MV Empire MacKendrick was a Merchant Aircraft Carrier or MAC ship converted to become a grain ship.

History
Red EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameEmpire MacKendrick
OwnerMinistry of War Transport
BuilderBurntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Fife, Scotland
Laid down24 April 1943
Launched29 September 1943
Renamed
  • Granpond in 1946
  • Condor in 1949
  • Saltersgate in 1955
  • Vassil Levsky in 1957
FateScrapped Split 1975
General characteristics
Tonnage7,950 GRT
Length412.5 ft (125.7 m) (pp) 433.75 ft (132.21 m) (oa)
Beam56.75 ft (17.30 m)
Depth24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Propulsion
  • Diesel
  • one shaft
  • 3,300 bhp
Speed12.5 knots (23.2 km/h)
Complement107
Armament
Aircraft carriedFour Fairey Swordfish

The Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Fife, Scotland, built her under order from the Ministry of War Transport and was delivered on 12 December 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 the ship was converted to a grain carrier. In 1967, while under Bulgarian management, she was trapped in the Suez Canal by the Six-Day War. She was scrapped at Split in 1975.[3]

See also

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References

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  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. ^ a b "List and history of the Empire ships - M". Mariners. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
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