SS Empire Cobbett

SS Empire Cobbett was a tanker which was built in 1942 by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1946 she was sold into merchant service and renamed San Wilfrido. She was scrapped in 1959.

Description
The ship was built by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees, as yard number 350. She was launched on 19 November 1942 and completed in December 1942.

She was 483 ft long, with a beam of 68 ft and a depth of 36 ft. She had a GRT of 9,811 and a NRT of 5,779.

The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 27 in, 44 in and 76 in diameter by 48 in stroke. The engine was built by Richardsons, Westgart & Co Ltd, Hartlepool.

History
Empire Cobbett was built for the MoWT, who placed her under the management of Eagle Oil and Shipping Company Ltd, Middlesbrough. Her port of registry was Middlesbrough. The Code Letters BFFN and United Kingdom Official Number 164861 were allocated.

Empire Cobbett was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.

Convoy HX 249 sailed from New York City on 23 July 1943 and reached Liverpool on 6 August. Empire Cobbett was bound for Avonmouth, Somerset.
 * HX 249

Convoy HX 255 departed New York on 2 September 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 16 September. Empire Cobbett was bound for Stanlow Refinery, Ellesmere Port.
 * HX 255

Convoy HX 313 departed New York on 10 October 1944 and arrived at Liverpool on 24 October 1944. Empire Cobbett was due to have joined this convoy, bound for Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.
 * HX 313

In 1946 Empire Cobbett was sold to Eagle Oil & Shipping Co Ltd, London, who renamed her San Wilfrido and changed her port of registry to London. Her name came from an earlier SS San Wilfrido (1914), which had been launched for Eagle Oil in 1914 and sunk by a mine that same year.

She served until 1959, arriving on 10 November at Hong Kong for scrapping by Four Seasons Enterprises.