View source for SS Belgian Captain

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
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| Ship caption             = 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              = 
| Ship name                =*''Empire Celtic'' (1942-43)
*''Belgian Captain'' (1943-46)
*''Capitaine Lambe'' (1946-60)
*''Ardee'' (1960-64)
*''Alpha Trader'' (1964-67)
| Ship owner               =*Ministry of War Transport (1942-43)
*Belgian Government (1943-46)
*Compagnie Maritime Belge (1946-60)
*Mullion & Co Ltd (1960-64)
*Sigma Shipping Co Ltd (1964-67)
| Ship operator            =*Crosby, Son & Co Ltd (1942-43)
*Agence Maritime Internationale SA (1943-46)
*Compagnie Maritime Belge (1946-60)
*Mullion & Co Ltd (1960-64)
*Trinity Development Co Ltd, (1964-67)
| Ship registry            =*{{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} West Hartlepool (1942-43)
*{{flagicon|Belgium}} Antwerp (1943-60)
*[[File:Flag of Hong Kong (1959–1997, unofficial Red Ensign).svg|24px]] Hong Kong (1960-67)
| Ship route               = 
| Ship ordered             = 
| Ship builder             = [[William Gray & Company|William Gray & Co. Ltd.]]
| Ship original cost       = 
| Ship yard number         = 
| Ship way number          = 
| Ship laid down           = 
| Ship launched            = 30 July 1942
| Ship completed           = October 1942
| Ship commissioned        = 
| Ship decommissioned      = 
| Ship christened          = 
| Ship acquired            = 
| Ship maiden voyage       = 
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship out of service      = 
| Ship identification      =*Code Letters BFCB (1942-43)
*{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Foxtrot}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Bravo}}
*Code Letters ONVS (1943-46)
*{{ICS|Oscar}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Sierra}}
*Code Letters ONCC (1946-60)
*{{ICS|Oscar}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Charlie}}
*United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 168946 (1942-43)
| Ship fate                = Scrapped 1964
| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Header caption           = 
| Ship class               = 
| Ship tonnage             =*{{GRT|7,041}}
*{{NRT|5,024}}<!--
*x,xxx [[Deadweight tonnage|DWT]]--> 
| Ship displacement        = 
| Ship length              = {{convert|431|ft|5|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam                = {{convert|56|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship height              = 
| Ship draught             = {{convert|35|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| Ship depth               = 
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| Ship ice class           = 
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| Ship power               = Triple expansion steam engine
| Ship propulsion          = Screw propeller
| Ship speed               = <!--{{convert|xx|kn|km/h}}-->
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|}

'''''Belgian Captain''''' was a {{GRT|7041|link=off}} [[cargo ship]] which was built in 1942 as '''''Empire Centaur''''' for the [[Ministry of War Transport]] (MoWT). In 1943 she was passed to the [[Belgian federal government|Belgian Government]] and renamed ''Belgian Captain''. Postwar, she was sold into merchant service and renamed '''''Capitaine Lambe'''''. In 1960 she was sold to [[Hong Kong]] and renamed '''''Ardee''''', being renamed '''''Alpha Trader''''' in 1964. She served until 1967 when she was scrapped.

==Description==
The ship was built by [[William Gray & Company|William Gray & Co. Ltd.]], [[West Hartlepool]]. She was launched on 30 July 1942 and completed in October.<ref name=Ships>{{cite book | last1=Mitchell|first1=W.H.|last2=Sawyer|first2=L.A. | year = 1995| title = The Empire Ships| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4}}</ref>

The ship was {{convert|431|ft|5|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|56|ft|2|in|m|2}} and a depth of {{convert|33|ft|2|in|m|2}}. She had a GRT of 7,041 and a NRT of 5,024.<ref name=Centaur42>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/42/42b1001.pdf|title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

The ship was propelled by a [[triple expansion steam engine]], which had cylinders of {{convert|24+1/2|in|cm}}, {{convert|39|in|cm}} and {{convert|70|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|48|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by the Central Marine Engine Works, West Hartlepool.<ref name=Centaur42/>

==History==
===Second World War===
''Empire Centaur'' was placed under the management of Crosby, Son & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was West Hartlepool. The United Kingdom [[Official Number]] 168946 and [[Code Letters]] BCFB were allocated.<ref name=Centaur42/>

