MV Empire Commerce

For other ships with the same name, see Empire Commerce.

History

Name:	Empire Commerce
Owner:	Ministry or War Transport
Operator:	Hadley Shipping Co Ltd
Port of registry:	Sunderland
Builder:	Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd
Launched:	23 December 1942
Completed:	March 1943
Out of service:	1 October 1943
Identification:	Code Letters BFJF United Kingdom Official Number 169112
Fate:	Torpedoed and sunk
General characteristics
Class and type:	Tanker
Tonnage:	3,722 GRT 1,993 NRT
Length:	343 ft 5 in (104.67 m)
Beam:	48 ft 3 in (14.71 m)
Depth:	26 ft 5 in (8.05 m)
Installed power:	2SCSA diesel engine
Propulsion:	Screw propellor
Crew:	40 + 7 DEMS gunners

Empire Commerce was a 3,722 GRT tanker that was built in 1942 by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport(MoWT). She entered service in March 1943 and was torpoedoed on 1 October 1943 and sunk by U-410.

Description

The ship was built by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. She was launched on 29 December 1942 and completed in March 1943.^[1]

The ship was 343 feet 5 inches (104.67 m) long, with a beam of 48 feet 3 inches (14.71 m) and a depth of 26 feet 5 inches (8.05 m). She had a GRT of 3,722 and a NRT of 1,993.^[2]

The ship was propelled by a 2-stroke Single Cycle Single Acting diesel engine, which had eight cylinders of 23 ⁵⁄₈ inches (60 cm) diameter by 91 ⁵⁄₁₆ inches (231.9 cm) stroke. The engine was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.^[2]

History

Empire Commerce was built for the MoWT. She was placed under the management of Hadley Steamship Co Ltd. Her port of registry was Sunderland. The United Kingdom Official Number 169112 and Code Letters BFJF were allocated.^[2]

Empire Commerce was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

MKS15

Convoy MKS 15 departed Bizerta, Algeria on 17 June 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 4 July. It travelled via Gibraltar (departed 23 June). The convoy joined up with Convoy SL 131 at sea on 24 June. Empire Commerce joined the convoy at Bône, Algeria and left it at Oran, Algeria.^[3]

MKS19

Convoy MKS 19 departed Tripoli, Libya on 21 July 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 28 July. It travelled via Algiers (departed 24 July) and Bizerta, Algeria (departed 26 July). Empire Commerce joined the convoy at Philippeville, Algeria and left it at Algiers.^[4]

MKS 26

Convoy MKS 26 departed Alexandria, Egypt on 24 September 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 17 October. It travelled via Algiers (departed 1 October) and Gibraltar (departed 4 October). The convoy joined with Convoy SL 137 at sea on 4 October. Empire Commerce joined the convoy from Bône, Algeria, bound for Algiers. She was in ballast. On 1 October, she was torpedoed by U-410.^[5] Empire Commerce was north west of Philippeville at the time (37°19′N 6°40′E / 37.317°N 6.667°E / 37.317; 6.667). The ship broke in two, with the stern section sinking.^[1] The bow section drifted ashore 8 nautical miles (15 km) east of Philippeville.^[6] It was towed to Algiers but had been gutted by fire.^[1] All 40 crew and seven DEMS gunners, along with four service personnel who were travelling on board Empire Commerce as passengers were rescued by HMS Alisma and landed at Algiers.^[6]

References

1 2 3 Mitchell, W.H.; Sawyer, L.A. (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
1 2 3 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
↑ "CONVOY MKS 15". Warsailors. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
↑ "CONVOY MKS 19". Warsailors. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
↑ "CONVOY MKS 26". Warsailors. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
1 2 "Empire Commerce". Uboat. Retrieved 16 May 2010.

