ST Empire Ace
Encyclopedia
Empire Ace was a 275 ton tug
which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was transferred to the Admiralty
in 1947 and renamed Diligent. She was transferred to the Ministry of Defence
in 1961 and reverted to Empire Ace. She ran aground in 1968 and was scrapped in 1971.
as yard number 1255. She was launched on 12 September 1943 and completed on 22 December 1943.
She was built for the MoWT. Empire Ace was sent to Malta
She was a member of Convoy KMS 25 which passed Gibraltar
on 19 September 1943. She had sailed from Algiers with an unrecoded destination, but likely to have been Malta. Empire Ace was sunk during an air raid on Malta on 15 March 1944. On the 10 May she was salvaged and repairs were carried out. In 1947 she was transferred to the Admiralty and renamed Diligence. In 1961, Diligence was transferred to the Ministry of Defence and reverted back to Empire Ace. She was loaned to the US Navy
from December 1961 to December 1964, serving in Scotland
. On 11 November 1968, she ran aground at Campbeltown
in heavy seas and was abandoned. Empire Ace was refloated in June 1969 but declared a constructive total loss. She was scrapped at Campbelltown in 1971 by well known local scrap company Bitey and Cougar Ltd.
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Empire Ace had the UK Official Number 1690781 and used the Code Letters
MFLY.
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...
which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was transferred to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in 1947 and renamed Diligent. She was transferred to the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1961 and reverted to Empire Ace. She ran aground in 1968 and was scrapped in 1971.
History
Empire Ace was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, SelbySelby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
as yard number 1255. She was launched on 12 September 1943 and completed on 22 December 1943.
She was built for the MoWT. Empire Ace was sent to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
She was a member of Convoy KMS 25 which passed Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 19 September 1943. She had sailed from Algiers with an unrecoded destination, but likely to have been Malta. Empire Ace was sunk during an air raid on Malta on 15 March 1944. On the 10 May she was salvaged and repairs were carried out. In 1947 she was transferred to the Admiralty and renamed Diligence. In 1961, Diligence was transferred to the Ministry of Defence and reverted back to Empire Ace. She was loaned to the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from December 1961 to December 1964, serving in 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...
. On 11 November 1968, she ran aground at Campbeltown
Campbeltown
Campbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran , it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell was granted the site in 1667...
in heavy seas and was abandoned. Empire Ace was refloated in June 1969 but declared a constructive total loss. She was scrapped at Campbelltown in 1971 by well known local scrap company Bitey and Cougar Ltd.
Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO NumbersIMO ship identification number
The IMO ship identification number is made of the three letters "IMO" followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above...
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Empire Ace had the UK Official Number 1690781 and used 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:...
MFLY.