On 12 December 1942, ''Empire Centaur'' was damaged in an attack by Italian assault craft at [[Algiers]].<ref name=Ardee1000>{{cite web |url=http://www.teesships.freeuk.com/1004ardee.htm |title=A FAVOURITE SHIP - ARDEE |publisher=Tees Ships |access-date=21 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611134706/http://www.teesships.freeuk.com/1004ardee.htm |archive-date=11 June 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The attack was carried out by the [[Decima Flottiglia MAS]] of the [[Regia Marina]],<ref name=Decima>{{cite web|url=http://comandosupremo.com/Decima.html| title=Decima Mas |publisher=Comando Supremo |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> using [[manned torpedo]]es despatched from the [[submarine]] {{ship|Italian submarine|Ambra||2}}.<ref name=Stone>{{Cite web|url=http://books.stonebooks.com/record/1000288/ |title=War Diary: Naval operations in Northwest African waters, 1942-1943 |publisher=Stone Books |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> ''Empire Centaur'' returned to the United Kingdom in Convoy MKS 7, which departed from Algiers on 5 February 1943 and arrived at [[Liverpool]] on 17 March. She was bound for [[Cardiff]].<ref name=MKS7>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/mks7.html |title=CONVOY MKS 7 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

''Empire Centaur'' was allocated to the Belgian Government in 1943 and renamed ''Belgian Captain''.<ref name=Ships/> The Code Letters ONVS were allocated, and she was placed under the management of Agence Maritime Internationale SA. Her port of registry was [[Antwerp]].<ref name=Captain45>{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/45/45a0144.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

''Belgian Captain'' was a member of a number of convoys during the [[Second World War]].

;ON 177
Convoy ON 177 departed [[Cardiff]] on 4 April 1943 bound for [[New York City|New York]]. ''Belgian Captain'' was carrying a cargo of [[coal]] bound for [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]].<ref name=ON2>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/onconvoys2.html |title=ON Convoys – 1941-1945, Convoy ON 101 through ON 200 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

;HX 241
Convoy HX 241 departed New York on 25 May 1943 and arrived at [[Liverpool]] on 10 June. ''Belgian Captain'' was carrying a cargo of steel and lumber bound for London. She sailed from Halifax on 27 May and joined the convoy at sea on 29 May.<ref name=HX241>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hx241.html |title=CONVOY HX 241 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

;ON 192
Convoy ON 192 departed [[Milford Haven]], [[Pembrokeshire]] on 8 July 1943 bound for New York. ''Belgian Captain'' was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia.<ref name=ON2/>

;HX 254
Convoy HX 254 departed New York on 27 August 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 12 September. ''Belgian Captain'' was carrying a cargo of [[steel]] and [[lumber]] bound for [[Sunderland, Co Durham|Sunderland]]. There were complaints from other ships in the convoy that ''Belgian Captain'' did not repeat flag signals, despite orders to all ships to do so.<ref name=HX254>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hx254.html |title=CONVOY HX 254 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

;ON206
Convoy ON 206 departed Liverpool on 11 October 1943 bound for New York.<ref name=ON3>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/onconvoys3.html |title=ON Convoys – 1941-1945, Convoy ON 201 through ON 249 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

;ON 291
Convoy ON 291 departed [[Southend-on-Sea]], [[Essex]] on 17 March 1945 bound for New York.<ref name=ON4>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/onconvoys4.html |title=ON Convoys – 1941-1945, Convoy ON 250 through ON 305 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>

===Postwar===
In 1946, ''Belgian Captain'' was sold to [[Compagnie Maritime Belge]] [[S.A. (corporation)|SA]] and was renamed ''Capitaine Lambe''.<ref name=Ships/> Her Code Letters were changed to ONCC.<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web|url=http://icoads.noaa.gov/metadata/wmo47/cdmp_1955-72/wmo47rec/1960.rec.pdf |title=Belgium |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> In 1960, ''Capitaine Lambe'' was sold to Mullion & Co Ltd, [[Hong Kong]] and was renamed ''Ardee''. In 1964, she was sold to Sigma Shipping Co Ltd, Hong Kong and was renamed ''Alpha Trader''. She was operated under the management of Trinity Development Co Ltd, Hong Kong. ''Alpha Trader'' served until 1967. She arrived at [[Shanghai]], [[China]] for scrapping in November 1967.<ref name=Ships/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.marine-marchande.net/Jourlejour/3101-3200/95-Capitaine%20LAMBE.jpg Photo of ''Capitaine Lambe'']

{{Empire ships}}
{{December 1942 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belgian Captain}}
[[Category:1942 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Tees]]
[[Category:Empire ships]]
[[Category:Ministry of War Transport ships]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in December 1942]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of Belgium]]
[[Category:Steamships of Belgium]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Steamships of Hong Kong]]