Suffix beginning with R

''Empire Rabaul''

Empire Rabaul An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' was a 7,307 Gross register tonnage (GRT) cargo ship which was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd,

South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...

. Launched on 27 November 1944 and completed in February 1945. Sold in 1947 to B J Sutherland & Co Ltd,

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

and renamed ''Dumfries''. Sold in 1953 to Chine Shipping Co Ltd and renamed ''Charles Dickens''. Operated under the management of Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Sold in 1956 to the Yugoslavian Government and renamed ''Pohorje''. Arrived on 21 April 1967 at

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

, Italy for scrapping.

''Empire Race''

''Empire Race'' was a 244 GRT tug which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd,

Hessle Hessle () is a town, civil parish and electoral ward in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, west of Kingston upon Hull city centre. Geographically it is part of a larger urban area consisting of the city of Kingston upon Hull, the town of ...

. Launched on 21 November 1944 and completed in June 1942. Sold in 1962 to Società di Navigazione Capiece, Italy and renamed ''Capo d’Orlando''.

''Empire Rain''

Empire Rain An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' was a 7,290 GRT cargo ship which was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Launched on 30 October 1940 and completed in January 1941. Sold in 1945 to Thompson Steam Shipping Co Ltd, London, and renamed ''Amersham''. Operated under the management of Clan Line Ltd. Sold in 1952 to Malabar Steamship Co Ltd,

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

and renamed ''Janeta''. Scrapped in March 1963 in Bombay.

''Empire Rainbow''

'' Empire Rainbow'' was a 6,942 GRT CAM ship which was built by Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd,

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

. Launched on 27 December 1940 and completed in May 1941.

Torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

ed on 26 July 1942 and sunk by ''U-607'' at while a member of Convoy ON 113.

''Empire Raja''

'' Empire Raja'' was a 6,224 GRT cargo ship which was built by Joh. C. Tecklenborg AG,

Wesermünde Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the ...

. Completed in 1922 as ''Wildenfels'' for

DDG Hansa DDG Hansa, short for Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft Hansa (German Steamship Company Hansa; in modern orthography, Deutsche Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft Hansa) was a major German shipping company specialising in heavy freight and schedul ...

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

. Scuttled on 25 August 1941 at

Bandar Shapur Bandar-e Shahpour ( fa, بندر شاهپور) is a city and capital of Bandar-e Shahpour District of Mahshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. As of the 2006 census, its population was 67,078, in 14,681 families. Bandar Shahpour is a port cit ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. Salvaged and seized as a war prize. To MoWT and renamed ''Empire Raja''. Sold in 1951 to Wheelock, Marden & Co,

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

and renamed ''Lansdowne''. Sold in 1951 to Dai-Ichi Kisen KK, Japan, and renamed ''Liverpool Maru''. Scrapped in November 1960 at

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan.

''Empire Raleigh''

Empire Raleigh An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' was a 7,240 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd,

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

. Launched on 12 June 1941 and completed in October 1941. Allocated in 1942 to the

Dutch Government The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy, and a decentralised unitary state.''Civil service systems in Western Europe'' edited by A. J. G. M. Bekk ...

and renamed ''Vermeer''. Sold in 1946 to Stoomscheep Maatschappij Wijklijn NV and renamed ''Zonnewijk''. Operated under the management of Erhardt & Dekkers,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

. Sold in 1961 to Compagnia Navigazione de Egeo,

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

and renamed ''Antonakis''. Operated under the management of Lemos & Pateras Ltd. Ran aground on 6 December 1961 at

Cape Spartel Cape Spartel ( ar, رأس سبارطيل; french: Cap Spartel; ary, أشبرتال) is a promontory in Morocco about above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km West of Tangier. Below the cape are the Caves of Hercules. ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

and broke in two. Declared a total loss.

''Empire Rancher''

''Empire Rancher'' was a 332 GRT collier which was built by J Harker Ltd,

Knottingley Knottingley is a market town in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the old A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road before it was bypassed as the A1(M). Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Ridi ...

. Launched on 2 January 1943 and completed in June 1943. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd, London and renamed ''Shelley''. Sold in 1948 to Coppack Brothers & Co, Hull. Stranded on 6 June 1965 in

Strangford Lough Strangford Lough (from Old Norse ''Strangr Fjörðr'', meaning "strong sea-inlet"PlaceNames N ...

. Refloated and taken in tow but sank on 8 June in

Belfast Lough Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to th ...

''Empire Ranger''

'' Empire Ranger'' was a 7,008 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd,

Port Glasgow Port Glasgow ( gd, Port Ghlaschu, ) is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most recen ...

. Launched on 3 December 1941 and was completed in February 1942. Bombed on 28 March 1942 by

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called ''Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...

aircraft and sunk at while a member of

Convoy PQ 13 PQ 13 was a British Arctic convoy that delivered war supplies from the Western Allies to the USSR during World War II. The convoy was subject to attack by German air, U-boat and surface forces and suffered the loss of five ships, plus one escort ...

. Crew member,

Alfred Minchin Alfred Vivian Minchin (27 January 1917 – February 1998) was a British merchant seaman who was taken prisoner by a German destroyer after his ship, the List of Empire ships (R)#Empire Ranger, SS ''Empire Ranger'', one of a Arctic convoys of Worl ...

was taken prisoner by a German destroyer and became a member of the

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...

