SS Michael E
Encyclopedia
SS Michael E was a 7,628 ton CAM ship
which was built in 1941 and was sunk on her maiden voyage
.
, Port Glasgow
. Launched in 1941, she was completed in May of that year. She was the United Kingdom's first CAM ship
, armed with a catapult
on her bow to launch a Hawker Sea Hurricane.
Michael E was 421 in 1 in (128.35 m) long between perpendiculars (434 in 5 in (132.41 m) overall), with a beam of 60 in 4 in (18.39 m). She had a depth of 35 in 8 in (10.87 m) and a draught of 23 foot. She was 7,628 GRT and 5,508 NRT.
Michael E was powered by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 24 inches (61 cm), 39 inches (99.1 cm) and 68 inches (172.7 cm) diameter by 48 inches (121.9 cm) stroke. The engine was built by D. Rowan & Co Ltd, Glasgow.
Ltd of London
, an offshoot of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking
company. She was named after Michael E Kulukundis, a member of the Kulukundis family
that had a major shareholding in her. Michael E was allocated the Code Letters
BCKB and the United Kingdom Official Number 163168. Her port of registry was London.
, Northern Ireland
bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
with convoy OB 327. The convoy was dispersed on 1 June and at 2043 hours on 2 June Michael E was in the North Atlantic several hundred miles southwest of Cape Clear
when U-boat
fired two torpedoes at her. One missed but the other struck her in the stern killing a crew member and two gunners, and at 2221 hours she sank by the stern. On 3 June the Dutch
cargo ship rescued Michael Es Master, 44 crew, two gunners and 12 RAF personnel.
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
which was built in 1941 and was sunk on her maiden voyage
Maiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
.
Description
Michael E was built by William Hamilton & Co LtdWilliam Hamilton and Company
William Hamilton and Company was a British shipyard located in Port Glasgow, Scotland. The company was purchased by Lithgow Ltd., later to become Scott Lithgow which was nationalised into British Shipbuilders in 1977....
, Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
. Launched in 1941, she was completed in May of that year. She was the United Kingdom's first CAM ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
, armed with a catapult
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
on her bow to launch a Hawker Sea Hurricane.
Michael E was 421 in 1 in (128.35 m) long between perpendiculars (434 in 5 in (132.41 m) overall), with a beam of 60 in 4 in (18.39 m). She had a depth of 35 in 8 in (10.87 m) and a draught of 23 foot. She was 7,628 GRT and 5,508 NRT.
Michael E was powered by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 24 inches (61 cm), 39 inches (99.1 cm) and 68 inches (172.7 cm) diameter by 48 inches (121.9 cm) stroke. The engine was built by D. Rowan & Co Ltd, Glasgow.
History
Michael E was owned by the Bury Hill Shipping Co Ltd. She was placed under the management of Counties Ship ManagementCounties Ship Management
Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. was an ocean-going merchant shipping company based in the United Kingdom. During the Second World War CSM merchant ships made a substantial contribution to supplying the British war effort, at a cost of 13 ships lost and 163 officers and men killed.-Founding of...
Ltd of 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...
, an offshoot of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking
Shipbroking
Shipbroking is a financial service, which forms part of the global shipping industry. Shipbrokers are specialist intermediaries/negotiators between shipowners and charterers who use ships to transport cargo, or between buyers and sellers of ships.Some brokerage firms have developed into large...
company. She was named after Michael E Kulukundis, a member of the Kulukundis family
Eddie Kulukundis
Sir Eddie Kulukundis OBE is a member of a Greek shipping family whose professional career has spanned shipping and the theatre....
that had a major shareholding in her. Michael E 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:...
BCKB and the United Kingdom Official Number 163168. Her port of registry was London.
Sinking
On 28 May 1941 Michael E sailed in ballast on her maiden voyage from BelfastBelfast
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...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
with convoy OB 327. The convoy was dispersed on 1 June and at 2043 hours on 2 June Michael E was in the North Atlantic several hundred miles southwest of Cape Clear
Cape Clear
Cape Clear may refer to:* Cape Clear * Cape Clear Island, on the southern coast of Ireland.* Cape Clear, Victoria, a town in Australia...
when U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
fired two torpedoes at her. One missed but the other struck her in the stern killing a crew member and two gunners, and at 2221 hours she sank by the stern. On 3 June the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
cargo ship rescued Michael Es Master, 44 crew, two gunners and 12 RAF personnel.