SS Empire Adur
{{Short description|Steamship built in 1920}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= |Ship flag= |Ship name=*1920-1935: Griffdu
|Ship ordered= |Ship builder= J F Duthie & Co, Seattle |Ship original cost= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 20 September 1920 |Ship completed= October 1920 |Ship yard number= 37 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship owner=*1920-1925: Universal Steamship & Barge Co, Seattle
|Ship operator=*Owner operated except:-
|Ship registry=*{{flagicon|USA}} San Francisco (1920-40)
|Ship renamed= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship honours= |Ship captured= |Ship fate= Sank whilst under tow to scrapyard, 23 November 1955. |Ship identification=*US official number 220755 (1920-40)
|Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship tonnage= 1,479 GRT |Ship length= {{convert|219|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{convert|40|ft|1|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship depth={{convert|18|ft|5|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= |Ship hold depth= |Ship propulsion= 1 x triple expansion steam engine (Hendricks Manufacturing Co, Seattle). |Ship sail plan= |Ship complement= |Ship armament= |Ship speed= {{convert|11|kn|km/h}} |Ship notes= }} |
{{location map|China|width=304
|lat=17.933
|long=113.75
|caption=Location where Nang Suang Nawa foundered.
}}
SS Empire Adur was a 1,479 ton steamship which was built in 1920 as the Griffdu. She was renamed Noyo in 1935 and in 1940 was sold to Thailand, being renamed Nang Suang Nawa, being seized in 1942 and renamed Empire Adur. She was sold to Thailand in 1948, reverting to Nang Suang Nawa and was lost at sea in 1955 while being towed to Hong Kong for scrapping.
History
Griffdu was built by J. F. Duthie & Company, Seattle, Washington. She was the 37th and last ship built by Duthie.{{cite web |url=http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergency/wwone/duthie.htm |title=J. F. Duthie & Company, Seattle WA |publisher=shipbuildinghistory.com |access-date=2008-12-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217060141/http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergency/wwone/duthie.htm |archive-date=17 December 2009 |df=dmy-all }} Griffdu was launched on 20 September 1920, and completed the following month.{{csr|register=MSI|id=2220755|access-date=2008-12-14}} Her original owner was the Universal Steamship & Barge Co, Seattle. In 1925, Griffdu was sold to The Charles Nelson Co, San Francisco, serving with them for ten years. In 1935, Griffdu was sold to the Union Lumber Co, San Francisco, who renamed her Noyo. She served for five years before being sold to the Thai Niyom Panich Co, (Thai Navigation Co Ltd) Bangkok, who reflagged her and renamed her Nang Suang Nawa. In 1942, Nang Suang Nawa was seized, and passed to the Ministry of War Transport and renamed Empire Adur. She was placed under the management of the Singapore Straits Steamship Company.
Empire Adur was not a popular member of convoys due to the condition of her boilers, and the fact that she would belch black smoke and flames from her funnel. The convoy escorts threatened to ask Empire Adur to leave the convoy or sink her. Another of her faults was that the nut holding the steering wheel on often came loose, with the result that the wheel came off in the helmsman's hands.{{cite web|url=http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/straits3.html |title=STRAITS STEAMSHIP COMPANY |publisher=merchantnavyofficers.com |access-date=2008-12-14}}
Empire Adur joined Convoy KMS 21 at Gibraltar on 29 July 1943, arriving at Port Said on 9 August. Empire Adur had a final destination of Tripoli and Alexandria.{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/kms21.html |title=CONVOY KMS 21 |publisher=warsailors.com |access-date=2008-12-14}}
In 1948, Empire Adur was sold to the Thai Maritime Navigation Co, Bangkok and regained her former name of Nang Suang Nawa. She served for a further seven years but went missing under tow by the Philippines registered tug Albacore to Hong Kong for scrapping. Both vessels were presumed lost.{{cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireA.html |title=EMPIRE - A |publisher=Mariners-L |access-date=2008-12-14}} Her last reported position was north of the Paracel Islands at {{coord|17|56|N|113|45|E|display=inline,title}} on 23 November 1955.{{cite book | first1 =W H| last1 =Mitchell |first2=L A |last2=Sawyer | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London|isbn=1-85044-275-4 }}
Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.
Griffdu{{cite web|url=http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=34b0349.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS, 1934-35 |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=10 January 2009}} and Noyo had the US Official Number 220755.{{cite web|url=http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=38b0652.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS, 1938-39 |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=10 January 2009}}
Nang Suang Nawa{{cite web|url=http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=41b0608.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS, 1941-42 |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=10 January 2009}} and Empire Adur had the UK Official Number 166215.{{cite web |url=http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=45a0324.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS, 1945-46 |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=10 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727180914/http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=45a0324.pdf |archive-date=27 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}
Griffdu and Noyo used the Code Letters KJLP. Nang Suang Nawa used the Code Letters VSTP. Empire Adur used the Code Letters BFBW.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110611171207/http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fimlsmaritime&CISOPTR=308 Photo] showing launch of SS Griffdu
{{Empire ships}}
{{1955 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Adur}}
Category:Steamships of the United States
Category:Merchant ships of the United States
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom
Category:Ministry of War Transport ships
Category:Steamships of Thailand
Category:Merchant ships of Thailand
Category:Steamships of Singapore
Category:Merchant ships of Singapore