SS Empire Blessing
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Empire Blessing |
| Owner | Ministry of War Transport |
| Operator | W Runciman & Co Ltd |
| Port of registry |  Sunderland |
| Builder | Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland |
| Yard number | 298 |
| Launched | 1 October 1943 |
| Completed | January 1944 |
| Out of service | 19 March 1945 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Mined and sunk, 19 March 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 431 ft (131.37 m) |
| Beam | 56 ft 3 in (17.15 m) |
| Depth | 35 ft 2 in (10.72 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion steam engine |
Empire Blessing was a
Sunderland. She was built for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and operated under the management of W Runciman & Co Ltd. In March 1945, Empire Blessing struck a mine in the Scheldt
and sank.
Description
Empire Blessing was a 7,064
triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 24+1⁄2 inches (62 cm), 39 inches (99 cm) and 70 inches (180 cm) diameter by 48 inches (120 cm) stroke. It was manufactured by Worthington Simpson Ltd, Newark-on-Trent.[3]
Career
Empire Blessing was a member of a number of convoys during the
Second World War
.
- ON 220
Convoy ON 220 sailed from Loch Ewe on 15 January 1944, bound for Canada and the United States. Empire Blessing set off in the convoy, but returned to Loch Ewe.[4]
- ONS 29
Convoy ONS 29 sailed from Oban on 13 February 1944, bound for Canada and the United States.[5]
- HX 291
Convoy HX 291 departed
Inverness Firth to await further orders.[6]
Empire Blessing was involved in the
Knocke, Belgium (51°24′N 3°17′E / 51.400°N 3.283°E) and sank. On 13 February 1954, MV Seablue (formerly Empire Seablue) struck the wreck of Empire Blessing and was holed. Although attempts were made to beach Seablue, she sank 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) west south west of Vlissingen, Netherlands.[1][2]
Official Numbers and Code Letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to
Code Letters GCTW.[3]
References
- ^ ISBN 1-85044-275-4.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ a b "1180054". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ^ a b c "Lloyd's register, Steamers & Motorships" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ^ "ON Convoys – 1941-1945, Convoy ON 201 through ON 2491". Warsailors. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ^ "ONS Convoys – 1943-1945, Convoy ONS 1 through ONS 51". Warsailors. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ^ "CONVOY HX 291". Warsailors. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ^ "Walter Bennett's Experiences". BBC. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
