View source for HMS Empire Dace

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image               = 
| Ship caption             = 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              = 
| Ship name                =*''Empire Dace'' (1942-43)
*HMS ''Empire Dace'' (1943-44)
| Ship owner               =*Ministry of War Transport (1942-43)
*Royal Navy (1943-44)
| Ship operator            =*Townsend Bros Ferries Ltd (1942-43)
*Royal Navy (1943-44)
| Ship registry            =*{{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (1942-43)
*{{flagicon|United Kingdom|naval}} Royal Navy (1943-44)
| Ship route               = 
| Ship ordered             = 
| Ship builder             = Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd
| Ship original cost       = 
| Ship yard number         = 1754
| Ship way number          = 
| Ship laid down           = 
| Ship launched            = 11 August 1942
| Ship completed           = September 1942
| Ship commissioned        = 
| Ship decommissioned      = 
| Ship christened          = 
| Ship acquired            = 
| Ship maiden voyage       = 
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship out of service      = 
| Ship identification      =*United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 165842
*Code Letters MBDW
*{{ICS|Mike}}{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Delta}}{{ICS|Whiskey}}
| Ship fate                = Struck mine and sunk 1 December 1944
| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Header caption           = 
| Ship type               = Ferry
| Ship tonnage             =*{{GRT|716}}
*{{NRT|268}}<!--
*xx,xxx [[deadweight tonnage|DWT]]-->
| Ship displacement        = 
| Ship length              = {{convert|179|ft|5|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam                = {{convert|40|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship height              = 
| Ship draught             = <!--{{convert|xxx|ft|x|in|m|2}}-->
| Ship depth               = {{convert|11|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship decks               = 
| Ship deck clearance      = 
| Ship ramps               = 
| Ship ice class           = 
| Ship range               = 
| Ship power               = 
| Ship propulsion          = Triple expansion steam engine
| Ship speed               = {{convert|11|kn|km/h}}
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'''HMS ''Empire Dace''''' was a {{GRT|716|link=off}} [[coastal trading vessel|coastal]] [[ferry]] that was built in 1942 as a merchant ship by [[Swan Hunter|Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd]] [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], United Kingdom for the  [[Ministry of War Transport]] (MoWT). In 1943, she was requisitioned by the [[Royal Navy]]. She served until December 1944, when she struck a [[naval mine|mine]] and sank in Greek waters.

==Description==
The ship was built in 1941 by [[Swan Hunter|Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd]] [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. She was yard number 1754.<ref name=Ships>{{cite book |last1= Mitchell |first1=W.H. |last2=Sawyer |first2=L.A. |year=1995 |title=The Empire Ships |page=not cited |publisher= Lloyd's of London Press Ltd |location= London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong |isbn=1-85044-275-4}}</ref>

The ship was {{convert|179|ft|5|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|40|ft|2|in|m|2}}. She had a depth of {{convert|11|ft|0|in|m|2}} and a draught of {{convert|9|ft|1+3/4|in|m}}. She was assessed at {{GRT|716}}, {{NRT|268}}.<ref name=Dace43>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/43/43a0196.pdf|title=LLOYDS REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS UNDER 300 TONS, TRAWLERS &c. |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=15 July 2011}}</ref><!-- Her [[deadweight tonnage|DWT]] was x,xxx.<ref name=xxxx/>-->

The ship was propelled by a 132 [[nominal horsepower|nhp]] [[triple expansion steam engine]], which had cylinders of {{convert|12|in|cm}}, {{convert|19|in|cm}} and {{convert|31|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|21|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne.<ref name=Dace43/> It drove a screw propeller and could propel the ship at {{convert|11|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=Wrecksite>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?123699|title=SS Empire Dace [+1944] |publisher=Wrecksite |access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref><!-- She was assessed as Ice Class IIA.<ref name=xxxx/>-->

