The SS Empire Brigade was a cargo steamship originally constructed in 1912 by Sir John Priestman & Co Ltd in Southwick, Sunderland, for Philip Haldinstein’s company, Court Line. She was launched on October 10, 1912, and completed in November of that year. With a registered length of 400 feet (121.9 meters), a beam of 53.5 feet (16.3 meters), and a depth of 26.6 feet (8.1 meters), she was among the largest ships built for Court Line at the time and the only vessel from Priestman to serve this fleet. Her gross tonnage was 5,166 GRT, with a net tonnage of 3,217 NRT. Powered by a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine built by Blair and Co Ltd, she was driven by a single screw propeller, rated at 440 NHP, enabling a maximum speed of approximately 10 knots. Initially named Hannington Court, she was registered in London under official number 135157 and bore the code letters JBDQ, later changing to the call sign GRSZ by 1930. She served as a cargo carrier for Court Line until 1936 when she was sold to Achille Lauro and renamed Elios, registered in Naples, Italy. Her Italian official number was 462, and her call sign was IBFO. In 1940, amid the outbreak of World War II, the United Kingdom seized her as a war prize following Italy's entry into the war. Renamed Empire Brigade, she was registered in Newcastle and managed by Cairns, Noble & Co Ltd. She was part of convoy operations, including the Atlantic route from Montreal to Liverpool. During her service, she carried cargoes such as copper, ferrous alloys, and steel. Her service ended when she was torpedoed and sunk on October 19, 1940, by the German U-boat U-99 in the Western Approaches, approximately 100 nautical miles east-southeast of Rockall. The attack resulted in the loss of six crew members, but Captain Sydney Parks and 34 crew members were rescued by the HMS Fowey and landed at Greenock. The SS Empire Brigade's wartime service exemplifies the perilous role of cargo ships in the Battle of Atlantic and highlights her importance as a merchant vessel involved in wartime logistics.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.