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SSEmpire Defender

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History
Name
  • Freienfels(1910–25)
  • Hadiotis(1925–28)
  • Felce(1928–40)
  • Empire Defender(1940–41)
Owner
Operator
  • DDG Hansa (1910–14)
  • Grahams & Co (1914–20)
  • director,India OfficeShipping (1920–25)
  • Pnevmaticos, Rethymnis & Yannaghas (1925–28)
  • Achille Lauro fu Giochine & Co (1928–40)
  • The City Line Ltd (1940–41)
  • Stanhope Steamship Co. Ltd (1941)
Port of registry
BuilderJoh. C. Tecklenborg,Geestemünde
Yard number237
Launched20 September 1910
CompletedNovember 1910
Out of service14 November 1941
Identification
  • code lettersQJVC (1910–14)
  • code letters JLGB (1914–25)
  • code letters NPCL (1928–33)
  • call signIBVL (1934–40)
  • call sign GPJG (1941–41)
  • UKofficial number139043 (1914–25, 1940–41)
Fatesunk by torpedo
General characteristics
Typecargo ship
Tonnage
  • 5,633GRT(1910–40)
  • 5,649 GRT (1940–41)
  • 3,545NRT
  • 8,705DWT(1910–14)
  • 9,113 DWT (1925)
Length128.36 m (421 ft 2 in)
Beam16.80 m (55 ft 1 in)
Draught7.63 m (25 ft 0 in)
Depth9.52 m (31 ft 3 in)
Installed power2,300 ihp (1,700 kW)
PropulsionQuadruple-expansion steam engine
Speed11.5 kn (21.3 km/h)
Complement69 (asFreienfels)
SS Empire Defender is located in Tunisia
SS Empire Defender
class=notpageimage|
Approximate position ofEmpire Defender's wreck offTunisia

Empire Defenderwas a 5,649GRTcargosteamshipthat was built in 1910 asFreienfelsbyJoh. C. TecklenborginGeestemünde,Germany. She was seized by the United Kingdom in 1914, passing to theAdmiralty.In 1920, she was passed to theSecretary of State for India.

She was sold toGreekowners in 1925 and renamedHadiotis.In 1928, she was sold toItalianowners and renamedFelce.In 1940, she was seized by the United Kingdom and passed to theMinistry of War Transport(MoWT). RenamedEmpire Defender,she served until 14 November 1941, when she was sunk by torpedo. Her sinking killed four members of her crew.

Description

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The ship was built in 1910 by Joh. C. Tecklenborg inGeestemünde.[1]She was yard number 237.[2]

As built, the ship was 128.36 m (421 ft 2 in) long, with a beam of 16.80 m (55 ft 1 in). She had a depth of 9.52 m (31 ft 3 in) and a draught of 7.63 m (25 ft 0 in). She was assessed at 5,633 GRT, 3,545NRT.HerDWTwas 8,705.[2]

The ship had a 2,300-indicated-horsepower (1,700 kW)quadruple-expansion steam engine,with cylinders of 61 cm (211⁄64inches), 88 cm (3421⁄32inches), 128 cm (5025⁄32inches) and 189 cm (741⁄32inches) diameter by 137 cm (5315⁄16inches) stroke.[3]The engine was built by JC Tecklenborg, Wesermünde. It drove a screw propeller and could propel the ship at 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h).[2]

History

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Freienfelswas built for Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft "Hansa" (DDG Hansa),Bremen.She was launched on 20 September 1910 and delivered on 22 November. She was registered inBremenand hercode letterswere QJVC. She had a crew of 63. On 5 August 1914,Freienfelswas seized by the United Kingdom atCalcutta,India.[2]She was requisitioned by theAdmiraltyand operated under the management of Grahams & Co Ltd.[4]Her port of registry was changed to London and the code letters JLGB were allocated.[2]Freienfelswas allocated theofficial number139043.[5]In 1920, she was passed to theSecretary of State for India,operating under the management of the Director, India Office Shipping.[2]