British Free Corps The British Free Corps (german: Britisches Freikorps; BFC) was a unit of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II, made up of British and British Dominions, Dominion prisoners of war who had been recruited by Germany. The unit was origi ...

'', holding the rank of Sturmmann. He was 'convicted at Central Criminal Court on 5 February 1946 of conspiring to assist the enemy and sentenced to 7 years of penal servitude."Seamen Sentenced For Aiding Enemy."
Times, London, England, 21 Feb. 1946: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

''Empire Rangoon''

'' Empire Rangoon'' was a 7,028 GRT cargo ship which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

. Launched on 25 January 1944 and completed in May 1944. Sold in 1947 to Reardon Smith Line Ltd and renamed ''Homer City''. Operated under the management of Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd. Sold in 1966 to Grosvenor Shipping Co Ltd, London, and renamed ''Grosvenor Mariner''. Operated under the management of Mollers Ltd, Hong Kong. Sold in 1966 to Tat On Shipping & Enterprise Co Ltd, Hong Kong, and renamed ''Red Sea''. Operated under the management of Yick Fung Shipping & Enterprise Co Ltd, Hong Kong. On 17 August 1971 she was driven aground at Lanatu Island, Hong Kong during Typhoon Rose. Refloated but scrapped in September 1971 at Hong Kong.

''Empire Rani''

'' Empire Rani'' was a 7,575 GRT cargo ship which was built by Joh. C. Tecklenborg AG, Wesermünde. Completed in 1921 as ''Marienfels'' for Hansa Line, Bremen. Captured on 25 August 1941 at Bandar Shapur, Iran. To MoWT and renamed ''Empire Rani''. Sold in 1950 to San Giorgio del Porto, Italy, and renamed ''Karachi''. Scrapped in June 1959 at Osaka, Japan.

''Empire Ransom''

'' Empire Ransom'' was a 2,905 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd,

West Hartlepool West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland. The former town was originally formed in ...

. Launched on 31 August 1943 and completed in November 1943. Sold in 1946 to Kelvin Shipping Co Ltd and renamed ''Baron Elibank''. Operated under the management of H Hogarth & Sons Ltd. Sold in 1959 to Empros Shipping Co Ltd, Greece, and renamed ''Armenistis''. Arrived on 6 July 1971 at Tamise, Belgium for scrapping.

''Empire Rapier''

'' Empire Rapier'' was a 7,177 GRT (11,650 tons displacement) Type C1-S-AY1 cargo ship which was built by Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Laid down as ''Cape Turner'' but completed in December 1943 as ''Empire Rapier'' for MoWT. To

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

(USMC) in 1948 and renamed ''Cape Turner''. Renamed ''Empire Rapier'' at an unknown date. Arrived on 5 January 1966 at Kearney,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

for scrapping.

''Empire Raven''

Empire Raven An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' was a 6,100 GRT (9,400 DWT) refrigerated cargo ship which was built by Moore Shipbuilding Co,

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

, California. Completed in November 1918 as ''Oskawa'' for the

United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...

(USSB). To MoWT in 1942 and renamed ''Empire Raven''. Sold in 1948 to South Georgia Co Ltd and renamed ''Southern Raven''. Operated under the management of Christian Salvesen & Co Ltd,

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

. Scrapped in November 1952 at Port Glasgow.

Louis Adamic Louis Adamic ( sl, Alojzij Adamič; March 23, 1898 – September 4, 1951) was a Slovene-American author and translator, mostly known for writing about and advocating for ethnic diversity of the United States. Background Louis Adamic ...

wrote an account of life on the ship in 1922 in his '' Dynamite: The Story of Class Violence in America'' (published in 1931), which in turn inspired

Bertold Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's poem "Abbau des Schiffes Oskawa durch die Mannschaft", published in his 1939 collection ''

Svendborger Gedichte ''Svendborger Gedichte'' ('Svendborg Poems') is a poetry collection by the German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht, and the last collection of new poems to be published while he lived. The collection is named after the town of Svendborg on the ...

''.

''Empire Rawlinson''

'' Empire Rawlinson'' was a 9,912 GRT cargo liner which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 22 June 1944 and completed in November 1944. Allocated in 1946 to the

French Government The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...

and renamed ''Monkay''. Sold in 1950 to Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes, France. Sold in 1959 to Compagnia Marittima Marmara SA, Panama and renamed ''Dimitrios''. Sold in 1969 to S A Wisdom Ltda, Panama, and renamed ''Tropero''. Operated under the management of A Bottacchi SA,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. Arrived on 1 February 1972 at

Campan Campan (; oc, Campan) is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie region of south-western France. Geography Campan stands in a valley of the sa ...

, Argentina for scrapping.

''Empire Ray''

'' Empire Ray'' was a 6,919 GRT CAM ship which was built by Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd, Greenock. Launched on 25 March 1941 and completed in June 1941. Sold in 1945 to King Line Ltd and renamed ''King Alfred''. Arrived on 16 March 1963 at

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

for scrapping.

