# tanker with broken back



## viking (Nov 3, 2005)

during the war my old foreman worked as a sparky in cardiff docks, and he on a regular basis told us of a tanker which was towed into cardiff broken in two and how it was welded back together and relaunched only to be be stuck by a torpedo and sunk on its first trip afterwards anyone know the name of the ship in question and is there a photo somewhare


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## DAVIDJM (Sep 17, 2005)

a ship that comes to mind is the IMPERIAL TRANSPORT of houlder brothers i have a book somewhare with the details of the events.
could this be the one you are after


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## mclean (Jul 30, 2005)

David, Clydebuilt database gives an account of the IMPERIAL TRANSPORT. She was built 1931 and was torpedoed in 1940. The forward section was lost and the aft section returned to the Clyde where a new forward section was built.She was subsequently torpedoed but survived. She was scrapped in 1958. There is a picture of the damaged aft section with the account.


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## David Davies (Dec 11, 2006)

*Imperial Transport*



DAVIDJM said:


> a ship that comes to mind is the IMPERIAL TRANSPORT of houlder brothers i have a book somewhare with the details of the events.
> could this be the one you are after


Imperial Transport was torpedoed in early 1940, broke in half within 5 minutes.The crew took to the boats but when they found the after part still afloat they reboarded. The engine was started after making trim adjustment and steamed at 4knots for 48 hours until taken in tow by the tug Buccaneer.A new fore part was constructed and joined to the after part to re-create Imperial Transport. Where this took place I don't know. This also happened to a Swedish built tanker whose name I don't know. I will try and download some photos


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

This vessel is listed in Britain's Sea War (J.M. Young) as having been torpedoed by U-53 on 11 Feb 1940, two crew died. However it seems rather strange to me that Imperial Transport, built 1931, is not listed in Lloyd's War Losses (Vessels seriously damaged by war causes) nor is any reference in Merchant Fleets 1939 to the vessel sustaining damage. Both formerly considered reliable publications.


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## zelo1954 (Apr 5, 2005)

Photo:
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum/Old Ships I/slides/Imperial Transport-02.html


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## Billy1963 (Jan 4, 2006)

Binnacle said:


> This vessel is listed in Britain's Sea War (J.M. Young) as having been torpedoed by U-53 on 11 Feb 1940, two crew died. However it seems rather strange to me that Imperial Transport, built 1931, is not listed in Lloyd's War Losses (Vessels seriously damaged by war causes) nor is any reference in Merchant Fleets 1939 to the vessel sustaining damage. Both formerly considered reliable publications.


Imperial Transport is listed in Lloyds War Losses Vol. II on pages 1337 & 1519


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

Billy1963 said:


> Imperial Transport is listed in Lloyds War Losses Vol. II on pages 1337 & 1519


Thanks Billy, I stand corrected, restored my trust in Lloyd's.


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

Book: Welsh Shipwrecks in Camera, Phil Carradice, 1993, ISBN 0 86023 600 5:

"The Tanker TAFELBERG was mined in the Bristol Channel in 1944. The vessel broke into two halves, both sections beached on the coast. However with the war against Hitler still raging, merchant ships were in great demand and the two halves were towed into Cardiff docks and welded together"

There are photos of the ship in two halves & as one after repairs. She has the basic bridge for'd, engine aft profile of a tanker but has 8 derricks & what appear to be 6 liferafts each side.

However, could well be the ship mentioned as the repair was done at Cardiff.


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## Dave Edge (May 18, 2005)

Tafelberg was a whaling factory ship hence the derricks. During the war she was used as a tanker and, following her repairs, was renamed Empire Heritage and sunk by U482 on 8 September 1944.


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

Thanks for that Dave. Seems that Tafelberg is probably the vessel in question.

Tony


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Well done - great work by Tony and Dave (Applause)


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

The loss of the ship is interesting: according to Hocking...

"EMPIRE HERITAGE
Ministry of War Transport (Chr. Salveson & Co.); 1930; Armstrong, Whitworth & Co.; 15,702 tons; 508.3 x 72.5 x 50.5; 1079 nhp; 11 knots; triple-expansion engines.