Freienfelswas one of five ships that were condemned to detention, but not declared to beprizes of war.The other ships wereBraunfels,Frankenfels,KurmarkandRotenfels.Under the terms of theVersailles Treaty,they were to be sold. On 2 March 1925, questions were asked inParliamentbyJoseph Kenworthy, MPabout the profitability and proposed sale of the ships toGreece,and what arrangements had been made for the continued employment of her British crew. In reply,Earl Winterton,thenUnder-Secretary of State for India,said that the five ships had made in excess of£1.7 million profit. The disposal of the ships was a matter for the Reparation Commission and theIndia Officehad no say in the disposal of the ships.[6]Frienfelswas duly advertised for sale in June 1925. She would be available for inspection atDunquerque,France from 6–18 June, and would then depart forFalmouth, Cornwallwhere she was to be laid up pending sale. She was described as 5,633 GRT, 9,112 DWT.[7]

Freienfelswas sold to Pnevmaticos, Rethymnis & Yannaghas,Syra,Greece. She was renamedHadiotis.In 1927, she was sold to Kassos Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, Syra and placed under the management of Pnevmaticos, Rethymnis & Yannaghas. In September 1928,Hadiotiswas sold to Achille Lauro fu Giochine & Co,Naples,Italy and was renamedFelce.The code letters NPCL were allocated. On 1 January 1934, these were changed to IBVL.[2]On 18 January 1937,Felceran aground atDjibouti,French Somaliland.After her cargo was discharged,[8]she was refloated with assistance from a tug.[9]On10 June 1940,Felcewas in port atHaifa,Palestine.She was seized and passed to the MoWT. She was renamedEmpire Defender.Her port of registry was changed to London and the code letters GPJG were allocated. She was placed under the management of the City Line Ltd.[2]She was assessed as 5,649 GRT,[1]and would have regained her previous official number 139043.

Empire Defender's movements over the next six months are not recorded.[10]She departed fromSuez,Egypton 4 November 1940 as a member of Convoy BS 8, which dispersed offAdenon 12 November.[11]She detached from the convoy before it dispersed and sailed toPort Sudan,Sudan,arriving on 8 November.[10]She departed from Port Sudan on 22 November to join Convoy BS 9,[10]which had departed from Suez on 18 November and dispersed on 26 November at12°30′N48°23′E/ 12.500°N 48.383°E/12.500; 48.383.[12]She sailed toMombasa,Kenya,arriving on 8 December. Leaving Mombasa on 15 December, she sailed toDurban,South Africa, where she arrived on 26 December.[10]

During 1941, management ofEmpire Defenderpassed to the Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd.[2]Empire Defenderdeparted from Durban on 6 April 1941 forCape Town,where she arrived on 11 April. Although she departed from Cape Town on 17 April, she returned two days later. She departed for a second time on 3 May forFreetown,Sierra Leone,arriving there on 22 May.Empire Defenderdeparted from Freetown on 15 June forSaint Lucia,where she arrived on 5 July, departing five days later for theHampton Roads,Virginia,United States, arriving on 21 July. She departed from the Hampton Roads on 10 August forHalifax,Nova Scotia, Canada, arriving four days later.[10]She departed from Halifax on 16 August as a member of Convoy HX 156, which arrived atLiverpool,Lancashire, United Kingdom on 31 August.Empire Defenderwas carrying general cargo.[13]She left the convoy atLoch Eweon 30 August to join Convoy WN 175,[10]which departed the next day and arrived atMethil,Fife on 3 September.[14]She then joined Convoy FS 585, which arrived atSouthend-on-Seaon 6 September.[10]

