SS Pompeji

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image= |image_caption= }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country= |flag= |name= *''Pompeji'' (1939-45) *''Empire Blackwater'' (1945-49) *''Krusaa'' (1949-60) *''Krucia'' (1960-69) *''Helvi'' (1969-71) *''Eastern Faith'' (1971-75) |ordered= |awarded= |builder=Flensburger Schiffbau, Flensburg |yard_number=450 |laid_down= |launched=11 October 1939 |completed=February 1940 |christened= |acquired= |registry=*{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Hamburg (1939-45) *{{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} London (1945-46) *{{flagicon|United States}} New York (1946-49) *{{flagicon|Denmark}} Copenhagen (1949-60) *{{flagicon|Finland}} Vaasa (1960-69) *{{flagicon|Finland}} Turku (1969-71) *{{flagicon|Panama}} Panama City (1971-75) |identification=*UK official number 180776 (1945-46) *call sign DKCM (1940-45) *{{ICS|Delta}}{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Mike}} *call sign GZRM (1945-46) *{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Zulu}}{{ICS|Romeo}}{{ICS|Mike}} *Finnish official number 206 (1960-69) *Finnish official number 1642 (1969-71) *IMO number 5197121 (1960-75) |owner=*Deutsche Levante Linie, Hamburg (1939-42) *Bick, Godeffroy & Co (1942-45) *Ministry of War Transport (1945) *Ministry of Transport (1945-46) *United States Maritime Commission (1946-47) *Seatrade Corporation (1947-49) *Dampskibs Hetland A/S (1949-57) *Dampskibs Pacific A/S (1957-60) *AB Krucia Shipping O/Y (1960-67) *AB Vasa Shipping O/Y (1967-69) *Rederi Ab Nidarholm Laivanvarustamo (1969-71) *South East Navigation Corporation (1971-75) |operator=*Deutsche Levante Linie, Hamburg (1939-42) *Bick, Godeffroy & Co (1942-45) *P Carrick & Co Ltd (1945-46) *United States Maritime Commission (1946-47) *Seatrade Corporation (1947-49) *Basse & Co, Copenhagen (1949-60) *Nils Berg, Finland (1960-69) *H Hayrynen O/Y, Finland (1969-71) *Nan Sing Navigation Co, Taiwan (1971-75) |commissioned= |recommissioned= |decommissioned= |in_service= |out_of_service=30 July 1975 |renamed= |reclassified= |refit= |captured= |struck= |reinstated= |fate= Scrapped August 1975 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |tonnage=*{{GRT|2917}} *{{NRT|1658|link=off}} |length={{cvt|340.3|ft|abbr=on}} |beam= {{cvt|52.7|ft|abbr=on}} |draught= |depth={{cvt|18.7|ft|abbr=on}} |propulsion= *1 × screw *1 × triple-expansion engine *1 × exhaust turbine |speed= {{convert|12|kn|km/h}} |range= |endurance= |capacity= |complement= |notes= |crew = }} }}

'''''Pompeji''''' was a {{GRT|2917|link=off}} cargo ship which was built in 1939 by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg, Germany. She was seized as a war prize in 1945 and renamed '''''Empire Blackwater'''''. Ownership passed to the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and then the United States Maritime Commission (USMC). In 1949 she was sold to a Danish company and renamed '''''Krusaa'''''. She was sold in 1960 to a Finnish company and renamed '''''Krucia''''' and later '''''Helvi'''''. In 1969 she was sold to a Panamanian company and renamed '''''Eastern Faith'''''. She was scrapped in 1975.

==Description== It was a {{GRT|2917|link=off}} cargo ship built by Flensburger Schiffbau Geschellshaft, Flensburg,<ref name=Ships>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=WH |last2=Sawyer |first2=LA |year=1995 |title=The Empire Ships |place=London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|publisher=Lloyd's of London Press Ltd |isbn=1-85044-275-4}}</ref> as yard number 450. Launched as ''Pompeji'' on 11 October 1939, it was completed in February 1940.<ref name=Miramar>{{csr|register=MSI|id=5197121|access-date=19 November 2009}}</ref> Principle dimensions were {{cvt|140.2|m}} in length overall, {{cvt|103.02|m}} at the waterline, a {{cvt|52.7|ft|order=flip}} beam and a mean draft of {{cvt|18.7|ft|order=flip}}.<ref name=Blackwater> {{cite book |url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/45/45a1199.pdf |year=1945 |title=Lloyd's Register |volume=I.–Steamers & Motorships of 300 tons gross and over |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register |via=Southampton City Council |access-date=19 November 2009}}</ref> The main engine was a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine built by Flensburger Schiffbau. Exhaust steam from the low-pressure cylinder drove a low-pressure turbine, which in turn drove the single propeller shaft and screw via a fluid coupling and double-reduction gearing.<ref name=Blackwater/> This combination gave the ship a speed of {{convert|12|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=Miramar/>

