Empire Nigel Voyage History

Empire Nigel - voyage details

The Empire Nigel's maiden voyage was from Middlesbrough to Molotovsk, in the White Sea, Russia, with a cargo of tanks, guns and crated planes etc. The ship sailed from Loch Ewe in Convoy JW 54A, on November 15th, 1943 and successfully discharged her cargo.
She sailed again (from Murmansk), on December 22nd, 1943 in Convoy RA 55A and safely arrived back at Loch Ewe on January 1st, 1944.

Having loaded a cargo of war supplies at Salford Docks, Manchester, the Empire Nigel sailed from Loch Ewe on in Convoy JW 57 on February 20th, 1944 and discharged her cargo at Molotovsk, in the White Sea, Russia. The ship was then handed over to the Russians as part of the Lend-Lease Agreement.

Journey details and crew

Arrived	Departed	Port	Ship name
	15/11/1943	Loch Ewe	Empire Nigel

12/1943	22/12/1943	Murmansk	Empire Nigel

1/1/1944	20/2/1944	Loch Ewe	Empire Nigel

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Joining Ship - 1943

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Ships of the Splosna Plovba fleet

Compiled by Robert Brozina.

The first ship built in the shipyard W. Gray & Co., West Hartlepool in the fleet of Splošna Plovba was Zelengora (ex-Empire Nigel). She was purchased in 1956 two years after the creation of the Splošna Plovba company . By 1962 she mainly sailed on tramping voyages and then was incorporated into a new line of Splošna Plovba on the Adriatic - Mediterranean - Western coast of Africa run. It sailed between Koper - Trieste - Venice– Rijeka - Naples - Genoa - Marseilles - Barcelona - Valencia - Casablanca-Dakar - Conakry - Abidjan - Takoradi - Tema - Lagos - Douala (optional), Libreville (optional), Port Gentil, (optional), Matadi (optional), Lobito and Luanda, return trips Takoradi, Dakar, Casablanca (optional), Malaga (optional), Barcelona (optional), Genoa (optional), Ancona (optional), Venice, Trieste, Koper and Rijeka. Zelengora was sailing in fleet Splošna Plovba until 1971 when she was sold to the CIA de Navigation SA Portland, Panama City. She was broken up in Sveti Kajo near Split, on July 6, 1972. Interestingly, Zelengora was the last steam powered ship in the Splošna Plovba fleet.

The Bočna (ex-Rose of Lancester), was purchased in 1965. She was employed on the West Africa Line with the Zelegora and Naprijed, and was the first vessel lost due to a maritime accident. On December 24^th, 1977, the pipes in the boilers were destroyed to such an extent that repairs were unreasonable and the vessel was proclaimed a constructive total loss. She was towed from the port of Matadi (in the then Zaire) to Sveti Kajo and scrapped on March 23^rd, 1978. She was the only turbine powered ship in the fleet.

Naprijed (ex-Empire Labuan), was purchased in November 1966, and employed on West Africa Line with the ships Zelengora and Bočna. She was broken up in Sveti Kajo on May. 5^th, 1969.

Ships from the Adriatic and Mediterranean ports were transporting general cargo to Africa returning with tropical wood.

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