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EMPIRE FOWEY (1935)
Service dates: 1946-1960
Official number: 180840
Shipping lines: P&O STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY
Ship type:
Troopship.
Career
- 16.01.1935
- Launched.
- 27.06.1935
- Ran trials.
- 28.06.1935
- Delivered as Potsdam for Hamburg-America Line, Hamburg, but transferred before completion to North German Lloyd, Bremen for its Far Eastern service.
- 05.07.1935
- Maiden voyage Bremerhaven/Far East. She and her consorts Gneisenau and Scharnhorst maintained a regular schedule via Southampton.
- 1936
- Set Bremen/Kobe/Hamburg record of 66 days.
- 09.1939
- Recalled to Germany when off the coast of Spain outward bound.
- 1940
- Naval accommodation ship at Hamburg. Later trooped to Norway and in the Baltic.
- 1942
- Conversion to an aircraft carrier planned by Blohm and Voss.
- 12.10.1942
- Accommodation ship at Gdynia.
- 1945
- Took part in evacuation of German nationals from the Eastern Baltic.
- 13.05.1945
- Captured by British forces at Flensburg and renamed Empire Jewel.
- 19.06.1945
- Arrived at Kiel under her German Captain. A Royal Navy guard was placed aboard for transit of the Kiel Canal before she was laid up at Brunsbuttel.
- 20.07.1945
- Sailed with other German prizes for Methil on the Firth of Forth, carrying an Army detachment and with Naval escort.
- 04.1946
- Completed 10-month refit by Harland & Wolff, Belfast. Placed under P&O management by Ministry of Transport and renamed Empire Fowey. Made at least one trooping journey Port Said/Southampton.
- 11.1946
- Laid up at Rosyth due to trouble with her Benson high-pressure boilers.
- 11.03.1947
- Extensive rebuild and refit taken in hand by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Glasgow.
- 1950
- Refit completed. Now fitted with geared steam turbines of 18,000 shp; speed now 18 knots. Passenger capacity now 155 first, 104 second and 80 third class passengers, 30 boys in a separate dormitory, 102 sergeants and 1,206 other ranks. Now 19,121 grt, 13,274 nrt, deadweight 11,024 tonnes (10,850 tons).
- 04.1950
- Joined troop transport service, leaving Southampton with full complement for the Middle East.
- 17.09.1959
- First of two successful trials of a new type of inflatable life craft capable of being launched fully loaded.
- 27.01.1960
- Completed last trooping voyage from Hong Kong to Southampton.
- 09.03.1960
- Laid up at Portland.
- 23.05.1960
- Sold to the Pan-Islamic Steamship Co Ltd of Karachi who renamed her Safina-e-Hujjaj for pilgrim voyages from Pakistan to Jeddah carrying 166 first class, 295 second class and 2,141 pilgrims; she was able to make five return voyages in the 66 days available.
- 1964
- Also on Pakistan/Hong Kong service.
- From 1965
- Also on Pakistan/East Africa service.
- 20.02.1976
- Withdrawn from service due to high running costs and sold to Chemimec Impex, Karachi.
- 10.1976
- Broken up at Gadani Beach, Pakistan.