History
Name
  • Ophis (1919-28)
  • Bangu (1928–41)
  • Empire Antelope (1941–42)
Owner
  • United States Shipping Board (1919-37)
  • United States Maritime Corporation (1937–41)
  • Ministry of War Transport (1941–42)
Operator
  • Owner operated except:-
  • Moss Hutchinson Line Ltd (1941–42)
Port of registry
  • United States Tacoma (1919–37)
  • United States New York (1937–41)
  • United Kingdom London (1941–42)
BuilderTodd Dry Dock and Construction Company, Tacoma, Washington
Yard number9
Launched30 July 1919
Completed5 August 1919
In service30 September 1919
Identification
  • US official Number 219009 (1919-41)
  • Code letters LTDP (1919–41)
  • UK Official Number 168205 (1941–42)
  • Code letters BCGT (1941–42)
FateSunk 2 November 1942
General characteristics
Tonnage4,782 GRT
Length380 ft 5 in (115.95 m)
Beam53 ft 1 in (16.18 m)
Depth27 ft (8.23 m)
Propulsion1 x triple expansion steam engine (Todd Dry Dock & Construction Co, Tacoma) 339 hp (253 kW)
Speed10 knots (19 km/h)
Complement42 crew (plus 8 DEMS gunners)
SS Empire Antelope is located in North America
SS Empire Antelope
Location of the sinking of Empire Antelope

Empire Antelope was a 4,782-ton cargo ship which was built as Ophis in 1919. She was renamed Bangu in 1928. In 1941 she was renamed Empire Antelope. She was sunk by the German submarine U-402 on 2 November 1942.

History

Ophis was built by Todd Dry Dock and Construction Company, Tacoma as yard number 9. She was allocated United States Shipping Board hull number 2630.[1] She was launched on 30 July 1919 and completed on 5 August 1919.[2] Delivery was on 30 September 1919.[1] Ophis was powered by a triple expansion steam engine and could make 10 knots.[2]

She was owned by the United States Shipping Board.[3] In March 1920, Maritime Salvors Ltd, London reported that they had been involved in the salvage of Ophis.[4] On 29 November 1920, Ophis came to the rescue of the Norwegian 3-masted barque Hebe, which had been dismasted off the Azores, Portugal. Hebe was towed in to Fayal.[5] In 1928, she was renamed Bangu[3] On 26 January 1931, she lost her propeller 200 nautical miles (370 km) south of Bahía Blanca, Argentina.[6] She was passed to the United States Maritime Commission in 1937,[3] and laid up as part of the reserve fleet.[7] In 1941, Bangu passed to the Ministry of War Transport and was renamed Empire Antelope.[3]

War Service

Empire Antelope was a member of a number of convoys during World War II.

ON 37

Convoy ON 37 sailed from Liverpool on 15 November 1941 and dispersed during the night of November 23/34. Empire Antelope sailed from Aultbea.[8]

SC 77

Convoy SC 77 departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 30 March 1942 and arrived at Liverpool on 16 April. Empire Antelope was carrying a cargo of steel and other general cargo, destined for Garston.[9]

SC 94

Convoy SC 94 departed Sydney, Nova Scotia on 31 July 1942.[10] Five ships from the convoy were torpedoed by simultaneous attacks of U-176 and U-379 at 13:25Z on 8 August. Detonations of the five sinking ships caused hasty abandonment of three additional ships (including Empire Antelope) whose crews believed they had been torpedoed.[11] Empire Antelope's crewmen reboarded their slightly damaged ship and arrived at Liverpool on 13 August.[10]

SC 107

Empire Antelope departed New York City on 24 October 1942 with 5,560 tons of general cargo as a member of Convoy SC 107.[10] At 08:04 hrs (CET)[12] on 2 November 1942, the German submarine U-402, captained by Baron Siegfried von Forstner, fired torpedoed and sank Empire Antelope at 52°26′N 45°22′W / 52.433°N 45.367°W / 52.433; -45.367. All fifty crew members were saved by the convoy rescue ship SS Stockport and landed at Reykjavík, Iceland, on 8 November 1942.[7]

Official number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Bangu used the US Official Number 219009 and the Code Letters LTDP.[13] Empire Antelope used the UK Official Number 168205 and the Code Letters BCGT.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b "Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma WA". Ship Building History. Archived from the original on 5 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  2. ^ a b "2219009". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d "EMPIRE – A". Mariners-L. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  4. ^ "Maritime Salvors Ltd". The Times. No. 42351. London. 5 March 1920. col A-C, p. 25.
  5. ^ "Mails and Shipping, Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 42582. London. 1 December 1920. col D, p. 22.
  6. ^ "Mails and Shipping, Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 45732. London. 28 January 1931. col E, p. 22.
  7. ^ a b "Empire Antelope". U-boat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  8. ^ "CONVOY ON (S) 37". Warsailors. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  9. ^ "CONVOY SC 77". Warsailors. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  10. ^ a b c Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. p. 135&137. ISBN 1-55750-019-3.
  11. ^ Milner, Marc (1985). North Atlantic Run. Naval Institute Press. p. 145. ISBN 0-87021-450-0.
  12. ^ "EMPIRE ANTELOPE". Ubootwaffe. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  13. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  14. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 2 January 2009.

52°26′N 45°22′W / 52.433°N 45.367°W / 52.433; -45.367

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