Empire ships beginning with Empire Ca to Empire Cl, Empire Co to Empire Cy

Cargo ships	Empire Cabot Empire Caicos Empire Calder Empire Call Empire Calshot Empire Camel Empire Cameron Empire Camp¹ Empire Candida Empire Canning Empire Canute ² Empire Canyon Empire Cape ³ Empire Capulet Empire Carey Empire Caribou Empire Carpenter Empire Carron Empire Catcher Empire Catcher II Empire Cato Empire Caxton Empire Celia Empire Centaur Empire Chamois Empire Charmian² Empire Chaucer Empire Cheer Empire Cheetah Empire Chelmer Empire Chelsea ³ Empire Cherwell Empire Cheyne ³ Empire Chivalry Empire Chuzzlewit ³ Empire Citizen (II) Empire City Empire Claire Empire Clansman⁴ Empire Clarion Empire Claymore Empire Cliff ³ Empire Clive Empire Cloud Empire Clough Empire Coast ³ Empire Colne Empire Comet Empire Comfort Empire Commerce (I) Empire Commerce (II) Empire Conavon Empire Concave Empire Concern Empire Concerto Empire Concession Empire Conclyde Empire Concord Empire Concourse Empire Concrete Empire Condart ³ Empire Condee ³ Empire Conderton Empire Condicote Empire Condor (I) Empire Condor (II)³ Empire Condorrat ³ Empire Condover Empire Conexe ³ Empire Confal ³ Empire Confederation Empire Conference Empire Conforth ³ Empire Congerstone ³ Empire Congham Empire Congleton Empire Congo Empire Congress Empire Congreve ³ Empire Conifer Empire Coningsby ⁵ Empire Conington Empire Conisborough Empire Coniston Empire Conlea ³ Empire Conleith Empire Conleven Empire Connah Empire Connaught ³ Empire Connell Empire Connemara Empire Conningbeg Empire Conqueror Empire Conquest Empire Conrad Empire Consent Empire Consequence Empire Consett Empire Consistence Empire Consort Empire Constable Empire Constancy ³ Empire Constellation Empire Constitution Empire Constructor Empire Consumer Empire Contay ³ Empire Contees Empire Content Empire Contest Empire Continent ³ Empire Contour ³ Empire Contract ³ Empire Contyne Empire Convention Empire Conveyor Empire Convoy Empire Conway Empire Conwear Empire Cony ³ Empire Conyngham Empire Copperfield Empire Coppice ³ Empire Cormorant Empire Cougar Empire Courage Empire Cowdray Empire Cowper Empire Crag ³ Empire Cranmer Empire Creek ³ Empire Cricketer ³ Empire Crocus ³ Empire Cromer Empire Cromwell Empire Crossbill Empire Crouch Empire Crown Empire Crusader Empire Crusoe Empire Curlew (I) Empire Curzon Empire Cyprus

Dredgers	Empire Champion Empire Clydesdale Empire Conjuror

Ferries	Empire Chub

Landing ships	Empire Cedric Empire Celtic Empire Crossbow Empire Curlew (II) Empire Cutlass Empire Cymric

Ocean liners	Empire Captain ^{1, 5} Empire Castle^{1, 5} Empire Chieftain ⁵ Empire Citizen (I)^{1, 5} Empire Clarendon ⁵ Empire Clyde (I) Empire Clyde (II)

Schooners	Empire Cononley Empire Contamar

Tankers	Empire Cadet ³ Empire Campden ³ Empire Cavalier Empire Celt Empire Chancellor Empire Chapman Empire Chief Empire Chlorine ³ Empire Cobbett Empire Coleridge Empire Collins Empire Control Empire Coral Empire Corporal Empire Crest Empire Cross

Tugs	Empire Cedar⁶ Empire Charles Empire Cherub Empire Christopher⁷ Empire Clara Empire Connie⁷ Empire Cupid⁷

A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z

1 Refrigerated Cargo Ship 2 Heavy lift ship 3 Coaster 4 Collier 5 Cargo liner 6 Estuary tug 7 Coastal tug

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1943

Shipwrecks	1 Oct: Empire Commerce 3 Oct: USS Henley, HMS Usurper 4 Oct: U-279, U-389, U-422, U-460 6 Oct: Yūgumo 7 Oct: USS Chevalier, USS S-44 8 Oct: ORP Orkan, U-419, U-610, U-643 9 Oct: USS Buck, HMS Panther 11 Oct: HMS Hythe, Mario Roselli, USS Wahoo 13 Oct: USS Bristol, U-402 16 Oct: USS Moonstone, U-470, U-533, U-844, U-964 17 Oct: Michel, U-540, U-631, U-841 19 Oct: Sinfra 20 Oct: U-378 21 Oct: HMCS Chedabucto, USS Murphy, SS Tivives, U-431 22 Oct: HMS Hurworth 23 Oct: HMS Charybdis, Taranto, U-274 24 Oct: HMS Eclipse, Mochizuki, U-566 26 Oct: James Longstreet 28 Oct: U-220 29 Oct: U-282 31 Oct: U-306, U-584, U-732 Unknown date: USS Dorado, HMS Trooper, U-420

Other incidents	9 Oct: HMS Carlisle 10 Oct: Mario Roselli 22 Oct: Adrias 23 Oct: James Iredell

1942 1943 1944 September 1943 November 1943

Coordinates: 37°19′N 6°40′E / 37.317°N 6.667°E / 37.317; 6.667

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