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HMT Empress of Britain

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HMT Empress of Britain
HMT Empress of Britain.jpg
HMT Empress of Britain 1.jpg
History
Name HMT Empress of Britain
Owner Canadian Pacific Railway Company, Liverpool
Builder Fairfield Shipping & Engineering Co, Clydebank
Yard number 442
Launched 11 Nov 1905
Completed 1906
In service 1906
Out of service 1930
Fate Broken up July 1930
General characteristics
Type Ocean Liner
Tonnage 14,189 tons
Length 548.8 ft
Beam 65.7 ft
Depth 36.7 ft
Propulsion twin screw
Speed 18 knots (33.34 km/h)


Remarks

Built for the transatlantic trade between Europe and Canada. Less than two weeks after disaster struck the RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic, Empress of Britain also struck an iceberg on 26 April 1912; but the reported damage was only slight On 27 Jul 1912 she collided with and sank the SS Helvetia off Cape Magdaleine in the estuary of the St Lawrence River.


On 16 Aug 1914 she was requisitioned for conversion into an Armed Merchant Cruiser known as HMS Empress of Britain, remaining so until she was paid off on 11 May 1915 when she reverted to civilian status and was converted into a troopship. On 12 Dec 1915 she collided with and sank a Greek steamer in the Straits of Gibraltar. As a troopship she carried more than 110,000 troops to the Dardanelles, Egypt and India.


At the conclussion of hostilities she was converted to be an oil-burner and on 23 Mar 1919 returned to normal Passenger Service. In August 1919 she was rebuilt by Fairfield's with her gross tonnage now 15,646. With the change of ownership name to Canadian Pacific Railway Company - Canadian Steamships Ltd in 1924, she was renamed SS Montroyal, ableto carry 600 cabin passengers and 800 x 3rd class passengers. Finally on 17 Jun 1930 she was sold for breaking to the Stavanger Shipbreaking Co.,

Soldiers carried

Mudros to Alexandria 5 - 7 January 1916

Mudros to Alexandria 18 - 21 January 1916

Alexandria to Marseilles 29 Mar - 5 Apr 1916

11th Battalion