1st Army Tank Brigade. (Tank Deliveries)

Deck cargo.

All the best

Andreas

 

Hi.

I'm no navy expert but all the sources say Empire Song was transporting tanks, including the official history:
The Mediterranean and Middle East Volume II "The Germans come to the Help of their Ally" (1941), CHAPTER VI THE BOMBARDMENT OF TRIPOLI AND THE PASSAGE OF THE 'TIGER' CONVOY (April - May 1941)
page 115
"Empire Song reported that she had a fire in the ammunition hold. She began to drop astern and at 4 a.m. blew up and sank, but not before a destroyer had taken off her crew. With her went 57 of the 295 tanks and 10 of the 53 Hurricanes"

regards,

-Nuno

PS:further info here: http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-5238.html

 

She was the only ship lost, and its well established that the tanks were lost on her.

All the best

Andreas

 

1082 tons of Tanks on deck will bring to capsize on such a small ship

Plus Aircrafts, wich are lighter but bigger.


Maybe she was not a refrigerated ship like Banana Boats or Farm ships and had instead refrigerated holds.

 

The 57 tanks have an area of ​​903 square meters
The ship is 141 * 19 = 2714mq, should she be rectangular, but it is not and has superstructures and cargo holds .
We can think of 400 square meters around the holds and masts.


Instead, from Wikipedia about Empire Ships


Fast cargo liners[SIZE=small][edit][/SIZE]
In the early part of the war shipyard capacity was fully engaged with naval ships, including aircraft carriers, repairs to ships following Dunkirk and in orders for tankers and tramps. By 1941 there was criticism that ships being built were too slow. A few fast ships (capable of 15 to 16 knots (28 to 30 km/h)) were however being built; many of them with refrigerated capacity. In 1942 a new standard for a fast cargo liner of around 9,900 gross tons was introduced with a length of 475 feet (145 m) and a breadth of 64 feet (19.5 m). Thirteen "Empire"-prefixed standard class cargo liners were completed. Another was laid down intending to be given the prefix but was acquired by the Royal Netherlands Government and completed as Modjokerto.[6]

• Non-standard cargo liners: Empire Gala (transferred on completion to Gouvernement Generale de L'Indo Chine), Empire Pride (converted to a troopship in the shipyard),Empire Song and Empire Trust.[6]
• Refrigerated cargo liners: Empire Abercorn, Empire Clarendon, Empire Grace, Empire Hope, Empire Might, Empire Star (originally laid down as Empire Mercia), Empire Wessex (completed as Port Hobart in 1946) and Empire Wisdom .[6]
• 1942 onwards, standard fast cargo liners (9,900 gross tons): Empire Allenby, Empire Captain, Empire Chieftain, Empire Dynasty, Empire Haig, Empire Joy, Empire Kitchener,Empire Life, Empire Paragon, Empire Regent, Empire Rawlinson and Empire Wilson.[6]
  
  
  It's seems she was not a refrigerated ship