SS Empire Celt

History

Name:	Empire Celt (1941-44)
Owner:	Ministry of War Transport
Operator:	Jas German & Co Ltd
Port of registry:	Middlesbrough
Builder:	Furness Shipbuilding
Launched:	7 October 1941
Completed:	December 1941
Identification:	Code Letters BCWD United Kingdom Official Number 164861
Fate:	Sunk 24 February 1942
General characteristics
Class and type:	Tanker
Tonnage:	8,032 GRT 4,664 NRT
Length:	468 ft 5 in (142.77 m)
Beam:	61 ft 2 in (18.64 m)
Draught:	33 ft 0 in (10.06 m)
Installed power:	Triple expansion steam engine
Propulsion:	Screw propellor
Crew:	53 (including DEMS gunners)

Location of the torpedoing of Empire Celt.

Empire Celt was an 8,032 GRT tanker which was built in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Completed in January 1942, she had a short career, being torpedoed and sunk on 24 February 1942 by U-158.

Description

Empire Celt was built by Furness Shipbuilding Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees,^[1] as yard number 335.^[2] She was launched on 7 October 1941 and completed in December.^[1]

Empire Celt was 468 feet 5 inches (142.77 m) long, with a beam of 61 feet 2 inches (18.64 m) and a depth of 33 feet 0 inches (10.06 m). She had a GRT of 8,032 and a NRT of 4,664.^[3]

Empire Celt was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 27 inches (69 cm), 44 inches (110 cm) and 76 inches (190 cm) diameter by 51 inches (130 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Richardsons, Westgarth & Co Ltd, Hartlepool.^[3]

History

Empire Celt was placed under the management of Jas. German & Co Ltd, Middlesbrough.^[2] Her port of registry was Middlesbrough. The United Kingdom Official Number 164861 and Code Letters BCWD were allocated.^[3]

Empire Celt was a member of Convoy ON 67, which departed Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire on 13 February 1942 bound for North America.^[4] Empire Celt was on a voyage from Greenock to New York. She was in ballast.^[5] At 08:55 (German time) on 24 February, Empire Celt was torpedoed by U-158, being hit by two torpedoes. Four crew and two DEMS gunners were killed. Although she had been damaged, Empire Celt continued her voyage. Another attack at 09:50 by U-558 failed, with the torpedo aimed at Empire Celt hitting Eidanger instead. Empire Celt later broke in tow, with the bow section sinking.^[6] The Canadian ship Citadelle rescued 23 survivors, and HMS St Zeno rescued 22 survivors. They were landed at St. John's, Newfoundland on 22 February.^[6] The stern section was considered salvageable, and the tug Foundation Franklin was despatched on 9 March to assist but failed to find any trace of Empire Celt and she was presumed to have sunk at position 43°50′N 43°38′W / 43.833°N 43.633°W / 43.833; -43.633Coordinates: 43°50′N 43°38′W / 43.833°N 43.633°W / 43.833; -43.633.^[1]^[6] Those lost on Empire Celt are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.^[7]

References

1 2 3 Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
1 2 "FURNESS SHIPBUILDING COMPANY LTD., HAVERTON HILL". Tees Built Ships. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
1 2 3 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
↑ "ON Convoys – 1941-1945, Convoy ON 1 through ON 100". Warsailors. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
↑ "Empire Celt". Ubootwaffe. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
1 2 3 "Empire Celt". Uboat. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
↑ "Ship Index A-F". Brian Watson. Retrieved 20 May 2011.

