MV Empire MacAlpine
World War II merchant ship of the United Kingdom
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MV Empire MacAlpine was a grain ship converted to become the first Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC ship).
NameEmpire MacAlpine
OwnerMinistry of War Transport
BuilderBurntisland Shipbuilding Company, Fife, Scotland
Laid down11 August 1942
MV Empire MacAlpine in dry dock at Messrs Cammell Lairds at Birkenhead. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Empire MacAlpine |
| Owner | Ministry of War Transport |
| Builder | Burntisland Shipbuilding Company, Fife, Scotland |
| Laid down | 11 August 1942 |
| Launched | 23 December 1942 |
| Renamed |
|
| Honours and awards | Atlantic (1943–45) |
| Fate | Scrapped Hong Kong 1970 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 7,950 GRT |
| 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 |
|
| Speed | 12.5 kn (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 |
The Burntisland Shipbuilding Company, Fife, Scotland, built her 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] She was operated by William Thomson & Co (the Ben Line).[3]
After the war she was converted to a grain carrier. She was scrapped in Hong Kong in 1970.[3]
