View source for SS Empire Clive

{{short description|World War II merchant ship of the United Kingdom}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image               = 
| Ship caption             = 
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{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              = 
| Ship name                =*''Empire Clive''  (1941-46)
*''Charlebury'' (1946-58)
*''Isabel Erica'' (1958-69)
| Ship owner               =*Ministry of War Transport (1941-46)
*Alexander Shipping Co Ltd (1946-58)
*Red Anchor Line Ltd (1958-64)
*St Merryn Shipping Co (1964-69)
| Ship operator            =*Capper, Alexander & Co Ltd (1941-46)
*Houlder Bros Ltd (1946-58)
*Red Anchor Line Ltd (1958-64)
*C Moller (1964-69)
| Ship registry            =*{{Flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} Liverpool (1941-46)
*{{Flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} London (1946-58)
*[[File:Flag of Hong Kong (1959–1997, unofficial Red Ensign).svg|24px]] Hong Kong (1958-69)
| Ship route               = 
| Ship ordered             = 
| Ship builder             = Cammell Laird & Co Ltd
| Ship original cost       = 
| Ship yard number         = 1061
| Ship way number          = 
| Ship laid down           = 
| Ship launched            = 28 July 1941
| Ship completed           = August 1941
| Ship commissioned        = 
| Ship decommissioned      = 
| Ship christened          = 
| Ship acquired            = 
| Ship maiden voyage       = 
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship out of service      = 
| Ship identification      =*Code Letters BCNM (1941-58)
*{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Mike}}
*United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 168801 (1941-58)
| Ship fate                = Scrapped
| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Header caption           = 
| Ship type               = [[Cargo ship]]
| Ship tonnage             =*{{GRT|7,069}}
*{{NRT|5,194}}<!--
*x,xxx [[Deadweight tonnage|DWT]]-->
| Ship displacement        = 
| Ship length              = {{convert|432|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam                = {{convert|56|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship height              = 
| Ship draught             = 
| Ship depth               = {{convert|34|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship decks               = 
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| Ship ramps               = 
| Ship ice class           = 
| Ship sail plan           = 
| Ship power               = Triple expansion steam engine
| Ship propulsion          = Screw propeller
| Ship speed               = <!--{{convert|xx|kn|km/h}}-->
| Ship capacity            = 
| Ship crew                = 
| Ship notes               = 
| Ship armament            = 1 x Hawker Hurricane aircraft (''Empire Clive'')
}}
|}

'''''Empire Clive''''' was a {{GRT|7069|link=off}} [[cargo ship]] which was built in 1941 by [[Cammell Laird|Cammell Laird & Co Ltd]], [[Birkenhead]] for the [[Ministry of War Transport]] (MoWT). During the [[Second World War]], she served as a [[CAM ship]], armed with a [[Hawker Hurricane]] aircraft. In 1946 she was sold and renamed '''''Charlebury'''''. In 1958, she was sold to [[Hong Kong]] and renamed ''Isabel Erica''. She served until 1969 when she was scrapped.

==Description==
The ship was built by Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead as yard number 1061.<ref name=Laird>{{cite web |url=http://www.mikekemble.com/mside/lairds.html |title=List of vessels constructed by Cammell Laird shipbuilders |publisher=Wirral Archives |access-date=22 April 2010 |archive-date=10 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010005137/http://www.mikekemble.com/mside/lairds.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref> She was launched on 28 July 1941 and completed in August.<ref name=Ships>{{cite book | first = and Sawyer, L A| last = Mitchell, W H | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4}}</ref>

The ship was {{convert|432|ft|2|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|56|ft|2|in|m|2}} and a depth of {{convert|34|ft|2|in|m|2}}. She had a GRT of 7,069 and a NRT of 5,194.<ref name=Clive41>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/41/41b0988.pdf|title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=22 April 2010}}</ref>

<!--The ship was propelled by a 2-stroke Single Cycle Double Acting [[diesel engine]], which had seven cylinders of {{convert|9+13/16|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|16+5/16|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by British Auxiliaries Ltd, Glasgow.

-->The ship was propelled by a [[triple expansion steam engine]], which had cylinders of {{convert|23+1/2|in|cm}}, {{convert|37+1/2|in|cm}} and {{convert|68|in|cm}}  diameter by {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by Cammell Laird.

==History==
''Empire Clive'' was built for the MoWT. She was placed under the management of Capper, Alexander & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was [[Liverpool]]. The [[Code Letters]] BCNM and United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 168801 were allocated.<ref name=Clive41/>

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

;SC 58
Convoy SC 58 departed from [[Sydney, Nova Scotia|Sydney]], [[Cape Breton Island|Cape Breton]] on 4 December 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 21 December. ''Empire Clive'' was due to sail with this convoy.<ref name=SC58>{{cite web|url=http://warsailors.com/convoys/sc58.html |title=CONVOY SC 58 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=22 April 2010}}</ref>

;HX 164
Convoy HX 164 departed from [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]] on 8 December 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 23 December. ''Empire Clive'' was listed in this convoy, but sailed with Convoy SC 59.<ref name=HX164>{{cite web|url=http://warsailors.com/convoys/hx164.html |title=CONVOY HX 164 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=22 April 2010}}</ref>

;SC 59
Convoy SC 59 departed from Sydney, Cape Breton on 10 December 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 27 December. ''Empire Clive'', at the time a [[CAM ship]], sailed with this convoy. She was carrying general cargo bound for [[Avonmouth]], [[Somerset]].<ref name=SC59>{{cite web|url=http://warsailors.com/convoys/sc59.html |title=CONVOY SC 59 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=22 April 2010}}</ref>

On 19 July 1942, ''Empire Clive'' loaded ten [[Supermarine Spitfire]] aircraft. They were delivered to [[Malta]] on 3 August.<ref name=Spit37>{{cite web|url=http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p037.htm |title=Spitfire aircraft production page 037 |publisher=Spitfires |access-date=22 April 2010}}</ref><ref name=Spit39>{{cite web|url=http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p039.htm |title=Spitfire aircraft production page 039 |publisher=Spitfires |access-date=22 April 2010}}</ref><ref name=Serial>The aircraft were Mk.V serial numbers EP152, EP186, EP188 and EP199, also delivered were Mk.VbT serial numbers EP551, EP573, EP606, EP612, EP619 and EP621</ref>

;MKS 16
Convoy MKS 16 departed from [[Gibraltar]] on 9 July 1943. It joined Convoy SL 132 at sea on 10 July and arrived at Liverpool on 22 July. ''Empire Clive'' was carrying a cargo of [[phosphate]]s bound for [[Glasgow]].<ref name=MKS16>{{cite web|url=http://warsailors.com/convoys/mks16.html |title=CONVOY MKS 16 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=22 April 2010}}</ref>

In 1946, ''Empire Clive'' was sold to Alexander Shipping Co Ltd and was renamed ''Charlebury''. She was placed under the management of [[Houlder Line|Houlder Bros Ltd, London]]. In 1958, she was sold to the Red Anchor Line, [[Hong Kong]] and renamed ''Isabel Erica'' In 1963, she was sold to the St Merryn Shipping Co, and placed under the management of C Moller & Co, Hong Kong. ''Isabel Erica'' was scrapped in August 1969 in Hong Kong.<ref name=Ships/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{CAM ships}}
{{Empire ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Clive}}
[[Category:1941 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Mersey]]
[[Category:CAM ships]]
[[Category:Empire ships]]
[[Category:Ministry of War Transport ships]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Steamships of Hong Kong]]