SS Inchearn
| Company type | Cargo ship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Predecessor | Empire Flag |
| Founded | 2 June 1943 |
| Founder | Sir W G Armstrong & Whitworth & Co (Shipbuilders) Ltd |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| Headquarters | Newcastle upon Tyne (builder) , United Kingdom |
| Products | Refrigerated cargo transport |
Ship Overview
Inchearn was a refrigerated cargo vessel with a gross register tonnage of 7,024, originally constructed under the name Empire Flag in 1943. The shipbuilding was carried out by Sir W G Armstrong, Whitworth & Co (Shipbuilders) Ltd, located in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, commissioned by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Following her initial service, she was sold in 1946 and subsequently renamed Carmia. Another change of ownership in 1954 resulted in the vessel being rebranded as Victoria Star. In 1955, the ship was acquired by interests in Hong Kong and received the name Inchearn. She remained operational until 1966, when she was dismantled for scrap.
Vessel Details
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Names | * Empire Flag (1943–46)
|
| Ownership | * Ministry of War Transport (1943–45)
|
| Operators | * New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd (1943–46)
|
| Registration | * United Kingdom, Newcastle upon Tyne (1943–46)
|
| Builder | Sir W G Armstrong-Whitworth & Co (Shipbuilders) Ltd |
| Yard Number | 4 |
| Launch Date | 2 June 1943 |
| Completion Date | 29 October 1943 |
| Out of Service | 1966 |
| Official Number | United Kingdom Official Number 169169 (1943-55) |
| Code Letters | BFGQ (1943–55) |
| Fate | Scrapped |
Technical Specifications
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Ship Type | Refrigerated cargo ship |
| Gross Register Tonnage | 7,024 GRT |
| Net Register Tonnage | 4,784 NRT |
| Deadweight Tonnage | 10,300 DWT |
| Length Overall | 430 ft 9 in (131.2 m) |
| Beam | 56 ft 2 in (17.12 m) |
| Draught | 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m) |
| Depth | 35 ft 2 in (10.72 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion steam engine driving a single screw propeller |
| Power Output | 542 nominal horsepower (nhp) |
| Maximum Speed | 11 knots |
| Armament | Anti-torpedo nets fitted during service as Empire Flag |
Description
Constructed in 1943 by Sir W G Armstrong, Whitworth & Co (Shipbuilders) Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, the vessel was a refrigerated cargo ship designed for transporting perishable goods. It was designated as yard number 4 during its construction.
The ship measured 430 feet 9 inches (131.3 meters) in length and had a beam of 56 feet 2 inches (17.1 meters). Its depth was recorded at 35 feet 2 inches (10.7 meters), and it had a draught of 26 feet 9 inches (8.2 meters). The vessel's tonnage was assessed at 7,024 gross register tons (GRT), 4,784 net register tons (NRT), with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 10,300.
Propulsion was provided by a triple expansion steam engine rated at 542 nominal horsepower (nhp), featuring cylinders with diameters of 23½ inches (60 cm), 39 inches (99 cm), and 70 inches (178 cm), all with a stroke length of 48 inches (122 cm). This engine, manufactured by the North East Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd, powered a single screw propeller and enabled the ship to reach speeds up to 11 knots.
The refrigeration system onboard consisted of two refrigeration units and eight compressors supplied by L Stearns & Co Ltd. Insulation materials included air, slag wool, and slag cork. The vessel contained eight cargo holds with a total refrigerated volume capacity of approximately 287,000 cubic feet (8,130 cubic meters).
History
Commissioned by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), the ship was launched on 2 June 1943 and completed by 29 October of the same year. It received the Code Letters BFGQ and was registered in Newcastle upon Tyne under the management of the New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd.
On 7 November 1943, the ship departed from the River Tyne to join Convoy FN 1171, which had left Southend-on-Sea on the previous day and arrived at Methil on 8 November. Subsequently, it became part of Convoy EN 305 departing Methil on 10 November and reaching Loch Ewe on 13 November. During this voyage, it called at Kirkwall on 12 November before continuing to Loch Ewe on the following day.
The vessel then participated in Convoy ON 212 from Liverpool to New York between 19 November and 5 December, making a stop at Halifax on 2 December before proceeding with Convoy XB 86A through the Cape Cod Canal to New York.
On 29 December, it sailed from New York with Convoy HX 273 arriving at Liverpool on 14 January 1944 but disembarked at Loch Ewe on the day prior. The ship reached Southend on 18 January after joining Convoys WN 531 and FS 1333.
Throughout early and mid-1944, the vessel undertook multiple convoy assignments including FN series convoys between Southend and Methil, EN convoys to Loch Ewe, ONS convoys to Halifax, and XB convoys along the U.S. east coast. Notably, it joined Convoy HX 286 departing New York on 5 April and arriving in Liverpool on 20 April while equipped with anti-torpedo nets.
Further convoy operations included voyages from Southend via FN convoys to Methil and onward through EN convoys to Loch Ewe before joining ON convoys crossing from Liverpool to New York in May and June. The ship continued similar transatlantic crossings through convoys HX and FN into July.
In late July and August, the vessel participated in FN convoys from Southend to Methil followed by EN convoys to Loch Ewe and onward sailing with ON convoys from Liverpool to New York. Departing New York in early September with Convoy HX 307, it arrived at Liverpool later that month before proceeding to Cardiff.
The ship then moved between Cardiff and Milford Haven in early October before joining Convoy OS 92KM departing Liverpool mid-October and dispersing at sea by late October. It reached Buenos Aires by mid-November and subsequently sailed to Durban by mid-December. From there it proceeded to Mauritius by year-end.
Early in 1945, the vessel traveled from Mauritius to Calcutta arriving in January. It continued voyages around Madagascar calling at Diego Suarez, Tamatave, Majunga multiple times before heading to Mombasa in April. The journey proceeded through Suez arriving mid-May then Port Said before sailing to Marseille later that month.
In June, it voyaged from Casablanca back to Buenos Aires then moved onward to Montevideo in late July. The route continued via Cape Verde Islands and Madeira before returning to Liverpool in early September. In October it sailed northward from Liverpool to Glasgow then departed the Clyde in November for Halifax followed by New York later that month.
In 1946, ownership transferred to Donaldson Atlantic Line Ltd of Glasgow who renamed her Carmia. In 1954 she was sold again to Blue Star Line Ltd based in London receiving the new name Victoria Star. A further sale occurred in 1955 when Williamson & Co Ltd of Hong Kong acquired her and renamed her Inchearn. She remained operational until being dismantled at Osaka, Japan in August 1966.
