View source for RMS Empress of Russia

{{Short description|Russian ocean liner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= Empress of Russia c1920s.jpg
|Ship image size= 250px
|Ship caption= ''Empress of Russia''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship name=''Empress of Russia ''
|Ship country=Canada
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Canada|1868}}
|Ship owner=[[Canadian Pacific Railway]]
|Ship operator=[[File:Canadian Pacific house flag.svg|border|20px]] [[CP Ships|Canadian Pacific SS Co Ltd]]
|Ship registry=[[Vancouver]]
|Ship route=Vancouver – Hong Kong
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company]], [[Govan]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=484
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=28 August 1912
|Ship completed=March 1913
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=1 April 1913
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=*[[Official number]]: 135197
*[[Code letters]] JBSQ (until 1933)
*{{ICS|Juliet}}{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Sierra}}{{ICS|Quebec}}
*[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]] VGKW (1934 onward)
*{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|Whiskey}}
|Ship fate=Scrapped 1945, [[Barrow-in-Furness|Barrow]]
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Ocean liner]]
|Ship tonnage=*{{GRT|16810}}
*tonnage under deck 12,557
*{{NRT|8789}}
|Ship length={{cvt|570|ft|m|1}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|68|ft|m|1}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship power=8,720 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]]
|Ship propulsion=*Coal-fired boilers,
*[[steam turbine]]s,
*quadruple screws
|Ship speed={{convert|19|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship capacity=*284 1st class passengers
*100 2nd class passengers
*up to 800 steerage passengers
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=[[sister ship]]: {{RMS|Empress of Asia|1913|2}}
}}
|}

'''RMS ''Empress of Russia''''' was a [[steam turbine]] [[ocean liner]] built in 1912–13 by [[Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company]] at [[Govan]] on the [[River Clyde|Clyde]] in [[Scotland]] for [[Canadian Pacific steamships]] (CP). She regularly worked the trans-Pacific route between [[Canada]] and the Far East.

== History ==
Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company built the ship at Govan near [[Glasgow]] in Scotland.<ref>Johnston, Ian. "Govan Shipyard" in [http://www.shipsmonthly.com/ships/home.htm ''Ships Monthly.''] {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080611163521/http://www.shipsmonthly.com/ships/home.htm |date=11 June 2008}} June 1985.</ref> ''Empress of Russia'' was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 28 August 1912 and completed in March 1913.<ref>{{cite ship register |register=MSI |id=1135197 |shipname=Empress of Russia |accessdate=14 October 2020}}</ref>

She left [[Port of Liverpool|Liverpool]] on 1 April 1913 on her maiden voyage via [[Suez]] to Hong Kong and [[Vancouver]]. Thereafter, she regularly sailed back and forth along the Hong Kong – [[Shanghai]] – [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]] – [[Kobe]] – [[Yokohama]] – Vancouver route.<ref name="sl1">{{cite web |url= http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsE.shtml |last1=Swiggum |first1=Susan |last2=Kohli |first2=Marjorie |title=Ship Descriptions – E |work=The Ships List |date=28 July 2010 |access-date=4 February 2012}}</ref> In 1913 she broke the record for the fastest trans-Pacific crossing which was formerly held by {{RMS|Empress of Japan|1891|6}};<ref>Musk, George. (1981). [https://books.google.com/books?id=DEhPAAAAMAAJ&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Canadian Pacific: The Story of the Famous Shipping Line,'' p. 129.]</ref> but her [[sister ship]], {{RMS|Empress of Asia|1913|6}} broke that record in May 1914, crossing the Pacific in nine days, two hours, and fifteen minutes.<ref>Hammer, Joshua. (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=6O8VyhDbUPgC&q=yokohama+burning ''Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II,'' p. 60.]</ref> The popularity of the short route from Vancouver to the Orient was so great that these two additional CP Empress ocean liners were necessary.<ref>Macmillan, Allister. (1925). [https://books.google.com/books?id=r7w8AAAAMAAJ&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Seaports of the Far East: Historical and Descriptive, Commercial and Industrial Facts, Figures, & Resources,'' p. 247.]</ref>

The {{GRT|16810}} vessel had a length of {{convert|570|ft|m|1}}, and her [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] was {{convert|68|ft|m|1}}. She had three [[Funnel (ship)|funnels]] and two [[Mast (sailing)|masts]]. Her four steam turbines drove four [[Propeller|screws]], giving her a cruising speed of {{convert|19|kn|km/h|lk=in}}. The ocean liner provided accommodation for 284 first-class passengers and for 100 second class passengers. There was also room for up to 800 steerage-class passengers.<ref name="sl1" /> This was the first liner to have a straight stern like a warship; and the advantages of this type of stern were revealed in terms of speed, vibration, steering and seagoing qualities.<ref>{{cite web |work=Norway–Heritage |url= http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=empru |title=S/S Empress of Russia, Canadian Pacific Line }}</ref>

''Empress of Russia''{{'}}s UK [[official number]] was 135197 and until 1933 her [[code letters]] were JBSQ.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b0379.pdf |year=1930 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref> In 1934 her code letters were superseded by the [[Maritime call sign|call sign]] VGKW.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/45/45a0362.pdf |year=1945 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |place=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref>

== World War I ==
[[File:Keelingislands.png|thumb|After the [[Battle of Cocos]], ''Empress of Russia'' met HMAS ''Sydney'' in waters of the Keelings and Cocos islands, which are located in the [[Indian Ocean]] east of [[Sumatra]]; and ''Empress of Russia'' took aboard prisoners who survived the destruction of the German raider, SMS ''Emden'']]
[[File:Forward 4.7 inch guns on HMS Empress of India WWI.jpg|thumb|left|{{center|Forward [[QF 4.7 inch Mk I – IV naval gun|QF 4.7-inch guns]]}}]]
[[File:SS Empress of Russia 1914-1916.jpg|thumb|left|As an armed merchant cruiser in the [[Red Sea]], photographed by a crewman aboard the troop transport HMAT ''Armadale'']]

''Empress of Russia'' was requisitioned by the [[British Admiralty]] twice during the [[World War I|First World War]]. Initially, the ship was refitted as an [[armed merchant cruiser]] at Hong Kong; she was attached to a squadron blockading German merchant shipping in Philippine waters and retained her Chinese crew,<ref>British Admiralty War Medal Rolls. The National Archives</ref> but took on French sailors to man her guns.<ref>images in the Vancouver City Archives</ref> Later, she was transferred to the Indian Ocean.

In November 1914, the highlight of this Indian Ocean tour of duty followed from a rendezvous at sea with the Australian cruiser {{HMAS|Sydney|1912|6}}. In what was called the [[Battle of Cocos]], ''Sydney'' had engaged the German cruiser {{SMS|Emden|1908|6}}, forcing the raider to beach herself on [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands|North Keeling Island]] to avoid sinking. Some 230 ''Emden'' survivors were transferred from ''Sydney'' to ''Empress of Russia'' for transport to [[Colombo]].<ref name="sl1" /> At this point, ''Empress of Russia'' was sailing in a convoy of troop ships carrying 30,000 [[ANZAC]]s from Albany, Australia to Suez and Europe.<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/01/31/301775352.pdf "When Australians Sailed to the War; Like a Vast Regatta at Sea, the Troopship Armada Moved North with 30,000 Soldiers."] ''The New York Times.'' 31 January 1915.</ref>

On April 30, 1915, ''Empress of Russia'' sailed from Hong Kong to the Red Sea, where she served until October 1915.<ref name="nyt1920">Correspondents of the London ''Times''. (1920). [https://books.google.com/books?id=5jE84PtwZlsC&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''The Times History of the War,'' p. 125.]</ref>

In one incident, the guns of ''Empress of Russia'' were brought to bear on [[Al Hudaydah|Hodeidah]] in what is modern [[Yemen]]. Bluntly, the Turks were told that if British and French consuls, who had been kidnapped, were not brought back, the port city would be demolished.<ref name="nyt1920" />

Shortly afterwards, ''Empress of Russia'' was released by the Admiralty for a return to civilian service. The ship was refitted at Hong Kong, arriving there on 19 October, going into dock on 25 October and finally paying off on 12 February 1916. ''Empress of Russia'' then returned to her familiar trans-Pacific route.<ref name="sl1" /> Amongst those sailing with ''Empress of Russia'' in this period was [[Sumner Welles]], who was to become one of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Franklin Roosevelt's]] foreign policy advisers.<ref>Welles, Benjamin. (1997) [https://books.google.com/books?id=9jOWMzn573wC&dq=ss+empress+of+russia&pg=RA1-PA51 ''Sumner Welles: FDR's Global Strategist : a Biography,'' p. 51.]</ref>

In April 1917 ''Empress of Russia'' brought 2,056 members of the [[Chinese Labor Corps]] (CLC) from [[Weihaiwei under British rule|Weihaiwei]] in China across the Pacific to [[Williams Head]] on Vancouver Island. After quarantine the CLC were then transshipped to Port Moody on the Canadian mainland and transported by the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] in guarded cattle trucks across Canada to the Atlantic Coast, where other Empress ships took them to [[Dunkirk]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Peter |title=Quarantined – Life and Death at Williams Head Station 1872–1959 }}{{page needed |date=October 2020}}</ref>

The British Admiralty called ''Empress of Russia'' to wartime service for a second time in early 1918. She was to be used in transporting American troops to Europe.

''Empress of Russia''{{'}}s last wartime voyage began from Liverpool on 12 January 1919. She sailed to Le Havre where Chinese labor battalions boarded ''Empress of Russia'' for the return voyage via Suez to Hong Kong. From the Far East, she sailed across the Pacific to Vancouver for re-fitting.<ref name="sl1" />

This ship remained a coal-burner after the Great War, even though many liners at that time were being converted to oil.<ref>CPR Ships: [http://members.tripod.com/~merchantships/cprshipslist1.html Partial List, ''Empress of Russia.'']</ref>

== Between the wars ==
Between the wars, ''Empress of Russia'' resumed regular trans-Pacific crossings. Her first post-war voyage began on 10 April 1919; and the pre-war route was somewhat modified on this trip. On this occasion, she sailed from Vancouver to [[Manila]] outward bound; and she stopped at [[Vladivostok]] on the return voyage to North America from the Far East to pick up Canadian soldiers who had served at part of the [[Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force]] during the [[Russian Revolution]]. In this period, ''Empress of Russia'' transported Philippine Senator [[Manuel L. Quezon]] on his return to Manila from the first Independence Mission to the US Congress in 1919.<ref>Quirino, Carlos. (1971). [https://books.google.com/books?id=skgeAAAAMAAJ&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Quezon: Paladin of Philippine Freedom,'' p. 135.]</ref>
These trans-Pacific sailings continued up through December 1940.

The routine nature of her schedule did nothing to diminish public interest in the comings and goings of ''Empress of Russia.'' For example, ''[[The New York Times]]'' regularly published news of mail ships sailings. In an era when airplanes carrying mail was still relatively novel, for example, the newspaper published a regular "Shipping and Mails" column. In a 1938 edition, the ''Times'' reported:
{{blockquote|Letter mail and printed matter for China, Brunei, Dutch East Indies (including Sumatra), French Indo-China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Labuan, Malay States, North Borneo, Philippine islands, Sarawak and Straits Settlements and printed matter for Siam via Yokohama. 27 April. Shanghai 2 May. Hong Kong 5 May and Manila 7 May. Parcel Post for China, French Indo-China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Siam. Air mail closes G.P.O 10 P.M. 14 April.|''The New York Times''|<ref>{{cite news |url= https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F60B12FF3F5C1B7A93C3A8178FD85F4C8385F9 |title=Shipping and Mails; Ships Which Arrived Yesterday Incoming Passenger and Mail Ships Ships Which Departed Yesterday Outgoing Passenger and Mail Ships Panama Canal Outgoing Freighters Carrying No Mail Incoming Foreign Mail Outgoing Transpacific Mail. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=11 April 1938}}</ref>}}

During this peacetime period, she completed 310 crossings.<ref name="sl1" /> Amongst the famous passengers who traveled on ''Empress of Russia'' were Chinese Nationalist leaders [[Sun Yat-sen]] and [[Chiang Kai-shek]], who sailed from Hong Kong to Shanghai in 1922;<ref>Jieru Chen, Ch'en Chieh-Ju. (1993). [https://books.google.com/books?id=IDbvAzXCBH8C&dq=ss+empress+of+russia&pg=PA111 ''Chiang Kai-shek's Secret Past: The Memoir of His Second Wife, Ch'en,'']</ref> and American humorist [[Will Rogers]] who sailed to Japan in late-November 1932.<ref>Rogers, W. ''et al.'' (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=wwb65MuajnQC&dq=ss+empress+of+russia&pg=RA1-PA26 ''The Papers of Will Rogers.'' p. 26.]</ref>

== World War II ==
''Empress of Russia'' was again commissioned by the British Admiralty as a troop transport. Initially, she carried Australian and New Zealand Air Force recruits to Canada for flight school training. In March 1941, she was refitted at dockyards on the [[River Clyde]] in Scotland.<ref name="sl1" />

The captain of ''Empress of Russia'' in 1941–42 would only realize many years later that he had had a VIP aboard — a young [[Midshipman]] [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Philip Mountbatten]] (later to become [[Duke of Edinburgh]]) is remembered for having helped stoke the boilers in 1941.<ref>Royal Navy Reserve Officers, 1939–1945: [http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RNR_officersM.html Maurice Jeffrey Dabbs Mayall, Cdre. 2nd cl. (ret), 1882–1966.]</ref>

''Empress of Russia'' was involved in the North Africa landings in 1943. In October 1943, she made a special trip to [[Gothenburg]] to exchange prisoners of war. This was followed by seven trips to [[Reykjavík]] for the RAF.<ref name="sl1" />

In early 1944, she was used as an accommodation ship at [[Rosyth]] for Russian crews who were to take over a number of British warships. In June, she was moved to [[Spithead]] where she was used as a depot ship for tugs after the [[Normandy landings|D-Day landings]].

