The SS Ilse L.-M. Russ was a cargo vessel built in 1926 by Flensburger Schiffbau Gesellschaft in Flensburg, with yard number 403. She measured 236 feet 2 inches (approximately 72 meters) in length, with a beam of 41 feet 9 inches (about 12.7 meters) and a depth of 15 feet 5 inches (approximately 4.7 meters). The ship had a gross register tonnage (GRT) of 1,600 and a net register tonnage (NRT) of 942, with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 2,600. She was powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, built by the same shipyard, featuring cylinders of 17¼ inches, 29½ inches, and 48 inches diameter, with a stroke of 37¾ inches. This engine enabled her to reach a cruising speed of 9 knots. Constructed for Schiffart und Assekuranz GmbH and managed by Ernst Russ in Hamburg, the vessel bore the code letters RFVK initially, later changed to DHMI in 1934. Her service included transporting timber from Leningrad to Germany in 1936 and participation in planned military operations such as Operation Herbstreise in 1940. Seized by the Allies in May 1945 at Kiel, she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Conqueror, registered in London with the code letters GMXN and official number 180700. In 1946, she was allocated to the Norwegian government, renamed Ekornes, and registered in Oslo with code LLTS. The following year, she was sold to Tetlies Rederi AS in Trondheim and renamed Elfrida, managed by Bjarne Tetlie. Her maritime career ended tragically when, on December 8, 1959, while en route from Arkhangelsk to Denmark with a cargo of timber, she developed a leak in the engine room amid stormy weather. A distress call was issued, and she was found capsized with all 20 crew members lost, sinking approximately 100 nautical miles off Stavanger on December 9, 1959. The SS Ilse L.-M. Russ’s history reflects her long service life, from her construction in the interwar period through her wartime seizure and post-war merchant service, marking her as a notable vessel in maritime history.

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