MV Athelqueen (1942)
Encyclopedia
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.
MKS 16A
Convoy MKS 16A departed Tripoli
, Libya
on 29 June 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar
on 6 July.
HX 253
Convoy HX 253 departed New York
on 20 August 1943 and arrived at Liverpool
on 4 September. Empire Benefit was due to sail with this convoy but joined the following one, HX 254.
HX 254
Convoy HX 254 departed New York on 27 August 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 12 September. Empire Benefit was bound for Milford Haven
and Falmouth
.
In 1945, Empire Benefit was sold to Athel Line Ltd and renamed Athelqueen. Her port of registry was changed to London
. In 1955, Athelqueen was sold to Mariblanca Navigazione SA, Panama
, as she was unsuitable for transporting molasses
and due for an extensive refit. Athelqueen was renamed Mariverda. She was operated under the management of Chandris (England) Ltd, and reflagged
to Liberia
. On 11 February 1958, Mariverda ran aground in the Suez Canal
during fog
gy weather. She served until 1961 when she was scrapped at Kure
, Japan
, arriving on 6 September.
. Empire Benefit had the UK Official number 168528 and the Code Letters
BFJP.
which had six cylinders, 29 inches (740 mm) diameter by 59 inches (1500 mm) stroke. It was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow
.
Tank ship
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
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.
Description
Empire Benefit was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast. She was yard number 1164 and was launched on 24 November 1942 with completion on 20 April 1943. She was 465 in 6 in (141.88 m) long, with a beam of 59 in 5 in (18.11 m) and a depth of 33 in 8 in (10.26 m). Her GRT was 8,202, with a NRT of 4,761, and a DWT of 11,900.Career
Empire Benefit was placed under the management of Dodd, Thompson & Co Ltd. She was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.MKS 16A
Convoy MKS 16A departed Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
on 29 June 1943 and arrived at 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 6 July.
HX 253
Convoy HX 253 departed New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 20 August 1943 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 4 September. Empire Benefit was due to sail with this convoy but joined the following one, HX 254.
HX 254
Convoy HX 254 departed New York on 27 August 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 12 September. Empire Benefit was bound for Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
and Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
.
In 1945, Empire Benefit was sold to Athel Line Ltd and renamed Athelqueen. Her port of registry was changed to 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...
. In 1955, Athelqueen was sold to Mariblanca Navigazione SA, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, as she was unsuitable for transporting molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
and due for an extensive refit. Athelqueen was renamed Mariverda. She was operated under the management of Chandris (England) Ltd, and reflagged
Flag of convenience
The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...
to Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. On 11 February 1958, Mariverda ran aground in the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
during fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
gy weather. She served until 1961 when she was scrapped at Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, arriving on 6 September.
Official Numbers 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...
. Empire Benefit had the UK Official number 168528 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:...
BFJP.
Propulsion
The ship was propelled by a four-stroke Single Cycle Single Action diesel engineDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
which had six cylinders, 29 inches (740 mm) diameter by 59 inches (1500 mm) stroke. It was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.