List of Empire ships (R)
Suffix beginning with R
''Empire Rabaul''
Empire Rabaul was a 7,307 Gross register tonnage cargo ship which was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Launched on 27 November 1944 and completed in February 1945. Sold in 1947 to B J Sutherland & Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and renamed Dumfries. Sold in 1953 to Chine Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Charles Dickens. Operated under the management of Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd, London. Sold in 1956 to the Yugoslavian Government and renamed Pohorje. Arrived on 21 April 1967 at Trieste, Italy for scrapping.''Empire Race''
Empire Race was a 244 GRT tug which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched on 21 November 1944 and completed in June 1942. Sold in 1962 to Società di Navigazione Capiece, Italy and renamed Capo d'Orlando.''Empire Rain''
Empire Rain was a 7,290 GRT cargo ship which was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Launched on 30 October 1940 and completed in January 1941. Sold in 1945 to Thompson Steam Shipping Co Ltd, London, and renamed Amersham. Operated under the management of Clan Line Ltd. Sold in 1952 to Malabar Steamship Co Ltd, Bombay and renamed Janeta. Scrapped in March 1963 in Bombay.''Empire Rainbow''
Empire Rainbow was a 6,942 GRT CAM ship which was built by Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd, Greenock. Launched on 27 December 1940 and completed in May 1941. Torpedoed on 26 July 1942 and sunk by U-607 at while a member of Convoy ON 113.''Empire Raja''
Empire Raja was a 6,224 GRT cargo ship which was built by Joh. C. Tecklenborg AG, Wesermünde. Completed in 1922 as Wildenfels for DDG Hansa, Bremen. Scuttled on 25 August 1941 at Bandar Shapur, Iraq. Salvaged and seized as a war prize. To MoWT and renamed Empire Raja. Sold in 1951 to Wheelock, Marden & Co, Hong Kong and renamed Lansdowne. Sold in 1951 to Dai-Ichi Kisen KK, Japan, and renamed Liverpool Maru. Scrapped in November 1960 at Osaka, Japan.''Empire Raleigh''
Empire Raleigh was a 7,240 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 12 June 1941 and completed in October 1941. Allocated in 1942 to the Dutch Government and renamed Vermeer. Sold in 1946 to Stoomscheep Maatschappij Wijklijn NV and renamed Zonnewijk. Operated under the management of Erhardt & Dekkers, Rotterdam. Sold in 1961 to Compagnia Navigazione de Egeo, Panama and renamed Antonakis. Operated under the management of Lemos & Pateras Ltd. Ran aground on 6 December 1961 at Cape Spartel, Morocco and broke in two. Declared a total loss.''Empire Rancher''
Empire Rancher was a 332 GRT collier which was built by J Harker Ltd, Knottingley. Launched on 2 January 1943 and completed in June 1943. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd, London and renamed Shelley. Sold in 1948 to Coppack Brothers & Co, Hull. Stranded on 6 June 1965 in Strangford Lough. Refloated and taken in tow but sank on 8 June in Belfast Lough.''Empire Ranger''
Empire Ranger was a 7,008 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 3 December 1941 and was completed in February 1942. Bombed on 28 March 1942 by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft and sunk at while a member of Convoy PQ 13. Crew member, Alfred Minchin was taken prisoner by a German destroyer and became a member of the Waffen-SS British Free Corps, holding the rank of Sturmmann. He was 'convicted at Central Criminal Court on 5 February 1946 of conspiring to assist the enemy and sentenced to 7 years of penal servitude.''Empire Rangoon''
Empire Rangoon was a 7,028 GRT cargo ship which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast. Launched on 25 January 1944 and completed in May 1944. Sold in 1947 to Reardon Smith Line Ltd and renamed Homer City. Operated under the management of Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd. Sold in 1966 to Grosvenor Shipping Co Ltd, London, and renamed Grosvenor Mariner. Operated under the management of Mollers Ltd, Hong Kong. Sold in 1966 to Tat On Shipping & Enterprise Co Ltd, Hong Kong, and renamed Red Sea. Operated under the management of Yick Fung Shipping & Enterprise Co Ltd, Hong Kong. On 17 August 1971 she was driven aground at Lanatu Island, Hong Kong during Typhoon Rose. Refloated but scrapped in September 1971 at Hong Kong.''Empire Rani''
Empire Rani was a 7,575 GRT cargo ship which was built by Joh. C. Tecklenborg AG, Wesermünde. Completed in 1921 as Marienfels for Hansa Line, Bremen. Captured on 25 August 1941 at Bandar Shapur, Iran. To MoWT and renamed Empire Rani. Sold in 1950 to San Giorgio del Porto, Italy, and renamed Karachi. Scrapped in June 1959 at Osaka, Japan.''Empire Ransom''
Empire Ransom was a 2,905 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 31 August 1943 and completed in November 1943. Sold in 1946 to Kelvin Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Baron Elibank. Operated under the management of H Hogarth & Sons Ltd. Sold in 1959 to Empros Shipping Co Ltd, Greece, and renamed Armenistis. Arrived on 6 July 1971 at Tamise, Belgium for scrapping.''Empire Rapier''
