ST Empire BirchEmpire Birch was a tug built in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport. In 1942 she struck a mine and sank.DescriptionEmpire Birch was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. She was yard number 418 and was launched on 9 August 1941 with completion on 12 December. She was long, with a beam of and a draught of. Her GRT was 245 with a NRT of 229.CareerEmpire Birch was operated by the MoWT, her port of registry was Hull. She was the lead ship of the Birch-class tugs. On 10 August 1942, Empire Birch hit a mine in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Portuguese East Africa north of Lourenço Marques. Although she was beached and abandoned, Empire Birch slid off the beach and sank in deep water.Official Numbers and Code LettersOfficial Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Empire Bermuda had the UK Official Number 167111 and the Code Letters BCMV.PropulsionEmpire Birch was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of, and bore by stroke. It was built by the O D Holmer & Co, Hull.