| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Farnworth (1917-24) Illinois (1926-34) Mount Pentelikon (1934-39) Gloria (1939) Empire Conveyor (1939-40) |
| Owner: | R S Dalgleish Ltd (1917-24) Harlem Steamship Co Ltd (1924-26) Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (1926-34) Kulukundis Shipping Co SA (1934-39) Orion Schiffahrts GmbH (1939) Ministry of War Transport (1939-40) |
| Operator: | R S Dalgleish Ltd (1917-24) F Newson (1924) Brown, Jenkinson & Co Ltd (1924-26) Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (1926-32) Rethymis & Kulukundis Ltd (1934-39) E Behnke (1939) H Hogarth & Sons Ltd (1939-40) |
| Port of registry: | Newcastle upon Tyne (1917-23) Newcastle upon Tyne (1923-26) Le Havre (1926-34) Piraeus (1934-39) Rostock (1939) London (1939-40) |
| Builder: | Richardson, Duck & Co |
| Yard number: | 651 |
| Launched: | 1917 |
| Completed: | June 1917 |
| Out of service: | 20 June 1940 |
| Identification: | Code Letters OTRW (1926-34) Code Letters SVAV (1934-39) Code Letters DHBB (1939) Code Letters GLTN (1939-40) United Kingdom Official Number 140672 (1917-26, 1939-40) |
| Fate: | Torpedoed and sunk |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Cargo ship |
| Tonnage: | 5,911 GRT 5,589 NRT (1922-30) |
| Length: | 400 ft 3 in (122.00 m) |
| Beam: | 51 ft 6 in (15.70 m) |
| Draught: | 25 feet 11½ inches (7.91 m) |
| Depth: | 32 ft 9 in (9.98 m) |
| Installed power: | Triple expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion: | Screw propeller |
| Speed: | 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Crew: | 41 (Empire Conveyor) |
| Notes: | Laid up 1932-34 |
Empire Conveyor was a 5,911 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1917 as Farnworth by Richardson, Duck and Company, Thornaby-on-Tees, England. After a sale in 1924 she was renamed Illinois. In 1926, she was sold to France, and in 1934 to Greece and was renamed Mount Pentelikon. In 1939, she was sold to Germany and was renamed Gloria.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, she was in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An attempt to return to Germany resulted in her being captured by the Royal Navy. Gloria was passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and was renamed Empire Conveyor. She served until 22 June 1940 when she was torpedoed and sunk by U-122 off Barra Head.
Contents |
Yard number 651,[1] the ship was built in 1917 by Richardson, Duck and Company Ltd. of Thornaby-on-Tees.[2]
She was 400 feet 3 inches (122.00 m) long, with a beam of 51 feet 6 inches (15.70 m). She had a depth of 32 feet 9 inches (9.98 m),[3] and a draught of 25 feet 11½ inches (7.91 m).[4] She was assessed at 5,711 GRT, 3,589 NRT.[3]
The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 27 inches (69 cm), 44½ inches (113 cm) and 74 inches (190 cm) diameter by 48 inches (120 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Blair & Co Ltd, Stockton on Tees.[3] It could propel the ship at 10 knots (19 km/h).[5]
Richardson, Duck and Company of Thornaby-on-Tees built Farnworth was built for R.S. Dalgleish Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and completed her in June 1917.[3][6] She was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 140672.[4] Farnworth was used on routes serving the east and west coast of the United States, the Caribbean and West Indies.[7]In 1924, she was sold to the Harlem Steamship Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and was renamed Illinois.[6] She was initially operated under the management of F Newson. Later in 1924, management was transferred to Brown, Jenkinson & Co Ltd. In 1926 she was transferred to Compagnie Générale Transatlantique.[8] Her port of registry was Le Havre and the Code Letters OTRW were allocated.[9] On 17 March 1932, Illinois was laid up at Roscanvel.[8] In 1934, Illinois was sold to Kulukundis Shipping Co, Piraeus, Greece and renamed Mount Pentelikon.[2] She was placed under the management of Rethymnis & Kulukundis Ltd. Her port of registry was changed to Piraeus and the Code Letters SVAV were allocated.[3]
In 1939, Mount Pentelikon was sold to Orion Schiffahrts GmbH, Rostock, Germany.[6] She was operated under the management of E Behnke.[8] The Code Letters DHBB were allocated.[10] At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gloria was at Buenos Aires, Argentina. She departed Buenos Aires on 6 October,[6] bound for Hamburg.[11] On 21 October she was captured south east of Iceland () by HMS Sheffield, escorted into Kirkwall and then taken to Leith.[6] During the voyage into Kirkwall, three of her crew attempted to escape by lifeboat but were recaptured at taken to Methil, Scotland.[12]
Gloria was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Conveyor.[2] Her port of registry was changed to London, and the Code Letters GLTN were allocated. Empire Conveyor regained her Official Number 140572. She was placed under the management of H Hogarth & Sons Ltd. The Code Letters GLTN were allocated.[4] On 20 June 1940, Empire Conveyor was torpedoed by U-122 50 nautical miles (93 km) south west of Barra Head, Scotland at . Her radio aerials were damaged in the attack and Empire Conveyor was unable to call for assistance. She was spotted by a Royal Air Force Sunderland aircraft, which attacked U-122 and drove her away. The crew of the Sunderland raised the alarm, and the tug HMS Amsterdam was sent to her aid, escorted by HMS Atherstone and HMS Campbell. Empire Conveyor sank before the ships reached her. The crew took to the lifeboats and liferafts but one of them was swamped at launch, killing the captain and two crew. Thirty-eight survivors were rescued by HMS Campbell and landed at Liverpool on 21 June.[6] Empire Conveyor was the only ship sunk by U-122.[13] Those lost on Empire Conveyor are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.[14]