==History==
''Empire Dace'' was launched on 11 August 1942, and completed in September of that year. She was built for the MoWT to the same design of a number of vessels built for the [[Government of Turkey]].<ref name=Ships/> The ship had ramps at each end and was equipped with a 25-ton derrick in front of the superstructure, which was located amidships. Her design made her suitable for conversion to a minelayer.<ref name=Ships/> The United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 165842 and [[Code Letters]] MBDW were allocated. Her port of registry was [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref name=ID>{{cite web |url=http://convoyweb.org.uk/signal/index.html?search_all.php~signalmain |title=Signal Letters Database |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=20 May 2011}} (Enter MBDW or Empire Dace in relevant search box)</ref> She was placed under the management of [[Townsend Bros. Ferries|Townsend Bros. Ferries Ltd.]]<ref name=Dace43/>

''Empire Dace'' departed from [[Methil]], [[Fife]] on 14 October 1942 as a member of Convoy EN 150, which arrived at [[Oban]], [[Argyllshire]] on 18 October. She then sailed to [[Milford Haven]], [[Pembrokeshire]] to join Convoy KX 6,<ref name=Port>{{cite web |url=http://convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=EMPIRE%20DACE~armain |title=EMPIRE DACE |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=14 May 2011}}</ref> which arrived at [[Gibraltar]] on 17 November. Her destination was [[Freetown]], [[Sierra Leone]].<ref name=KX6>{{cite web |url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/kx/index.html?kx.php?convoy=6!~kxmain |title=Convoy KX.6 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref>

''Empire Dace'' was a member of Convoy MKS 11, which departed from [[Bône]], [[Algeria]] on 10 April 1943 and arrived at [[Liverpool]], [[Lancashire]] on 23 April. She left the convoy at [[Oran]].<ref name=MKS11>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/mks11.html |title=CONVOY MKS 11 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref> In July, ''Empire Dace'' was requisitioned by the [[Royal Navy]].<ref name=Ships/> She was a member of Convoy KMS 24, which departed from  [[Gibraltar]] on 30 August and arrived at [[Port Said]], Egypt on 10 September.<ref name=KMS24>{{cite web |url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/kms/index.html?kms.php?convoy=24!~kmsmain |title=Convoy KMS.24 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref> She joined the convoy at [[Algiers]], Algeria on 1 September and left it at [[Béjaïa|Bougie]], Algeria on 2 September.<ref name=Port/>

''Empire Dace'' was a member of Convoy HA 37A, which departed from [[Taranto]], Italy on 21 April 1944 and arrived at [[Augusta, Sicily]] on 23 April. She was also a member of Convoy GUS 43,<ref name=Port/> which departed from Port Said on 13 June and arrived at the [[Hampton Roads]], United States on 10 July.<ref name=GUS43>{{cite web |url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/gus/index.html?gus.php?convoy=43!~gusmain |title=Convoy GUS.43 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref> She joined the convoy at [[Bizerta]], Algeria on 20 June and left it at Bône the next day. ''Empire Dace'' was a member of Convoy TC 23, which departed from [[Tunis]], [[Tunisia]] on 15 July and arrived at [[Cagliari]], Italy the next day. She spent the next few months sailing the [[Mediterranean]], visiting [[Ancona]], [[Bari]] and [[Brindisi]], Italy.<ref name=Port/>

On 1 December 1944, ''Empire Dace'' struck a [[naval mine|mine]] off [[Missolonghi]], Greece and sank with the loss of 45 lives. She was carrying 22 crew, 12 [[Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship|DEMS]] gunners and 100 passengers.<ref name=Wrecksite/> Those lost on ''Empire Dace'' are commemorated at the [[Tower Hill Memorial]], [[London]].<ref name=THM>{{cite web |url=http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Ship%20Index%20A-F.html |title=Ship Index A-F |publisher=Brian Watson |access-date=20 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006025450/http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Ship%20Index%20A-F.html |archive-date=6 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Empire ships}}
{{December 1944 shipwrecks}}
{{coord missing|Mediterranean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Dace}}
[[Category:1941 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Tyne]]
[[Category:Empire ships]]
[[Category:Ministry of War Transport ships]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Auxiliary ships of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in December 1944]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Ships built by Swan Hunter]]