''Empire Raymond''

'' Empire Raymond'' is a 235 GRT tug which was built by A Hall & Co Ltd,

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

. Launched on 21 January 1946 and completed in May 1946. Sold in 1947 to William Watkins Ltd and renamed ''Cervia''. Foundered on 26 October 1954 at

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an ancie ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

while assisting . Raised on 28 October and beached. Repaired at

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and re-entered service. To Medway Maritime Museum in 1972 and then International Towing Ltd,

Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...

, Kent in 1973. To East Kent Maritime Museum in 1984 and preserved in William Watkins Ltd livery.

''Empire Razorbill''

'' Empire Razorbill'' was a 5,117 GRT (7,500 DWT) cargo ship which was built by American International Shipbuilding Co, Hog Island,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Completed in 1920 as ''Conness Peak'' for USSB. Sold to Pioneer Steamship Corp,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1920. Sold to Lykes Brothers-Ripley Steamship Co Inc in 1933. Sold in 1938 to Wisconsin Steamship Co and renamed ''Erica Reed''. Sold in 1939 to American Coast Line Inc and renamed ''Eastern Trader''. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed ''Empire Razorbill''. Sold in 1946 to Williamson & Co Ltd, Hong Kong. Sold in 1947 to Xilas Brothers, Greece and renamed ''M Xilas''. Caught fire on 4 June 1947 at

Ko Sichang Ko Sichang (or Koh Sichang, th, เกาะสีชัง, ) is a district ('' amphoe'') of Chonburi province, Thailand. It consists of the island of Ko Sichang and its adjoining islands. Ko Sichang is in the Gulf of Thailand, 12 km off t ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, beached and abandoned. Sank on 13 July 1947.

''Empire Reaper''

''Empire Reaper'' was a 322 GRT collier which was built by J Harker Ltd, Knottingley. Launched on 17 October 1942 and completed in April 1943. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd, London and renamed ''Browning''. Sold in 1949 to Kerton Shipping Co Ltd and renamed ''Moreton Corbet''. Sold in 1953 to Fowey Harbour Commissioners,

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

and renamed ''Lerryn''. Sold in 1964 to Seabourne Aggregate Co Ltd,

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

. Converted to a sand carrier and renamed ''Pen Adur''. Sold in 1969 to South Coast Shipping Co Ltd, Southampton, and renamed ''Sand Wren''. Sold in 1973 to Bowen & Caine, Southampton, and renamed ''Margaret Smith''. Capsized on 28 June 1978 at

Cowes Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floa ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

. Towed to a position off Yarmouth but sank at .

''Empire Record''

Empire Record An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' was a 2,902 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 24 October 1942 and completed in December 1942. Sold in 1948 to Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd and renamed ''Stanway''. Sold in 1951 to Williamson Shipping Co Ltd and renamed ''Yorkbrook''. Operated under the management of Comben, Longstaff & Co Ltd. Sold in 1954 to I Jansen, Norway, and renamed ''Elisabeth Jansen''. Sold in 1959 to Marine Venture Corp, New York, and renamed ''Celia B''. Sold in 1963 to Prymo Meltemi Compagnia Navigazione SA, Panama and renamed ''Saint Mary''. Sold in 1964 to Angelmar Shipping Co Ltd, Panama, and renamed ''Sea Maid''. On 7 January 1965, she lost her propeller and suffered engine damage northeast of

Bonaire Bonaire (; , ; pap, Boneiru, , almost pronounced ) is a Dutch island in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital is the port of Kralendijk, on the west ( leeward) coast of the island. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao form the ABC i ...

Netherlands Antilles nl, In vrijheid verenigd"Unified by freedom" , national_anthem = , common_languages = Dutch English Papiamento , demonym = Netherlands Antillean , capital = Willemstad , year_start = 1954 , year_end = 2010 , date_start = 15 December , ...

. Towed to

Willemstad Willemstad ( , ; ; en, William I of the Netherlands, William Town, italic=yes) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdo ...

and abandoned as a constructive total loss. Sold for scrapping at

Curaçao Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coast ...

, but resold and towed to Rotterdam. Scrapped in March 1969 at

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

, Spain.

''Empire Redshank''

Empire Redshank An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' was a 6,615 GRT (9,600 DWT) cargo ship which was built by Federal Shipbuilding Co, Kearney, New Jersey. Completed in April 1939 as ''Braddock'' for USSB. To MoWT in 1941 and renamed ''Empire Redshank''. Bombed on 31 January 1942 and damaged north of the

Shetland Islands Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

(). Torpedoed on 22 February 1943 and sunk by while a member of

Convoy ON 166 Convoy ON 166 was the 166th of the numbered ON series of merchant ship convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. Sixty-three ships departed Liverpool 11 February 1943 and were met the following day by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Gr ...

. Abandoned and then sunk by .

''Empire Regent''

'' Empire Regent'' was a 9,904 GRT cargo liner which was built by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd,

Haverton Hill-on-Tees Haverton Hill is an area within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. Once considered a part of Billingham, Haverton Hill was once a thriving industrial community which has suffered significant depopu ...

. Launched on 17 July 1943 and completed in November 1943. Sold in 1946 to Rio Cape Line Ltd and renamed ''Black Prince''. Operated under the management of Furness, Withy & Co Ltd. Chartered in 1949 by Shaw, Savill & Albion Co Ltd and renamed ''Zealandic''. Sold in 1952 to Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd and renamed ''Beaverlodge''. Sold in 1960 to Ben Line Steamers Ltd and renamed ''Benhiant''. Sold in 1970 to Witty Compagnia Navigazione SA,

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

and renamed ''Venus''. Operated under the management of Troodos Shipping & Trading Ltd, London. Arrived on 16 July 1971 at

Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

for scrapping.

