| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Empire Builder (1941-42) Tobruk (1942-68) |
| Owner: | Ministry of War Transport (1941-42) Polish Government (1942-51) Polskie Linie Oceaniczne (1951-68) |
| Operator: | Gdynia America Shipping Lines Ltd (1942-51) Polskie Linie Oceaniczne (1951-68) |
| Port of registry: | West Hartlepool (1941-42) Gdynia (1942-46) Gdynia (1946-68) |
| Builder: | William Gray & Co Ltd |
| Yard number: | 1123 |
| Launched: | 19 November 1941 |
| Completed: | January 1942 |
| Out of service: | 1967 |
| Identification: | IMO Number 5616130 ( -1968) |
| Fate: | Scrapped June 1968 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 7,090 GRT (Empire Builder) 7,048 (Tobruk) 5,050 NRT (Empire Builder) 4,977 NRT (Tobruk) 10,400 DWT (Tobruk) |
| Length: | 430 ft (131.06 m) |
| Beam: | 56 ft 2 in (17.12 m) |
| Depth: | 35 ft 2 in (10.72 m) |
| Propulsion: | 1 x triple expansion steam engine |
| Speed: | 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h) |
Tobruk was a 7,090 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1941 as Empire Builder by W Gray & Sons Ltd for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). On completion she was handed over to the Polish government-in-exile and renamed Tobruk. She was sold in 1951 to Polskie Linie Oceaniczne and served until 1967. She was scrapped in 1968.
Empire Builder was built by William Gray & Sons Ltd, West Hartlepool.[1] She was yard number 1123. Empire Builder was launched on 19 November 1941 and completed in January 1942.[2]
The ship was 430 feet (131.06 m) long, with a beam of 56 feet 2 inches (17.12 m) and a depth of 35 feet 2 inches (10.72 m). She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 24½ inches (62 cm), 42 inches (110 cm) and 70 inches (180 cm) bore by 48 inches (120 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Central Marine Engine Works, West Hartlepool.[3] It could propel her at 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h)[4] Empire Builder was listed on Lloyds Register as having a GRT of 7,090 and a NRT of 5,050.[3] Tobruk was listed on Lloyds Register as having a GRT of 7,048 and a NRT of 4,977.[5] Her DWT was 10,500.[4]
Empire Builder's port of registry was West Hartlepool.[3] On completion, she was handed over to the Polish Government and renamed Tobruk.[1] Her port of registry was changed to Gdynia.[5]
Tobruk was operated under the management of Gdynia-America Shipping Lines Ltd. She was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
Convoy PQ 13 departed Loch Ewe on 10 March 1942 and arrived at Murmansk, Soviet Union on 31 March having lost six ships to enemy action. A further two were sunk at Murmansk after the convoy's arrival.[6] Tobruk was damaged by enemy bombing at Murmansk, repairs took about six months to complete.[7]
Convoy QP 14 departed Murmansk on 13 September 1942 and arrived at Loch Ewe on 26 September, having lost four ships to enemy action.[8] Tobruk was carrying a cargo of Apatite. She departed Murmansk on 8 September bound for Archangelsk, from where she joined the convoy.[7]
Convoy SL 178 departed Freetown, Sierra Leone on 25 November 1944 and arrived at Liverpool on 15 December. Tobruk was on a voyage from Pepel to Barry, Glamorgan. She was carrying a cargo of iron ore and two passengers.[9] On 9 December, a deceased seaman from Tobruk was buried at sea.[10]
Postwar, Tobruk continued in Polish Government service until 1951 when she was sold to Polskie Linie Oceaniczne.[1] She served until 1967,[4] and was scrapped at Gdynia in June 1968.[2]