Empress of Japan with the Orford in the background, 1940. Empress of Japan was built in 1930 for the trans-Pacific services out of Vancouver by the Canadian Pacific Line. On the 12th the troopship Empress of Japan (British, 26032 GRT, built 1930) joined the convoy coming from Melbourne. _. The 14,189 GRT Empress of Britain I was built at Fairfield Shipbuilding at Glasgow and was launched on November 11, 19 05. Sunk by Japanese aircraft off Sultan Shoal on 5 February 1942. RMS Empress of Asia was an ocean liner built in 1912-1913 by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland for Canadian Pacific Steamships. This ship was the second of two CP vessels to be named Empress of Japan - regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route between the west coast of Canada and the Far East until 1942. Methven (1905 - 4,928 gt) ex- . The Empress of Australia as a troopship The Empress of Australia 1920 Trooping on the Empress of Australia (Captain John C. Definitions of RMS_Empress_of_Asia, synonyms, antonyms, derivatives of RMS_Empress_of_Asia, analogical dictionary of RMS_Empress_of_Asia (English) . Oct. 11, 1918, Canada's advance party sailed from Vancouver aboard the Empress of Japan, reaching Vladivostok 15 days later. Visit us in Kew to see original documents or view online records for free. Bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft off Singapore, 5 Feb 1942; 19 dead. 42-01-29 (via Elisha W.) 42-01-19. World War Two convoys on regular routes, were generally given designators, with serial numbers added for each successive convoy e.g. H.A. The majority of inward passenger lists from 1878 to 1960 and outward passenger lists from 1890 to 1960 have survived (see below). A pre-war photograph of the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff in Hamburg. Empress of Asia was requisitioned a for use as a troopship in 1941 and was refitted on the River Clyde. For the following year, she served this purpose well without seeing any actual action. As well as being a passenger liner in peacetime, Empress of Asia served as an armed merchant cruiser and a troopship in wartime. Became a troopship, 1941. She was completed in April 1906 and departed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Canada on May 5, 19 06. The troopship Dunera took aboard 20 Battalion and other troops, and both vessels sailed about 5:00pm [4:30pm] escorted by HMS Leander. Empress of Britain I. Pay for research. $12.99 + $12.65 shipping + $12.65 shipping + $12.65 shipping. The Empress of Australia was sent to Southampton where she was to be converted into a troopship. . In 1942, she was renamed RMS Empress of Scotland - the second of two CP vessels to be named Empress of Scotland. Also included are a few ships which were renamed 'Empire' at the time of the Suez crisis. Japan lost 8,141,591 GRT of its shipping. Empress of Japan was in Shanghai when war was declared in September 1939. U.1 to U.5 were the numbers or designators of the individual . Ship Illustrations. We saw the ship again as the . Straits times Forum - 5 Feb 2020 . She was renamed Empress of Scotland in October 1942. . She was built in 1930 by the renowned shipbuilders - John Brown & Co. (Clydebank) Ltd and was the largest ship ever built for Canadian Pacific.She was uniquely designed as a dual role ship for the service from Southampton to Quebec City via Cherbourg and for world cruising. In addition to troops, she had carried Red Cross . Empress of Japan (1) (1890 - 5,905 gt) 1914 converted to Armed Merchant Cruiser, 1915 returned to owner, 1922 laid up. On the 12th the troopship Empress of Japan (British, 26032 GRT, built 1930) joined the convoy coming from Melbourne. Masts of coastal ships were visible over lines of trucks in the sidings. She had been in Shanghai when war was declared and after a crossing to Honolulu and Vancouver, she sailed for Esquimalt where a certain amount of work was carried out to fit her for trooping. The troopship SS Empress of Japan carried 1,981 men of the 18th Division. 1926 scrapped. A beautiful ship by any standards, 'Empress of Japan' was built by Fairfields and was a one-off. Became a troopship, 1941. A Canadian Pacific official postcard of Empress of Scotland. 1929 - 1935. Pre-owned Pre-owned Pre-owned. 