SS ''Polar Chief'' was a merchant steamship that was built in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

in 1897 and scrapped in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

in 1952. In her 55-year career she had previously been called ''Montcalm'', RFA ''Crenella'', ''Crenella'', ''Rey Alfonso'', ''Anglo-Norse'' and ''Empire Chief''. Early in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

she spent eight months pretending to be the battleship . The ship was built in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is a ...

as the

cargo liner A cargo liner, also known as a passenger-cargo ship or passenger-cargoman, is a type of merchant ship which carries general cargo and often passengers. They became common just after the middle of the 19th century, and eventually gave way to conta ...

''Montcalm''. In the First World War she was a

troop ship A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...

, a dummy battleship and a

depot ship A depot ship is an auxiliary ship used as a mobile or fixed base for submarines, destroyers, minesweepers, fast attack craft, landing craft, or other small ships with similarly limited space for maintenance equipment and crew dining, berthing and ...

, and then in 1916 was converted into the

oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined c ...

''Crenella''. She spent about 20 months in the

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported b ...

, survived being hit by a torpedo in 1917, and returned to civilian service in 1919. In 1923 she was sold to

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

buyers who renamed her ''Rey Alfonso'' and had her converted to carry

whale oil Whale oil is oil obtained from the blubber of whales. Whale oil from the bowhead whale was sometimes known as train oil, which comes from the Dutch word ''traan'' (" tear" or "drop"). Sperm oil, a special kind of oil obtained from the hea ...

. In 1927 she was sold back to UK owners who renamed her ''Anglo-Norse'' and had her equipped as a

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

factory ship A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish or whales. Modern factory ships are automated and enlarged versions of the earlier ...

. In 1929 new owners bought her and renamed her ''Polar Chief''. She was laid up in Norway in September 1939, but returned to Britain that December. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the ship carried

heavy fuel oil Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel, or residual fuel oil, HFO is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum. For this reason, HFO is contaminate ...

and other cargoes as well as whale products. In 1941 the

Ministry of War Transport The Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) was a department of the British Government formed early in the Second World War to control transportation policy and resources. It was formed by merging the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Transpor ...

acquired her and renamed her ''Empire Chief''. In 1942 she ran aground, but was refloated and repaired. In 1946 she was returned to commercial ownership and her name was returned to ''Polar Chief''. In 1952 she was scrapped by two

shipbreakers ''Shipbreakers'' is a 2004 documentary film. A co-production of the National Film Board of Canada with Storyline Entertainment directed by Michael Kot, the film explores the practice of ship breaking decommissioned vessels in Alang, India. Aw ...

in the west of Scotland.

Building

''Montcalm'' was the first of a set of four

sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...

s built for the African Steamship Company.

Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited, often referred to simply as "Palmers", was a British shipbuilding company. The Company was based in Jarrow, County Durham, in north-eastern England, and also had operations in Hebburn and Willin ...

Jarrow Jarrow ( or ) is a town in South Tyneside in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. It is east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is situated on the south bank of the River Tyne, about from the east coast. It is home to the southern portal of the ...

built her, launching her on 17 May 1897 and completing her that August. Sir

Raylton Dixon Sir Raylton Dixon (8 July 1838 – 28 July 1901), was a shipbuilding magnate from Middlesbrough on the River Tees who served as Mayor of Middlesbrough. Background and early life Dixon was one of the seven children of Jeremiah II Dixon (1804� ...

and Company in

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...

built her sister ship , launching her on 17 June 1897 and completing her that September. The dimensions of the two ships were almost identical. ''Montcalm''s registered length was , her beam was and her depth was . As built, her

tonnage Tonnage is a measure of the cargo-carrying capacity of a ship, and is commonly used to assess fees on commercial shipping. The term derives from the taxation paid on '' tuns'' or casks of wine. In modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically ...

s were and . of her cargo space was

refrigerated The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...

. She was primarily a cargo ship, but she had berths for 12 Second Class passengers. Three double ended boilers supplied steam at to her three-cylinder

triple expansion engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...