==Career== ===''Pompeji''=== ''Pompeji'' was built for Deutsche Levante Linie AG, Hamburg, which was her port of registry. In 1942, she was sold to Bick, Godeffroy & Co, Hamburg.<ref name=Miramar/> ''Pompeji'' was seized as a war prize in Kiel in 1945.<ref name=Ships/>

===''Empire Blackwater''=== Ownership passed to the MoWT and the ship was renamed ''Empire Blackwater''.<ref name=Ships/> Her port of registry was changed to London.<ref name=Miramar/> ''Empire Blackwater'' was operated under the management of P Carrick & Co Ltd.<ref name=Blackwater/> The MoWT ceased to exist during 1945, becoming the Ministry of Transport.<ref name=Ships/> In March 1946, ''Empire Blackwater'' was awarded to the United States as a war prize, with an estimated value of $288,000.<ref name=PMARS>{{cite web|url=https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/DisposalCard/All/1433_CB.jpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824161332/https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/DisposalCard/All/1433_CB.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 August 2011 |title=Back of Card 2 |publisher=PMARS |access-date=19 November 2009}}</ref> She transferred to the USMC and her port of registry changed to New York.<ref name=Miramar/> On 21 October 1946, ''Empire Blackwater'' was laid up in the Hudson River.<ref name=PMARS/> On 25 March 1947, she was sold to Seatrade Corporation for $216,000.<ref name=PMARS2>{{cite web|url=https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/DisposalCard/All/1433_AF.jpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824161238/https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/DisposalCard/All/1433_AF.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 August 2011 |title=Front of Card 1 |publisher=PMARS |access-date=19 November 2009}}</ref>

===''Krusaa''=== In 1949, ''Empire Blackwater'' was sold to Dampskibs Hetland AS, Denmark and renamed ''Krusaa''. Her port of registry was changed to Copenhagen.<ref name=Miramar/> ''Krusaa'' was operated under the management of Basse & Co, Copenhagen.<ref name=Ships/> In 1957, ''Krusaa'' was sold to Dampskibs Pacific AS.<ref name=Miramar/>

===''Krucia''=== In 1960, ''Krusaa'' was sold to AB Krucia O/Y, Finland and renamed ''Krucia''. Her port of registry was changed to Vaasa.<ref name=Miramar/> She was operated under the management of Nils Berg.<ref name=Ships/> In 1967, ''Krucia'' was sold to AB Vasa Shipping O/Y.<ref name=Miramar/>

===''Helvi''=== In 1969, ''Krusaa'' was sold to Rederi AB Nidarholm Laivanvarustamo and renamed ''Helvi''. Her port of registry was changed to Turku.<ref name=Miramar/> ''Helvi'' was operated under the management of H Hayrynen O/Y.<ref name=Ships/>

===''Eastern Faith''=== In 1969, ''Helvi'' was sold to the South East Navigation Corporation, Panama and renamed ''Eastern Faith''. Her port of registry was Panama City.<ref name=Miramar/> She was operated by the Nan Sing Navigation Co, Taiwan.<ref name=Ships/> ''Eastern Faith'' was scrapped in August 1975 by the Chi Shun Hwa Steel Co Ltd, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She arrived for scrapping on 30 July 1975.<ref name=Miramar/>

==Official numbers and call signs== Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO numbers. ''Empire Blackwater'' had the UK official number 180776.<ref name=Blackwater/> ''Krucia'' had the Finnish official number 206 and ''Helvi'' had the Finnish official number 1462. ''Krucia'', ''Helvi'' and ''Eastern Faith'' had the IMO number 5197121.<ref name=Miramar/>

''Pompeji'' used the call sign DKCM.<ref name=Forum>{{cite web|url=http://warsailors.com/forum/read.php?1,16619,16627#msg-16627 |title=Re: Pompeji |publisher=Warsailors / Theodor Dorgeist |access-date=19 November 2009}}</ref> ''Empire Blackwater'' used the call sign GZRM.<ref name=Blackwater/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://warsailors.com/forum/read.php?1,16619,16627#msg-16627 Wartime career of ''Pompeji''] (in German)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pompeji}} Category:1939 ships Category:Ships built in Flensburg Category:Steamships of Germany Category:Merchant ships of Germany Category:World War II merchant ships of Germany Category:Empire ships Category:Ministry of War Transport ships Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Category:Steamships of Denmark Category:Merchant ships of Denmark Category:Steamships of Finland Category:Merchant ships of Finland Category:Steamships of Panama Category:Merchant ships of Panama