''Empire Reindeer''

'' Empire Reindeer'' was a 6,259 GRT (9,600 DWT) cargo ship which was built by Federal Shipbuilding Co, Kearney, New Jersey. Completed as ''Clarion'' for USSB. To MoWT in 1941 and renamed ''Empire Reindeer''. Torpedoed on 10 August 1942 and sunk by U-660 at while a member of Convoy SC 94.

''Empire Rennie''

'' Empire Rennie'' was a 6,626 GRT cargo ship which was built by C Connell & Co Ltd,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. Launched on 7 October 1941 and completed in December 1941. Allocated in 1942 to the Dutch Government and renamed ''Frans Hals''. Sold in 1946 to Van Nievelt, Goudriaan Stoomscheeps Maatschappij NV, Rotterdam and renamed ''Alchiba''. Sold in 1956 to DDG Hansa, Bremen and renamed ''Rheinfels''. Sold in 1968 to Permataris Shipping Co Ltd, Cyprus, and renamed ''Permataris''. On 6 June 1975 she suffered an engine room fire east of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

(). Abandoned but later reboarded. Arrived on 12 June at Augusta,

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

and laid up. To

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saronic ...

, Greece, arriving on 11 July and laid up. Scrapped in February 1979 at Piraeus.

''Empire Reserve''

'' Empire Reserve'' was a 5,693 GRT tanker which was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Completed in 1916 as ''Mytilus'' for Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd. Requisitioned by MoWT in 1941. Arrived on 14 August 1942 at

Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...

, Essex for use as an oil fuel depot. Intended to be renamed ''Empire Reserve'' but the name was not taken up. Returned to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd in 1946 and towed to Plaju,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. Used as a floating oil depot. Scrapped in November 1950 in Bombay.

''Empire Resistance''

Empire Resistance An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' was a 1,631 GRT cargo ship which was built by Feviks Jernskibsbyg,

Fevik Fevik is a Seaside resort and village in Grimstad municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the Skaggerak coast about northeast of the town of Grimstad and about south of the city of Arendal. The village of Vik lies j ...

, Norway. Completed in 1908 as ''Ottar''. Sold in 1935 to Servizio Italo-Portoghese Anonimo di Navigazione,

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

, Italy and renamed ''Libano''. Seized in June 1940 at

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. To MoWT and renamed ''Empire Resistance''. Sold in 1946 to Resistance Shipping Co, London, and renamed ''Resistance''. Sold in 1949 to Giacomo Costa, Genoa and renamed ''Beatrice C''. Sold in 1954 to Raffaele Romano,

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

and renamed ''Acilia''. Sold in 1956 to Apostolo & Ruffini, Genoa and renamed ''Cilin''. Scrapped in June 1959 at

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

, Italy.

''Empire Rest''

'' Empire Rest'' was a 1,333 GRT

convoy rescue ship A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

which was built by

Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd. Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited is a shipbuilding company whose yard, located in Port Glasgow on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, was established in 1903. It is the last remaining shipbuilder on the lower Clyde and is currently the only ...

, Port Glasgow. Launched on 19 June 1944 as HMS ''Rayleigh Castle'' for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. Completed in October 1944 as ''Empire Rest'' for MoWT. Laid up in July 1948 at

Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; kw, Aberfala) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,797 (2011 census). Etymology The name Falmouth is of English or ...

. Sold in October 1951 to Lloyds Albert Yard & Motor Boat Packet Services Ltd. Operated under the management of R A Beazley, Southampton. Arrived on 6 June 1952 at Briton Ferry,

West Glamorgan , HQ= County Hall, Swansea , Government= West Glamorgan County Council (abolished 1996) , Status= , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Wes ...

for scrapping.

''Empire Reynard''

''Empire Reynard'' was a 325 GRT coaster which was built by Richards Ironworks Ltd,

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the most easterly UK settlement, it is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and sou ...

. Launched on 11 July 1942 and completed in October 1942. Allocated in 1943 to the Dutch Government and renamed ''Westerhaven''. Sold in 1946 to Société Anonyme Jean Negri, France and renamed ''Orsuro''. Sold in 1949 to Compagnie Charentaise de Transports Maritimes, France and renamed ''Chassiron''. Sold in 1951 to R T V Hall,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

and renamed ''Kilbride''. Sold in 1972 to T Rive, Dublin, then sold in 1973 to Mrs Joyce Hercock, Hull and renamed ''Joyce''. Scrapped in April 1974 at Hull.

''Empire Reynolds''

The Royal Navy during the Second World War A25058

'' Empire Reynolds'' was an 8,128 GRT tanker which was built in 1942 by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Sold to H E Moss & Co. London in 1946 and renamed ''Luminous''. Sold in 1956 to Compagnia Sicula di Armamento Cosarma, Italy and renamed ''Potere''. Renamed ''Miriella'' later that year. Scrapped in 1960 in

''Empire Rhodes''

'' Empire Rhodes'' was a 7,050 GRT cargo ship which was built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd,

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

. Launched on 19 September 1941 and completed in December 1941. On 18 December 1945 her cargo of

jute Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...

caught fire at

Gdynia Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the List of cities in Poland, 12th-largest city in Poland and ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

. She was scuttled in an attempt to extinguish the fire, that burnt until 3 January 1946. Towed to

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...