, which drove her single

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to fa ...

. Her engine was rated at 664

NHP Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

and gave her a speed of . In 1897 Elder, Dempster registered ''Montcalm'' in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

. Her UK

official number Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their country of registration. Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats have sometimes ...

was 106869 and her

code letters Code letters or ship's call sign (or callsign) Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853"> SHIPSPOTTING.COM >> Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853/ref> were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids and today also. Later, with the i ...

were PTDS. Elder, Dempster & Co ordered a second pair of ships from Palmers, built to the same design. ''Monteagle'' was launched on 13 December 1898 and completed in March 1899. ''Montfort'' was launched on 13 February 1899 and completed that April.

Career

''Montcalm'' in peacetime

At the start of her career, ''Montcalm'' was managed by the African Steamship Company's parent company Elder, Dempster & Co. On 3 September 1897 she started her maiden voyage from

Avonmouth Avonmouth is a port and outer suburb of Bristol, England, facing two rivers: the reinforced north bank of the final stage of the Avon which rises at sources in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset; and the eastern shore of the Severn E ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

. On 13 November 1898 she was chartered to the

Atlantic Transport Line The Atlantic Transport Line was an American passenger shipping line based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1901 the company was folded into the International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM). History The line developed with railroad support as an offs ...

. Between then and January 1900 ''Montcalm'' made eleven trans-Atlantic voyages between New York and either

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

or Gravesend. On 5 April 1900 she sailed from Liverpool for

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...

as a transport ship for the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

. ''Montcalm'' then made six return voyages between Cape Town and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million ...

s or mules. In September 1900 ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' reported that she sustained a mutiny. Her English stokers had refused to work with several

Danes Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. Danes generally regard ...

who had been signed on to the ship, and US muleteers caring for her cargo of 1,400 mules objected to the quality of food aboard. In 1900 ''Montcalm''s tonnages were increased to and . However, in 1901 this was reversed and she was assessed at and . In June 1902 ''Montcalm'' started the first of four round trips between Avonmouth and Montreal. On 10 December that year she left Avonmouth for

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of K ...

. In 1903 she passed to Elder Dempster Lines when that company absorbed the African Steamship Company. On 6 April 1903 the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

bought Elder, Dempster's shipping service to and from Canada, with 14 ships including ''Montcalm'' and her three sisters. On 21 May 1903 she sailed from Swansea. Her usual route with Canadian Pacific was between Avonmouth and Montreal or

. She occasionally visited

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

, and on 11 March 1913 she called at

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of ...

. By 1911 ''Montcalm'' was equipped for

wireless telegraphy Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimental technologies for ...

and submarine signalling. The

Marconi Company The Marconi Company was a British telecommunications and engineering company that did business under that name from 1963 to 1987. Its roots were in the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company founded by Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 ...

supplied and operated her wireless equipment under contract. By 1913 her wireless

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assig ...

was MLZ.

''Montcalm'' in the First World War

In August 1914 the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...

requisitioned ''Montcalm''. She was initially used as a troop ship carrying members of the British Expeditionary Force. In October 1914 she was converted to a dummy battleship, mimicking , whose name she carried. She was a member of a dummy battleship squadron, which was disbanded on 6 July 1915. In 1915 the Admiralty intended to use her as a

blockship A blockship is a ship deliberately sunk to prevent a river, channel, or canal from being used. It may either be sunk by a navy defending the waterway to prevent the ingress of attacking enemy forces, as in the case of at Portland Harbour in 1914 ...

, but instead she was used as either a

or a

store ship Combat stores ships, or storeships, were originally a designation given to ships in the Age of Sail and immediately afterward that navies used to stow supplies and other goods for naval purposes. Today, the United States Navy and the Royal Navy ...

. On 19 January 1916 she was transferred to the Shipping Controller, who appointed Frederick Leyland Ltd of Liverpool to manage her.