Empire Defenderdeparted from Southend on 27 September as a member of Convoy FN 524, which arrived at Methil on 29 September. The next day, she departed from Methil to join Convoy EC 79,[10]which had departed from Southend on 28 September and arrived atOban,Argyllshire on 3 October.[15]She sailed on to theClyde,arriving on 3 October.[10]Empire Defenderwas ordered to sail fromGlasgowtoMaltaladen with ammunition,[1]as part ofOperation Astrologer.[16]On 20 October 1941, sixtylascarsailors refused to sail, claiming that the vessel was cursed and would be sunk before the nextnew moon.The authorities were unable to persuade them to sail by either threats or inducements. An equivalent number of white sailors were procured with a payment of £10 in cash each to accept the lascar accommodation. The ship had been repainted with a black hull, white topsides and a buff funnel, contrary to wartime regulations. All armament had been removed in an effort to make the ship appear as though it belonged to a neutral country.[1]She departed from the Clyde on 29 October to join Convoy OG 76,[10]which departed fromMilford Haven,Pembrokeshireon 26 October and arrived atGibraltaron 11 November.[17]Empire Defenderpassed Gibraltar on 11 November,[10]and headed for Malta. The flag of whichever nation's waters she was in at the time was painted on her hull, thus she was passed off as a French, Spanish and Italian ship.[1]Operation Astrologer had probably been compromised following the loss of the merchantmanParracombeon 2 May 1941 and the subsequent interrogation of her crew who were interned inFrance.The progress ofEmpire Defenderhad probably been monitored from the Spanish coast.[16]On 14 November 1941,[1]she was attacked either by aSavoia-Marchetti SM.79or aSavoia-Marchetti S.84aircraft of theRegia Aeronautica,[16][18]which dropped anaerial torpedo.Empire Defenderwas set on fire and her crew abandoned her. They had only just done this when she blew up and sank 18 nautical miles (33 km) south of theGalite Islands,Tunisia.[1]Four of her crew were killed. The survivors becameprisoners of war.[19]Those lost onEmpire Defenderare commemorated on theTower Hill Memorial,London.[20]

References

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  1. ^abcdefgMitchell, W.H.; Sawyer, L.A. (1995).The Empire Ships.London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p. not cited.ISBN1-85044-275-4.
  2. ^abcdefghi"D/S FREIENFELS"(in German). DDG Hansa Shipsphotos.Retrieved8 June2011.
  3. ^"Lloyd's Register of Shipping"(PDF).London:Lloyd's Registerof Shipping. 1930.Retrieved15 July2011– viaSouthampton City Council.
  4. ^"EMPIRE – D – E".Mariners.Retrieved9 June2011.
  5. ^"ON130000".Mariners.Retrieved9 June2011.
  6. ^"EX-ENEMY VESSELS".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).2 March 1925.Retrieved8 June2011.
  7. ^"Ex-Enemy Steamers".The Times.No. 43979. London. 4 June 1925. col A, p. 18.
  8. ^"Casualty Reports".The Times.No. 47586. London. 19 January 1937. col D, p. 23.
  9. ^"Casualty Reports".The Times.No. 47587. London. 20 January 1937. col G, p. 6.
  10. ^abcdefghijk"EMPIRE DEFENDER".Convoyweb.Retrieved9 June2011.
  11. ^"Convoy BS.8".Convoyweb.Retrieved9 June2011.
  12. ^"Convoy BS.9".Convoyweb.Retrieved9 June2011.
  13. ^"Convoy HX.156".Convoyweb.Retrieved9 June2011.
  14. ^"Convoy WN.175".Convoyweb.Retrieved9 June2011.
  15. ^"Convoy EC.79".Convoyweb.Retrieved9 June2011.
  16. ^abcHague, Arnold (1995)."THE SUPPLY OF MALTA 1940–1942, Part 2 of 3".Naval History.Retrieved9 June2011.
  17. ^"Convoy OG.76".Convoyweb.Retrieved9 June2011.
  18. ^"DATABASE DELLE UNITA' DELLA REGIA MARINA NELLA SECONDA GUERRA MONDIALE"(in Italian). Trento in Cina.Retrieved9 June2011.
  19. ^Kindell, Don."Naval Events, November 1941, Part 2 of 2, Saturday 15th – Sunday 30th".Naval History.Retrieved9 June2011.
  20. ^"Empire Day to Empire Engineer".Brian Watson.Retrieved9 June2011.

Bibliography

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  • Caruana, Joseph (2012). "Emergency Victualling of Malta During WWII".Warship International.LXIX(4): 357–364.ISSN0043-0374.
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