5 January: 1st Echelon of the 2 NZEF leaves New Zealand for the Middle East aboard the troop ships Empress of Canada, Strathaird, Orion, . Japan Japan Bear Japan Transport Jason Java Java Mail Javanese Prince J.C. La Cour Jean Dupuis Jean Laborde Jean Lafitte Jean Mermoz Jelø Jens Bang Jens Kofoed Jerusalem Jervis Bay (Australian Commonwealth Line) (later Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line) J.J. EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt), escorted by Australian heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA and New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER. Here she was prepared for service as a troop-ship, by being painted in wartime grey, and having guns fitted. May 1941 for the Ministry of War transport with Bibby Brothers and Company as managers and delivered in the following September. There are very few records in The National Archives of passengers before 1878. Set of 12 - Fine China Bamboo Garden Japan 1552 Dinner Plates 10 x 1. 1939 converted to troopship, 1943 torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine in South Atlantic; loss of 392 lives. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "empressoffrance" Flickr tag. . The fast convoy designated as "US 3" was made up of Aquitania and fellow liners Queen Mary, Mauretania II, Empress of Britain, Empress of Canada, Empress of Japan and Andes. Wartime service as an auxiliary cruiser, then a troopship, 1914-19. . Official Number: 160482 Signal Letters: G N T V. Gross Tonnage: 20,448 Nett: 11,335 Length: 581.9 feet Breadth: 75.2 feet. Click here to view a site map. Like her sisters, she was to serve as a troopship in the European war. During the war the Allies lost 15,619,853 GRT of merchant shipping of all types. This page provides a complete list of all vessels illustrated in Shipping Wonders of the World, and is designed to identify all ships depicted throughout the part work. Online Shop Use this login for Shop items, and image, film, sound reproductions This ship was the second of two CP vessels to be named Empress of Japan - regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route between the west coast of Canada and the Far East until 1942. Sunk by Japanese aircraft off Sultan Shoal on 5 February 1942. This ship was the second of two CP vessels to be named Empress of Japan - regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route between the west coast of Canada and the Far East until 1942. Of the four 'Duchesses' completed in 1928-29 only two remained, the Duchess of Bedford and the Duchess of Richmond. Showers, RAN) briefly joined the convoy escort but she parted company again later the same day. The passenger liner also served as an armed merchant cruiser and troopship. Smoke billows from the Empress of Asia after she was attacked by Japanese dive bombers off Singapore, 5 February 1942. Dan Black recounts its final days. Maritime Disasters of World War II - page 1 of 3 - which occurred during 1939, 1940, 1941.. To all those interested in the Naval War of 1939-1945, this list details the fate of some 180 major ships of all nations: the Battleships, Cruisers, Aircraft Carriers, Destroyers and the civilian luxury passenger liners, some pressed into service as troop transports. For the rest of the war Aquitania served as a troopship carrying troops all over the European and Pacific Theatres. She departed that day and arrived at Scapa Flow the next day. Cold winds and heavy seas were On Jan 24, the Maritime and Port Authority of . In 1914, two days before Empress of Japan arrived in Yokohama on a routine trip to Asia, World War I broke out in Europe. On 26th November 1939 the EMPRESS OF JAPAN was requisitioned as a troopship. troopship until sold to breakers in 1952 and was never returned to Canadian Pacific. Empress of Britain I. Duchess of Bedford may best be known for her role in Operation Torch, where, along with HMS Warwick Castle, she carried troops of the 16th Infantry Regiment, . The "Empress of Japan" was a big Canadian Pacific liner which had been [requisitioned and] refitted for a troop ship. In 1939 she was requisitioned for use as a troopship and, later, repatriation duties and was only returned to her builders for refurbishment in 1948. Pier 90's World War II Troop Ship Crossings is a "Fang, Ramses & Rupert" Production Click here to view a site map. Empress of Russia arriving at Rithet Piers in Victoria's Outer Harbour. The party consisted of 680 troops led by Elmsley and included civilians, such as Constantin Just, Canada's former trade commissioner to Petrograd who belonged to the new Canadian Siberian Economic Commission. Then onto Manilla, where permission to land was refused. Undettered by lofty goals and the Great Depression, the building of the Queen Mary becomes a ground breaking technological achievement. After a Japanese navy diver had removed the tangled anchor chain, the Empress headed back into the harbour to participate in the rescue work, saving more than 3,000 people with her boats. The Empress of Japan lost little time in capturing the speed record for the trans-Pacific