, Germany on 23 February 1946, then to Falmouth. Arrived on 11 April 1946 at Glasgow. Sold on 25 February 1947 to be scuttled but repaired instead. Sold to the South Georgia Co and renamed ''Culter''. Operated under the management of Christian Salveson & Co Ltd, Leith. Sold in 1959 to M Ipar,

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

and renamed ''Virginia Ipar''. Scrapped in September 1970 at Istanbul.

''Empire Rhondda''

'' Empire Rhondda'' was a 1,996 GRT cargo ship which was built by Schiffswerke AG, Hamburg. Completed in 1923 as ''Pasajes'' for Oldenburg-Portuguese Line, Hamburg. On 11 January 1945 she ran aground in the

Skaggerak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. The ...

at . Salvaged and taken to

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...

for repairs. Seized in May 1945 at Frederikshaven, Denmark. To MoWT and renamed ''Empire Rhondda''. To USSB in 1946 and renamed ''Henri Barbusse''. No trace after 1955, deleted from shipping registers in 1968.

''Empire Ribble''

'' Empire Ribble'' was a 4,545 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Completed in 1922 as ''Dunstaffinage''. Sold in 1939 to F A Vinnen & Co, Bremen and renamed ''Magdalene Vinnen''. Damaged in July 1943 during Allied air raid on Hamburg. Towed to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

for repairs and seized there in May 1945. To MoWT and renamed ''Empire Ribble''. Chartered to the Dutch Government and renamed ''Osterbeek''. Allocated to the Dutch Government in 1946 and sold the next year to Erhardt & Dekkers,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, renamed ''Winterswijk''. Sold in 1954 to Peak Steamship Co, Hong Kong, and renamed ''Universal Trader''. Sold in 1958 to Great Southern Steamship Co, Hong Kong. Scrapped in 1959 at

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, Japan.

''Empire Richmond''

'' Empire Richmond'' was a 1,047 GRT coaster which was built by John Lewis & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen. Launched on 11 June 1945 and completed in August 1945. Sold in 1946 to Stephenson Clarke Lt and renamed ''Pulborough''. Renamed ''Pulborough II'' in 1959, sold later that year to Ashok Line, India, and renamed ''Nilgiri''. Arrested in 1969 at

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

and sold by Court Order. Scrapped in April 1970 at Calcutta.

''Empire Rider''

''Empire Rider'' was a 964 GRT (1,100 DWT) coaster which was built by Scott & Sons,

Bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire ( sco, Wast Dunbairtonshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann an Iar, ) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. The area lies to the west of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's commuter town ...

. Launched on 15 September 1943 and completed in October 1943. Sold in 1946 to O Dorey & Sons Ltd,

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

and renamed ''Rocquaine''. Scrapped in 1961 at

Terneuzen Terneuzen () is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland, in the middle of Zeelandic Flanders. With almost 55,000 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality of Zeeland. History First mentione ...

, Netherlands.

''Empire Ridge''

'' Empire Ridge'' was a 2,922 GRT

ore carrier A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo — such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement — in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, econom ...

which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 7 February 1941 and completed in April 1941. Torpedoed on 19 May 1941 and sunk by ''U-96'' at

''Empire Ridley''

'' Empire Ridley'' was a 6,838 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 21 August 1941 and completed in November 1941. To the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

in 1943 and converted to a pipe-laying vessel. To

as HMS ''Latimer''. To MoWT in July 1945 and renamed ''Empire Ridley''. Sold to Norwegian buyer in 1947, sent to Italy for conversion. Sold to Società Ligure di Armamento, Italy and renamed ''Acheo''. Scrapped in 1964 at

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...

, Japan.

''Empire Rita''

''Empire Rita'' was a 292 GRT tug which was built by Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd., Port Glasgow. Launched on 15 December 1945 and completed in May 1946. To the Admiralty in 1946 and renamed ''Frisky'' in 1959. Sold in 1970 to S O Mar, Malta. Scrapped in March 1979 at Naples.

''Empire Rival''

'' Empire Rival'' was a 7,045 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 19 June 1943 and completed in September 1943. In September, following the D-Day Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944, the Empire Rival loaded troops and armored cars belonging to the 52nd Lowland Division at London Docks. "C" Squadron was landed directly on to Sword Beach in rough sea conditions by landing craft after a passage delayed by bad weather. On 22 August 1946 a

limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...

was attached to her hull at

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

. A large hole was blown in her side and she was beached. Temporary repairs were made and she was towed to

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

for repairs. In July 1947 she embarked some of the Jewish refugees from at Haifa and took them to Port de Bouc, France where they refused to disembark. ''Empire Rival'' remained in port from 29 July until 22 August, with the refugees under armed guard by the

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, the other being t ...

