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
Tonnage	7,950 GRT
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	Diesel engine(s) 1 × shaft
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. (1973). 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.