List of Empire ships (Si–Sy)


Suffix beginning with e

''Empire Sidney''

Empire Sidney was a cargo ship which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast. Launched on 4 September 1941 and completed in May 1942. Allocated in 1943 to the Dutch government and renamed Van der Helst. Sold in 1946 to Koninklijke Java-China-Japan Lijn, Netherlands and renamed Tjimenteng. Sold in 1963 to Diamandis Eikidi Naftiliaki Eteria and renamed Diamandis. Operated under the management of A Halcoussis & Co, Greece. Arrived on 20 January 1970 at Cartagena, Spain for scrapping.

''Empire Silas''

Empire Silas was a tug which was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby. Launched on 13 December 1943 and completed in April 1944. Sold in 1946 to Fairplay Towing & Shipping Co Ltd, London and renamed Fairplay Two. Capsized on 22 June 1947 and sank off Vlissingen, Netherlands when towing. Refloated on 13 August 1947 and towed to Antwerp, Belgium. Declared a constructive total loss but repaired. Sold in 1948 to Société Cherif de Remorquage et Sauvetage, Casablanca and renamed Ifrane. Scrapped in 1978 at Casablanca.

''Empire Silver'' (I)

Empire Silver was an tanker which was built by Blythswood Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Glasgow. Launched on 19 October 1940 and completed in January 1941 as RFA Denbydale for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Damaged on 19 September 1941 at Gibraltar by a limpet mine laid by Italian submarine Scirè. Her back was broken and she was relegated to a fuelling hulk at Gibraltar. Her engines were removed and fitted in RFA Derwentdale. Arrived on 22 July 1957 at Blyth, Northumberland for scrapping.

''Empire Silver'' (II)

Empire Silver was an tanker which was built by Sir J. Laing & Sons, Sunderland. Launched on 28 November 1940 and completed in March 1941. Sold in 1946 to Northern Petroleum Tankship Co. Ltd. and renamed Sylvafield. Sold in 1952 to Castro Bello Compagnia Armadora S.A., Panama and renamed Radiant. Renamed Andros Sun in 1957. Sold to Star Lane Shipping Co. Inc., Panama in 1958 and renamed Capetan Theo. Arrived at Split for breaking on 14 November 1960.

''Empire Simba''

Empire Simba was a cargo ship which was built by Skinner & Eddy Corp, Seattle. Completed in 1918 as West Cohas for the United States Shipping Board. To Lykes Brothers-Ripley Steamship Co Inc in 1933. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Simba. Damaged on 1 March 1941 by bombing in the Irish Sea and abandoned. Towed to Liverpool. On 12 March a parachute mine was discovered onboard after an air raid. This exploded on 14 March, damaging her amidships, later repaired. Scuttled on 13 September 1945 at with a cargo of obsolete chemical ammunition.

''Empire Simon''

Empire Simon was a tug which was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby, Launched on 11 July 1945 and completed in July 1946 as Simonia for Overseas Towage & Salvage Co Ltd. Sold in 1951 to Les Abeilles Remorquage et Sauvetage, Le Havre and renamed Abeille No 8. Sold in 1966 to G D'Alessio, Italy and renamed Antonia D'Alessio. Sold in 1975 to Rim. Calabrese SpA, Italy and renamed Grecale.

''Empire Sinew''

Empire Sinew was a tug which was built by Scott & Sons Ltd, Bowling, West Dunbartonshire. Launched on 14 July 1942 and completed in November 1942. Sold in 1948 to Union des Remorquage de L'Ocean, Dakar and renamed Faidherbe. Sold in 1954 to Adelaide Steamship Company. Left Cape Town on 24 October 1954 and last reported on 26 October in distress off Cape Agulhas. Foundered with loss of all hands.

''Empire Singapore''

Empire Singapore was a cargo ship which was built by William Doxford & Son Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 15 November 1944 and completed in March 1945. Sold in 1946 to Reardon Smith Line Ltd and renamed Fresno City. Sold in 1964 to Vergocean Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Sea Captain. Operated under the management of Vergottis Ltd, London. Scrapped in June 1975 in Shanghai.

''Empire Skipper''

Empire Skipper was a coaster which was built by Richard Dunston Ltd, Thorne. Launched on 23 August 1943 and completed in October 1943. Sold in 1947 to South Coast Sand & Gravel Ltd, converted to a sandsucker and renamed Sand Skipper. Sold in 1950 to Zinal Steamship Co Ltd. Operated under the management of J Burness & Sons Ltd. sold in 1954 to South Coast Shipping Co Ltd. Operated under the management of Burness Shipping Co Ltd, London. Management passed in 1956 to William Cory & Son. Scrapped in July 1970 at Southampton.

