MV Belgian Airman
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator | Compagnie Maritime Belge, Antwerp (1942-45) |
| Port of registry |
|
| Builder | Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow |
| Yard number | 1093 |
| Launched | 21 October 1941 |
| Completed | February 1942 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sunk, 14 April 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 6,959 GRT |
| Length | 432 ft 2 in (131.72 m) |
| Beam | 56 ft 2 in (17.12 m) |
| Depth | 34 ft 3 in (10.44 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 x 6-cylinder SCSA diesel engines (Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow) 490 hp (370 kW) |
| Complement | 41, plus 6 DEMS gunners.[1] |
Belgian Airman was a 6,959-ton
on 14 April 1945.History
Empire Ballantyne was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow as yard number 1093. She was launched on 21 October 1941 and completed in February 1942.[2] She was built for the MoWT and was to have been operated under the management of W A Souter & Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne.[3] On 15 February 1942 she was transferred to the Régie de la Marine[4] of the Belgian Government and renamed Belgian Airman. She was managed by Compagnie Maritime Belge, Antwerp.[5]
On 25 April 1942, Belgian Airman rescued 23 survivors from the 3,841 GRT SS Modesta, which had been torpedoed and sunk by U-108 at 33°40′N 63°10′W / 33.667°N 63.167°W. The survivors were landed in Bermuda.[6]
Belgian Airman was a member of a number of convoys during the
- ON 162
Convoy ON 162 sailed from
- HX 228
- HX 229A
Convoy HX 229A which from New York on 9 March 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 26 March. Belgian Airman joined at Halifax on 12 March. During the voyage, Belgian Airman was damaged by
- SL 136
Convoy SL 136 sailed from Freetown, Sierra Leone on 3 September 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 23 September. Belgian Airman was destined for Loch Ewe.[10]
Sinking
On 8 April 1945, Belgian Airman departed Houston, bound for New York and Antwerp.[4] She was carrying a cargo of sorghum and dairy feed.[11] At 15:50 CET,[12] on 14 April 1945, Belgian Airman was torpedoed and sunk off Chesapeake Bay, Maryland (36°09′N 75°05′W / 36.150°N 75.083°W). Her attacker was U-857.[13] One crew member was killed. The 46 survivors were rescued by the Liberty ship SS Harold A. Jordan. The survivors were landed at New York.[4]
The fate of the U-857 is unknown. It disappeared in the Atlantic in April, 1945. One theory is that it was sunk by a US Navy Airship with a
Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to
Empire Ballantyne had the UK Official Number 168706 and the
References
- ^ "M/S Belgian Airman" (in French). Marine Belge. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ISBN 1-85044-275-4.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ a b "LLOYDS REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- ^ a b c "ss BELGIAN AIRMAN" (in English and French). Belgian Ships. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ "Launched 1941: mv EMPIRE BALLANTYNE". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Modesta". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ "CONVOY ON 162". Warsailors. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ "CONVOY HX 228". Warsailors. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ "CONVOY HX 229 A". Warsailors. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ "Convoy SL.136 / MKS.24". Convoyweb. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Belgian Airman". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ "Ship Details Belgian Airman". Ubootwaffe.net. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- ^ Some sources state that she was sunk by U-879
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-857". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
36°9′N 74°5′W / 36.150°N 74.083°W
