Hundreds ofEmpire ships were employed by theGovernment of the United Kingdom.[1] They were acquired from a number of sources: many were built for the government; others obtained from theUnited States; still others were captured or seized from enemy powers. Empire ships were mostly used duringWorld War II by theMinistry of War Transport (MoWT), which owned the ships but contracted out their management to various shipping lines; however, some ships requisitioned during theSuez Crisis were also named as Empire ships. Most Empire ships have since been lost or scrapped; however, a few still remain in active service or preserved.
Empire Nairn was a 1,923GRTcargo ship which was built byFlensburger Schiff-Gesellschaft,Flensburg. Launched in 1944 asPagenturm forDDG Hansa,Bremen. Seized as awar prize in an uncompleted state at Flensburg. To MoWT and renamedEmpire Nairn. Sold in 1947 toStraits Steamship Co Ltd,Singapore and renamedKamuning. Sold in 1956 to Scindia Steam Navigation Co Ltd, India and renamedJalatarang. Scrapped in June 1964 inBombay, India.[2]
Empire Nairobi was a 7,290 GRT cargo ship which was built byShort Brothers Ltd,Sunderland. Launched on 12 February 1945 and completed in April 1945. Sold in 1946 to Dover Hill Steamship Co Ltd and renamedDover Hill. Operated under the management of Counties Ship Management Co Ltd. Sold in 1951 to Compagnia Navigazione Castellana SA,Panama and renamedBasil. Sold in 1954 to British Steamship Co Ltd and renamedRavenshoe. Operated under the management of John Cory & Sons Ltd,NewportMonmouthshire. Sold in 1960 to Plate Shipping Co SA, Panama and renamedPlate Shipper. Operated under the management of P B Pandelis Ltd,London, flying theGreek flag. Sold in 1961 to Sadikoglu, Riza ve Aslan,Turkey and renamedUmran. Sold in 1966 to L Yelkenci Evatlari Donatina, Turkey and renamedTan 2. Arrived on 7 September 1968 atIstanbul, Turkey for scrapping.[3]
Empire Nan was a 258 GRTtug which was built by Scott & Sons Ltd,Bowling, West Dunbartonshire. Launched on 26 September 1945 and completed in December 1945. Sold in 1946 to Metal Industries Ltd and renamedMetinda II. Sold in 1950 to Tees Towing Co Ltd and renamedBanbury Cross. Sold in 1955 toAdelaide Steamship Company,Fremantle, Western Australia and renamedWilga. Sold in 1973 to Prioper Shipping Co Ltd, Fremantle. Sold in 1975 to Straits Engineers Ltd,Singapore, rebuilt with a newdiesel engine. Sold in 1976 to World Dredging Ltd, Panama.[4]
Empire Naseby was an 8,187 GRTtanker which was built by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 22 October 1945 and complete in May 1946. ToRoyal Fleet Auxiliary in January 1947 and renamedWave Knight. Scrapped in December 1964 inWillebroek, Belgium.[5]
Empire Neath was a 2,150 GRT cargo ship which was built byNeptun AG,Rostock. Launched in 1935 asCatania for R M Sloman Jr,Hamburg. Seized in May 1945 atAarhus, Denmark. To MoWT and renamedEmpire Neath. Allocated in 1946 toUSSR and renamedMeridian. RenamedEquator in 1947 and converted in 1949 to aMerchant Marinetraining ship. In 1982 she was moored atOtrada,Bay of Odessa as a non-seagoing vessel.[2]
Empire Ned was a 235 GRT tug which was built by A Hall & Co Ltd,Aberdeen. Launched on 27 August 1942 and completed in November 1942. RenamedEmpire Edward in 1945. To theAdmiralty in 1947 and renamedEnergetic in 1956. Sold in 1965 to Tsavliris Salvage & Towage Ltd, Greece and renamedNisos Lefkos. Sold in 1975 to Maritime Commercial Enterprises Ltd, Greece and renamedKronos. Struck on 23 March 1978 bycruise shipRomanza while berthed atPiraeus, Greece. Declared a constructive total loss and scrapped in March 1979 atPerama, Greece.[6]