. On 22 August, ''Empire Rival'' sailed for Hamburg where the refugees were disembarked and sent to camps throughout

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Sold in 1948 to R Chapman & Son, Newcastle upon Tyne and renamed ''Amberton''. Sold in 1957 to Compagnia de Vapores Marina Ltda,

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and renamed ''Parmarina''. Operated under the management of N & J Vlassopulos Ltd, London. Sold in 1963 to Oceania Armadora SA and reflagged to

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

. Remaining under Vlassopulos's management. Wrecked on 10 January 1967 off

Keelung Keelung () or Jilong () (; Hokkien POJ: '), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. The city is a part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with its neighbors, New Taipe ...

, Taiwan () after the anchor chain broke in heavy weather.

''Empire River''

''Empire River'' was a 325 GRT coaster which was built by J S Watson Ltd,

Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

. Launched on 8 September 1941 and completed in December 1941. Allocated in 1943 to the Dutch Government and renamed ''Oosterhaven''. Sold in 1946 to M R Couton, France, and rename ''Jean-Marc''. Sold in 1947 to André Richard, France, and renamed ''Jean-Marc Richard''. Sold in 1950 to Hindlea Shipping Co Ltd,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and renamed ''Marshlea''. Sold in 1952 to F A Ashmead & Son Ltd,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and renamed ''Peter Leigh''. A new diesel engine was fitted in 1956. Sold in 1965 to Carbo Centre SA, France. Converted to a sand carrier and renamed ''Carbo-Centre''.

''Empire Roach''

''Empire Roach'' was a 716 GRT coaster which was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Launched on 25 August 1942 and completed in October 1942. Operated under the management of Townsend Brothers Ltd until 1965, then Ellerman's Westcott & Laurence Line Ltd. Sold in 1968 to Progressive Trading Agency Ltd, Malta. Sold in 1970 to Cantieri Navale Giuseppe, Italy. Laid up at Augusta, Sicily awaiting conversion to a

floating crane Floating may refer to: * a type of dental work performed on horse teeth * use of an isolation tank * the guitar-playing technique where chords are sustained rather than scratched * ''Floating'' (play), by Hugh Hughes * Floating (psychological phe ...

. Dismantled in 1978, her hull was used as a

barge Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...

at Augusta.

''Empire Roamer''

'' Empire Roamer'' was a 7,030 GRT cargo ship which was built by C Connell & Co Ltd, Glasgow. Launched on 5 January 1942 as ''Empire Roamer''. Allocated to the

Polish Government The Government of Poland takes the form of a Unitary state, unitary Parliamentary republic, parliamentary Representative democracy, representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Poland, President is the head of state and the Prime ...

and completed in March 1942 as ''Narwik''. On 10 October 1942 she rescued over 1,000 passengers and crew from which had been torpedoed and sunk by ''U-172''. Survivors landed in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

on 12 October. Sold in 1951 to

Polish Ocean Lines Polish Ocean Lines (PLO, pl, Polskie Linie Oceaniczne) is a Polish commercial shipping company, with headquarters in Gdynia. The company was created in 1951 in a merger of three smaller shipping companies. Currently, PLO acts as a holding compan ...

, Poland. Sold in 1967 to

Polska Żegluga Morska Polska Żegluga Morska known as Polsteam or PŻM, is a cargo ship operator based in Szczecin, Poland. Polsteam is a state-owned enterprise with around 3,000 employees. Company history Polsteam was founded in 1951, nationalizing the assets of two ...

, Poland. Arrived on 7 March 1972 at Bilbao, Spain for scrapping.

''Empire Robin''

'' Empire Robin'' was a 5,756 GRT (8,800 DWT) cargo ship which was built by River Shipbuilding Corp,

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. Completed as ''West Harshaw'' for USSB. To Lykes Bros-Ripley Steamship Co Inc in 1933. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed ''Empire Oryx''. Renamed ''Empire Robin'' in 1941. Allocated in 1942 to the Dutch Government and renamed ''Ferdinand Bol''. Collided on 30 July 1942 with ''Norse King'' and sank at .

''Empire Rock''

'' Empire Rock'' was a 7,064 GRT cargo ship which was built by Bartram & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 22 April 1943 and completed in July 1943. Sold in 1946 to S G Embiricos Ltd, London and renamed ''Admiral Codrington.'' Sold in 1956 to E Szabados, Italy and renamed ''Sandro Primo''. Sold in 1959 to D Lijnzaad Transport-en-Handel, Rotterdam and renamed ''Amalie B''. Scrapped in August 1960 at Hamburg, West Germany.

''Empire Roden''

'' Empire Roden'' was a 2,837 GRT cargo ship which was built by Helsingørs Maskinbyggeri,

Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; sv, Helsingör), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a city in eastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 62,686 on 1 January 2018. Helsingør and Helsingborg in Sweden together form the northern ...

, Denmark. Completed in 1943 as ''Halsnaes'' but renamed ''Helgenaes'' later that year. Requisitioned by Germany in 1943, to DDG Hansa, Bremen and renamed ''Kronenfels''. Seized in May 1945 at Copenhagen. To MoWT and renamed ''Empire Roden''. Allocated to the United States in 1947, to USMC then sold later that year to

Sword Line Inc. Sword Line Inc. was a steamship company founded by Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulacos and Abbott Abercrombie in New York City in 1933. Sword Line Inc. had shipping routes from Atlantic ports to and Gulf of Mexico ports. Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulaco ...

