SS Ilse L M Russ
Encyclopedia
Ilse L M Russ was a 1,600 GRT cargo ship
that was built in 1926 by Flensberger Schiffbau Gesellschaft., Flensburg
. She was seized by the Allies in May 1945 at Kiel
, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Conqueror. In 1946, she was allocated to the Norwegian Government and renamed Ekornes. She was sold into merchant service in 1947 and renamed Elfrida. She served until December 1959 when she sprang a leak and sank off the coast of Norway
.
The ship was 236 in 2 in (71.98 m) long, with a beam of 41 in 9 in (12.73 m) and a depth of 15 in 5 in (4.7 m). The ship had a GRT of 1,600 and a NRT of 942. She had a DWT of 2,600.
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 17¼ inches (44 cm), 29½ inches (75 cm) and 48 inches (121.9 cm) diameter by 37¾ inches (96 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Flensburger Schiffau Gesellschaft. It could propel her at 9 knots (17.6 km/h).
. She was allocated the Code Letters
RFVK. In 1934, her code letters were changed to DHMI. In 1936, Ilse L M Russ was one of 20 ships chartered
to transport timber from Leningrad
, Soviet Union
to Germany. In 1940, Ilse L M Russ was one of the ships that was to have taken part in Operation Herbstreise
.
In May 1945, Ilse L M Russ was seized by the Allies at Kiel
. She was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Conqueror.She was placed under the management of William S Scott & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was changed to London
. The Code Letters
GMXN and United Kingdom Official Number 180700 were allocted.
In 1946, Empire Conqueror was transferred to the Norwegian Government and was renamed Ekornes. Her port of registry was changed to Oslo
and the Code Letter LLTS were allocated. In 1947, she was sold to Tetlies Rederi AS, Trondheim
and renamed Elfrida. She was operated under the management of Bjarne Tetlie. On 8 December 1959, Elfrida was on a voyage from Archangelsk, Soviet Union
to a Danish
port with a cargo of timber
, when a leak developed in the engine room. The weather at the time was stormy. A distress call was issued when the ship was at 58°09′N 03°30′E. The ship was discovered capsized with the loss of all 20 crew. She sank on 9 December some 100 nautical miles (185.2 km) off Stavanger
.
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...
that was built in 1926 by Flensberger Schiffbau Gesellschaft., Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
. She was seized by the Allies in May 1945 at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Conqueror. In 1946, she was allocated to the Norwegian Government and renamed Ekornes. She was sold into merchant service in 1947 and renamed Elfrida. She served until December 1959 when she sprang a leak and sank off the coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Description
The ship was built as yard number 403 by Flensberger Schiffbau Gesellschaft, Flensburg. She was launched in 1926, with completion in August of that year.The ship was 236 in 2 in (71.98 m) long, with a beam of 41 in 9 in (12.73 m) and a depth of 15 in 5 in (4.7 m). The ship had a GRT of 1,600 and a NRT of 942. She had a DWT of 2,600.
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 17¼ inches (44 cm), 29½ inches (75 cm) and 48 inches (121.9 cm) diameter by 37¾ inches (96 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Flensburger Schiffau Gesellschaft. It could propel her at 9 knots (17.6 km/h).
History
Ilse L M Russ was built in 1926 for Schiffart und Assekuranz GmbH. She was operated under the management of Ernst Russ, HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. 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:...
RFVK. In 1934, her code letters were changed to DHMI. In 1936, Ilse L M Russ was one of 20 ships chartered
Bareboat charter
A bareboat charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible for taking care of such things....
to transport timber from Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to Germany. In 1940, Ilse L M Russ was one of the ships that was to have taken part in Operation Herbstreise
Operation Herbstreise
During World War II, Operation Herbstreise was a planned series of deception operations to support the German invasion of the United Kingdom...
.
In May 1945, Ilse L M Russ was seized by the Allies at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. She was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Conqueror.She was placed under the management of William S Scott & Co Ltd. 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...
. 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:...
GMXN and United Kingdom Official Number 180700 were allocted.
In 1946, Empire Conqueror was transferred to the Norwegian Government and was renamed Ekornes. Her port of registry was changed to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and the Code Letter LLTS were allocated. In 1947, she was sold to Tetlies Rederi AS, Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
and renamed Elfrida. She was operated under the management of Bjarne Tetlie. On 8 December 1959, Elfrida was on a voyage from Archangelsk, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
port with a cargo of timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
, when a leak developed in the engine room. The weather at the time was stormy. A distress call was issued when the ship was at 58°09′N 03°30′E. The ship was discovered capsized with the loss of all 20 crew. She sank on 9 December some 100 nautical miles (185.2 km) off Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
.