passage in both directions. . Light cruiser LEANDER had arrived at Wellington on 24 April in . Sister ships included Empress of France and Empress of Britain. Seller 99.8% positive Seller 99.8% positive Seller 99.8% positive. She was used as a troopship in World War Two and transported Second Echelon troops from Wellington, May 1940. Three days out from New Zealand, their troopship convoy of the Empress of Japan, Mauretania and Orcades, paused in the Tasman Sea to farewell their escort, the cruiser HMS Achilles, which was heading back to New Zealand. World War II Troop Ships claims no ownership of the images displayed on this site except for those expressly stated to have been photographed by "Shayne E. Wallesch". Empress of Britain ablaze off Ireland. She was known as the 'Queen of the Pacific', the largest, fastest and finest liner on that route. In 1939 she was requisitioned for use as a troopship and, later, repatriation duties and was only returned to her builders for refurbishment in . Australian War Memorial, P01604.001 Embarkation — 31st January 1942. (Canadian Pacific Steamships). National Library building . If you have information about a crossing, . There were three Canadian Pacific Liners named Empress of Britain. Empress of Russia was launched on 28 August 1912 and completed in March 1913. As a result, it can be useful to identify a ship by using the IMO number. She was sunk in 1941 by the British submarine HMS Unique. Empress of Asia's arrival in Vancouver after being bombed was her last "peaceful" voyage to the Orient. those from Australia to the Middle East with 2nd AIF & NZ troops were known as "US" convoys (at least until USA entered the war, when they became OW). Empress of Britain was the largest liner lost in WW2, and the largest ship ever sunk by a U-boat. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. She was sunk by Japanese aircraft . RMS The Empress of Japan, ocean liner. Convoy #BM-11. Empress of Asia served as an armed merchant cruiser and a troopship in wartime. On 18 January the light cruiser HMAS Adelaide (Capt. Resources Web Rings WWII Troop Ship Crossings Email Group Troops Ship Related Books, Etc. Empress of Japan. With a desire to replace Mauretania, Aquitania and Berengaria, the Cunard Line begins to discuss plans to build a new pair of super ocean liners. If you are interested in a vessel which is not illustrated in this website, please contact us for further information. Leaving Japan on the 6th September with PoWs, the ship them sailed for Hong Kong berthing on 12th September. The Final Hours of the Empress of Asia The Empress of Asia sank off Tuas in February 1942 while carrying troops to fight off the Japanese invasion. Empress of Australia continued on the Quebec service until the outbreak of World War II, when she was requisitioned for her second wartime duties and operate as a troopship. The ship had three funnels, two masts, quadruple screws and an average speed of 19-knots. Three ships, CAPETOWN CASTLE, DURBAN CASTLE and EMPRESS OF JAPAN, detached from convoy WS 9A in 9.10N 51.40E on 18.7 to proceed to Bombay escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HECTOR, arriving 22.7.41. The Leander left the escort, which was strengthened by HMAS Australia and HMAS Sydney, making a total of fourteen ships. Promenade deck not yet plated-in, and no funnel emblems . Home Trooping News Crossings By Date Crossing Submission Form Site Information Search Contact Us What's New? The mark below the blue line was my father's cabin en route to Singapore in March 1949. Mo. With the capacity to carry 2,000 men in wartime she was, in 1945, operated for the Ministry of Transport by Bibby's in troopship livery. Resumed Far East service, 1920-41. This was not Glasgow as we had expected, but the embarkation point. Next morning they joined the ships from . . She was known as the 'Queen of the Pacific', the largest, fastest and finest liner on that route. The next port of call was Singapore where some PoWs disembarked . Empress of Japan. On November 26th 1939, the Empress of Japan was requisitioned for trooping duties. The convoy was joined by an Australian contingent sailing out . Both ships were sunk in 1945 with a combined loss of over 16,000 lives. The Empress of Japan is the title given to the wife of the Emperor of Japan or a female ruler in her own right. . The 3 funneled ship was built in 1929 and survived until, as the Hanseatic, she was destroyed by fire in 1966. . Resumed Far East service, 1920-41. 