, New York, and renamed ''Florida Sword''. Sold in 1956 to Gecapo Maritime Navigation,

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

and renamed ''Cheyenne''. Sold in 1957 to Supreme Navigation Corp, Liberia, and renamed ''St Nicholas''. Ran aground on 8 August 1958 on a reef off Kingston,

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

. Salvage efforts abandoned in September 1968, declared a total loss.

''Empire Roderick''

''Empire Roderick'' was a 235 GRT tug which was built by A Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen. Launched on 21 December 1945 and completed in February 1946. To the Admiralty in 1947 and renamed ''Security''. Scrapped in April 1966 at Burght, Belgium.

''Empire Roding''

'' Empire Roding'' was a 2,957 GRT cargo ship which was built by

Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft is a German shipbuilding company located in Flensburg. The company trades as ''Flensburger'' and is commonly abbreviated ''FSG''. History ''Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft'' was founded in 1872 by a group of ...

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish, Low Saxon: ''Flensborg''; North Frisian: ''Flansborj''; South Jutlandic: ''Flensborre'') is an independent town (''kreisfreie Stadt'') in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the ...

. Completed in 1937 as ''Ernst L M Russ'' for Ernst Russ, Hamburg. Seized in May 1945 at Flensburg. To MoWT and renamed ''Empire Roding''. Allocated to the US in 1946, to USMC. Sold in 1947 to Eastport Steamship Corp, New York, and renamed ''Eastport''. Sold in 1950 to Zim Israel Navigation Co, Israel, and rename ''Tsfonit''. Sold in 1961 to Agenzia Generale Navigazione Marittima, Italy and renamed ''Flamatt''. Sold in 1963 to Nana Trading & Shipping Co Ltd, Liberia, and renamed ''Florita''. Sold in 1970 to Raffaele di Maio, Liberia and renamed ''Pamela''. Scrapped in August 1972 at Trieste, Italy.

''Empire Roger''

''Empire Roger'' was a 235 GRT tug which was built by A Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen. Launched on 10 April 1944 and completed in May 1944. Sold in 1949 to J Fisher & Sons, Barrow in Furness and renamed ''Fisherstown''. Scrapped in June 1968 at Barrow in Furness.

''Empire Ronaldsay''

'' Empire Rondaldsay'' was a 7,331 GRT cargo ship which was built by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 28 April 1947 and completed in July 1947 as ''Lagosian'' for United Africa Co Ltd, London. Sold in 1949 to Palm Line Ltd and renamed ''Lagos Palm''. Operated under the management of United Africa Co Ltd. Renamed ''Oguta Palm'' in 1961. Sold in 1964 to Skaramange Shipping Co, Greece, and renamed ''Heraclitos''. Operated under the management of M Scufalos, Greece. Management passed to G Eleftheriou, Greece in 1968. Sold in 1969 to Helean Navigation Co, Greece and renamed ''Herodemos'', remaining under Eleftheriou's management. Arrived on 4 April 1973 at

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

for scrapping.

''Empire Rosa'' (I)

''Empire Rosa'' was a 593 GRT tug which was built by Clelands (Successors) Ltd, Willington Quay-on-Tyne. Launched on 30 December 1944 as ''Empire Rosa'' and completed in April 1945 as ''Empire Jean''. Sold in 1946 to Metal Industries Ltd and renamed ''Metinda III''. To

Armada Española The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...

in 1961 and renamed ''R A 3''.

''Empire Rosa'' (II)

''Empire Rosa'' was a 292 GRT tug which was built by Blyth Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co Ltd. Launched on 6 December 1945 and completed in April 1946. To the Admiralty in 1949. Used as a target tug for

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

bombing practice. On 3 December 1977 she broke from her moorings and drifted ashore at Luce Bay, Galloway. Salvaged but declared a constructive total loss. Scrapped at Troon, Ayrshire.

''Empire Rosalind''

''Empire Rosalind'' was a 7,290 GRT cargo ship that was built by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Burntisland, Fife. Launched on 10 November 1942 and completed in January 1943. Sold in 1949 to W Runciman & Co Ltd and renamed ''Rosemoor''. Sold in 1952 to W H Schlieker AG, West Germany and renamed ''Helga''. Sold in 1959 to August Bolten, West Germany, and renamed ''Helga Bolten''. Sold in 1960 to Krupp, Krupp Seeschiffahrt GmbH, West Germany and renamed ''Sollingen''. Sold later that year to Oversea Shipping Co SA and renamed ''Mar Feliz''. Operated under the management of Mariner Shipping Co Ltd, Hong Kong. Ran aground on 17 September 1960 in the Straat Kidjang, Indonesia, and damaged her bottom. Proceeded to Singapore then Hong Kong. Scrapped in 1960 in Hong Kong.

''Empire Roseberry''

''Empire Roseberry'' was a 2,370 GRT tanker which was built by Blythswood Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Glasgow. Completed in July 1944. Struck a Naval mine, mine on 24 August 1944 off Normandy, France, and sank.

''Empire Rother''

''Empire Rother'' was a 1,940 GRT cargo ship which was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Completed in 1929 as ''Imari''. Sold in 1930 to St Lawrence Steamships Ltd and renamed ''Delaware''. To MoWT in 1943 and renamed ''Empire Rother''. Operated under the management of Cory Environmental, William Cory & Sons Ltd. Sold in 1949 to Quebec North Shore Paper Co, Montreal and renamed ''Manicouagun''. Renamed ''Washington Times-Herald'' in 1951 and ''Manitoulin'' in 1954. Scrapped in July 1961 at Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Port Dalhousie, Ontario.

