MV Empire MacAlpine

MV Empire MacAlpine was a grain ship converted to become the first Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC ship).

MV Empire MacAlpine in dry dock at Messrs Cammell Lairds at Birkenhead.
History
United Kingdom
Name: Empire MacAlpine
Owner: Ministry of War Transport
Builder: Burntisland Shipbuilding Company, Fife, Scotland
Laid down: 11 August 1942
Launched: 23 December 1942
Renamed:
  • Derrynan in 1951
  • Huntsbrook in 1959
  • Suva Breeze in 1960
  • Djatingaleh in 1965
  • San Ernesto in 1966
  • Pacific Endeavour in 1968
Honours and
awards:		 Atlantic (1943–45)
Fate: Scrapped Hong Kong 1970
General characteristics
Displacement: 7,950 tons (gross)
Length: 412 ft 6 in (125.73 m) (p.p.) 433 ft 9 in (132.21 m) (o/a)
Beam: 56 ft 9 in (17.30 m)
Depth: 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Installed power: 3,300 hp (2,500 kW)
Propulsion:
Speed: 12.5 kn (23.2 km/h)
Complement: 107
Armament: 1 × 4 in (100 mm) dual purpose gun, 2 × 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, 4 × 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons
Aircraft carried: 4

The Burntisland Shipbuilding Company, Fife, Scotland, built her under order from the Ministry of War Transport and was delivered on 14 April 1943.[1] As a MAC ship, only her air crew and the necessary maintenance staff were naval personnel.[2] She was operated by William Thomson & Co (the Ben Line).[3]

After the war she was converted to a grain carrier. She was scrapped in Hong Kong in 1970.[3]

References
  1. "Burntisland Shipyard - List of Ships Page 5". Burntisland.net. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  2. Lenton, H.T.; Colledge, J.J. Warships of World War II. Ian Allan Publishing. p. 296. ISBN 0-7110-0403-X.
  3. "List and history of the Empire ships - M". Mariners. Retrieved 18 March 2007.


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