RFA ''Crenella''

On 29 January the Admiralty bought ''Montcalm''. In August 1916 she arrived in Liverpool for conversion into an oil tanker, which was completed on 26 October 1916. Her tonnages were increased to and . In 1916 the ship was renamed ''Crenella'', registered in London, and her code letters were changed to JNLQ. The Admiralty placed her under the management of either Lane and MacAndrews or the

Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yor ...

. Anglo Saxon Petroleum was a subsidiary of

Royal Dutch Shell Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New ...

, which named all of its ships after genera of

molluscs Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

. '' Crenella'' is a genus of

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, whic ...

s. On 18 November 1916 the ship entered service with the

as RFA ''Crenella''. On 11 October 1917 her ownership was transferred to the Shipping Controller. USSCushingDD55

On 26 November 1917 ''Crenella'' was sailing in

ballast Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship, ...

from

Queenstown Queenstown is the name of several human settlements around the world, nearly all in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Queenstown may refer to: Places currently named Queenstown *Queenstown, Alberta, a hamlet in Canada * Quee ...

to Montreal when

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

ed her west of Queenstown, at . ''Crenella'' was damaged but remained afloat. The

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

destroyer gave damage control assistance and escorted ''Crenella'' back to Queenstown. On 1 August 1918 a submarine fired a torpedo at ''Montcalm'', but missed. On 26 November 1919 Anglo Saxon Petroleum bought ''Crenella''. On 19 October 1920 the Velefa Shipping Co Ltd of London bought her and placed under the management of Runciman & Co Ltd, but she was then laid up. In 1922 her tonnages were reduced to and .

''Rey Alfonso''

On 20 June 1923 A/S Larvik Hvalfaugerselsk bought ''Crenella'' for £24,000, renamed her ''Rey Alfonso'' and registered her in

Larvik Larvik () is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. The municipality of Larvik has about 46,364 inhabitants. The municipality has a 110&nbs ...

in Norway. Her code letters were changed to LDJN. She was refitted as a

depot ship and placed under the management of Christian Nielsen & Co. In 1925 HM Wrangell & Co A/S bought her and registered her in

Haugesund Haugesund () is a municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. While the population is greater in the neighboring Karmøy municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the Haugaland region in northern Rogaland and southern ...

. In Her tonnages were revised to and .

''Anglo-Norse''

In 1927 the Anglo-Norse Company bought ''Rey Alfonso'', renamed her ''Anglo-Norse'' and registered her in

Tønsberg Tønsberg , historically Tunsberg, is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, eastern Norway, located around south-southwest of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near its mouth onto the Skagerrak. The administrative c ...

. She was fitted out with four 50-ton

derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, an ...

s to lift whales aboard for

flensing Flensing is the removing of the blubber or outer integument of whales, separating it from the animal's meat. Processing the blubber (the subcutaneous fat) into whale oil was the key step that transformed a whale carcass into a stable, transpor ...

. Hans Borge was appointed to manage her. He sent her to work in the

South Sandwich Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = , song = , image_map = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in United Kingdom.svg , map_caption = Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Oce ...

in the South Atlantic.

''Polar Chief'' (1929)

In August 1929 the Falkland Whaling Company bought ''Anglo-Norse'', renamed her ''Polar Chief'' and registered her in

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...

. Her tonnages were increased to and . By 1930 her wireless call sign was GFMT. She was laid up for the 1930 whaling season but then returned to service. By 1931 her navigation equipment included wireless

direction finding Direction finding (DF), or radio direction finding (RDF), isin accordance with International Telecommunication Union (ITU)defined as radio location that uses the reception of radio waves to determine the direction in which a radio stat ...

. In 1939 her tonnages were increased to and . In September 1939 ''Polar Chief'' was laid up at Tønsberg, but that December she left Norway in Convoy HN 5 to the

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a to ...

. In the early part of the

she continued whaling, visiting

South Georgia South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east ...

in March 1940. In an attempt to reduce exposure to U-boats and German surface raiders, she sailed via the Western Atlantic. On her outward voyage she called at

Curaçao Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coas ...

. On her return voyage she called at Aruba, and then

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

, where she joined Convoy HX 35 to reach The Downs off the coast of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. Her cargo on her return voyage was

furnace fuel oil Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), ...

