View source for MV Empire Baron

{{short description|World War II merchant ship of the United Kingdom}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship name=*''Monte Piana'' (1926-42)
*''Empire Baron'' (1942-47)
*''Rubystone'' (1947-60)
|Ship owner=*Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Compagnia Società in Anzioni, Trieste
*1926-40
*Ministry of War Transport (1940-47)
*Navigation & Coal Trade Ltd, London (1947-51)
*Alvion Steamship Co Ltd, Panama (1951-60)
|Ship operator=*Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Compagnia Società in Anzioni, Trieste (1926-40)
*British-India Steam Navigation Co Ltd (1941-47)
*Navigation & Coal Trade Ltd, London (1947-51)
*Alvion Steamship Co Ltd, Panama (1951-60)
|Ship registry=*{{flagicon|Italy|civil}} Trieste (1926-40)
*{{flagicon|UK|civil}} London (1940-51)
*{{flagicon|Panama}} Panama (1951-60)
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|Ship builder=Cantiere Navale Triestino, Monfalcone
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|Ship completed=July 1926
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|Ship out of service=August 1960
|Ship identification=*Italian [[Official Number]] 258 (1926-40)
*UK [[Official Number]] 174207 (1940-51)
*Code Letters NZLO (1926-33)
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Zulu}}{{ICS|Lima}}{{ICS|Oscar}}
*Code Letters IBJX (1934-40)
*{{ICS|India}}{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Juliet}}{{ICS|X-ray}}
*Code Letters ZNAH (1940-41)
*{{ICS|Zulu}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Alpha}}{{ICS|Hotel}}
*Code Letters BCSN (1941-47)
*{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Sierra}}{{ICS|November}}
|Ship fate=Scrapped August 1960
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|Ship tonnage={{GRT|5,890}}
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|Ship length={{convert|416|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|53|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
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|Ship depth={{convert|24|ft|7|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
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|Ship propulsion=2 x 6-cylinder SCSA diesel engines (Stabilimento Technico, Trieste) {{convert|489|hp|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|10|kn|km/h}}
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'''''Empire Baron''''' was a {{GRT|5890|link=off}} [[cargo ship]] which was built in 1926 for Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Compagnia Società in Anzioni, [[Trieste]], [[Italy]]. She was captured by the [[Royal Navy]] in 1940 and ownership passed to the [[Ministry of War Transport]] (MoWT). She was  renamed '''''Empire Baron'''''. She was sold in 1947 to Navigation & Coal Trade Ltd, [[London]]  and renamed '''''Rubystone'''''. She was sold to a [[Panama]]nian company in 1951 and was scrapped in 1960.

==History==

===Pre-war===
''Monte Piana'' was built by [[Cantiere Navale Triestino]],<ref name=Ships>{{cite book | first = and Sawyer, L A| last = Mitchell, W H | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| pages = 433| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4 }}</ref> [[Monfalcone]] for Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Compagnia Società in Anzioni, Trieste. She was completed in July 1926 and named after the Northern Italian [[Monte Piana|mountain of the same name]].<ref name=Piana>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b0816.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> On 18 June 1933, ''Monte Piana'' was in collision with the [[Greece|Greek]] ship {{SS|P Margaronis||2}} in the [[Río de la Plata|River Plate]], in [[Argentina|Argentine]] waters. Both ships sustained damage to their bows, with their forepeaks flooded.<ref name=Times200633>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Casualty Reports |date=20 June 1933 |page=5 |issue=46475 |column=G }}</ref> On 18 May 1937, ''Monte Piana'' departed [[Calcutta]], [[British India|India]] for [[Genoa]], Italy. A fire broke out in one of her holds. It was brought under control and ''Monte Piana'' returned to port.<ref name=Times190537>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Casualty Reports |date=19 May 1937 |page=4 |issue=47688 |column=F }}</ref>

