''Empire Eve'' was a
CAM ship that was built in 1941 by
William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd,
Sunderland, Co Durham
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 ...
, United Kingdom for the
Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She served until 1943, when she was
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 and sunk by off Algeria.
Description
The ship was built in 1941 by
William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd,
Sunderland, Co Durham
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 ...
.
The ship was long, with a beam of . She had a depth of . She was assessed at , .
The ship was propelled by a 292
nhp
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
triple expansion steam engine
A compound steam engine unit is a type of steam engine where steam is expanded in two or more stages.
A typical arrangement for a compound engine is that the steam is first expanded in a high-pressure ''(HP)'' cylinder, then having given up he ...
, which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke. The engine was built by George Clark (1938) Ltd, Sunderland.
[
]
History
''Empire Eve'' was launched on 26 April 1941 and completed in June. She was placed under the management of J A Billmeir & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was Sunderland. The United Kingdom Official Number
Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their flag state, country of registration. Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats hav ...
168912 and Code Letters
Code letters or ship's call sign (or callsign) Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853"> SHIPSPOTTING.COM >> Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853/ref> were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids and today also. Later, with the i ...
BCLM were allocated.[ Management would later be transferred to Headlam & Sons Ltd, ]Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
.
''Empire Eve'' was towed from Sunderland to the Tyne on 12 July 1941. She departed on 14 July to join Convoy EC 45, which had departed from Southend, 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 ...
on 13 July and arrived at the Clyde on 18 July. She put into Methil
Methil (Scottish Gaelic: Meadhchill) is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was first recorded as "Methkil" in 1207, and belonged to the Bishop of St Andrews. Two Bronze Age cemeteries have been discovered which date the settlement as ov ...
, Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
on 16 July, departing the next day to join Convoy EC 46,[ which had departed from Southend on 15 July and arrived at the Clyde on 20 July.] ''Empire Eve'' sailed on 27 July to join Convoy ON 1, which had departed from Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
the previous day and dispersed at on 9 August. She was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
, Canada, where she arrived on 12 August.[ Laden with a cargo of ]grain
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...
, she departed with Convoy HX 146 on 21 August. Her Hawker Sea Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. Some versions were built in Canada by the Canada Car and Foundry Co Ltd
British variants
Hurricane Mk I
; Hurricane Mk I ( ...
was carrying the Squadron Code NJ-V. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 September. She left the convoy at the Clyde, arriving on 7 September.[
''Empire Eve'' sailed on 19 September to join Convoy ON 18,][ which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at on 2 October. She was bound for Halifax,] where she arrived on 5 October. She departed the next day for Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...
, arriving on 7 October and sailing four days later for Halifax, where she arrived on 12 October.[ ''Empire Eve'' was a member of Convoy HX 155, which departed on 16 October and arrived at Liverpool on 31 October. She was carrying a cargo of grain,] and left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 30 October.[
''Empire Eve'' then sailed to Liverpool,][ from where she departed on 15 November as a member of Convoy ON 37, which dispersed at on 30 November. Her destination was Halifax,] where she arrived on 5 December.[ Laden with a cargo of grain, she returned with Convoy HX 165, which departed on 15 December and arrived at Liverpool on 30 December.] She left the convoy at the Clyde, arriving on 28 December.[
''Empire Eve'' then sailed to Liverpool,][ She was a member of Convoy ON 56, which departed on 12 January 1942 and dispersed at on 16 January. She was bound for Halifax,] arriving on 28 January. She departed the next day for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, arriving on 1 February. ''Empire Eve'' sailed on 7 February for Halifax, where she arrived on 11 February.[ She was a member of Convoy HX 175, which departed on 13 February and arrived at Liverpool on 25 February. She was carrying a cargo of grain but was not carrying an aircraft.]
''Empire Eve'' departed on 17 March as a member of Convoy OG 81, which arrived 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 ...
on 29 March. She left the convoy and put into the Clyde, arriving on 18 March. She sailed on 8 April to join Convoy OG 82,[ which had departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at Gibraltar on 20 April.] She departed on 12 May to make a round trip to Melilla
Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was par ...
, Spain, returning on 15 May.[ ''Empire Eve'' was a member of Convoy HG 83, which departed on 22 May and arrived at Liverpool on 3 June. She was carrying a cargo of ]iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
bound for 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 ...
, Renfrewshire. She arrived at the Clyde on 2 June.[ She then spent 6 weeks being fitted out for an Arctic convoy to Russia. However, due to the heavy losses suffered by another convoy under enemy action, this convoy was cancelled after loading had commenced.][Recollections of Radar Mechanic Jim Dimond, May 2013](_blank)
Retrieved 19 June 2013. The ''Empire Eve'' never went to Russia.
