MV Empire Comet

History

Name:	Empire Comet
Owner:	Ministry of War Transport
Operator:	Dodd, Thompson & Co
Port of registry:	Greenock
Builder:	Lithgows Ltd
Yard number:	941
Launched:	21 November 1940
Completed:	January 1941
Identification:	Code Letter GPFU United Kingdom Official Number 166990
Fate:	Sunk 17 February 1942
General characteristics
Class and type:	Cargo ship
Tonnage:	6,914 GRT 4,162 NRT
Length:	432 ft 7 in (131.85 m)
Beam:	56 ft 2 in (17.12 m)
Depth:	34 ft 3 in (10.44 m)
Installed power:	4SCSA diesel engine
Propulsion:	Screw propellor
Crew:	38, plus 8 DEMS gunners

Location of the sinking of Empire Comet.

Empire Comet was a 6,914 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1940 by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was torpedoed and sunk by U-136 in June 1941.

Description

Empire Comet was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow as yard number 941. She was launched on 21 November 1940,^[1] and completed in January 1941.^[2]

Empire Comet was 432 feet 7 inches (131.85 m) long, with a beam of 56 feet 2 inches (17.12 m) and a depth of 34 feet 3 inches (10.44 m). She had a GRT of 6,914 and a NRT of 4,162.^[3]Empire Comet was propelled by a 4-stroke Single Cycle Single Acting diesel engine, which had eight cylinders of 29 ¹⁄₈ inches (74 cm) diameter by 59 ¹⁄₁₆ (151 cm) stroke. The engine was built by J G Kincaid & Co Ltd, Greenock.^[3]

History

Empire Comet was built for the MoWT. She was placed under the management of Dodd, Thompson & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was Greenock. She was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 166990 and Code Letters GPFU were allocated.^[3]

Empire Comet was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

HX 118

Convoy HX 118 departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 31 March 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 18 April. Empire Comet was carrying a cargo of wheat.^[4]

HX 174

Convoy HX 174 departed Halifax on 7 February 1942 bound for Liverpool.^[5] Empire Comet was carrying a cargo of linseed, manganese ore, peanuts and tea. She had departed from Bombay, India on 12 November 1940 and sailed via Table Bay, South Africa and Halifax. She was bound for Manchester. Empire Comet straggled behind the convoy. At 22:17 (German time) on 17 February 1942, Empire Comet was hit by two torpedoes fired by the German submarine U-136 under the command of Heinrich Zimmerman. She sank at 58°15′N 17°10′W / 58.250°N 17.167°W / 58.250; -17.167Coordinates: 58°15′N 17°10′W / 58.250°N 17.167°W / 58.250; -17.167. All 38 crew and eight DEMS gunners were lost.^[6] The crew are commemorated on panel 39 of the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

References

↑ "Launched 1940: mv EMPIRE COMET". Clydesite. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
↑ Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
1 2 3 "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
↑ "CONVOY HX 118". Warsailors. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
↑ "CONVOY HX 174". Warsailors. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
↑ "Empire Comet". Uboat. Retrieved 12 May 2010.