''Empire Rowan''

''Empire Rowan'' was a 9,462 GRT CAM ship which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow. Completed in 1922 as ''Lochgoil'' for Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, Royal Mail Lines Ltd. Damaged by a mine on 6 October 1939 from the Scarweather Light Vessel, Bristol Channel. Beached at Mumbles. Declared a constructive total loss but repaired. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed ''Empire Rowan''. Torpedoed on 27 March 1943 by aircraft in Bay of Collo, northwest of Annaba, Bône, Algeria and sunk. Wreck exploded underwater on 8 January 1951, believed to be caused by an unofficial salvage attempt.

''Empire Ruby''

''Empire Ruby'' was a 667 GRT (800 DWT) coaster which was built by G Brown & Co (Marine) Ltd, Greenock. Launched on 26 June 1941 and completed in October 1941. Sold in 1946 to Athel Line Ltd and renamed ''Athelruby''. Operated under the management of United Molasses Co Ltd, London. Sold in 1950 to F T Everard & Sons Ltd and renamed ''Akinity''. Scrapped in April 1965 at Bruges, Belgium.

''Empire Runner''

''Empire Runner'' was a 313 GRT (350 DWT) collier which was built by Richard Dunston Ltd, Thorne, South Yorkshire, Thorne. Launched on 23 August 1943 and completed in October 1943. Sold in 1947 to South Coast Sand & Ballast Co Ltd. Converted to a sand sucker and renamed ''Sand Runner''. Sold in 1954 to Zinal Steamship Co Ltd. Operated under the management of J Burness & Sons Ltd, London. Sold in 1954 to Burness Shipping Co Ltd, London. Remained under Burness's management until 1956, then operated under the management of William Cory & Son Ltd. Scrapped in July 1970 at Southampton.

''Empire Rupert''

''Empire Rupert'' was a 487 GRT tug which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 10 November 1942 and completed in May 1943. Collided on 24 January 1945 with off Dover, Kent () and sank.

''Empire Ruskin''

''Empire Ruskin'' was a 7,037 GRT cargo ship which was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Launched on 14 July 1942 and completed in September 1942. Allocated in 1943 to the Dutch Government and renamed ''Van der Capelle''. Sold in 1947 to Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd NV, Amsterdam and renamed ''Delfland''. Sold in 1959 to Cerrahogullari Umumi Nakliyat TAS, Istanbul and renamed ''M Esref''. Arrived on 13 October 1968 at Istanbul for scrapping.

''Empire Russell''

''Empire Russell'' was a 3,750 GRT tanker which was built by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 28 October 1943 and completed in February 1944. Sold in 1946 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd and renamed ''Batissa''. Sold in 1956 to Royal Dutch Shell, Shell Tankers Ltd. Sold in 1960 to Estrella Maritima SA, Argentina. On 7 June 1970 ''Batissa'' was in collision with in the Paraná River. Explosions and fire followed, the ship ran aground and was abandoned. Later refloated and laid up damaged at Buenos Aires. Previously arranged sale to Toba S.A.M.C.I.F, Argentina and renaming to ''Toba Pegaso'' fell through. Scrapped in 1977 at Buenos Aires.

''Empire Ruth''

''Empire Ruth'' was a 258 GRT tug which was built by Scott & Sons, Bowling. Launched on 18 December 1944 and completed in February 1945. Sold in 1948 to the Politics of Iraq, Iraqi Government and renamed ''Hadhir''. Sold in 1966 to Iraqi Ports Administration and renamed ''Al Zab''.

References

Sources

* {{Empire ships Lists of Empire ships, R

Suffix beginning with R

''Empire Rabaul''

''Empire Race''

''Empire Rain''

''Empire Rainbow''

''Empire Raja''

''Empire Raleigh''

''Empire Rancher''

''Empire Ranger''

''Empire Rangoon''

''Empire Rani''

''Empire Ransom''

''Empire Rapier''

''Empire Raven''

''Empire Rawlinson''

''Empire Ray''

''Empire Raymond''

''Empire Razorbill''

''Empire Reaper''

''Empire Record''

''Empire Redshank''

''Empire Regent''

''Empire Reindeer''

''Empire Rennie''

''Empire Reserve''

''Empire Resistance''

''Empire Rest''

''Empire Reynard''

''Empire Reynolds''

''Empire Rhodes''

''Empire Rhondda''

''Empire Ribble''

''Empire Richmond''

''Empire Rider''

''Empire Ridge''

''Empire Ridley''

''Empire Rita''

''Empire Rival''

''Empire River''

''Empire Roach''

''Empire Roamer''

''Empire Robin''

''Empire Rock''

''Empire Roden''

''Empire Roderick''

''Empire Roding''

''Empire Roger''

''Empire Ronaldsay''

''Empire Rosa'' (I)

''Empire Rosa'' (II)

''Empire Rosalind''

''Empire Roseberry''

''Empire Rother''

''Empire Rowan''

''Empire Ruby''

''Empire Runner''

''Empire Rupert''

''Empire Ruskin''

''Empire Russell''

''Empire Ruth''

See also

References

Sources