HMS Athene
Encyclopedia
HMS Athene was an aircraft transport of the Royal Navy
. She was a merchant
conversion, requisitioned by the Navy during the Second World War and returned after its end. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named after the Greek goddess Athene
.
Clan Brodie, for the Clan Line
at the yards of the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company (Greenock
, Scotland
). She was requisitioned by the Navy and was launched on 1 October 1940 as the aircraft transport HMS Athene.
Athene operated as a Seaplane Carrier in the South Atlantic over 1942/43. She was fitted with a single catapult.
She survived the war and was sold back to the Clan Line in 1946. They reconverted her for merchant service and used her until 1963, when they sold her for scrapping.
She arrived in Hong Kong
for breaking up on 19 July 1963.
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...
. She was a merchant
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
conversion, requisitioned by the Navy during the Second World War and returned after its end. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named after the Greek goddess Athene
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
.
Career
She was originally built as the Cameron class steamerCameron class steamer
The Cameron class steamers were a ship class of steamships of the Clan Line.*Clan Macauley, launched 1936, bombed at Malta, scrapped 1963., launched 1937, sailed in convoy from Gibraltar and torpedoed and sunk by in October 1939....
Clan Brodie, for the Clan Line
Clan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
at the yards of the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company (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...
, 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...
). She was requisitioned by the Navy and was launched on 1 October 1940 as the aircraft transport HMS Athene.
Athene operated as a Seaplane Carrier in the South Atlantic over 1942/43. She was fitted with a single catapult.
She survived the war and was sold back to the Clan Line in 1946. They reconverted her for merchant service and used her until 1963, when they sold her for scrapping.
She arrived in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for breaking up on 19 July 1963.