===War service===
On 10 June 1940,<ref name=Date>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4006-19JUN02.htm |title=Naval Events, June 1940, Part 2 of 4, Saturday 8th – Friday 14th |publisher=Naval History |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> ''Monte Piana'' was captured by the Royal Navy at [[Aden]]. She was beached after her crew attempted to [[Scuttling|scuttle]] her. In 1941, her ownership was passed to the MoWT. Attempts to repair her electrical system and engines at Aden were unsuccessful, and she was towed to [[Vizagapatam]], [[India]] by SS ''Nirvana'', arriving on 23 February 1941.<ref name=Ships/> She was repaired and placed under the management of [[British-India Steam Navigation Company]].<ref name=Baron>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/42/42b0271.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> Repairs were completed by June 1941 as ''Monte Piana'' sailed from [[Calcutta]] on 10 June, arriving at [[Rangoon]], [[Burma]] on 9 July. She departed Calcutta on 19 August 1941<ref name=Dennison/> and joined Convoy SL 93 which departed [[Freetown]], [[Sierra Leone]] on 19 November 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 10 December. She was carrying a cargo of [[tea]], [[jute]] and [[pig iron]] and was bound for [[Oban]], [[Argyllshire]].<ref name=SL93>{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sl/index.html?sl093.htm~slmain |title=Convoy SL.93 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> She then sailed to [[Dundee]].<ref name=Dennison/> At some point, ''Monte Piana'' was renamed ''Empire Baron''. Although this name change took place on paper in 1941,<ref name=Ships/> she was still operating under the name ''Monte Piana'' in 1942.<ref name=Dennison>{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sl/index.html?sl093.htm~slmain |title=Christopher Dennison Hammett |publisher=G0MWT |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> ''Empire Baron'' was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War

;OS 34
Convoy OS 34 departed Liverpool on 11 July 1942 and arrived at Freetown on 30 July. ''Empire Baron'' had started her voyage at Oban and was bound for [[Durban]] and Calcutta with a load of Government stores.<ref name=OS34>{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os034.htm~osmain |title=Convoy OS.34 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref>

;OS 58
Convoy OS 58 departed Liverpool on 5 November 1943 and arrived at Freetown on 28 November. ''Empire Baron'' had started her voyage at [[River Clyde|the Clyde]] and was bound for [[Cape Town]] and [[East London, South Africa|East London]], [[South Africa]] and then [[Basra]], [[Iraq]].<ref name=OS58>{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os058.htm~osmain |title=Convoy OS.58 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref>

;MKS 43
Convoy MKS 43 sailed from [[Gibraltar]] on 22 March 1944 and arrived at Liverpool on 4 April 1944. ''Empire Baron'' had started her voyage at [[Mombasa]], [[Kenya]] and called at [[Beira, Mozambique|Beira]], [[Mozambique]]. She was carrying a cargo of [[Chromium|Chrome ore]], general cargo and mails and was bound for [[Loch Ewe]].<ref name=MKS43>{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sl/index.html?sl152.htm~slmain |title=Convoy SL.152 / MKS.43 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref>

;KMS 61
Convoy KMS 61 sailed from Liverpool on 25 August 1944 and arrived at Gibraltar on 4 September. ''Empire Baron'' had started her voyage at [[Belfast]] and was bound for [[Port Said]], [[Egypt]] with a cargo of [[coal]].<ref name=KMS61>{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os087.htm~osmain |title=Convoy OS.87/KMS.61 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref>

===Postwar===
In 1947, ''Empire Baron'' was sold to Navigation & Coal Trade Ltd, London and renamed ''Rubystone''. She was operated by them for four years before being sold in 1951 to Alvion Steamship Co, Panama. ''Rubystone'' was scrapped in August 1960 at [[Nagasaki]], [[Japan]].<ref name=Ships/>

==Propulsion==
She was propelled two 6-cylinder SCSA [[diesel engine]]s of {{convert|489|hp|kW}} which were built by [[Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino]], Trieste.<ref name=Piana/>

==Official number and code letters==
Official Numbers were a forerunner to [[IMO ship identification number|IMO Numbers]]. ''Monte Piana'' had the Italian [[Official Number]] 258 until 1940<ref name=Piana/> and the UK [[Official Number]] from 1940.<ref name=Piana3/> She used the [[Code Letters]] NZLO until 1933.<ref name=Piana/> IBJX from 1934,<ref name=Piana2>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/34/34b0581.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> and  ZNAH from 1941.<ref name=Piana3>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/41/41b0594.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> ''Empire Baron'' had the UK [[Official Number]] 174207 and used the Code Letters BCSN<ref name=Baron/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

<!--==External links==-->

{{1933 shipwrecks}}
{{1937 shipwrecks}}
{{June 1940 shipwrecks}}
{{Empire ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Empire Baron}}
[[Category:1926 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Trieste]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Italy]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of Italy]]
[[Category:Ministry of War Transport ships]]
[[Category:Empire ships]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Panama]]
[[Category:Captured ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1933]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1937]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in June 1940]]