SS Empire Abbey
| Company type | Cargo ship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Founded | December 10, 1943 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
| Founder | Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd |
| Defunct | August 6, 1967 |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| Headquarters | Newcastle upon Tyne , United Kingdom |
| Products | Refrigerated cargo transport |
SS Empire Abbey was a refrigerated cargo ship constructed in 1943, remaining operational until 1966. Throughout her service, she was also identified as SS Teviot', SS Ardellis', and SS Tung An'.
History
Wartime Service
Built by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne for the Ministry of War Transport, Empire Abbey was launched on 10 December 1943 and completed by March 1944. Management of the vessel was assigned to Elders & Fyffes Ltd. On 26 April 1944, she departed from New York as part of Convoy HX289, reaching Liverpool on 13 May. Later, on 23 November 1944, Empire Abbey left Milford Haven within Convoy OS96 heading towards Gibraltar, traveling in ballast with her ultimate destination being Buenos Aires. On 15 February 1945, while in Cora Harbour, she collided with the Free French naval vessel L'Ardent, which resulted in the sinking of the latter.
Postwar
In February 1946, while carrying a cargo of food to Europe, Empire Abbey encountered a severe storm off the coast of Newfoundland that persisted for more than three weeks. After sixteen days battling the storm, the vessel's propeller shaft fractured, leaving her adrift without any means of propulsion. It was not until the twenty-fourth day that the tug Foundation Franklin succeeded in towing Empire Abbey. During this ordeal, a communication was received indicating that the ship's captain had passed away following thirteen consecutive days without rest.[1] Later, in May 1946,[2] ownership transferred to the Royal Mail Line, which renamed the ship Teviot, marking the third vessel in their fleet to carry this name.[3][2] By 1959, Teviot was taken out of active service.[4]
The year 1960 saw Teviot sold to Mullion & Co in Hong Kong, where she was renamed Ardellis. Subsequently, in 1963, ownership changed hands again to Hai An Shipping Co, and the ship received the new name Tung An.[4] Ultimately, she was delivered for dismantling at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on 6 August 1967.[5]
Official number and code letters
Prior to the introduction of IMO Numbers, ships were assigned Official Numbers.
The vessel known as Empire Abbey was allocated the UK Official Number 169178 and identified by the Code Letters BFKK.[6]
References
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