The tanker EMPIRE HERITAGE, Capt. J. C. Jamieson was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine about 25 miles W.N.W. of Malin Head, Co. Donegal on September 8th, 1944. 47 of her crew, 52 passengers, 8 gunners & a signalman were lost"

Very heavy loss of life. 52 passengers must have used the accomodation that would have been normally used by process workers when whaling. The photos are not too clear but it looks like there were 2 lifeboats on the bridge structure & 4 aft. The 12 liferafts also are explained by the large number of people on board. The twin funnels either side of the whale ramp are quite obvious. 

The caption is at variance with Hocking & states that the vessel was lost off Scotland; Hocking is normally reliable. The photos are credited to WIMM who I think must be the Welsh Industrial & Maritime Museum now the Waterfront Museum at Swansea. The first shows the 2 halves on a sandy beach which has no landmarks & the second shows the ship lying alongside coal hoists presumably at Cardiff. 

Tony


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

*Tafelberg/Empire Heritage*

1930 Completed by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle, for Kerguelen Sealing & Whaling Co. Ltd. Cape Town as factory ship Tafelberg. 28.2.1941 mined and seriously damaged in Bristol Channel, beached but later broke in two and declared a total constructive loss. 2.1943 Acquired by Ministry of War Transport, reconstructed and returned to service as Empre Heritage (Chr Salvesen & Co. managers). 8.9.1944 Torpedoed and sunk by U-482 in pos'n 55.27N 08.01W (N. Atlantic), while in convoy (HXF 305) from N. America to Uk.
Source - From 70N to 70S.
Empire Heritage (tank) New York for Liverpool & Clyde, 16,000 fuel oil and 1900 tons deck cargo. Sunk 55.27N 08.01W. Crew 77, Gunners 11, DBS 73.
52 crew, 8 gunners & 53 DBS lost.
Source -Lloyd's War Losses.


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## Aldinga (Aug 29, 2005)

*Imperial Transport*

Hi David the book that you refer to is 'Britain's Merchant Navy' edited by Sir Archibald Hurd published in 1943. It has reference to the 'Imperial Transport 
see attached jpegs and a Swedish built ship that had been mined and also broke in two, unfortunately it does not name it nor the yards that did the repairs.
Ron


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

Does anyone know where she was beached as I can't find it in any of my Bristol Channel wreck books?

Tony


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## viking (Nov 3, 2005)

the name tafelberg rings a few bells i am pretty sure that was the ship in question(Thumb)


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## jackman (Apr 26, 2009)

Hi.
I did the last trip on this ship. We payed of in Rotterdam on March 21st1947. The ship and cargo were sold. Came home DBS


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## jackman (Apr 26, 2009)

Sorry. Forgot to mention the ship, Imperial Transport


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Have I missed something here,one post said she was a whaling ship with two funnels and a triple expansion engine,then in one of the photos it said she is a Motor ship and looks like a regular tanker, maybe we have two events and two locations with two different ships. On the bow it is clearly the new "Imperial Transport" even looks like a T-2.

John


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

jackman said:


> Hi.
> I did the last trip on this ship. We payed of in Rotterdam on March 21st1947. The ship and cargo were sold. Came home DBS


With the best intentions you are allowing some confusion to arise here… The *Imperial Transport* was attacked by U-53 on 11 February 1940 and broke in two off Scotland and was taken to the Clyde. _The tanker with broken back_ that this thread is about has been identified as the* Tafelberg *
(Thumb) 
Mark


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

In passing the second time Imperial Transport was attacked was when she was part of Convoy ON77 and on her way from the Tyne to Curacao in 1942; she was torpedoed by U-94 and severely damaged, but this time temporarily repaired at St John’s Newfoundland, before moving on to New York for permanent repairs.


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

To wrap it up and avoid any further confusion, in # 9 Tony Beach has already correctly identified the ship as the *Tafelberg* .. To add to his excellent comment, we can add _“Completed in July 1930 as South African whale factory ship Tafelberg (13640 grt) for Kerguelen Sealing & Whaling Co Ltd, Capetown. On 28 Jan, 1941, the Tafelberg was damaged by a mine in 51°21N/03°16W and beached at Porthkerry. After about a year the ship was refloated and taken to Whitmore Bay. Rebuilt as steam tanker Empire Heritage by Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and returned to service in February 1943.”_


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

*Tafelberg*

Here is a picture of *Empire Heritage* under her former name_* Tafelberg *_– if I was aware of who owns or controls the copyright I would give them direct credit, instead I merely thank them and register this appreciation.


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