. On 2 July 1941 the

acquired ''Polar Chief'' and appointed

Christian Salvesen Christian Salvesen was a Scottish whaling, transport and logistics company with a long and varied history, employing 13,000 staff and operating in seven countries in western Europe. In December 2007, it was acquired by French listed transport g ...

& Co Ltd to manage her. She sailed independently to New York, and returned via Halifax where she joined Convoy HX 141 to

Belfast Lough Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to ...

. In October 1941 she sailed to New York again, returning via Halifax to join

Convoy HX 156 Convoy HX 156 was the 156th of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool.Hague 2000 p.127 Forty-three ships departed Halifax on 22 October 1941, and were met two days later by United ...

''Empire Chief''

On 17 November 1941 ''Polar Chief'' was renamed ''Empire Chief''. On 16 January 1942 she ran aground at

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a pop ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

. She was refloated on 7 March and temporarily repaired. She was towed back to Britain, leaving Reykjavík in 8 July and reaching the River Tyne on 15 July where she was permanently repaired. In March 1943 ''Empire Chief'' left New York carrying fuel oil. She sailed with

Convoy HX 231 Convoy HX 231 was the 231st of the numbered series of Second World War HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. The ships departed New York City on 25 March 1943 and were met on 31 March by Mid-Ocean Escort Force Group B-7 ...

to Belfast Lough. The Admiralty considered having her converted into a

fleet oiler A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. The ...

, but in April 1943 decided she was not stable enough at sea for this. In August 1943 ''Empire Chief'' sailed with Convoy HX 251 from New York to Belfast Lough. Her cargo was fuel oil, plus a deck cargo of

armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured ca ...

s. In November 1943 she sailed with Convoy HX 266 from New York to the Clyde. Her cargo was fuel oil, plus spare

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use ...

s. From January until September 1944 ''Empire Chief'' operated in the Caribbean and along the

East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the ...

. She called frequently at Guantanamo Bay and at New York, and occasionally at Aruba, Curaçao,

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoun ...

and

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metro ...

. In May 1945 ''Empire Chief'' sailed with Convoy HX 354 from New York to Liverpool. Her cargo was fuel oil and acids. In October 1945 she sailed unescorted from Curaçao to Swansea and then

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...

''Polar Chief'' (1946)

On 3 August 1946 the South Georgia Company bought ''Empire Chief'', restored her name to ''Polar Chief'', and registered her in

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by ''Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

. Christian Salvesen remained her managers. In August 1947 she berthed in Avonmouth carrying whale bone meal, whale oil, sperm oil and salted whale livers from South Georgia, but also furnace fuel oil from Aruba. By 1948 her navigation equipment included an

echo sounding Echo sounding or depth sounding is the use of sonar for ranging, normally to determine the depth of water (bathymetry). It involves transmitting acoustic waves into water and recording the time interval between emission and return of a pulse; ...

device and

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

. Her tonnages were increased to and . On 29 April 1952 ''Polar Chief'' arrived at

Dalmuir Dalmuir (; gd, Dail Mhoire) is an area northwest of Glasgow, Scotland, on the western side of Clydebank, and part of West Dunbartonshire Council Area. The name is a lowland Scots derivation of the Gaelic meaning Big Field. The area was ...

Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders P ...

for WH Arnott Young Ltd to start breaking her up. On 22 June her partly-dismantled hulk was towed to

Troon Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with freight services and a yacht marina. Up until January 2016, P&O opera ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine, North Ayrshi ...

, where the West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd continued her demolition. Her hulk was beached on 27 August 1952, and demolition was completed on 12 January 1953.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Polar Chief 1897 ships Cargo liners Empire ships Maritime incidents in 1917 Maritime incidents in January 1942 Merchant ships of Jersey Merchant ships of Norway Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Ministry of War Transport ships Second Boer War Ships built on the River Tyne Steamships of Jersey Steamships of Norway Steamships of the United Kingdom Tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary World War I merchant ships of the United Kingdom World War II tankers World War II merchant ships of Jersey