SS Empire Airman (1941)

Empire Airman was a 9,813 ton tanker which was built in 1941. She was renamed San Wenceslao in 1946 and served until 1959 when she was scrapped.

History
Name:
  • Empire Airman (1942-45)
  • San Wenceslao (1945-59)
Namesake: Saint Wenceslas
Owner:
Operator: Eagle Oil & Shipping Co (1942-59)
Port of registry: Sunderland
Builder: Sir J. Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland
Yard number: 739
Launched: 18 November 1941
Completed: January 1942
Identification:
  • UK Official Number 169009
  • Code letters BCWX
Fate: Scrapped in Hong Kong, 1959
General characteristics
Tons burthen:
Length: 484 ft 0 in (147.52 m)
Beam: 68 ft 3 in (20.80 m)
Depth: 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Propulsion: 1 x triple expansion steam engine (North East Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne) 674 hp (503 kW)
Speed: 14 knots (26 km/h)

Description

The ship was 484 feet 0 inches (147.52 m) long, with a beam of 68 feet 3 inches (20.80 m) and a depth of 36 feet 1 inch (11.00 m). She was propelled by a 674 hp (503 kW) triple expansion steam engine which was built by the North East Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne.[1] It could propel the ship at 14 knots (26 km/h).[2]

History

Empire Airman was built by Sir J. Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland as yard number 739. She was launched on 18 November 1941 and completed in January 1942. Empire Airman was owned by the Ministry of War Transport[2] and operated under the management of the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company.[3]

War service

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

HX 178

Convoy HX 178 sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on 3 March 1942 and reached Liverpool on 17 March.[4]

SL 112

Convoy SL 112 sailed from Freetown on 4 June 1942 and reached Liverpool on 23 June. Empire Airman joined the convoy at sea, being en route from Aruba to Belfast laden with oil and motor spirit.[5]

TAG 19

Convoy TAG 19 sailed from Aruba on 6 November 1942, arriving at Guantanamo on 11 November 1942.[6]

KMS 4

Convoy KMS 5 sailed from the Clyde on 11 December 1942, and reached Gibraltar on 24 December and Bone on 27 December.

MKS 16A

Convoy MKS 16A sailed from Tripoli on 29 June 1943 and reached Gibraltar on 6 July.[7]

From 1944 Empire Airman was under charter to an American oil company to carry aviation fuel. She operated between Williamstown on the Yarra River and various Pacific islands, including New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.[8]

Post war service

In 1945, Empire Airman was sold to her operators, who renamed her San Wenceslao.[9] She served for thirteen years and arrived for scrapping in Hong Kong on 20 July 1959.[2]

Official number and code letters

Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Empire Airman had the Official Number 169009 on Lloyd's Register and used the Code Letters BCWX[1]

References
  1. "STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  2. "1169009". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  3. "Empire - A". Mariners. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  4. "CONVOY HX 178". Warsailors. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  5. "ConvoySL.112". Convoyweb. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  6. "ConvoyTAG.19". Convoyweb. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  7. "Convoy MKS.16A". Convoyweb. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  8. "Mr D W Halden's story". BBC. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  9. "Public Notices". The Times (50311). London. 28 November 1945. col D, p. 1.
  • Photo of SS San Wenceslao


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