1914 converted to Armed Merchant Cruiser, 1915 converted to troopship, 1919 returned to owners, 1924 renamed Montroyal, 1930 scrapped. RMS Empress of Japan, also known as the " Queen of the Pacific ", was an ocean liner built in 1890-1891 by Naval Construction & Armament Co., Barrow, England for Canadian Pacific Steamships (CP). General characteristics; Type: ocean liner: Tonnage: 16,909 g, 8,883 n: Length: 570.2 ft: Beam: 68.2 ft: Propulsion: Quadruple . Astern of her is the liner Cap Arcona. In fact, they arrived in Sydney the day after the Jap submarine was found in the harbour. Empress of Japan (2), Canadian Pacific Line steamship, history and description, built 1929 at Glasgow by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. On Feb 5, 1942, Japanese bombers sank the RMS Empress of Asia, which was carrying troops to reinforce Singapore's defence, off the Sultan Shoal Lighthouse. Owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. (Canadian Pacific Steamships - Managers) She'd return to the continent for which she'd been christened and be sent to the bottom by more Japanese bombs. Canadian Pacific postcard of Empress of Canada (1). 26,032: Empress of Russia: 1912: 1914 converted to Armed Merchant Cruiser, 1916 returned to owners, 1940 converted to troopship, 1945 destroyed by fire at Barrow during refit. [4] This troopship had originally been called "Empress of Japan" but when the Japanese commenced war against the Allies the name was changed to "Empress of Scotland" Once through the Panama Canal they went in a straight line to Sydney and did not see any Jap subs. Description Starboard stern view of the troopship, HMT Empress of Japan (II), from the bow of HMAS Canberra, departing in convoy US3 from Australia with troops of the third contingent of 2nd AIF bound for North Africa. The convoy departed with evacuees on 30 January. 26 November: Troop ship Rohna is sunk in the Mediterranean by a German glider bomb (radio-guided missile); over 1000 United States troops are killed. Information about the vessel may be found at IMO 5142322. And it had bought in troops in to . (SS Esperia) A small Italian liner converted as a troop ship during WW2. Instead of offering comfortable amenities for travelling passengers, she would now be used to transport soldiers to the battlefields across the globe. The Broadcasting Unit sailed from Wellington on 27 August 1940. This is my RMS Empress of Asia from 1913. She left . A ship can change name and flag state through time, but the IMO number remains the same through the hull's entire lifetime. On one voyage in August 1944, she carried, including ship's company, a total of 9,305 people. Painted in grey, fitted with a three-inch gun and with a . Following the outbreak of World War II in 1939, she was converted for use as a troopship. Empress of Asia 1913 (Albatros AL-128) Type: Passenger . So this web page is an informal collecting ground for information about troop ship crossings. The Empress of Australia was converted into a troop ship during WW11 and used to repatriate PoWs in September 1945. Ironically, for her, the future held a grim fate. Michel, is sunk by a United States submarine off Japan. She was sunk during World War II by Japanese aircraft while transiting from Bombay to Singapore. Singapore. Based at the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, the first EMPRESS OF CANADA provided service to Japan, Hong Kong, and China. The ocean liner provided accommodation for 284 first-class passengers and for 100 second . Consider paying for research. Co. Ltd. (SS Indarra) On 23 January 1942, Empress of Asia took on board 2,200 troops at Bombay and sailed for Singapore in convoy BM12; she was destined not to arrive. Built in 1920 in Glasgow, Scotland, the 21,517 ton, 653 foot ocean liner EMPRESS OF CANADA undertook her maiden voyage on May 5, 1922. The Creative Years. . See more » Redirects here: Empress of Canada 1, Empress of Canada 2, Empress of Canada 3, Empress of Canada I, Empress of Canada II, Empress of Canada III, SS Empress of Canada. RMS Empress of Japan was an ocean liner built in 1929-1930 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland for Canadian Pacific Steamships (CP). World War II service: The Empress of Australia was sent to Southampton, where she was to be converted into a troopship, painted in that traditional drab camouflage wartime . World War II Troop Ships is a "Fang, Ramses & Rupert " production. A Canadian Pacific official postcard of Empress of Japan. 