{{Short description|World War II British CAM ship}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}} {{Use British English|date=February 2017}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image= |image_caption= }}
|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country= United Kingdom |flag= {{shipboxflag|UK|civil}} |name= ''Michael E'' |owner= Bury Hill Shipping Co Ltd{{sfn|Slader|1988|p=143}} |operator= Counties Ship Management Co Ltd, London<ref name=LR>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/40/40a1093.pdf |year=1940 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motor Ships |location=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register |access-date=30 March 2013}}</ref> <ref name=U964>{{cite web |url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/964.html |title=Michael E. |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |date=1995–2010 |work=uboat.net |publisher=Guðmundur Helgason |access-date=1 July 2010}}</ref> |ordered= |builder= William Hamilton & Co, Port Glasgow<ref name=U964/> |yard_number= |laid_down= |launched= |completed= May 1941<ref name=LR/><ref name=U964/> |acquired= |in_service= |registry={{flagicon|UK|civil}} London<ref name=LR/> |identification=*UK official number 168165<ref name=LR/> *Call sign BCKB<ref name=LR/> *{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|Bravo}} |out_of_service= |fate=Torpedoed and sunk, 2 June 1941<ref name=U964/> |notes= }}
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |class= |type= Cargo ship |tonnage=*{{GRT|7628}}<ref name=LR/> *tonnage under deck 7,217<ref name=LR/> *{{NRT|5,508}}<ref name=LR/> |displacement= |length=*{{convert|421.1|ft|abbr=on}} p/p *{{convert|434.5|ft|abbr=on}} o/a<ref name=LR/> |beam= {{convert|60.4|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=LR/> |height= |depth= {{convert|35.8|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=LR/> |draught= {{convert|23|ft|2+1/4|in|2|abbr=on}}<ref name=LR/> |power= 443 NHP<ref name=LR/> |propulsion= triple-expansion steam engine; screw<ref name=LR/> |speed= |capacity= |crew= 46 Merchant Navy personnel, 12 RAF personnel, four DEMS gunners<ref name=U964/> |armament= |aircraft= 1 Hawker Sea Hurricane |aircraft_facilities= aircraft catapult |notes= sister ships: {{SS|Kingston Hill||2}}, {{SS|Lulworth Hill||2}}, {{SS|Marietta E||2}}, {{SS|Primrose Hill||2}} }} }}
'''SS ''Michael E''''' was a {{GRT|7,628}} cargo ship that was built in 1941. She was the first British catapult aircraft merchant ship (CAM ship): a merchant ship fitted with a rocket catapult to launch a single Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft to defend a convoy against long-range German bombers. She was sunk on her maiden voyage by a German submarine.
==Description== ''Michael E'' was built by William Hamilton & Co Ltd, Port Glasgow. Launched in 1941, she was completed in May of that year. She was the United Kingdom's first CAM ship, armed with an aircraft catapult on her bow to launch a Hawker Sea Hurricane.<ref name=U964/>
The ship was {{convert|421.1|ft}} long between perpendiculars ({{convert|434.5|ft}} overall), with a beam of {{convert|60.4|ft}}. She had a depth of {{convert|35.8|ft}} and a draught of {{convert|23|ft|2+1/4|in|2}}. She was measured at {{GRT|7628|disp=long}} and {{NRT|5508|disp=long}}.<ref name=LR/>
She had six corrugated furnaces feeding two {{cvt|225|lb/in2}} single-ended boilers with a combined heating surface of {{convert|5940|sqft|0}}.<ref name=LR/> The boilers fed a 443 nominal horsepower triple-expansion steam engine that had cylinders of {{convert|24|in|cm}}, {{convert|39|in|cm}} and {{convert|68|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke.<ref name=LR/> The engine was built by David Rowan & Co Ltd, Glasgow.<ref name=LR/>
==History== ''Michael E'' was owned by the Bury Hill Shipping Co Ltd.<ref name=LR/> a company owned by the Nicholas Eustathiou shipping concerns. She was placed under the management of Counties Ship Management Ltd of London, an offshoot of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking company.<ref name=CSM1>{{cite web |url=http://www.lof-news.co.uk/CountiesHistory/Counties1.htm |title=Counties Ship Management 1934–2007 |last=Fenton |first=Roy |year=2006 |work=LOF-News |page=1 |access-date=30 June 2010 |archive-date=30 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330194244/http://www.lof-news.co.uk/CountiesHistory/Counties1.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was named after Michael Eustathiou, a member of the Nicholas Eustathiou family that had a major shareholding in her.<ref name=CSM1/> Her Code Letters were BCKB, her UK Official Number was 163168 and she was registered in London.<ref name=LR/>
''Michael E'' was a sister ship of {{SS|Kingston Hill||2}}, {{SS|Lulworth Hill||2}}, {{SS|Marietta E||2}} and {{SS|Primrose Hill||2}}, which also were managed by CSM and owned by companies associated with R&K. {{location map|North Atlantic |lat= 48.50 |long= -29.00 |caption=Approximate position of ''Michael E''{{'}}s wreck |relief= yes }}
==Sinking== On 28 May 1941 ''Michael E'' sailed in ballast on her maiden voyage from Belfast, Northern Ireland bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia with convoy OB 327.<ref name=U964/> The convoy was dispersed on 1 June and at 20:43 hours on 2 June ''Michael E'' was in the North Atlantic several hundred miles southwest of Cape Clear when {{GS|U-108|1940|2}} fired two torpedoes at her.<ref name=U964/> One missed but the other struck her in the stern killing a crew member and two DEMS gunners, and at 22:21 hours she sank by the stern.<ref name=U964/> On 3 June the Dutch cargo ship {{SS|Alcinous||2}} rescued ''Michael E''{{'}}s master, 44 crew, two gunners and 12 Royal Air Force personnel.<ref name=U964/>
==Replacement ship== In September 1941 William Hamilton & Co completed a second CAM ship of the same class for CSM. She was launched as {{SS|Primrose Hill||2}} and effectively replaced ''Michael E''. ''Primrose Hill'' survived until October 1942 when a German-operated submarine sank her by torpedo and shellfire.
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources & further reading== *{{cite book |last1=Sedgwick |first1=Stanley |last2=Kinnaird |first2=Mark |last3=O'Donoghue |first3=K.J. |title=London & Overseas Freighters, 1948–92: A Short History |orig-year=1992 |year=1993 |location=Kendal |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=0-905617-68-1 }} *{{cite book |last1=Sedgwick |first1=Stanley |last2=Sprake |first2=R.F. |title=London & Overseas Freighters Limited 1949–1977 |year=1977 |location=Kendal |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn= 0905617037 }} *{{cite book |last=Slader |first=John |title=The Red Duster at War |year=1988 |publisher=William Kimber & Co Ltd |location=London |isbn=0-7183-0679-1 |pages=143–144 }}
{{coord|48.50|N|29.0|W|display=title}}
{{CAM ships}} {{Maiden voyage sinkings}} {{June 1941 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michael E}} Category:1941 ships Category:CAM ships Category:Ships built on the River Clyde Category:Maritime incidents in June 1941 Category:Ships of Counties Ship Management Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean Category:World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom