{{Short description|1945 LST(3)-class tank landing ship}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Use British English|date=December 2016}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image=Landingsboten als pont tussen Engeland en Nederland Landingsboten als pont tuss, Bestanddeelnr 901-9130.jpg |image_caption=As ''Empire Baltic'' in 1946 }}
|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country=United Kingdom |flag= |name=*HMS ''LST 3519'' *''Empire Baltic'' |namesake= |ordered= |builder=Canadian Vickers Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |laid_down= |launched=26 April 1945 |acquired= |completed= September 1945 |owner=*Royal Navy (1945-46) *Ministry of Transport (1946-62) |operator=*Atlantic Steam Navigation Company (1946–1961) *British-India Steam Navigation Company (1961–1962) |registry=*{{Navy|United Kingdom|28px}} (1945-46) *{{Flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} UK (1946-62) |commissioned= |decommissioned= |in_service= |out_of_service= |struck= |reinstated= |honours= |fate=Scrapped in 1962 |notes= }}
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |class=*Landing Ship, Tank (''LST 3519'') *Ferry (''Empire Baltic'') |tonnage={{GRT|4,280}} (''Empire Baltic'') |displacement= {{convert|2256|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} (''LST 3519'') |length= {{convert|347|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} |beam= {{convert|55|ft|3|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |depth= {{convert|12|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |propulsion= 8-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, {{convert|2750|hp|kW|abbr=on}} |speed= {{convert|13.5|kn|lk=in}} |range= |complement=104 (''LST 3519'') |capacity=62 passengers (''Empire Baltic'') |armament=10 × 20 mm AA guns (''LST 3519'') }} }}
'''HMS ''LST 3519'''''<ref>His Majesty's Landing Ship Tank Number 3519</ref> was a Landing Ship, Tank of the Royal Navy, entering service during the last months of the Second World War. She was chartered for civilian service as the '''''Empire Baltic''''' from 1946, serving as an early RO-RO ferry until the navy suspended the charter and requisitioned the ship during the Suez Crisis in 1956. She briefly returned to normal service, but was retired soon after and was eventually sold for breaking up.
==Career== ''LST 3519'' was built in the Montreal yards of the Canadian subsidiary of Vickers, Canadian Vickers Limited. She was launched on 26 April 1945<ref name=Colledge>{{cite book |last=Colledge |title=Ships of the Royal Navy |page=207}}</ref> and completed in September 1945.<ref name=Ships/> After the end of the war she was one of three LSTs chartered by the Government to the firm of F.Bustard & Sons Ltd., who employed the ships in his Atlantic Steam Navigation Company.<ref name=MSRT>{{cite web|url=http://www.maritimesteamrestorationtrust.co.uk/projects/empire.html|title=The pioneer ships of Roll on / Roll off ferries|access-date=28 January 2009|publisher=The Maritime Steam Restoration Trust|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227215527/http://www.maritimesteamrestorationtrust.co.uk/projects/empire.html|archive-date=27 December 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was converted to civilian use by Harland & Wolf Ltd, Tilbury. A new bridge was built and accommodation was provided for 50 lorry drivers and 12 passengers.<ref name=Ships>{{cite book | last = Mitchell and Sawyer | title = The Empire Ships| pages = 359}}</ref> The renamed ''Empire Baltic'' made the first voyage of the new company, sailing from Tilbury Docks to Rotterdam on 11 September 1946. The journey took 24 hours<ref name=ASN>{{cite web |url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/asn.htm |title=Atlantic Steam Navigation Company, 1946–1971 |publisher=The Ships List |access-date=5 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629150012/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/asn.htm |archive-date=29 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The ship spent the next decade conveying army vehicles and personnel across the English Channel.<ref name=MSRT/> On 24 September 1949, ''Empire Baltic'' hit a mine off Borkum, West Germany. Tugs from Borkum and Cuxhaven went to her assistance.<ref name=Times260949>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=British Ship Mined in North Sea |date=26 September 1949 |page=3 |issue=51496 |column=C }}</ref> The outbreak of the Suez Crisis in 1956 led to her being requisitioned along with the other LSTs operating under Admiralty charter, and ''Empire Baltic'' was used to carry Centurion tanks to Alexandria.<ref name=BSW>{{cite web |url=http://www.britains-smallwars.com/suez/untis.html |title=British Units involved in the Suez crisis |access-date=28 January 2009 |publisher=britains-smallwars.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205130842/http://britains-smallwars.com/suez/untis.html |archive-date=5 February 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In August 1958, ''Empire Baltic'' was involved in a collision with {{SS|Orontes}} in the River Thames.<ref name="anmm">{{cite web |title=Builder's model of SS Orontes |url=http://collections.anmm.gov.au/objects/202592 |publisher=Australian National Maritime Museum |access-date=28 January 2020 |location=Sydney, New South Wales}}</ref>
She returned to operate for the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company after the end of the conflict, but was withdrawn from service in 1959. She appears to have been briefly operated by the British-India Steam Navigation Company in 1961.<ref name=Colledge/> ''Empire Baltic'' and {{SS|Empire Curlew|1945|2}} were advertised for sale in April 1962 as lying at Malta.<ref name=Times170462>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Public Notices |date=17 April 1962 |page=3 |issue=55368 |column=a }}</ref> ''Empire Baltic'' arrived at La Spezia, Italy for breaking up on 10 July 1962.<ref name=mariners>{{cite web |url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireB.html |title=EMPIRE - b |access-date=28 January 2009|publisher=mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== {{refbegin}} * {{Colledge: Ships RN|year=2006}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireB.html |title=EMPIRE - B |access-date=28 January 2009|first=Ted|last=Finch |year=2001 |work=THE 'EMPIRE' SHIPS |publisher=mariners-l.co.uk}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.britains-smallwars.com/suez/untis.html |title=British Units involved in the Suez crisis |access-date=28 January 2009 |first=James |last=Paul |author2=Spirit, Martin |year=2008 |work=Assault on the Canal: The Suez Index |publisher=britains-smallwars.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205130842/http://britains-smallwars.com/suez/untis.html |archive-date=5 February 2009 |df=dmy-all }} * {{cite web |url=http://www.maritimesteamrestorationtrust.co.uk/projects/empire.html |title=The pioneer ships of Roll on / Roll off ferries |access-date=28 January 2009 |first=Malcolm |last=Tattersall |year=2004 |work=The 'Empire' Class |publisher=The Maritime Steam Restoration Trust |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227215527/http://www.maritimesteamrestorationtrust.co.uk/projects/empire.html |archive-date=27 December 2008 |url-status=dead }} {{refend}} * {{cite book | last1=Mitchell|first1=W.H.|last2=Sawyer|first2=L.A. | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4 }}
==External links== *[http://www.allatsea.cx/images/ships/Empire%20Baltic.jpg Photo of Empire Baltic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921043637/http://www.allatsea.cx/images/ships/Empire%20Baltic.jpg |date=21 September 2009 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111002120903/http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20E/slides/Empire%20Baltic-01.html Photo of Empire Baltic] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111002120907/http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20E/slides/Empire%20Baltic-02.html Photo of Empire Baltic]
{{LST-3 class tank landing ship}} {{Empire ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:LST 3519}} Category:1945 ships Category:LST (3)-class tank landing ships Category:Empire ships Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Category:Ferries of the United Kingdom