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Empire Celtic was a ferry which was built in 1945 as Landing Ship, Tank LST 3512 for the Royal Navy. In 1946 she was chartered by the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company Ltd, converted to a ferry and renamed Empire Celtic. In 1956, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for a few months during the Suez Crisis as HMS Empire Cedric. She served until 1960 and was scrapped in 1965.

Description

The ship was ordered on 1 February 1944. She was built by Davie Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Lauzon, Quebec, as yard number 335. She was launched on 25 April 1945, and completed in September.

The ship was 347 feet 6 inches (105.92 m) long, with a beam of 55 feet 3 inches (16.84 m) and a depth of 12 feet 5 inches (3.78 m).

The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine. The engine was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It could propel her at 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h).

History

LST 3512 was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 7 August 1945. In 1946, she was chartered by the Atlantic Steam Navigation Co Ltd. She was rebuilt as a ferry by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Tilbury. She entered service on trooping duties on the Tilbury - Hamburg route. I 1955, the route was changed to Tilbury - Rotterdam. In 1956, Empire Celtic took part in Operation Musketeer. She was used to bring vehicles back to the United Kingdom from Egypt. Due to weather damage Empire Celtic had to divert to Malta for repairs. Empire Celtic was withdrawn from service in 1960. She was sold on 10 August 1962, and scrapped at La Spezia, Italy.

References

1. ^ "HMS LST 3512". Warships. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. ^ Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. "FURNESS SHIPBUILDING COMPANY LTD., HAVERTON HILL". Tees Built Ships. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
4. ^ "LST (Landing Ship Tank/Troop)". Luton & District Model Boat Club. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
5. ^ "LST 3512". Old Ships. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
6. "The 'Empire' Class, the pioneer ships of Roll on / Roll off ferries". The Maritime Steam Restoration Trust. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
7. "British Units involved in the Suez crisis". Britain's Small Wars. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2010.

External links

• Photo of Empire Celtic

v t e LST (3)-class tank landing ships
Completed LST 3001 LST 3002 LST 3003 / Anzio LST 3004 LST 3006 / Tromso LST 3007 LST 3008 LST 3009 LST 3010 / Attacker / Empire Cymric LST 3011 / Avenger LST 3012 / LST(Q) 1 / Ben Nevis LST 3013 / LST(Q) 2 / Ben Lomond LST 3014 LST 3015 / Battler LST 3016 / Dieppe LST 3017 LST 3018 LST 3019 / Vaagso LST 3020 LST 3021 LST 3022 LST 3023 LST 3024 LST 3025 / Bruiser LST 3026 / Charger LST 3027 / Lofoten LST 3028 LST 3029 / Chaser LST 3030 LST 3031 LST 3032 LST 3033 LST 3035 LST 3036 / Puncher LST 3037 LST 3038 / Fighter LST 3039 LST 3041 LST 3042 / Hunter LST 3043 / LST(C) 3043 / Messina LST 3044 / LST(C) 3044 / Narvik LST 3501 LST 3502 LST 3503 LST 3504 / Pursuer LST 3505 / Ravager LST 3506 LST 3507 / Empire Gaelic LST 3508 / Searcher LST 3509 LST 3510 / Slinger LST 3511 / Reggio LST 3512 / Empire Celtic LST 3513 / Salerno LST 3514 / Smiter LST 3515 / Stalker LST 3516 / Striker LST 3517 / St Nazaire LST 3518 / Suvla LST 3519 / Empire Baltic LST 3520 / Thruster LST 3522 / Tracker LST 3523 / Trouncer HMS LST 3524 / Trumpeter LST 3525 / Walcheren LST 3526 LST 3527 LST 3530 LST 3531 LST 3532 / Zeebrugge LST 3534 / Empire Cedric Scrapped or scuttled before completion LST 3005 LST 3034 LST 3040 LST 3045 LST 3521 LST 3535 LST 3536 LST 3537 Cancelled LST 3528 LST 3529 LST 3533 LST 3538 LST 3539 LST 3540 LST 3541 LST 3542 LST 3543 LST 3544 LST 3545 LST 3546 LST 3547 LST 3548 LST 3549 LST 3550 LST 3551 LST 3552 LST 3553 LST 3554 LST 3555 LST 3556 LST 3557 LST 3558 LST 3559 LST 3560 LST 3561 LST 3562 LST 3563 LST 3564 LST 3565 LST 3566 LST 3567 LST 3568 LST 3569 LST 3570 LST 3571 LST 3572 LST 3573 LST 3574
Other operators  Royal Australian Navy LST 3008 LST 3014 LST 3017 / Tarakan LST 3022 LST 3035 / Lae LST 3501 / Labuan  Hellenic Navy Achelaos (ex-LST 3503) Alfios (ex-LST 3020) Aliakmon (ex-LST 3002) Axios (ex-LST 3007) Pinios (ex-LST 3506) Strymon (ex-LST 3502)  Indian Navy Magar (ex-Avenger)  Royal Netherlands Navy LST 3010  Royal Army Service Corps Charles Macleod (ex-LST 3021) Evan Gibb (ex-LST 3037) Fredrick Glover (ex-LST 3001) Humphrey Gale (ex-LST 3509) Maxwell Brander (ex-LST 3024) Reginald Kerr (ex-LST 3009) Snowden Smith (ex-LST 3028)
Preceded by: LST (2) class Followed by: None
List of amphibious warfare ships of the Royal Navy

• 1945 ships
• Ships built in Lévis
• LST (3)-class tank landing ships
• Empire ships
• Ministry of War Transport ships
• Steamships of the United Kingdom
• Ferries of the United Kingdom