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Difference between revisions of "HMT Empress of Japan"

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(Fremantle to Cape Town 11 - 30 May 1941 (Convoy US3))
(Gourock, Scotland to Middle East 15 Nov - 30 Dec 1941)
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===Gourock, Scotland to Middle East 15 Nov - 30 Dec 1941===
 
===Gourock, Scotland to Middle East 15 Nov - 30 Dec 1941===
*[[Raymond Bennett]]
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*[[Raymond Eric Gerard Bennett]]
 
[[Category:Ships]]
 
[[Category:Ships]]

Revision as of 22:18, 18 April 2019

Empress of Japan.jpg
Empress of Japan in Vancouver harbour. Courtesy City of Vancouver archives CVA 371-1264
Empress of Japan stern US3.jpg
Stern view of Empress Of Japan,3rd Convoy
History
Name RMS Empress of Japan
Builder/Built 1930 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, Clyde, Scotland
Type Passenger liner
Displacement 26,300 tons
Speed 22 knots


Remarks

Built for Canadian Pacific Steamships, and used on the trans Pacific routes between Canada and the Far East (Vancouver-Yokohama-Kobe-Shanghai-Hong Kong). In 1942 after the Japanese attacks of December 1941, she was renamed HMT Empress of Scotland, and when the Hamburg Atlantic Line purchased her in 1957 they renamed her TS Hanseatic. Despite being 'renamed' in early 1942, she was still known as Empress of Japan during the 3rd Convoy as told in Peter Plowman's book 'Across the Sea to War'.


Following WW2, the Empress of Scotland returned to service but this time on the other side of Canada, in the Atlantic. She was rebuilt between 1948 and 1950 at Fairfield in Glasgow to suit Atlantic weather, and completed her last trans-Atlantic run in 1957.


As the TS Hanseatic, she was larger and able to carry more passengers on the Hamburg - New York route. On 8 Sep 1966 she caught fire in New York, gutting 5 decks and the engine room. Not commercially repairable she was scrapped soon after.

Soldiers carried

Fremantle to Cape Town 11 - 30 May 1941 (Convoy US3)

Gourock, Scotland to Middle East 15 Nov - 30 Dec 1941