In October 1944, she sailed to [[Gareloch]] where she was laid up until June 1945. Work was begun on the refitting ''Empress of Russia'' for service transporting Canadian troops from Europe to North America; however, she was gutted by fire on 8 September 1945 at [[Barrow-in-Furness|Barrow]]. The extensive damage caused the ship to be scrapped; and she was broken up by [[Thos. W. Ward]].<ref name="sl1" />

== See also ==
* [[CP Ships]]
* [[List of ocean liners]]
* [[List of ships in British Columbia]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== References ==
* Chen, Jieru (Ch'en Chieh-Ju). (1993). [https://books.google.com/books?id=IDbvAzXCBH8C&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Chiang Kai-shek's Secret Past: The Memoir of His Second Wife, Ch'en.''] Boulder, Colorado: [[Westview Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-8133-1824-0}} (cloth) -- {{ISBN|978-0-8133-1825-7}} (paper)
* Correspondents of the London ''Times''. (1920).[https://books.google.com/books?id=5jE84PtwZlsC&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''The Times History of the War.''] London: ''The Times'' (London).
* Macmillan, Allister. (1925). [https://books.google.com/books?id=r7w8AAAAMAAJ&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Seaports of the Far East: Historical and Descriptive, Commercial and Industrial Facts, Figures, & Resources.''] London: W. H. & L. Collingridge. [[ASIN]]: B0008C4XZI
* Musk, George. (1981). [https://books.google.com/books?id=iWoTAAAAYAAJ&q=ss+empress+of+britain ''Canadian Pacific: The Story of the Famous Shipping Line.''] Toronto: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada. {{ISBN|978-0-03-920291-0}}; [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/7540915 OCLC 7540915]
*{{cite book|last1=Osborne|first1=Richard|last2=Spong|first2=Harry|last3=Grover|first3=Tom|title=Armed Merchant Cruisers 1878–1945|year=2007|publisher=World Warship Society|location=Windsor, UK|isbn=978-0-9543310-8-5|name-list-style=amp}}
* Quirino, Carlos. (1971). [https://books.google.com/books?id=skgeAAAAMAAJ&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Quezon: Paladin of Philippine Freedom.''] Manila: Filipiniana Book Guild. [[ASIN]]: B0006BZVVQ
* Rogers, William, [[Arthur Frank Wertheim]], Barbara Bair, Steven K. Gragert, M. Jane Johansson. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=wwb65MuajnQC&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Papers of Will Rogers: The Final Years, August 1928-August 1935.''] Norman: [[University of Oklahoma Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-8061-3768-1}} (cloth)
* Welles, Benjamin. (1997). [https://books.google.com/books?id=9jOWMzn573wC&q=ss+empress+of+russia ''Sumner Welles: FDR's Global Strategist: A Biography.''] New York: [[St. Martin's Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-312-17440-8}} (cloth)

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Empress of Russia (ship, 1912)}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsE.shtml |last1=Swiggum |first1=Susan |last2=Kohli |first2=Marjorie |title=Ship Descriptions – E |work=The Ships List |date=28 July 2010}}
* {{cite web |work=Simplon Postcards |url= http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/CP1.html#anchor374085 |title=Canadian Pacific, CP Page 1 – Ocean Liners up to 1914}} – photograph of RMS ''Empress of Russia''
* {{cite web |work=[[BBC WW2 People's War]] |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/89/a6635289.shtml |title=Troop transport ''Empress of Russia'' in 1942 |access-date=22 May 2008 |archive-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419231753/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/89/a6635289.shtml |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |work=BBC WW2 People's War |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/75/a4690875.shtml |title=accompanying ''Empress of Russia'' to Iceland in 1944 |access-date=22 May 2008 |archive-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419200459/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/75/a4690875.shtml |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |publisher=[[Australian National Maritime Museum]] Library |work=ships pictures index |url=http://www.anmm.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/spixse.pdf |title=''Empress of Russia,'' p. 10 |access-date=22 May 2008 |archive-date=27 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727024123/http://www.anmm.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/spixse.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |publisher=Canadian Pacific Railway |work=Archives |url= http://www.cprheritage.com/ |title=''Empress of Russia,'' Photo NS. 13944, 1925|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050317084324/http://www.cprheritage.com/ |archive-date=17 March 2005 }}

{{EofA}}
{{September 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Empress Of Russia (1913)}}
[[Category:1912 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Govan]]
[[Category:Ships of CP Ships]]
[[Category:Steamships of Canada]]
[[Category:Ocean liners of Canada]]
[[Category:World War I Auxiliary cruisers of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Troopships of Canada]]
[[Category:Cruisers of Canada]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1945]]