{|Empire Clough was a 6,147 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 1942 by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields

South Shields

South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...

 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 her maiden voyage.

Description

The ship was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields as yard number 527. She was launched on 2 April 1942 and completed in June 1942.

The ship was 405 in 8 in (123.65 m) long, with a beam of 53 in 6 in (16.31 m) and a depth of 32 in 8 in (9.96 m). She had a GRT of 6,147 and a NRT of 4,251.

The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 23½ inches (60 cm), 37½ inches (95 cm) and 68 inches (172.7 cm) diameter by 48 inches (121.9 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Foster, Yates & Thompson Ltd, Blackburn.

History

Empire Clough was built for the Ministry of War Transport and placed under the management of the Larringa Steamship Co Ltd. Her port of registry was South Shields and she was allocated 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:...

 BDVX and United Kingdom Official Number 168655.

On her maiden voyage, Empire Clough was a member of Convoy ONS 100, which departed from Loch Ewe

Loch Ewe

Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...

 on 2 June 1942 bound for Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 and 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...

. At 03:40 on 10 June 1942, Empire Clough was torpedoed by with the loss of five crew. The ship was abandoned, with the 44 survivors being rescued by and the Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 trawler Argus. They were landed at St John's

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...

, Newfoundland

Dominion of Newfoundland

The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...

 and in Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

 respectively. Empire Clough sank at 51°50′N 35°00′W. Those lost on Empire Clough 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.