SS Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher

History
Name	Empire Call (1944-45); Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher (1945);
Owner	Ministry of War Transport (1944-45); Ministère de la Marine Merchande (1945);
Operator	Gibbs & Co Ltd (1944-45); Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (1945);
Port of registry	Greenock (1944-45); Marseilles (1945);
Builder	William Hamilton & Co Ltd
Yard number	462
Launched	10 February 1944
Completed	July 1944
Out of service	21 November 1945
Identification	United Kingdom Official Number 169509 (1944-45); Code Letters GCWK (1944-45); ; Code Letters FPPK (1945); ;
Fate	Ran aground 1945, scrapped in situ 1947.
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,067 gross register tons (GRT); 4,759 NRT;
Length	433 ft 5 in (132.11 m)
Beam	56 ft 2 in (17.12 m)
Depth	34 ft 2 in (10.41 m)
Installed power	Triple expansion steam engine
Propulsion	Screw propellor

Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher was a 7,067 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1944 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Call. In 1945 she was sold to the French government and renamed Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher. In November 1945, she ran aground on Stromboli and broke in two. Declared a total loss, she was scrapped in 1947.

Description[]

The ship was built by William Hamilton & Co Ltd, Port Glasgow.^[1] Yard number 462,^[2] she was launched on 10 February 1944 and completed in July.^[1]

The ship was 433 feet 5 inches (132.11 m) long, with a beam of 56 feet 2 inches (17.12 m) and a depth of 34 feet 2 inches (10.41 m). She had a GRT of 7,067 and a NRT of 4,759. She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of 24+1⁄2 inches (62 cm), 39 inches (99 cm) and 70 inches (180 cm) diameter by 48 inches (120 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Harland & Wolff, Glasgow.^[3]

History[]

Empire Call[]

Empire Call was built for the MoWT. She was operated under the management of Gibbs & Co Ltd. She was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 169509 and used the Code Letters GCWK. Her port of registry was Greenock.^[3]

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

SC 159

Convoy SC 159 departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 18 October 1944 and arrived at Liverpool on 2 November. Empire Call was carrying a cargo of flour, destined for Cardiff.^[4]

ONS 97

Convoy ONS 97 departed Belfast Lough on 29 November 1944. Empire Call was bound for New York.^[5]

Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher[]

In 1945, Empire Call was sold to the French government,^[1] who renamed her Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher and placed her under the control of the Ministère de la Marine Merchande. She was operated under the management of Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. Her Code Letters were changed to FPPK and her port of registry to Marseilles.^[6] The ship was named in honour of a French engineer who had been shot by the Germans during the Second World War.^[7]

On 18 November 1945, Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher departed Marseilles bound for Saigon, French Indo-China. On 20 November. she ran aground on Stromboli, Italy in fog. The tug Hippopotame was despatched from Bizerte on 26 November, followed by the Camille Porch from Marseilles on 28 November. Camille Porch was carrying divers and pumping equipment. On 3 December, work started to unload the ship's cargo into barges brought from Messina, but during the evening of 4 December a storm blew up. The ship was abandoned at 02:15 on 5 December and later broke in two. She was declared a total loss. Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher was scrapped in situ in 1947.^[7]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^ "Launched 1944: ss EMPIRE CALL". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
^ "CONVOY SC 159". Warsailors. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
^ "ONS Convoys – 1943-1945, Convoy ONS 1 through ONS 51". Warsailors. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "cargo INGéNIEUR GéNéRAL HAARBLEICHER" (in French). French Lines. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

External links[]

Photo of Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher

[Ships-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.

[Clyde-2] "Launched 1944: ss EMPIRE CALL". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

[Call-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

[SC159-4] "CONVOY SC 159". Warsailors. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

[ONS-5] "ONS Convoys – 1943-1945, Convoy ONS 1 through ONS 51". Warsailors. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

[Haarbleicher-6] "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

[French-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b "cargo INGéNIEUR GéNéRAL HAARBLEICHER" (in French). French Lines. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