''Empire Eve'' sailed on 25 July to join Convoy ON 116,[ which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed off Boston, Massachusetts on 12 August. Sailing in ballast, without her Hurricane or operational radar,] her destination was Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, which was reached by leaving the convoy and sailing to Halifax, where she arrived on 10 August,[ and then joining Convoy HS 40, which departed on 11 August and arrived at Sydney on 13 August.] She sailed the next day with Convoy SQ 28, which arrived at Father Point
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
on 17 August. ''Empire Eve'' returned to Sydney with Convoy QS 30, which departed on 26 August and arrived on 30 August. She sailed on 30 August to join Convoy SC 98,[ which had departed from Halifax the previous day and arrived at Liverpool on 13 September. She was carrying a cargo of grain and lorries bound for ]Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, Lancashire. and had a deck cargo of 4 Sherman tanks and 8 crated Mustang fighters.
''Empire Eve'' was a member of Convoy ON 134, which departed from Liverpool on 26 September and arrived at 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
* '' ...
, United States on 17 October. Her captain was the convoy's Vice Commodore. She was bound for Halifax, where she arrived on 14 October. A round trip was made to Saint John via convoys HF 8 and FH 11, arriving back at Halifax on 30 October. ''Empire Eve'' sailed on 4 November to join Convoy SC 108,[ which had departed from New York on 1 November and arrived at Liverpool on 19 November. Her cargo consisted ]flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...
and grain. She left the convoy at the Clyde on 18 November.[
''Empire Eve'' sailed to Liverpool and joined Convoy ON 150,][ which departed on 1 December and arrived at New York on 25 December. She was bound for Halifax,] arriving on 22 December. She departed on 25 December to make a round trip to Saint John, returning to Halifax (loaded with wheat ) on 7 January 1943. ''Empire Eve'' sailed on 15 January to join Convoy SC 117,[ which had departed from New York on 12 January and arrived at Liverpool on 3 February. She was carrying general cargo and grain.] She arrived at the Clyde on 2 February.[
''Empire Eve'' sailed on 22 February to join Convoy ON.169,][ which departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at New York on 21 March. She was bound for Halifax,] where she arrived on 17 March.[ Laden with a cargo of grain, she departed on 31 March as a member of Convoy SC 125, which arrived at Liverpool on 15 April.] She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 14 April,[ joining Convoy BB 279, which sailed that day and arrived at ]Milford Haven
Milford Haven ( cy, Aberdaugleddau, meaning "mouth of the two Rivers Cleddau") is both a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has ...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
the next day. She sailed on 20 April for 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 ...
, Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
, arriving later that day,[ where she was loaded with coal and returned to fully operational status with a Hurricane fighter and full radar crew.]
''Empire Eve'' sailed on 3 May for Milford Haven, arriving the next day. She sailed immediately to join Convoy OS47 km,[ which departed from Liverpool on 5 May and split at sea on 16 May to form convoys OS 47 and KMS 14. Convoy OS 47 arrived at ]Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
, Sierra Leone on 25 May. KMS 14 arrived at Gibraltar on 17 May. ''Empire Eve'' was armed with a 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun, a 12-pounder gun, four Bofors gun
AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years.
History
Located i ...
s and a number of kites. She was carrying a cargo of of coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
and of lubricating oil. She then joined Convoy KMS 14, which departed on 17 May and arrived at Bône, Algeria on 21 May. On 18 May, ''Empire Eve'' was 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 and sunk by north east of Mostaganem
Mostaganem ( ber, Mustɣanem; ar, مستغانم) is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Ora ...
, Algeria () (7 days later, U414 was herself sunk with the loss of all 41 crew). Empire Eve was manned by 61 Merchant Navy crew, and 26 Service personnel coming from all 3 Services. Five crew were killed, all Merchant Navy. The survivors were rescued by and a LCT. They were landed at Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
.[ Those killed serving on ''Empire Eve'' are commemorated on the ]Tower Hill Memorial
The Tower Hill Memorial is a pair of Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials in Trinity Square Gardens, on Tower Hill in London, England. The memorials, one for the First World War and one for the Second, commemorate civilian, merchant seaf ...
, 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 ...
.
References
External links
Photo of ''Empire Eve''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Eve
1941 ships
Ships built on the River Wear
CAM ships
Empire ships
Ministry of War Transport ships
Steamships of the United Kingdom
Maritime incidents in May 1943
Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II
World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea