MV Empire MacAlpine

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Name: Empire MacAlpine
Owner: Ministry of War Transport
Builder: Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Burntisland, Scotland
Laid down: 11 August 1942
Launched: 23 December 1942
Renamed: Derrynan in 1951
Huntsbrook in 1959
Suva Breeze in 1960
Djatingaleh in 1965
San Ernesto in 1966
Pacific Endeavour in 1968
Fate: Scrapped Hong Kong 1970
General characteristics
Displacement: 7,950 tons (gross)
Length: 412 ft 6 in (125.73 m) (p.p.) 433 ft 9 in (132.21 m) (o/a)
Beam: 56 ft 9 in (17.30 m)
Depth: 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Installed power: 3,300 hp (2,500 kW)
Propulsion: Diesel engine(s)
1 × shaft
Speed: 12.5 kn (14.4 mph; 23.2 km/h)
Complement: 107
Armament: 1 × 4 in (100 mm) dual purpose gun, 2 × 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, 4 × 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons
Aircraft carried: 4
Honours and awards: Atlantic (1943-1945)

MV Empire MacAlpine was a grain ship converted to become the first Merchant Aircraft Carrier or MAC ship.

MV Empire MacAlpine was built at the Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Burntisland, Scotland, under order from the Ministry of War Transport and was delivered on 14 April 1943 [1]. As a MAC ship, only her air crew and the necessary maintenance staff were naval personnel [2] and she was operated by William Thomson & Co[3].

After the war, the ship was converted to a grain carrier, and scrapped at Hong Kong in 1970[3].

References

  1. "Burntisland Shipyard - List of Ships Page 5". Burntisland.net. http://www.burntisland.net/ships5.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-26. 
  2. H.T. Lenton & J. J. Colledge. Warships of World War II. Ian Allen. p. 296. ISBN 0-7110-0403-X. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "List and history of the Empire ships - M". Mariners. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireM.html. Retrieved 2007-03-18. 

External links