MV Empire City
Encyclopedia
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Empire City was a 7,295 GRT cargo ship
which was built in 1943 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd
, Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was torpedo
ed and sunk on 6 August 1944 by .
The ship was 428 in 8 in (130.66 m) long, with a beam of 56 in 5 in (17.2 m) and a depth of 35 in 5 in (10.8 m). She had a GRT of 7,295 and a NRT of 4,941.
The ship was propelled by a 2-stroke Single Cycle Single Action diesel engine
, which had eight cylinders of 23 inches (60 cm) diameter by 91 inches (232 cm) stroke.
BFLB and the United Kingdom Official Number 180046 were allocated.
Empire City was a member of a number of convoys in the Second World War.
ON 212
Convoy ON 212 departed Liverpool
on 19 November 1943 and arrived at New York
on 5 December. Empire City had departed from Milford Haven
, Pembrokeshire
on 18 November. She was equipped with anti-torpedo nets on this voyage.
DKA 21
Empire City was a member of Convoy DKA 21, which departed Lourenço Marques
, Portuguese East Africa
bound for Port Said
, Egypt
via Aden
. Empire City was carrying a cargo of 8,403 tons of coal
. On 6 August 1944, she was torpedoed and sunk by off Mocímboa da Praia
, Portuguese East Africa (11°33′S 41°25′E). Two crew and 10 DEMS gunners were killed. The surviving 48 crew and 10 DEMS gunners were rescued. They were landed at Pekawi, Portuguese East Africa. Her captain had been taken prisoner by U-198; he perished with the submarine's crew when she was sunk on 12th August. Those lost on Empire City are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial
, London.
Empire City was a 7,295 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 1943 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd
William Doxford & Sons
William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was established by William Doxford in 1840. From 1870 it was based in Pallion, Sunderland, on the River Wear in Northeast England. The Company was managed by William Doxford's...
, Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 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 on 6 August 1944 by .
Description
Empire City was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. She was launched on 15 July 1943.The ship was 428 in 8 in (130.66 m) long, with a beam of 56 in 5 in (17.2 m) and a depth of 35 in 5 in (10.8 m). She had a GRT of 7,295 and a NRT of 4,941.
The ship was propelled by a 2-stroke Single Cycle Single Action diesel engine
Diesel 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 eight cylinders of 23 inches (60 cm) diameter by 91 inches (232 cm) stroke.
History
Empire City was built for the MoWT. She was placed under the management of the A Weir & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was Sunderland. 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:...
BFLB and the United Kingdom Official Number 180046 were allocated.
Empire City was a member of a number of convoys in the Second World War.
ON 212
Convoy ON 212 departed 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 19 November 1943 and arrived at 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 5 December. Empire City had departed from 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...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
on 18 November. She was equipped with anti-torpedo nets on this voyage.
DKA 21
Empire City was a member of Convoy DKA 21, which departed Lourenço Marques
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, Portuguese East Africa
Portuguese East Africa
Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa was the common name by which the Portuguese Empire's territorial expansion in East Africa was known across different periods of time...
bound for Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
via Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
. Empire City was carrying a cargo of 8,403 tons of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. On 6 August 1944, she was torpedoed and sunk by off Mocímboa da Praia
Mocimboa da Praia
Mocimboa da Praia is a port in northern Mozambique, lying on the Indian Ocean coast, located in Cabo Delgado Province. It is a border post for travel to and from Tanzania and is the seat of Mocímboa da Praia District.-History:...
, Portuguese East Africa (11°33′S 41°25′E). Two crew and 10 DEMS gunners were killed. The surviving 48 crew and 10 DEMS gunners were rescued. They were landed at Pekawi, Portuguese East Africa. Her captain had been taken prisoner by U-198; he perished with the submarine's crew when she was sunk on 12th August. Those lost on Empire City 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.