Empire Rapier was a 7,177 GRT Type C1-S-AY1 cargo ship which was built by Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, California. Laid down as Cape Turner but completed in December 1943 as Empire Rapier for MoWT. To United States Maritime Commission in 1948 and renamed Cape Turner. Renamed Empire Rapier at an unknown date. Arrived on 5 January 1966 at Kearney, New Jersey for scrapping.''Empire Raven''
Empire Raven was a 6,100 GRT refrigerated cargo ship which was built by Moore Shipbuilding Co, Oakland, California. Completed in November 1918 as Oskawa for the United States Shipping Board. To MoWT in 1942 and renamed Empire Raven. Sold in 1948 to South Georgia Co Ltd and renamed Southern Raven. Operated under the management of Christian Salvesen & Co Ltd, Leith. Scrapped in November 1952 at Port Glasgow. Louis Adamic wrote an account of life on the ship in 1922 in his Dynamite: The Story of Class Violence in America, which in turn inspired Bertold Brecht's poem "Abbau des Schiffes Oskawa durch die Mannschaft", published in his 1939 collection Svendborger Gedichte.''Empire Rawlinson''
Empire Rawlinson was a 9,912 GRT cargo liner which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 22 June 1944 and completed in November 1944. Allocated in 1946 to the French Government and renamed Monkay. Sold in 1950 to Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes, France. Sold in 1959 to Compagnia Marittima Marmara SA, Panama and renamed Dimitrios. Sold in 1969 to S A Wisdom Ltda, Panama, and renamed Tropero. Operated under the management of A Bottacchi SA, Argentina. Arrived on 1 February 1972 at Campan, Argentina for scrapping.''Empire Ray''
Empire Ray was a 6,919 GRT CAM ship which was built by Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd, Greenock. Launched on 25 March 1941 and completed in June 1941. Sold in 1945 to King Line Ltd and renamed King Alfred. Arrived on 16 March 1963 at Hamburg, West Germany for scrapping.''Empire Raymond''
Empire Raymond is a 235 GRT tug which was built by A Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen. Launched on 21 January 1946 and completed in May 1946. Sold in 1947 to William Watkins Ltd and renamed Cervia. Foundered on 26 October 1954 at Tilbury, Essex while assisting. Raised on 28 October and beached. Repaired at Ramsgate, Kent and re-entered service. To Medway Maritime Museum in 1972 and then International Towing Ltd, Sittingbourne, Kent in 1973. To East Kent Maritime Museum in 1984 and preserved in William Watkins Ltd livery.''Empire Razorbill''
Empire Razorbill was a 5,117 GRT cargo ship which was built by American International Shipbuilding, Hog Island, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1920 as Conness Peak for USSB. Sold to Pioneer Steamship Corp, New York in 1920. Sold to Lykes Brothers-Ripley Steamship Co Inc in 1933. Sold in 1938 to Wisconsin Steamship Co and renamed Erica Reed. Sold in 1939 to American Coast Line Inc and renamed Eastern Trader. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Razorbill. Sold in 1946 to Williamson & Co Ltd, Hong Kong. Sold in 1947 to Xilas Brothers, Greece and renamed M Xilas. Caught fire on 4 June 1947 at Ko Sichang, Thailand, beached and abandoned. Sank on 13 July 1947.''Empire Reaper''
Empire Reaper was a 322 GRT collier which was built by J Harker Ltd, Knottingley. Launched on 17 October 1942 and completed in April 1943. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd, London and renamed Browning. Sold in 1949 to Kerton Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Moreton Corbet. Sold in 1953 to Fowey Harbour Commissioners, Fowey, Cornwall and renamed Lerryn. Sold in 1964 to Seabourne Aggregate Co Ltd, Southampton. Converted to a sand carrier and renamed Pen Adur. Sold in 1969 to South Coast Shipping Co Ltd, Southampton, and renamed Sand Wren. Sold in 1973 to Bowen & Caine, Southampton, and renamed Margaret Smith. Capsized on 28 June 1978 at Cowes, Isle of Wight. Towed to a position off Yarmouth but sank at.''Empire Record''
Empire Record was a 2,902 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 24 October 1942 and completed in December 1942. Sold in 1948 to Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Stanway. Sold in 1951 to Williamson Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Yorkbrook. Operated under the management of Comben, Longstaff & Co Ltd. Sold in 1954 to I Jansen, Norway, and renamed Elisabeth Jansen. Sold in 1959 to Marine Venture Corp, New York, and renamed Celia B. Sold in 1963 to Prymo Meltemi Compagnia Navigazione SA, Panama and renamed Saint Mary. Sold in 1964 to Angelmar Shipping Co Ltd, Panama, and renamed Sea Maid. On 7 January 1965, she lost her propeller and suffered engine damage northeast of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Towed to Willemstad and abandoned as a constructive total loss. Sold for scrapping at Curaçao, but resold and towed to Rotterdam. Scrapped in March 1969 at Bilbao, Spain.