MV Empire City

Empire City was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. She was launched on 15 July 1943.^[1]

The ship was 428 feet 8 inches (130.66 m) long, with a beam of 56 feet 5 inches (17.20 m) and a depth of 35 feet 5 inches (10.80 m). She had a GRT of 7,295 and a NRT of 4,941.^[2]

The ship was propelled by a 2-stroke Single Cycle Single Action diesel engine, which had eight cylinders of 23+5⁄8 inches (60 cm) diameter by 91+5⁄16 inches (231.9 cm) stroke.^[2]

Empire City was built for the MoWT. She was placed under the management of the A Weir & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was Sunderland. The Code Letters BFLB and the United Kingdom Official Number 180046 were allocated.^[2]

Empire City was a member of a number of convoys in the Second World War.

ON 212

Convoy ON 212 departed Liverpool on 19 November 1943 and arrived at New York on 5 December.^[3] Empire City had departed from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire on 18 November. She was equipped with anti-torpedo nets on this voyage.^[4]

DKA 21

Empire City was a member of Convoy DKA 21, which departed Lourenço Marques, Portuguese East Africa bound for Port Said, Egypt via Aden. Empire City was carrying a cargo of 8,403 tons of coal. On 6 August 1944, she was torpedoed and sunk by U-198 off Mocímboa da Praia, Portuguese East Africa (11°33′S 41°25′E / 11.550°S 41.417°E / -11.550; 41.417). Two crew (Engineers) were killed. The surviving 48 crew and 20 DEMS gunners were rescued. They were landed at Pekawi, Portuguese East Africa.^[5] U-198 was sunk on 12 August.^[6] Those lost on Empire City are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.^[7]