SS Empire Defender

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

History
Name
  • Freienfels (1910–25)
  • Hadiotis (1925–28)
  • Felce (1928–40)
  • Empire Defender (1940–41)
Owner
Operator
  • DDG Hansa (1910–14)
  • Grahams & Co (1914–20)
  • director, India Office Shipping (1920–25)
  • Pnevmaticos, Rethymnis & Yannaghas (1925–28)
  • Achille Lauro fu Giochine & Co (1928–40)
  • The City Line Ltd (1940–41)
  • Stanhope Steamship Co. Ltd (1941)
Port of registry
BuilderJoh. C. Tecklenborg,
Geestemünde
Yard number237
Launched20 September 1910
CompletedNovember 1910
Out of service14 November 1941
Identification
  • code letters QJVC (1910–14)
  • code letters JLGB (1914–25)
  • code letters NPCL (1928–33)
  • call sign IBVL (1934–40)
  • call sign GPJG (1941–41)
  • UK official number 139043 (1914–25, 1940–41)
Fatesunk by torpedo
General characteristics
Typecargo ship
Tonnage
  • 5,633 GRT (1910–40)
  • 5,649 GRT (1940–41)
  • 3,545 NRT
  • 8,705 DWT (1910–14)
  • 9,113 DWT (1925)
Length128.36 m (421 ft 2 in)
Beam16.80 m (55 ft 1 in)
Draught7.63 m (25 ft 0 in)
Depth9.52 m (31 ft 3 in)
Installed power2,300 ihp (1,700 kW)
PropulsionQuadruple-expansion steam engine
Speed11.5 kn (21.3 km/h)
Complement69 (as Freienfels)
SS Empire Defender is located in Tunisia
SS Empire Defender
class=notpageimage|
Approximate position of Empire Defender's wreck off Tunisia

Empire Defender was a 5,649 

Geestemünde, Germany. She was seized by the United Kingdom in 1914, passing to the Admiralty. In 1920, she was passed to the Secretary of State for India
.

She was sold to Greek owners in 1925 and renamed Hadiotis. In 1928, she was sold to Italian owners and renamed Felce. In 1940, she was seized by the United Kingdom and passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Renamed Empire Defender, she served until 14 November 1941, when she was sunk by torpedo. Her sinking killed four members of her crew.

Description

The ship was built in 1910 by Joh. C. Tecklenborg in

Geestemünde.[1] She was yard number 237.[2]

As built, the ship was 128.36 m (421 ft 2 in) long, with a beam of 16.80 m (55 ft 1 in). She had a depth of 9.52 m (31 ft 3 in) and a draught of 7.63 m (25 ft 0 in). She was assessed at 5,633 GRT, 3,545 NRT. Her DWT was 8,705.[2]

The ship had a 2,300-indicated-horsepower (1,700 kW) quadruple-expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 61 cm (211⁄64 inches), 88 cm (3421⁄32 inches), 128 cm (5025⁄32 inches) and 189 cm (741⁄32 inches) diameter by 137 cm (5315⁄16 inches) stroke.[3] The engine was built by JC Tecklenborg, Wesermünde. It drove a screw propeller and could propel the ship at 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h).[2]

History

Freienfels was built for Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft "Hansa" (

Calcutta, India.[2] She was requisitioned by the Admiralty and operated under the management of Grahams & Co Ltd.[4] Her port of registry was changed to London and the code letters JLGB were allocated.[2] Freienfels was allocated the official number 139043.[5] In 1920, she was passed to the Secretary of State for India, operating under the management of the Director, India Office Shipping.[2]

Freienfels was one of five ships that were condemned to detention, but not declared to be

Dunquerque, France from 6–18 June, and would then depart for Falmouth, Cornwall where she was to be laid up pending sale. She was described as 5,633 GRT, 9,112 DWT.[7]

Freienfels was sold to Pnevmaticos, Rethymnis & Yannaghas,

Djibouti, French Somaliland. After her cargo was discharged,[8] she was refloated with assistance from a tug.[9] On 10 June 1940, Felce was in port at Haifa, Palestine. She was seized and passed to the MoWT. She was renamed Empire Defender. Her port of registry was changed to London and the code letters GPJG were allocated. She was placed under the management of the City Line Ltd.[2] She was assessed as 5,649 GRT,[1]
and would have regained her previous official number 139043.

Empire Defender's movements over the next six months are not recorded.[10] She departed from Suez, Egypt on 4 November 1940 as a member of Convoy BS 8, which dispersed off Aden on 12 November.[11] She detached from the convoy before it dispersed and sailed to Port Sudan, Sudan, arriving on 8 November.[10] She departed from Port Sudan on 22 November to join Convoy BS 9,[10] which had departed from Suez on 18 November and dispersed on 26 November at 12°30′N 48°23′E / 12.500°N 48.383°E / 12.500; 48.383.[12] She sailed to Mombasa, Kenya, arriving on 8 December. Leaving Mombasa on 15 December, she sailed to Durban, South Africa, where she arrived on 26 December.[10]

During 1941, management of Empire Defender passed to the Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, arriving four days later.[10] She departed from Halifax on 16 August as a member of Convoy HX 156, which arrived at Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom on 31 August. Empire Defender was carrying general cargo.[13] She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 30 August to join Convoy WN 175,[10] which departed the next day and arrived at Methil, Fife on 3 September.[14] She then joined Convoy FS 585, which arrived at Southend-on-Sea on 6 September.[10]

Empire Defender departed from Southend on 27 September as a member of Convoy FN 524, which arrived at Methil on 29 September. The next day, she departed from Methil to join Convoy EC 79,

prisoners of war.[19] Those lost on Empire Defender are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.[20]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 1-85044-275-4
    .
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "D/S FREIENFELS" (in German). DDG Hansa Shipsphotos. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Lloyd's Register of Shipping" (PDF). London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1930. Retrieved 15 July 2011 – via Southampton City Council.
  4. ^ "EMPIRE – D – E". Mariners. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  5. ^ "ON130000". Mariners. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  6. ^ "EX-ENEMY VESSELS". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 2 March 1925. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Ex-Enemy Steamers". The Times. No. 43979. London. 4 June 1925. col A, p. 18.
  8. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 47586. London. 19 January 1937. col D, p. 23.
  9. ^ "Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 47587. London. 20 January 1937. col G, p. 6.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "EMPIRE DEFENDER". Convoyweb. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  11. ^ "Convoy BS.8". Convoyweb. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Convoy BS.9". Convoyweb. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  13. ^ "Convoy HX.156". Convoyweb. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  14. ^ "Convoy WN.175". Convoyweb. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  15. ^ "Convoy EC.79". Convoyweb. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  16. ^ a b c Hague, Arnold (1995). "THE SUPPLY OF MALTA 1940–1942, Part 2 of 3". Naval History. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  17. ^ "Convoy OG.76". Convoyweb. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  18. ^ "DATABASE DELLE UNITA' DELLA REGIA MARINA NELLA SECONDA GUERRA MONDIALE" (in Italian). Trento in Cina. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  19. ^ Kindell, Don. "Naval Events, November 1941, Part 2 of 2, Saturday 15th – Sunday 30th". Naval History. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  20. ^ "Empire Day to Empire Engineer". Brian Watson. Retrieved 9 June 2011.

Bibliography

  • Caruana, Joseph (2012). "Emergency Victualling of Malta During WWII". Warship International. LXIX (4): 357–364.
    ISSN 0043-0374
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Empire_Defender&oldid=1214509954"