Empire Nene was a 6,113 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lübecker Flenderwerke AG,Lübeck. Laid down asSchwarzwald forHamburg America Line. Seized in May 1945 on stocks at Lübeck. Completed in August 1947 asEmpire Nene for MoWT. Sold in 1954 to Mariblanca Navigazione SA,Liberia and renamedMariposa. Sold in 1956 to DDG Hansa, Bremen and renamedRotenfels. Rebuilt atBremerhaven. Fitted with a new diesel engine in 1961. Scrapped in August 1977 atKarachi, Pakistan.[2]
Empire Neptune was an 8,285 GRT tanker which was built byR & W Hawthorn Leslie and Co Ltd,Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Launched on 13 April 1945 and completed in August 1945. Sold in 1946 toEagle Oil and Shipping Company Ltd. and renamedSan Virgilio. Arrived on 3 December 1958 atHong Kong for scrapping.[7]
Empire Nerissa was a 7,076 GRT cargo ship which was built byHarland & Wolf Ltd,Glasgow. Launched on 23 December 1942 and completed in February 1943. Sold in 1947 to Claymore Shipping Co Ltd,Cardiff and renamedDaydawn. Sold in 1954 to Maclay & McIntyre Ltd, Glasgow and renamedLoch Don. Sold in 1959 to Kvarnerska Plovidba and renamedKraljevica. Sold in 1961 to Jugoslavenska Linijska Plovidba. Arrived on 24 June 1966 atSplit,Yugoslavia for scrapping.[8]
Empire Ness was a 2,922 GRTore carrier which was built byLithgows Ltd,Port Glasgow. Launched on 17 March 1941 and completed in May 1941. Collided on 30 November 1944 withLiberty ShipWilliam Paca offTerneuzen, Netherlands and sank,total loss.[9]
Empire Netta was a 290 GRT tug which was built in 1945 by Fleming and Ferguson Ltd, Paisley. Transferred to the Admiralty in 1949, scrapped in 1969 at Burcht, Belgium.[10]
Empire Newcomen was a 2,840 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd,West Hartlepool. Launched on 6 September 1941 and completed in November 1941.Torpedoed on 30 November 1941 and sunk byGermanE-Boats 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) south of the Dudgeon Light, offCromer,Norfolk.[11]
Empire Newfoundland was a 3,539 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 6 July 1944 and completed in September 1944. Sold in 1949 to F T Everard & Sons Ltd and renamedEthel Everard. Sold in 1954 to Indo-China Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London and renamedHinsang. Sold in 1964 to Kinabatangan Shipping Co Ltd and renamedKowloon. To Concordia Kinabatangan Shipping Co Ltd, Panama in 1969 and renamedHoris. On 25 December 1969, she suffered damage to her No 1 hold in heavy weather. Repaired atSurabaya, Indonesia. On 28 December 1969, she sprang a leak. This worsened the next day and her pumps were unable to cope. Ship was abandoned, then capsized and sank in theCelebes Sea 200 nautical miles (370 km) fromTawau,Sabah (03°53′N119°23′E / 3.883°N 119.383°E /3.883; 119.383).[12]
Empire Newt was a 1,548 GRT tanker which was built by Chicago Shipbuilding Company,Chicago. Completed in 1903 as cargo shipJohn Crerar. Sold in 1918 to Chemins de Fer Francais, France and renamedFouras. Sold in 1922 to Glen Steamships,Montreal and renamedGlengarnock. Sold in 1926 toCanada Steamship Lines Inc., Montreal and renamed Courtwright. Sold in 1940 to Branch Lines, Montreal, converted to a tanker and renamedCedarbranch. To MoWT in 1945 and renamedEmpire Newt. Scrapped in July 1946 atInverkeithing,Fife.[13]
Empire Newton was a 7,037 GRT cargo ship which was built by Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 21 October 1941 and completed in January 1942. Sold in 1946 to Charente Steamship Co Ltd and renamedArtisan. Operated under the management of T & J Harrison Ltd. Arrived on 21 August 1959 atThos. W. WardGrays, Essex for scrapping.[14]
Empire Nicholas was a 257 GRT tug which was built byJohn Crown & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 8 May 1944 and completed in June 1944. Sold in 1947 to Nederlands-Indonesie Steenkolen Handel Maatschappij and renamedAsta. Sold in 1957 to theGovernment of Indonesia. To Tanjung Priok Port Authority,Tanjung Priok, Indonesia in 1961 and renamedLaut Arafura.[15]
