List of Empire ships (L)
Suffix beginning with L
''Empire Labrador''
Empire Labrador was a 3,539 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 19 August 1944 and completed in October 1944. Sold in 1949 to Williamson & Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Incharran. Seized on 1 May 1950 by a Chinese Nationalist warship. She was released with the assistance of. On 12 February 1953 she was attacked by Chinese Nationalist warships when in the Strait of Formosa but evaded capture and safely reached Hong Kong. Sold in 1955 to Indo-China Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London and renamed Sunshine. Sold in 1968 to Golden River Shipping Corp. and renamed Golden River. Operated under the management of C T Chu, Hong Kong. Arrived on 7 April 1970 at Sakaide, Japan for scrapping.''Empire Labuan''
Empire Labuan was a 7,339 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 5 September 1944 as Empire Labuan and completed in November 1944 as HMS Holm Sound, an aircraft component repair and maintenance ship. Completed one wartime tour to Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Aden, Bombay, Cochin, Ceylon, Cocas Islands, Fremantle and return, in support of the Pacific fleet. Sold in 1949 to Aviation & Shipping Ltd and reconverted to a cargo ship, renamed Avisbay. Operated under the management of Purvis Shipping Co Ltd, London. Sold in 1950 to Elder Dempster Lines, Liverpool and renamed Prah. Sold in 1959 to Atlanska Plovidba, Yugoslavia and renamed Naprijed. Arrived on 13 May 1969 at Split for scrapping.''Empire Lad''
Empire Lad was a 298 GRT coastal tanker which was built by Rowhedge Ironworks Ltd, Rowhedge, Essex. Launched on 10 July 1941 as Empire Garnet and completed in November 1941 as Empire Lad. Sold in 1946 to Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd and renamed Esso Suwanee Sold in 1951 to Esso Petroleum Co Ltd. Sold in 1960 to P L Den Breejen, Netherlands. Sold in 1963 to Compagnia Comercio Navigazione Alpes, Panama. Converted to carry dry cargo, now 331 GRT and renamed USA. Sold in 1966 to Autco SA, Panama and renamed Pejerey. Renamed Esterel in 1966. Sold in 1968 to Columbo Shipping Co, Panama and renamed Westerend. Sold in 1970 to Albina SA, Panama, renamed Sunrise then Grace. Sold in 1971 to D P Gousetis, Greece and renamed Captain Stelios. Sold in 1975 to C Dagadakis, Greece and renamed San Liberal. Sold in 1977 to E & G Kottis, Greece and renamed Kleopatra.''Empire Lady''
Empire Lady was a 7,046 GRT cargo ship which was built by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Launched on 20 June 1944 and completed in August 1944. Sold in 1946 to Royal Mail Lines Ltd and renamed Tweed. Arrived on 20 August 1959 at Newport Monmouthshire for scrapping.''Empire Lagan''
Empire Lagan was an 11,399 GRT escort aircraft carrier which was built by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania. Completed in April 1940 as Mormacland for Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. Rebuilt in March 1941 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company as an escort carrier with a capacity for twenty aircraft. Transferred on 17 November 1940 to the Royal Navy and renamed HMS Archer. On 13 January 1942 she was in collision with SS Brazos, which sank at. Archer was towed stern-first to Charleston, South Carolina for repairs. Decommissioned: 6 November 1943, Archer was relegated to a stores ship. Transferred in March 1945 to the MoWT and renamed Empire Lagan. Transferred in January 1946 to United States Maritime Commission and laid up in Norfolk, Virginia. Sold in 1948 to Sven Salen, Stockholm and renamed Anna Salen. Operated under the management of Reder Pulp AB from 1949.