Empire ships beginning with Empire Ca to Empire Cl, Empire Co to Empire Cy

Cargo ships	Empire Cabot Empire Caicos Empire Calder Empire Call Empire Calshot Empire Camel Empire Cameron Empire Camp¹ Empire Candida Empire Canning Empire Canute ² Empire Canyon Empire Cape ³ Empire Capulet Empire Carey Empire Caribou Empire Carpenter Empire Carron Empire Catcher Empire Catcher II Empire Cato Empire Caxton Empire Celia Empire Centaur Empire Chamois Empire Charmian² Empire Chaucer Empire Cheer Empire Cheetah Empire Chelmer Empire Chelsea ³ Empire Cherwell Empire Cheyne ³ Empire Chivalry Empire Chuzzlewit ³ Empire Citizen (II) Empire City Empire Claire Empire Clansman⁴ Empire Clarion Empire Claymore Empire Cliff ³ Empire Clive Empire Cloud Empire Clough Empire Coast ³ Empire Colne Empire Comet Empire Comfort Empire Commerce (I) Empire Commerce (II) Empire Conavon Empire Concave Empire Concern Empire Concerto Empire Concession Empire Conclyde Empire Concord Empire Concourse Empire Concrete Empire Condart ³ Empire Condee ³ Empire Conderton Empire Condicote Empire Condor (I) Empire Condor (II)³ Empire Condorrat ³ Empire Condover Empire Conexe ³ Empire Confal ³ Empire Confederation Empire Conference Empire Conforth ³ Empire Congerstone ³ Empire Congham Empire Congleton Empire Congo Empire Congress Empire Congreve ³ Empire Conifer Empire Coningsby ⁵ Empire Conington Empire Conisborough Empire Coniston Empire Conlea ³ Empire Conleith Empire Conleven Empire Connah Empire Connaught ³ Empire Connell Empire Connemara Empire Conningbeg Empire Conqueror Empire Conquest Empire Conrad Empire Consent Empire Consequence Empire Consett Empire Consistence Empire Consort Empire Constable Empire Constancy ³ Empire Constellation Empire Constitution Empire Constructor Empire Consumer Empire Contay ³ Empire Contees Empire Content Empire Contest Empire Continent ³ Empire Contour ³ Empire Contract ³ Empire Contyne Empire Convention Empire Conveyor Empire Convoy Empire Conway Empire Conwear Empire Cony ³ Empire Conyngham Empire Copperfield Empire Coppice ³ Empire Cormorant Empire Cougar Empire Courage Empire Cowdray Empire Cowper Empire Crag ³ Empire Cranmer Empire Creek ³ Empire Cricketer ³ Empire Crocus ³ Empire Cromer Empire Cromwell Empire Crossbill Empire Crouch Empire Crown Empire Crusader Empire Crusoe Empire Curlew (I) Empire Curzon Empire Cyprus

Dredgers	Empire Champion Empire Clydesdale Empire Conjuror

Ferries	Empire Chub

Landing ships	Empire Cedric Empire Celtic Empire Crossbow Empire Curlew (II) Empire Cutlass Empire Cymric

Ocean liners	Empire Captain ^{1, 5} Empire Castle^{1, 5} Empire Chieftain ⁵ Empire Citizen (I)^{1, 5} Empire Clarendon ⁵ Empire Clyde (I) Empire Clyde (II)

Schooners	Empire Cononley Empire Contamar

Tankers	Empire Cadet ³ Empire Campden ³ Empire Cavalier Empire Celt Empire Chancellor Empire Chapman Empire Chief Empire Chlorine ³ Empire Cobbett Empire Coleridge Empire Collins Empire Control Empire Coral Empire Corporal Empire Crest Empire Cross

Tugs	Empire Cedar⁶ Empire Charles Empire Cherub Empire Christopher⁷ Empire Clara Empire Connie⁷ Empire Cupid⁷

A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z

1 Refrigerated Cargo Ship 2 Heavy lift ship 3 Coaster 4 Collier 5 Cargo liner 6 Estuary tug 7 Coastal tug

Ships built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow

Merchant ships	Atheltemplar City of Benares Empire Addison Empire Austen Empire Baffin Empire Balfour Empire Beatrice Empire Buckler Empire Comet Empire Conrad Empire Cyprus Empire Dell Empire Dew Empire Galahad Empire MacCallum Empire MacRae Iron Knight Iron Chieftain Maudie Nile River Afton

Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships	RFA Bishopdale

Warships	HMS LST 3022

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1942

Shipwrecks	2 Feb: U-581, W. L. Steed 3 Feb: Talthybius 5 Feb: HMS Arbutus, Empress of Asia 6 Feb: U-82 9 Feb: USS Lafayette, Natsushio 11 Feb: USS Shark, HMCS Spikenard 12 Feb: HMS Maori 13 Feb: HMS Tempest 14 Feb: HMS Grasshopper, HMS Li Wo, President Taylor, Vyner Brooke 15 Feb: HNLMS Van Ghent 17 Feb: USS Detector, Empire Comet, USS Paramount, HNLMS Van Nes 18 Feb: HNLMS K VII, USS Pollux, HNLMS Soerabaja, Surcouf, USS Truxtun 19 Feb: British Consul, British Motorist, Don Isidro, Kelat, Mauna Loa, HMAS Mavie, USAT Meigs, Neptuna, USS Peary, HNLMS Piet Hein, Portmar, Zealandia 21 Feb: Kurtuluş 22 Feb: Hanne, Sama 23 Feb: HMS P38 24 Feb: Empire Celt, Struma (disaster) 27 Feb: HNLMS De Ruyter, HMS Electra, USS Langley, HMS Jupiter, HNLMS Java, HNLMS Kortenaer, R.P. Resor 28 Feb: USS Jacob Jones Unknown date: I-23

Other incidents	4 Feb: USS Marblehead 18 Feb: USS Wilkes

1941 1942 1943 January 1942 March 1942

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