Empire Nickleby was a 306 GRTcoastal tanker which was built by I Pimblott & Sons Ltd,Northwich. Launched on 17 July 1945 and completed in December 1945. Sold in 1946 to Compagnia de Navigazione Anne SA, Panama and renamedNickleby. Operated under the management of Tankers Transit & Shipping Co, London. Sold in 1950 toBombay Port Trust for use as a water tanker.[16]
Empire Nidd was a 4,742 GRT cargo ship which was built byDanziger Werft AG,Danzig. Laid down in 1939 asŁódź for aPolish company. Seized by Germany, hull towed toHelsingborg and completed in 1943 asMinden forNorddeutscher Lloyd. Seized in May 1945 atNyborg, Denmark. To MoWT and renamedEmpire Nidd. Allocated to USSR in 1946 and renamedDenis Davydov. Sold in 1947 to Gdynia Americal Line, Poland and renamedGeneral Walter. Scrapped in November 1970 in Hong Kong.[2]
Empire Nigel was a 7,067 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 20 July 1943 and completed in September 1943. To USSR in 1944 underLend-Lease and renamedArchangel thenArchangelsk. ToMinistry of Transport (MoT) in 1946 and renamedEmpire Nigel. Sold in 1947 to W & R Carpenter & Co,Suva,Fiji and renamedNandi. Sold in 1948 to Bristol City Line of Steamships Ltd and renamedBristol City. Sold in 1957 to Splonsa Plovba, Yugoslavia and renamedZelengora. Sold in 1971 to Compagnia de Navigazione Portland SA, Panama and renamedTaras. Arrived on 6 July 1972 at Split, Yugoslavia for scrapping.[17]
Empire Niger was a 7,487 GRT cargo ship built byJoh. C. Tecklenborg AG,Wesermünde. Completed in 1920 asFrauenfels for DDG Hansa, Bremen. On 4 April 1941 she was set on fire and scuttled atMassawa,Italian Somaliland. Later salvaged by theRoyal Navy, to MoWT in 1942 and renamedEmpire Niger. Sold in 1948 to Oceanic Navigation Co Ltd,Calcutta and renamedBelapur. Sold in 1951 to Pang Kwok Sui, Hong Kong. Arrived in June 1954 atYokohama, Japan for scrapping. Sold in 1955 to Keyston Shipping Co, Hong Kong and renamedSnowdon Hill. Sold in 1957 to Canadian Fir Steamship Co, Hong Kong and renamedCanadian Fir. Sold in 1958 to theChinese Government and renamedNan Hai 141. Scrapped in December 1963 in Hong Kong.[18]
Empire Nightingale was a 5,698 GRT cargo ship which was built by theAmes Shipbuilding and Drydock Company,Seattle. Ordered byCompagnie Générale Transatlantique, France. Completed in September 1919 asWestport for theUnited States Shipping Board (USSB). To MoWT in 1941 and renamedEmpire Nightingale. Sold in 1946 to Williamson & Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamedInchmull. Sold in 1948 to Scindia Steam Navigation Co Ltd and renamedJalamatsya. Sold in 1953 to Richard Nathan Corp,New York and renamedRicnat. Scrapped in 1953 atBo'ness,West Lothian.[19]
Empire Nile was a 6,318 GRT cargo ship which was built byAG Weser, Bremen. Completed in 1922 asLiebenfels for DDG Hansa, Bremen. On 4 April 1941 she was set on fire and scuttled atMassawa,Italian Eritrea. Later salvaged byEdward Ellsberg, an American Naval officer in charge of salvaging ships and facilities at Massawa, in 1942 and renamedEmpire Nile. Sold in 1947 to Oceanic Navigation Co, Calcutta and renamedAlipur. Sold in 1948 to Dah Loh Navigation Co, China and renamedDah Kiang. Sold in 1951 to Great China Steamship & Industrial Co, Panama and renamedEl Grande, the sold later that year to the Chinese Government and renamedHo Ping I. RenamedShen Li in 1967. Name removed from shipping registers in 1977 and reported to have been scrapped in China but she was sighted inShanghai in 1979 namedZhan Dou 75 and old name ofSheng Li visible.[18]
Empire Nina was a 292 GRT tug which was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd,Selby. Launched on 12 June 1945 and completed in February 1946. Sold in 1947 to United Towing Co Ltd and renamedGuardsman. Newsteam engine fromEmpire George fitted that year. Scrapped in November 1967 atBlyth, Northumberland.
