SS Empire Candida
{{short description|World War II merchant ship of the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = | Ship caption = }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name =*Empire Candida (1942-47)
| Ship owner =*Ministry of War Transport (1942-47)
| Ship operator =*Frederick Jones & Co Ltd (1943-47)
| Ship registry =*{{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} West Hartlepool (1942-47)
| Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = William Gray & Co. Ltd. | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = 8 December 1942 | Ship completed = February 1943 | Ship christened = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = | Ship identification =*Code Letters BFFW (1942-47)
| Ship fate = Scrapped 1969. | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship class = | Ship tonnage =*{{GRT|2,908}}
| Ship displacement = | Ship length = {{convert|315|ft|4|in|m|2|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|46|ft|5|in|m|2|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = | Ship depth = {{convert|23|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}} | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship sail plan = | Ship power = triple expansion steam engine | Ship propulsion = Screw propeller | Ship speed = | Ship capacity = | Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} |
Empire Candida was a {{GRT|2,908}} cargo ship which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold in 1947 and renamed Burdale and resold in 1948 and renamed Peldale. In 1954, she was sold to Norway and renamed Statius Jansen. A further sale to Hong Kong in 1959 saw her renamed Sunny. In 1961, she was sold to Indonesia, serving until she was scrapped in 1969.
Description
The ship was built by William Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool. She was launched on 8 December 1942 and completed in February 1943.{{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}}
The ship was {{convert|315|ft|4|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|46|ft|5|in|m|2}} and a depth of {{convert|23|ft|0|in|m|2}}. Her GRT was 2,908 and she had a NRT of 1,645.{{cite web|url=http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name42b1006.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=1 March 2010}}
She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of {{convert|20|in|cm}}, {{convert|31|in|cm}} and {{convert|55|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by Central Marine Engine Works Ltd, West Hartlepool.
History
Empire Candida was built for the MoWT. She was placed under the management of Frederick Jones & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was West Hartlepool. The Code Letters BFFW were allocated. Her Official Number was 168951.
Empire Candida was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
;KMS 22
Convoy KMS 22 departed Liverpool on 28 July 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 9 August. It departed the same day and arrived at Port Said, Egypt on 20 August. Empire Candida joined the convoy at Bône, Algeria and left it at Tunis, Tunisia.{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/kms22.html |title=CONVOY KMS 22 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=1 March 2010}} The voyage immediately preceding this was from Bizerta, Tunisia to Bône. Part of her cargo was Tiger Tank No. 131, which had been captured by the Allies.{{cite web|url=http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal2.htm |title=OUR TIGER - TIGER 131, page 2 |publisher=Tiger Tank |access-date=1 March 2010}} The tank is now preserved at the Bovington Tank Museum, Hampshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.tiger-tank.com/index.html |title=The Tank Museum| publisher=Tiger Tank |access-date=3 March 2010}}
;MKS 37
Convoy MKS 37 departed Port Said on 10 January 1944 and arrived at Gibraltar on 22 January 1944. It departed the same day and arrived at the Clyde on 3 February. Empire Candida joined the convoy at Bizerta, Tunisia and left it at Bône.
;KMS 45
Convoy KMS 45 departed from the United Kingdom and arrived at Algiers, Algeria on 29 March 1944. Empire Candida joined the convoy at Oran, Algeria bound for Algiers.{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/kmsconvoys2.html |title=KMS Convoys – 1942-1945, Convoy KMS 31 through KMS 50 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=1 March 2010}}
;KMS 46
Convoy KMS 46 departed from the United Kingdom and arrived at Bône on 9 April 1944. Empire Candida joined the convoy at Algiers and left it at Augusta, Italy.
;KMS 50
Convoy KMS 50 departed from the United Kingdom and arrived at Oran on 16 May 1944. Empire Candida joined the convoy at Algiers and left it at Augusta.
;ON 171
Convoy ON 171 departed from Liverpool on 4 March 1943 and Reykjavík, Iceland on 7 March.{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/norfalk.html |title=D/S Norfalk |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=1 March 2010}} It arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 23 March. Empire Candida was a member of this convoy.{{cite web|url=http://warsailors.com/convoys/onconvoys2.html |title=ON Convoys – 1941-1945, Convoy ON 101 through ON 200 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=1 March 2010}}
In 1947, Empire Candida was sold to Zinal Shipping Co Ltd, London and renamed Burdale. She was operated under the management of Burness Shipping Co Ltd. The following year, she was sold to Z Shipping Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and renamed Peldale, remaining under Burness's management. In 1954, Peldale was sold to Jansens Rederei A/Z, Bergen and renamed Statius Jansen. In 1959, she was sold to the New China Steamship Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Sunny. She was placed under the management of Wallem & Co Ltd, Hong Kong. In 1961, Sunny was sold to P T Maskapai Pelayaran, Sumatera, Indonesia. In 1969, she was sold for scrapping. On the voyage to the breakers she developed a leak on 5 April 1969 at {{coord|20|10|N|120|25|E}}. She was escorted into Kaohsiung, Taiwan, arriving on 8 April.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Empire ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Candida}}
Category:Ships built on the River Wear
Category:Ministry of War Transport ships
Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom
Category:Merchant ships of Norway
Category:Steamships of Hong Kong
Category:Merchant ships of Hong Kong
Category:Steamships of Indonesia