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show v t Empire ships beginning with Empire Ca to Empire Cl, Empire Co to Empire Cy
Cargo ships	Empire Cabot Empire Caicos Empire Calder Empire Call Empire Calshot Empire Camel Empire Cameron Empire Camp¹ Empire Candida Empire Canning Empire Canute ² Empire Canyon Empire Cape ³ Empire Capulet Empire Carey Empire Caribou Empire Carpenter Empire Carron Empire Catcher Empire Catcher II Empire Cato Empire Caxton Empire Celia Empire Centaur Empire Chamois Empire Charmian² Empire Chaucer Empire Cheer Empire Cheetah Empire Chelmer Empire Chelsea ³ Empire Cherwell Empire Cheyne ³ Empire Chivalry Empire Chuzzlewit ³ Empire Citizen (II) Empire City Empire Claire Empire Clansman⁴ Empire Clarion Empire Claymore Empire Cliff ³ Empire Clive Empire Cloud Empire Clough Empire Coast ³ Empire Colne Empire Comet Empire Comfort Empire Commerce (I) Empire Commerce (II) Empire Conavon Empire Concave Empire Concern Empire Concerto Empire Concession Empire Conclyde Empire Concord Empire Concourse Empire Concrete Empire Condart ³ Empire Condee ³ Empire Conderton Empire Confidence Empire Condicote Empire Condor (I) Empire Condor (II)³ Empire Condorrat ³ Empire Condover Empire Conexe ³ Empire Confal ³ Empire Confederation Empire Conference Empire Conforth ³ Empire Congerstone ³ Empire Congham Empire Congleton Empire Congo Empire Congress Empire Congreve ³ Empire Conifer Empire Coningsby ⁵ Empire Conington Empire Conisborough Empire Coniston Empire Conlea ³ Empire Conleith Empire Conleven Empire Connah Empire Connaught ³ Empire Connell Empire Connemara Empire Conningbeg Empire Conqueror Empire Conquest Empire Conrad Empire Consent Empire Consequence Empire Consett Empire Consistence Empire Consort Empire Constable Empire Constancy ³ Empire Constellation Empire Constitution Empire Constructor Empire Consumer Empire Contay ³ Empire Contees Empire Content Empire Contest Empire Continent ³ Empire Contour ³ Empire Contract ³ Empire Contyne Empire Convention Empire Conveyor Empire Convoy Empire Conway Empire Conwear Empire Cony ³ Empire Conyngham Empire Copperfield Empire Coppice ³ Empire Cormorant Empire Cougar Empire Courage Empire Cowdray Empire Cowper Empire Crag ³ Empire Cranmer Empire Creek ³ Empire Cricketer ³ Empire Crocus ³ Empire Cromer Empire Cromwell Empire Crossbill Empire Crouch Empire Crown Empire Crusader Empire Crusoe Empire Curlew (I) Empire Curzon Empire Cyprus
Dredgers	Empire Champion Empire Clydesdale Empire Conjuror
Ferries	Empire Chub
Landing ships	Empire Cedric Empire Celtic Empire Crossbow Empire Curlew (II) Empire Cutlass Empire Cymric
Ocean liners	Empire Captain ^{1, 5} Empire Castle^{1, 5} Empire Chieftain ⁵ Empire Citizen (I)^{1, 5} Empire Clarendon ⁵ Empire Clyde (I) Empire Clyde (II)
Schooners	Empire Cononley Empire Contamar
Tankers	Empire Cadet ³ Empire Campden ³ Empire Cavalier Empire Celt Empire Chancellor Empire Chapman Empire Chief Empire Chlorine ³ Empire Cobbett Empire Coleridge Empire Collins Empire Control Empire Coral Empire Corporal Empire Crest Empire Cross
Tugs	Empire Cedar⁶ Empire Charles Empire Cherub Empire Christopher⁷ Empire Clara Empire Connie⁷ Empire Cupid⁷
A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z
1 Refrigerated Cargo Ship 2 Heavy lift ship 3 Coaster 4 Collier 5 Cargo liner 6 Estuary tug 7 Coastal tug

show v t Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1945
Shipwrecks	6 Nov: USS Oberrender 8 Nov: USS Hogan 10 Nov: HMCS Assiniboine 12 Nov: Hokkai Maru 17 Nov: Sesotris 20 Nov: Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher 22 Nov: USS Canandaigua, Kiyokawa Maru 27 Nov: U-2321, U-2322, U-2324, U-2328, U-2345, U-2361 28 Nov: U-2325, U-2329, U-2334, U-2335, U-2338, U-2350, U-2363 29 Nov: U-298, U-312, U-968 30 Nov: U-170, U-281, U-328, U-369, U-481, U-868
Other incidents	30 Nov: U.S.O., Outarde
1944 1945 1946 October 1945 December 1945

History

Name	Empire Call (1944-45) Ingénieur Général Haarbleicher (1945)
Owner	Ministry of War Transport (1944-45) Ministère de la Marine Merchande (1945)
Operator	Gibbs & Co Ltd (1944-45) Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (1945)
Port of registry	Greenock (1944-45) Marseilles (1945)
Builder	William Hamilton & Co Ltd
Yard number	462
Launched	10 February 1944
Completed	July 1944
Out of service	21 November 1945
Identification	United Kingdom Official Number 169509 (1944-45) Code Letters GCWK (1944-45) Code Letters FPPK (1945)
Fate	Ran aground 1945, scrapped in situ 1947.
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,067 gross register tons (GRT) 4,759 NRT
Length	433 ft 5 in (132.11 m)
Beam	56 ft 2 in (17.12 m)
Depth	34 ft 2 in (10.41 m)
Installed power	Triple expansion steam engine
Propulsion	Screw propellor