SS Empire Beatrice
{{Short description|British WWII cargo ship}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= |Ship flag= |Ship type=Cargo ship |Ship name=*Empire Beatrice (1942-46)
|Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow |Ship yard no=978 |Ship laid down= |Ship launched=23 February 1942 |Ship completed=April 1942 |Ship christened= |Ship acquired= |Ship registry=*{{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} Greenock, United Kingdom (1942-46)
|Ship identification=*UK Official Number 168994
|Ship owner=*Ministry of War Transport (1942-46)
|Ship operator=*David Alexander & Sons (1942-46)
|Ship commissioned= |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship captured= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship fate= Scrapped 1966 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship tonnage=*{{GRT|7,046}} |Ship length={{convert|432|ft|7|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|56|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship depth={{convert|34|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= |Ship propulsion=One triple expansion steam engine |Ship speed= {{convert|10|kn|km/h}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship capacity= |Ship complement= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship badge= |Ship honours= |Ship notes= }} |
Empire Beatrice was a {{GRT|7046|link=off}} cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow in 1942. She was owned by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and managed by David Alexander & Sons. Although badly damaged during the war, she was repaired and sold into merchant service after the war ended. She served with various shipping companies as Beatrice N, Mary K, Winchester Prowess and Grazia Bottigliere, eventually being scrapped in 1966.
Description
Empire Beatrice was built for the MoWT by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow.{{cite book | first = and Sawyer, L A| last = Mitchell, W H | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4}} She was yard number 978.{{csr|register=MSI|id=1168994|accessdate=19 October 2009}} The ship was launched on 23 February 1942 and completed in April that year. She had a GRT of 7,046, NRT of 4,286 and a DWT of 10,750.
Empire Beatrice was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 24½ inches (62 cm), {{convert|39|in|cm}} and {{convert|70|in|cm}} diameter and {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke. It was built by J G Kincaird Ltd, Greenock and developed {{convert|510|hp|kW}}. The ship was capable of {{convert|10|kn|km/h}}.
Wartime career
After completion, Empire Beatrice was placed under the management of David Alexander & Sons. Her port of registry was Greenock.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/42/42b1009.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS |access-date=19 October 2009}} Empire Beatrice was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War
;KMS 14
Convoy KMS 14, sailed from Liverpool on 5 May 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 17 May. Empire Beatrice had commenced her voyage in the Clyde and was bound for Algiers, carrying a cargo which was to form part of a boom defence.{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os047.htm~osmain |title=Convoy OS.47/KMS.14 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=19 October 2009}}
;MKS 20
Convoy MKS 20 sailed from Gibraltar on 31 July 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 10 August. Empire Beatrice was carrying a cargo of phosphates and was bound for London.{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/mks20.html |title=CONVOY MKS 20 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=19 October 2009}}
;MKS 50
Convoy MKS 50 departed Alexandria on 20 May 1944 bound for the United Kingdom. Empire Beatrice joined the convoy at Oran.{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/mksconvoys3.html |title=MKS Convoys – Nov. 1942-1945, MKS 46 through MKS 60 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=19 October 2009}}
On 27 July 1944, Empire Beatrice was torpedoed in the Strait of Dover ({{coord|50|55|N|01|02|E}}) by German E-boats. She was beached at Dungeness where temporary repairs were made to make her fit enough for the forward section of the ship to be towed by the tugs Empire Betsy and Empire Humphrey to Tilbury, from where she was later towed to Glasgow for permanent repairs including a new stern.
On 23 April 1945, Empire Beatrice was being towed by tugs Empire Larch and Thames off Aberdeen when she was attacked by U-2326. HMT Macbeth sailed southwards from Aberdeen to escort the towing ships.{{cite web|url=http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-2326RosythReport.htm |title=REPORT OF OPERATIONS OF U.2326 |publisher=U boat archive |access-date=19 October 2009}} This was the voyage that returned Empire Beatrice to the Clyde for repairs.{{cite web|url=http://www.thamestugs.co.uk/MULBERRY-TUGS-%5B2%5D.php |title=MULBERRY HARBOUR, BRITISH, FRENCH AND DUTCH TUGS [2] |publisher=Thames tugs |access-date=19 October 2009}}
Following the provision of the new stern, the ship was fitted with a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 23½ inches (60 cm), 37½ inches (95 cm) and {{convert|68|in|cm}} by {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke. It was built by John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/45/45a0327.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |access-date=20 October 2009}}
Those lost whilst serving on Empire Beatrice during the war are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.{{cite web |url=http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Ship%20Index%20A-F.html |title=Ship Index A-F |publisher=Brian Watson |access-date=20 May 2011}}
Postwar career
In 1946, Empire Beatrice was sold to Cheriton Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Beatrice N. She was placed under the management of P B Pandelis Ltd, London. In 1952 she was sold to N G Kyrikades Shipping Ltd and renamed Mary K. In 1964, she was sold to Winchester Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Winchester Princess, operated under the management of G O Till, London. In 1966, she was sold to B Bottigliere di Giuseppe, Naples and renamed Grazia Bottigliere. She was scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia, in March 1966.{{Cite web|url=http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=18303 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306080531/http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=18303 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=6 March 2012 |title=Launched 1943: EMPIRE BEATRICE |publisher=Clydesite |access-date=29 October 2009}} A {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} section of the original stern can be found in {{convert|13|ft|m|0}} of water off Dungeness.{{cite web|url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?101 |title=SS Empire Beatrice (stern part) (+1944) |publisher=Wrecksite |access-date=19 October 2009}}
Official Numbers and Code Letters
Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Empire Beatrice had the UK Official Number 168994 and used the Code Letters BFDN. Her wireless call sign was MAIS
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20Ma/slides/Mary%20K-01.html Photo of Mary K]
{{Lithgows ships}}
{{Empire ships}}
{{July 1944 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Beatrice}}
Category:Ships built on the River Clyde
Category:Ministry of War Transport ships
Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom