empire endurance grt cargo liner built hamburg germany shipping company years leading second world war carried cargo passengers germany australia outbreak war kriegsmarine use supply ship captured norway april british destroyer initially serving original repair supply cargo ship norway later passed renamed served april torpedoed sunk german submarine south east description ship grt cargo liner built hamburg yard number feet long beam feet depth feet assessed grt masts single funnel round stern stem ship propelled triple expansion steam engine cylinders inches inches inches diameter inches stroke engine low pressure steam turbine drove ship single screw propeller double reduction hydraulic total indicated horsepower gave speed knots history launched january completed february built code letters allocated port registry bremen served routes germany australia entries held passenger certificate change code letters allocated crew initially passengers passenger capacity increased capture march kriegsmarine supply ship operation german invasion norway forming invasion transporting heavy equipment departed april destined north norwegian port supply ships sailing port support german forces landing april cover sailing soviet_union ships destination lack supplies artillery leave german forces fighting vulnerable reaching norwegian waters tanker bound escorted norwegian torpedo boat far arrived april german plans suffered delay lack pilots guide ship northwards continuing later day departed april supply ships sent advance invasion suffered delays putting supply invasion plans schedule inspected torpedo boat finding irregular april reached hailed norwegian patrol boat syrian warned british naval minefield laid area earlier day steamed await developments days later april following outbreak war norway germany previous day syrian seize syrian found commander small norwegian patrol boat chose board german vessel suspected armed possibly carrying troops attempted escape syrian sent messages british warships area april captured british destroyer north intercepted german crew unsuccessful attempt vessel setting explosive charge light cruiser sent run aground near suffered damage british capture german supply ships heading forces leaving general troops supplies board tanker jan large weapons ammunition uniforms food captured base time capture command previously commanded holding ocean liner initially brought improvised british naval base arrival april prize crew took responsibility ship captured german crew unsuccessful attempt opening ship sea equipped help repair damaged allied warships vessels emergency repairs carried destroyer lost bow naval battles accommodation ship crews damaged vessels april departed port manned british prize crew german officers captured transferred united_kingdom british destroyers germans captured board eventually sent united_kingdom cargo anti aircraft guns spare parts aircraft ammunition communications equipment tons hay april allied support norwegian forces fighting german invasion country cargo use supply defence area hay norwegian authorities fear foot mouth disease board placed germans layer covering deck supplies transferred allied naval commander lord norwegian authorities repeated request weapons war intended effort arrival larger quantities arms ammunition promised weapons received assessed distributed norwegian military personnel command arrived having way german occupied communications equipment included mobile radio spare radio broadcasting station large quantities field telephone equipment sent units field equipment replaced old worn field telephone systems use point training german equipment provided swedish volunteers docked captive germans board manned norwegian sailors replacing british prize crew request admiralty sign ship departing day escorted anti submarine northern port retrieve cargo iron ore arriving loaded tons iron ore days sailing south port escorted norwegian patrol boat british submarine hms unsuccessful attack torpedoes despite efforts having cargo ship away submarine patrol area warn ship identity torpedoes missed exploding hit land arrived escort vessel sailing northwards mail provisions heavy cruiser shipping town harbour repeatedly subjected attacks bombers ships defended fighters squadron raf operating anti aircraft artillery attacks ship norwegian mortally wounded bomb fragments dying later day sailed united_kingdom ship convoy included crippled hms addition cargo iron ore ship carried british military personnel norwegian military personnel german prisoners war transported gun turret removed destroyer makeshift repairs arrived scapa_flow unloading passengers sailing june company passenger steamer escorted destroyers arrived scotland june empire endurance passed renamed united_kingdom official number code letters allocated port registry placed management empire endurance member departed essex august arrived days later joined convoy departed august dispersed sea august destination montreal quebec canada arrived september sailed september sydney nova_scotia arriving days later joined convoy departed halifax nova scotia september arrived liverpool lancashire united_kingdom october carrying general cargo stated bound newcastle northumberland left convoy clyde october empire endurance departed october join convoy departed liverpool previous day dispersed sea october destination montreal arrived november departed november clyde arriving november ship declared prize war december valued departed january join convoy departed liverpool day dispersed sea january sailed new_brunswick canada arriving january sailed february halifax arriving days later departing february clyde arrived february empire endurance departed february arriving march sailed march somerset arriving day departed march cardiff arriving day sailing april newport arrived later day sailed april arrived april april departed bound cape_town south_africa alexandria egypt manned crew passengers board cargo motor launches german time april hit amidships torpedo fired command time south west coup fired hit bridge breaking sank loss crew passenger crew members lost captain april canadian flower class corvette picked crew passengers landed crew rescued british cargo liner landed liverpool lost board commemorated tower hill memorial london
SS Empire Endurance