''Empire Skua''

Empire Skua was an LST which was built by Yarrows Ltd, Esquimalt, British Columbia. Launched in September 1945 as LST 3517. To Royal Navy as HMS St Nazaire. To Ministry of Transport in 1956 and renamed Empire Skua. Operated under the management of Atlantic Steam Navigation Co Ltd. In 1961, management passed to British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd. Arrived on 31 January 1968 at Spezia, Italy for scrapping.
In 1962, the Empire Skua undertook to tow a military "heavy ferry"—a 4 × 4 cell pontoon platform with fold-back ramps on both ends—from Cyprus to Benghazi, Libya to take part in military exercises. En route, one of the pontoons sprung a hefty leak, and the platform began to sink. The problem was not spotted until daybreak about halfway through the trip when the tow rope started to "sing" indicating it was under considerable stress and tension. Before it could be cut loose, it snapped and the ship-half of the tow wrapped itself around the accommodation block, before it disappeared to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, a sequence of photographs were taken as proof that the ferry had sunk.

''Empire Sky''

Empire Sky was a cargo ship which was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 10 February 1941 and completed in June 1941. Torpedoed on 14 November 1942 and sunk by at.

''Empire Sloane''

Empire Sloane was a coaster which was built by Shipbuilding Corporation, Newcastle upon Tyne. Launched on 17 January 1946 and completed later that year. Sold in 1948 to Broadway Holdings Ltd, London. To London Missionary Society later that year and converted to a missionary ship and renamed John Williams VI, the sixth of seven missionary ships successively operated by the Society, named after the missionary John Williams. Sold in 1963 to Burns, Philip & Co Ltd, London and renamed Manutai. She was used as a trading vessel in the New Hebrides carrying general cargo from Port Vila and collecting copra for export from plantations and co-operative groups. She also had an on-board store for the sale of domestic goods and groceries, including frozen food. Sold in 1975 to Rabi Holdings Ltd, London.

''Empire Snipe''

Empire Snipe was a cargo ship which was built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corp, Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Completed as Lake Gaither for the USSB. Sold in 1926 to Western Reserve Navigation Co Inc, Cleveland, Ohio. Sold in 1927 to Newtex Steamship Corp, New York. Renamed Texas Ranger in 1932. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Snipe. Damaged on 14 July 1942 by a limpet mine off Gibraltar. Out of service until 14 October 1942 when repairs completed. First British or allied ship to enter Bizerta on 13 May 1943 after its capture by the American 2nd corps. Sold in 1946 to W Brown, Atkinson & Co Ltd and renamed Staxton. Sold in 1948 to Sirketi Aldikacti, Turkey and renamed Ileri. Scrapped in July 1968 at Haliç, Turkey.

''Empire Snow''

Empire Snow was a cargo ship which was built by C Connell & Co Ltd, Glasgow. Launched on 16 December 1940 and completed in February 1941. Sold in 1946 to Cairns, Noble & Co Ltd and renamed Cairnavon. Sold in 1961 to Compagnia Naviagzione Sirikari, Panama and renamed Vergolivada. Operated under the Lebanese Flag. On 19 September 1966 she became stranded on the Dognarslan Bank, Dardanelles after a rope became wrapped around her propeller. Part of her cargo of rocks was jettisoned but this was stopped as an artificial reef was being created. The remaining cargo was transhipped and Vergolivada was refloated on 1 October 1966. Arrived in November 1968 in Shanghai for scrapping.

''Empire Snowdrop''

Empire Snowdrop was a coaster which was built by Van Diepen Scheepswerf Gebroeders NV, Waterhuizen, Netherlands. Completed in 1939 as Caribe I for S G Hallstrom, Amsterdam. Requisitioned by MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Snowdrop. Sold in 1946 to Malta Steamship Co Ltd, Valletta and renamed De Vilhena after the 18th-century grandmaster. Foundered on 3 February 1961 north-west of Calvi, Corsica.

''Empire Soar''

Empire Soar was a cargo ship that was built by Blyth Shipbuilding & Drydock Co Ltd. Completed in 1924 as Tullochmoor for W Runciman & Co. Sold in 1936 to Franz L Nimitz, Stettin. Seized in May 1945 at Hamburg as a war prize. To MoWT and renamed Empire Soar. Allocated in 1946 to Greece. To the Greek government and renamed Preveza. Sold in 1948 to Synodinos Brothers, Greece and renamed Danapris. Sold in 1957 to A. Angelicoussis & Co, Greece and renamed Armonia. Bombed in 1958 by a CIA aircraft in an air raid on Amboina. Sold in 1959 to Keanyew Shipping Co, Panama and renamed Keanyew. Sold in 1960 to Southern Commercial Co, Panama and renamed Charlie. Scrapped in January 1960 at Hong Kong.

''Empire Soldier''

Empire Soldier was a 4. cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Completed in 1928 as Aelybryn. Sold in 1937 to Fisser & Van Doornum, Emden and renamed Konsul Hendrik Fisser. When war broke out she was at Vigo, Spain. She sailed flying a false Norwegian Flag and with Norwegian colours painted on her hull. Sighted on 22 November 1939 by north of the Faroe Islands. Weather too rough for a boarding party and crew unable to scuttle and abandon her for some reason. Escorted towards land under threat of sinking. Captured on 23 November. To MoWT and renamed Empire Soldier. Collided on 16 September 1942 with tanker off St John's, Newfoundland and sank.