Empire Noble was a 7,125 GRT cargo ship which was built byVickers-Armstrongs Ltd,Barrow in Furness. Launched on 13 November 1943 and completed in January 1944. Sold in 1946 to W H Seager & Co Ltd, Cardiff and renamedAmicus. Sold in 1963 to Southland Navigation & Commerce Ltd, Hong Kong and renamedLeela. Sold in 1964 to Fir Line Ltd and renamedPacific Fir. Operated under the management of Ta Hing Co (Hong Kong) Ltd. On 5 February 1968 she sprang a leak approximately 75 nautical miles (139 km) east ofTai Tung, Taiwan (22°37′N121°42′E / 22.617°N 121.700°E /22.617; 121.700). She was abandoned the next day and found adrift. Towed toKoto Soh and beached but broke in two. The bow section sank and the ship declared a total loss.[20]
Empire Nomad was a 7,167 GRT cargo ship which was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 16 December 1941 and completed in February 1942. Torpedoed on 13 October 1942 and sunk byU-159 at37°50′S18°16′E / 37.833°S 18.267°E /-37.833; 18.267.[21]
Empire Nora was a 292 GRT tug which was built by William Simons & Co Ltd,Renfrew. Launched on 15 August 1945 and completed in September 1946. Sold in 1946 to theNigerian Government and renamedBarman. Sold in 1967 to Tsavliris Salvage & Towage Ltd, Greece and renamedNisos Aegina. Scrapped in April 1970 in Piraeus, Greece.[10]
Empire Nordic was a 4,800 GRTLST (3) which was built byBlyth Drydock & Shipbuilding Co Ltd. Launched in June 1945 asLST 3026. To Royal Navy in 1946 as HMSCharger. To MoT in 1955, converted to aferry. Operated under the management of Frank Bustard & Sons Ltd. Withdrawn from service in the winter of 1966–67. Sold in 1968 to German shipbreakers, then resold toSpanish shipbreakers. Arrived on 10 October 1968, under tow atBilbao, Spain for scrapping.[22]
Empire Norse was an 8,120 GRT tanker which was built byPalmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co Ltd,Hebburn. Completed in 1914 asMaricopa. Sold in 1929 to Falkland Shipowners Ltd, London and renamedAnglo-Norse. On 19 August 1941 she was in a collision with SSLanark and put into theRiver Tyne with damage to her hull. On 31 August 1941 she caught fire while being repaired. Her cargo included ammunition that exploded, so she was scuttled. Raised on 3 September. To MoWT, repaired and renamedEmpire Norse. To Falkland Shipowners Ltd, London and reverted toAnglo-Norse name in 1946. Sold in 1956 to Anders Jahre & Co, Norway and renamedJanina. On 15 January 1957 she caught fire north-west ofLisbon (41°33′N09°33′W / 41.550°N 9.550°W /41.550; -9.550). She was abandoned and sank on 18 January.[23][13]
Empire Norseman was an 8,214 GRTLanding Ship, Gantry and tanker that was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd,Belfast. She was launched on 21 October 1941 and completed in April 1942 as RFADinsdale. TheItalian submarine Comandante Cappellini torpedoed and sank her on 31 May 1942 northeast ofPernambuco, Brazil (00°45′S29°50′W / 0.750°S 29.833°W /-0.750; -29.833) while on her maiden voyage.
Empire Norseman was a 9,811 GRT tanker that was launched in 1942 by the Furness Shipbuilding Co,Middlesbrough.[24] The Ministry of War Transport placed her under the management of theEagle Oil and Shipping Company.[24] The German submarinesU-202 andU-558 torpedoed and sank her off theAzores (31°15′S27°22′W / 31.250°S 27.367°W /-31.250; -27.367) on 23 February 1943.[24]
Empire Northfleet was a 7,311 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 16 July 1945 and completed in January 1946. Sold in 1946 to Stephens, Sutton Ltd and renamedChulmleigh. RenamedRugeley in 1961. Sold in 1964 to Union Fair Shipping Co, Liberia and renamedMadura. Ran aground in aTyphoon Viola at Hong Kong. Refloated on 10 July but declared a constructive total loss. Scrapped in August 1964 in Hong Kong.[25]
Empire Nugget was a 9,807 GRT tanker which was built by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd,Haverton Hill-on-Tees. Launched on 28 September 1942 and completed in November 1942. Sold in 1946 to Adellen Shipping Co Ltd and renamedAdellen. Operated under the management of B L Shipping Co Inc, London. Scrapped in November 1961 atSakai, Japan.[26]
Empire Nutfield was a 1,561 GRT cargo ship which was built by Dublin Dockyard Co Ltd.,Dublin. Completed in 1919 asBermondsey. Sold in 1928 to E T Lindley, London. On 4 December 1942, she was in collision with MVBornholm and beached atSouth Shields severely damaged. Refloated on 22 December 1942 and towed to the River Tyne. Declared a constructive total loss but repaired. To MoWT in 1943 and renamedEmpire Nutfield. Scuttled on 3 September 1946 with a cargo of obsolete chemical warfare ammunition at48°03′N08°09′W / 48.050°N 8.150°W /48.050; -8.150.[13]
The above entries give a precis of each ship's history. For a fuller account see the linked articles.