Empire ships beginning with Empire Ca to Empire Cl, Empire Co to Empire Cy

Cargo ships	Empire Cabot Empire Caicos Empire Calder Empire Call Empire Calshot Empire Camel Empire Cameron Empire Camp¹ Empire Candida Empire Canning Empire Canute ² Empire Canyon Empire Cape ³ Empire Capulet Empire Carey Empire Caribou Empire Carpenter Empire Carron Empire Catcher Empire Catcher II Empire Cato Empire Caxton Empire Celia Empire Centaur Empire Chamois Empire Charmian² Empire Chaucer Empire Cheer Empire Cheetah Empire Chelmer Empire Chelsea ³ Empire Cherwell Empire Cheyne ³ Empire Chivalry Empire Chuzzlewit ³ Empire Citizen (II) Empire City Empire Claire Empire Clansman⁴ Empire Clarion Empire Claymore Empire Cliff ³ Empire Clive Empire Cloud Empire Clough Empire Coast ³ Empire Colne Empire Comet Empire Comfort Empire Commerce (I) Empire Commerce (II) Empire Conavon Empire Concave Empire Concern Empire Concerto Empire Concession Empire Conclyde Empire Concord Empire Concourse Empire Concrete Empire Condart ³ Empire Condee ³ Empire Conderton Empire Condicote Empire Condor (I) Empire Condor (II)³ Empire Condorrat ³ Empire Condover Empire Conexe ³ Empire Confal ³ Empire Confederation Empire Conference Empire Conforth ³ Empire Congerstone ³ Empire Congham Empire Congleton Empire Congo Empire Congress Empire Congreve ³ Empire Conifer Empire Coningsby ⁵ Empire Conington Empire Conisborough Empire Coniston Empire Conlea ³ Empire Conleith Empire Conleven Empire Connah Empire Connaught ³ Empire Connell Empire Connemara Empire Conningbeg Empire Conqueror Empire Conquest Empire Conrad Empire Consent Empire Consequence Empire Consett Empire Consistence Empire Consort Empire Constable Empire Constancy ³ Empire Constellation Empire Constitution Empire Constructor Empire Consumer Empire Contay ³ Empire Contees Empire Content Empire Contest Empire Continent ³ Empire Contour ³ Empire Contract ³ Empire Contyne Empire Convention Empire Conveyor Empire Convoy Empire Conway Empire Conwear Empire Cony ³ Empire Conyngham Empire Copperfield Empire Coppice ³ Empire Cormorant Empire Cougar Empire Courage Empire Cowdray Empire Cowper Empire Crag ³ Empire Cranmer Empire Creek ³ Empire Cricketer ³ Empire Crocus ³ Empire Cromer Empire Cromwell Empire Crossbill Empire Crouch Empire Crown Empire Crusader Empire Crusoe Empire Curlew (I) Empire Curzon Empire Cyprus

Dredgers	Empire Champion Empire Clydesdale Empire Conjuror

Ferries	Empire Chub

Landing ships	Empire Cedric Empire Celtic Empire Crossbow Empire Curlew (II) Empire Cutlass Empire Cymric

Ocean liners	Empire Captain ^{1, 5} Empire Castle^{1, 5} Empire Chieftain ⁵ Empire Citizen (I)^{1, 5} Empire Clarendon ⁵ Empire Clyde (I) Empire Clyde (II)

Schooners	Empire Cononley Empire Contamar

Tankers	Empire Cadet ³ Empire Campden ³ Empire Cavalier Empire Celt Empire Chancellor Empire Chapman Empire Chief Empire Chlorine ³ Empire Cobbett Empire Coleridge Empire Collins Empire Control Empire Coral Empire Corporal Empire Crest Empire Cross

Tugs	Empire Cedar⁶ Empire Charles Empire Cherub Empire Christopher⁷ Empire Clara Empire Connie⁷ Empire Cupid⁷

A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z

1 Refrigerated Cargo Ship 2 Heavy lift ship 3 Coaster 4 Collier 5 Cargo liner 6 Estuary tug 7 Coastal tug

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1942

Shipwrecks	2 Feb: U-581, W. L. Steed 3 Feb: Talthybius 5 Feb: HMS Arbutus, Empress of Asia 6 Feb: U-82 9 Feb: USS Lafayette, Natsushio 11 Feb: USS Shark, HMCS Spikenard 12 Feb: HMS Maori 13 Feb: HMS Tempest 14 Feb: HMS Grasshopper, HMS Li Wo, President Taylor, Vyner Brooke 15 Feb: HNLMS Van Ghent 17 Feb: USS Detector, Empire Comet, USS Paramount, HNLMS Van Nes 18 Feb: HNLMS K VII, USS Pollux, HNLMS Soerabaja, Surcouf, USS Truxtun 19 Feb: British Consul, British Motorist, Don Isidro, Kelat, Mauna Loa, HMAS Mavie, USAT Meigs, Neptuna, USS Peary, HNLMS Piet Hein, Portmar, Zealandia 21 Feb: Kurtuluş 22 Feb: Hanne, Sama 23 Feb: HMS P38 24 Feb: Empire Celt, Struma (disaster) 27 Feb: HNLMS De Ruyter, HMS Electra, USS Langley, HMS Jupiter, HNLMS Java, HNLMS Kortenaer, R.P. Resor 28 Feb: USS Jacob Jones Unknown date: I-23

Other incidents	4 Feb: USS Marblehead 18 Feb: USS Wilkes

1941 1942 1943 January 1942 March 1942

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