Refitted as a passenger ship with superstructure extended to the stern, and extra lifeboats, now 11,672 GRT. Sold in 1955 to Compagnia Navigazione Tasmania SA and renamed Tasmania. Operated under the management of Hellenic Mediterranean lines. Sold in 1961 to China Union Lines, Taipei. Converted to a cargo ship and renamed Union Reliance. On 7 November 1961 she was involved in a collision with the Norwegian tanker MV Berean, which caught fire and exploded, then beached. Refloated on 9 November and towed to Galveston, Texas. Scrapped in March 1962 at New Orleans.''Empire Lagoon''
Empire Lagoon was a 2,013 GRT collier which was built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth. Launched on 15 March 1941 and completed in June 1941. Sold in 1946 to Hudson Steamship Co Ltd, London and renamed Hudson Bay. Scrapped in 1964 in Blyth, Northumberland.''Empire Lagos''
Empire Lagos was a 7,058 GRT cargo ship which was built by Short Brothers Ltd, Sunderland. Laid down as Empire Lagos but launched on 31 October 1944 as HMS Solway Firth, an aircraft engine repair ship. Completed in 1947 by Amsterdam Drydock Company as a 7,339 GRT cargo ship. Sold to Skibs Kongsberg and renamed Kongsberg. Operated by A G Olsen, Norway. Sold in 1955 to Rederi A/B Borgtramp and renamed Olofsborg. Operated under the management of J A Zachariassen, Finland. Sold in 1959 to Polish Steamship Co, Szczecin and renamed Huta Florian. Arrived on 26 August 1971 at Bilbao, Spain for scrapping.''Empire Laird''
Empire Laird was a 313 GRT collier which was built by Richard Dunston Ltd, Thorne, Yorkshire. Launched on 29 December 1942 and completed in July 1943. Sold in 1947 to A L Duggan & Co Ltd, Bristol and renamed Monkton Combe. Sold in 1950 to J Tyrrell, Arklow and renamed Halronell. On 22 October 1961 she became stranded on Black Rock, Rosslare. She broke in two on 23 October and sank.''Empire Lake''
Empire Lake was a 2,852 GRT collier which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlpool. Launched on 30 January 1941 and completed in March 1941. Torpedoed by on 15 July 1943 and sunk at.''Empire Lakeland''
was a 7,015 GRT cargo ship that was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Launched on 14 September 1942 and completed that November. She was managed by Blue Star Line. Torpedoed on 11 March 1943 and sunk by while a member of Convoy SC 121.''Empire Lambeth''
Empire Lambeth was a 2,250 GRT collier which was built by John Crown & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 15 July 1946 as Empire Lambeth and completed in September 1946 as Dashwood for William France, Fenwick & Co Ltd. Scrapped in June 1961 at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands.''Empire Lance''
Empire Lance was a 7,177 GRT Type C1-S-AY-1 cargo ship which was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California. Laid down as Cape Pine and completed in December 1943 as Empire Lance for the MoWT. To the Royal Navy in 1945 as HMS Sir Hugo, then reverted to MoWT and renamed Empire Lance later that year. To USMC in 1949 and renamed Cape Pine. Renamed Imperial Lance at an unknown date. Scrapped in December 1966 at Baltimore.''Empire Lancer''
Empire Lancer was a 7,037 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched on 31 August 1942 and completed in November 1942. Torpedoed on 16 August 1944 by and sunk in the Mozambique Channel.''Empire Lankester''
Empire Lankester was a 7,067 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 24 February 1944 and completed in April 1944. She transported troops to Normandy shortly after D-Day and then returned to MOWT duty. From August 1944 to March 1946 her Master was James Davidson. Sold in 1948 to Clan Line Steamers Ltd and renamed Clan Mackellar. Sold in 1961 to Mullion & Co Ltd, Gibraltar and renamed Ardgroom. Sold in 1966, due to be renamed Nearco but arrived on 20 February 1967 at Hong Kong for scrapping.''Empire Lantern''
Empire Lantern was a 6,854 GRT cargo ship which was built by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd, Hong Kong. Laid down on 26 May 1941 as Empire Lantern. Seized by the Japanese while under construction, launched on 8 December 1942 as Gyokurei Maru. Torpedoed and sunk by on 18 September 1944, at.''Empire Lapwing''
Empire Lapwing was a 5,358 GRT cargo ship that was built by the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation, Harriman, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1921 as Ala for the United States Shipping Board. Bought by American Diamond Lines in 1931, which became Black Diamond Lines, and in 1935 renamed the ship Black Condor. Bought by MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Lapwing. Allocated in 1942 to the Belgian Government and renamed Belgian Fighter. Torpedoed on 9 October 1942 by, and sunk at.''Empire Larch''
Empire Larch was a 487 GRT tug which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 30 January 1941 and completed in June 1941. The ship was operated by the Hull-based United Towing Co. on behalf of the owners and was armed under the DEMS programme. Damaged on 30 June 1941 by enemy aircraft bombing off Great Yarmouth, later repaired. Departed Aberdeen on 16 February 1942 with Empire Pilgrim in tow, bound for Blyth, Northumberland. Was towing tug TID 12 on 9 August 1943 when she broke free and went aground at Tarlair Point, Macduff, Banffshire. In April 1944 she was assigned to "Operation Corncob" in preparation for the coming invasion of France and sailed from Hull to join the convoy which collected the vessels which were to be used as blockships to form the breakwater for the Mulberry Harbour. On 6 June 1944 she crossed the channel from Poole to join the Normandy invasion fleet and arrived in the evening off Arromanches and assisted in positioning and scuttling the blockships. She ran aground on the morning of 7 June and was towed off a sandbar by a US Navy tug. She assisted tug Thames in the tow of Empire Beatrice from Tilbury to Glasgow in April 1945. Sold in 1946 to United Towing Co Ltd and renamed Masterman. She was sold in 1962 to Brodospas, Yugoslavia and renamed Smjeli. She departed Cape Town, South Africa on 9 December 1962 with Marianella on tow, bound for Genoa to be scrapped. She was scrapped in 1972 in Split. This ship's role in the D-Day landings is the subject of the song 'Shores of Normandy' written by her then Galley Boy and performed by him three times in the Royal Albert Hall in 2014 for the D-Day 70th-anniversary commemorations.