1942 (and prior) 1943 1944 1945 Bombay, India. Bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft off Singapore, 5 Feb 1942; 19 dead. The World War II troopship's anchor has been on permanent display at the National Museum since 2015. The world famous RMS Empress of Britain was the finest ship ever built for Canadian Pacific. In Japanese, the empress consort is called Kōgō (皇后).The current empress consort is Empress Masako, who ascended the throne with her husband on 1 May 2019.Much like their male counterparts, female rulers who ascend the throne by their birthright are referred to as 天皇 . During the refit she was equipped with defensive armament consisting of a 6" gun, a 3" gun, six 20mm Oerlikons, eight Hotchkiss guns, Bofors guns, PAC rockets and depth charges. A beautiful ship by any standards, 'Empress of Japan' was built by Fairfields and was a one-off. French destroyer FOUDROYANT arrived at Greenock escorting French troopship VILLE D'ALGER (10,172grt). H.A. Empress of Japan (2), Canadian Pacific Line steamship Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy Empress of Japan (2), on this picture shown as the Empress of Scotland (2) [size=110%] General characteristics [/size] Type: ocean liner: Tonnage: 16,909 g, 8,883 n: Luckenbach (Luckenbach Lines) (see also States Marine Lines) João Belo Johan . The World War II 'Empire' ships covers a wide range of vessels, ranging from tugs, coasters, tankers and cargo ships to passenger liners, both wartime built and requisitioned, and post war reparations ships. She . Due to suspicions about Japanese intentions, she was instructed not to return to Yokohama, but instead sailed back to Victoria BC, via Honolulu. . See more » Redirects here: Empress of Canada 1, Empress of Canada 2, Empress of Canada 3, Empress of Canada I, Empress of Canada II, Empress of Canada III, SS Empress of Canada. Please enjoy this great liner for the Pacific route. In his book Britain's Greatest Defeat - Singapore 1942 [], Alan Warren says the following:In the last days of January and the first week of February (1942), with only minor interference from Japanese aviators, the main body . West Point had the largest capacity of any Navy troopship in service during World War II. Showers, RAN) briefly joined the convoy escort but she parted company again later the same day. Empress of Japan's crew were transferred to the new Empress. From The Romance of the Merchant Ship, published 1931. . Built by John Brown & Co. Ltd. at Clydebank in 1928 Yard No: 518. RMS Empress of Russia RMS Empress of Russia was a steam turbine ocean liner built in 1912-13 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland for Canadian Pacific steamships (CP). Nov. 26: Requisitioned for WW2 service as a troopship: 1942 : Oct. 16: Renamed Empress of Scotland following the entry of Japan in WW2: 1948 : Refitted by builder, new tonnage of 26,313 gross, promenade deck glassed in: 1950 : May 9: First post-war sailing, Liverpool - Greenock - Quebec: 1966 Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "empressoffrance" Flickr tag. Loss of Empress of Asia. Note there are further relevant links on the contents page, where ships forming the . The 16,810-ton vessel had a length of 570 feet (170 m), and her beam was 68 feet (21 m). Find the perfect ocean empress stock photo. Sister J.L. On 18 January the light cruiser HMAS Adelaide (Capt. Empress of Japan (2) 1929: 1942 renamed Empress of Scotland (2), 1958 sold to Hamburg Atlantic Line renamed Hanseatic. From Bombay, the same three ships sailed with the armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR as escort on 27.7 for Colombo, arriving 30.7. The tow lines from the 2 tugs were disconnected, and Empress listed heavily and sank a few minutes later. !fa) Captain Charles Carries Molasses (John Fletcher) ss Marklyn-A Brief History and her Wartime Salvage (Gordon Bodey) . In addition to the two American ships, three British transports -- Duchess of Bedford, Empress of Japan, . For questions or comments about this site, please e-mail ww2_troopships@comcast.net. . Wartime service as an auxiliary cruiser, then a troopship, 1914-19. Empress of Asia 1913 (Albatros AL-128) Type: Passenger . The troopship Dilwara managed by British India Line. She was launched as a troopship on the 15th. In October . Empress China Seyei-Japan "Bamboo Garden" 1552 9 3/8" Round Vegetable Bowl Japan. Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company built the ship at Govan near Glasgow in Scotland. Empress of Japan Sketch by Jack Chalker It was about 7 a.m. when the train arrived at our destination on the morning of 9th November 1941. . Members of the British 18th Division 1,981 troops total. She transported refugees - 587 Europeans, 31 Japanese, and 362 Chinese - to Kobe, Japan after the Great Kantō earthquake and was used as a troopship during WWII 1920's image of the 21,517 ton, 653-foot RMS Empress of Canada, an Atlantic route liner. In 1942, she was renamed RMS Empress of Scotland - the second of two CP vessels to be named Empress of Scotland. 16,810