1940, Empire Conveyor was torpedo
ed by 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) south west of Barra Head
, Scotland at 56°16′N 8°10′W. Her radio aerials were damaged in the attack and Empire Conveyor was unable to call for assistance. She was spotted by a Royal Air Force
Sunderland
aircraft, which attacked U-122 and drove her away. The crew of the Sunderland raised the alarm, and the tug
was sent to her aid, escorted by and . Empire Conveyor sank before the ships reached her. The crew took to the lifeboats and liferafts
but one of them was swamped at launch, killing the captain and two crew. Thirty-eight survivors were rescued by HMS Campbell and landed at Liverpool
on 21 June. Empire Conveyor was the only ship sunk by U-122. Those lost on Empire Conveyor are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial
, London.
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...
that was built in 1917 as Farnworth by Richardson, Duck and Company
Richardson, Duck and Company
Richardson, Duck and Company was a shipbuilding company in Thornaby-on-Tees, England that traded between 1855 and 1925.-History:The yard was founded as the South Stockton Iron Ship Building Co in 1852. Its premises were the former yard of engine builders Fossick of Stockton and its first vessel was...
, Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. After a sale in 1924 she was renamed Illinois. In 1926, she was sold to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and in 1934 to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and was renamed Mount Pentelikon. In 1939, she was sold to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and was renamed Gloria.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, she was in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. An attempt to return to Germany resulted in her being captured by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Gloria was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and was renamed Empire Conveyor. She served until 22 June 1940 when 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 off Barra Head
Barra Head
Barra Head, also known as Berneray , is the southernmost of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Within the Outer Hebrides, it forms part of the Barra Isles archipelago. Originally, Barra Head only referred to the southernmost headland of Berneray but is now a common name for the entire island...
.
Description
Yard number 651, the ship was built in 1917 by Richardson, Duck and CompanyRichardson, Duck and Company
Richardson, Duck and Company was a shipbuilding company in Thornaby-on-Tees, England that traded between 1855 and 1925.-History:The yard was founded as the South Stockton Iron Ship Building Co in 1852. Its premises were the former yard of engine builders Fossick of Stockton and its first vessel was...
Ltd. of Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
.
She was 400 in 3 in (122 m) long, with a beam of 51 in 6 in (15.7 m). She had a depth of 32 in 9 in (9.98 m), and a draught of 25 feet 11½ inches (7.91 m). She was assessed at 5,711 GRT, 3,589 NRT.
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 27 inches (68.6 cm), 44½ inches (113 cm) and 74 inches (188 cm) diameter by 48 inches (121.9 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Blair & Co Ltd, Stockton on Tees. It could propel the ship at 10 knots (19.6 km/h).
History
Richardson, Duck and CompanyRichardson, Duck and Company
Richardson, Duck and Company was a shipbuilding company in Thornaby-on-Tees, England that traded between 1855 and 1925.-History:The yard was founded as the South Stockton Iron Ship Building Co in 1852. Its premises were the former yard of engine builders Fossick of Stockton and its first vessel was...
of Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
built Farnworth was built for R.S. Dalgleish Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and completed her in June 1917. She was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 140672. Farnworth was used on routes serving the east and west coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and West Indies.In 1924, she was sold to the Harlem Steamship Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and was renamed Illinois. She was initially operated under the management of F Newson. Later in 1924, management was transferred to Brown, Jenkinson & Co Ltd. In 1926 she was transferred to Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique , typically known overseas as the French Line, was a shipping company established during 1861 as an attempt to revive the French merchant marine, the poor state of which was indicated during the Crimean War of 1856...
. Her port of registry was Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
and the Code Letters
Code 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:...
OTRW were allocated. On 17 March 1932, Illinois was laid up at Roscanvel
Roscanvel
Roscanvel is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Roscanvel are called in French Roscanvelistes.-See also:*Quélern*Communes of the Finistère department...
. In 1934, Illinois was sold to Kulukundis Shipping Co
Counties Ship Management
Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. was an ocean-going merchant shipping company based in the United Kingdom. During the Second World War CSM merchant ships made a substantial contribution to supplying the British war effort, at a cost of 13 ships lost and 163 officers and men killed.-Founding of...
, Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and renamed Mount Pentelikon. She was placed under the management of Rethymnis & Kulukundis Ltd
Counties Ship Management
Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. was an ocean-going merchant shipping company based in the United Kingdom. During the Second World War CSM merchant ships made a substantial contribution to supplying the British war effort, at a cost of 13 ships lost and 163 officers and men killed.-Founding of...
. Her port of registry was changed to Piraeus and the Code Letters SVAV were allocated.
In 1939, Mount Pentelikon was sold to Orion Schiffahrts GmbH, Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She was operated under the management of E Behnke. The Code Letters DHBB were allocated. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gloria was at Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. She departed Buenos Aires on 6 October, bound for Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. On 21 October she was captured south east of 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...
(65°30′N 22°05′W) by , escorted into Kirkwall
Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
and then taken to Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
. During the voyage into Kirkwall, three of her crew attempted to escape by lifeboat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
but were recaptured at taken to Methil
Methil
Methil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Gloria was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Conveyor. Her port of registry was changed to London, and the Code Letters GLTN were allocated. Empire Conveyor regained her Official Number 140572. She was placed under the management of H Hogarth & Sons Ltd. The Code Letters GLTN were allocated. On 20 June 1940, Empire Conveyor 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 by 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) south west of Barra Head
Barra Head
Barra Head, also known as Berneray , is the southernmost of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Within the Outer Hebrides, it forms part of the Barra Isles archipelago. Originally, Barra Head only referred to the southernmost headland of Berneray but is now a common name for the entire island...
, Scotland at 56°16′N 8°10′W. Her radio aerials were damaged in the attack and Empire Conveyor was unable to call for assistance. She was spotted by a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
aircraft, which attacked U-122 and drove her away. The crew of the Sunderland raised the alarm, and the tug
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
was sent to her aid, escorted by and . Empire Conveyor sank before the ships reached her. The crew took to the lifeboats and liferafts
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
but one of them was swamped at launch, killing the captain and two crew. Thirty-eight survivors were rescued by HMS Campbell and landed 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 21 June. Empire Conveyor was the only ship sunk by U-122. Those lost on Empire Conveyor 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.