The SS Empire Conveyor was a shelter deck cargo ship with a gross register tonnage (GRT) of 5,911, constructed in 1917 by Richardson, Duck and Company in Thornaby-on-Tees, England. The vessel measured approximately 400 feet 3 inches (122.00 m) in length, with a beam of 51 feet 6 inches (15.70 m), a depth of 32 feet 9 inches (9.98 m), and a draught of 25 feet 11½ inches (7.912 m). She had a displacement assessed at 5,711 GRT and 3,589 NRT. The ship was powered by a triple expansion steam engine built by Blair & Co Ltd, which featured three cylinders with diameters of 27 inches, 44½ inches, and 74 inches, and a stroke of 48 inches, developing 440 NHP and enabling the vessel to reach speeds of about 10 knots. Initially named Farnworth, she was used on routes servicing the east and west coasts of the United States, the Caribbean, and the West Indies. Throughout her career, she changed ownership and names multiple times: becoming Illinois in 1924 under the Harlem Steamship Co Ltd; Mount Pentelikon in 1934 after being sold to Greece; and Gloria in 1939 following her sale to Germany. During her time in Greece, her port of registry shifted to Piraeus, and she was managed by Rethymnis & Kulukundis Ltd. At the outbreak of World War II, she was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, attempting to return to Germany when she was captured by the Royal Navy, transferred to the Ministry of War Transport, and renamed Empire Conveyor. She was registered in London with the official number 140572 and managed by H Hogarth & Sons Ltd. Her service was short-lived; on 20 June 1940, while en route from Argentina to Hamburg, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German U-boat U-122 off Barra Head, Scotland. The attack resulted in the loss of her captain, second engineer, and cook, with 38 survivors rescued. Empire Conveyor's sinking marked the only U-122 attack on a ship, and her crew members are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial in London.

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