Maritime History > Maritime incidents, disasters and shipwrecks

TID 97 and her loss in Chatham Dockyard

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shoot999:
The bad news is that it looks like HMS Emulous is not the tug castle261 was on.


The good news is all the 'Empire' tugs in the fleet were renamed late 40s/early 50s. For example the tug I was on 'Resolve' was originally 'Empire Zona'.


Empire Spruce was renamed Emulous and served at Chatham from Nov 47 to May 58, which fits into castle261 timeline. It would have been civilian manned.


Eventful life. Almost cut in two and sank with the loss of four lives Gareloch 43. Salved and repaired only to get stranded off Dover in 58 and finally scuttled off Newfoundland.


Unfortunately I am unable to find a pic, but will keep searching

grandarog:
Bit more about Emulous..Looks like was bought by Admiralty from US Navy in 1948
EMULOUS W138
 US Navy tug made available under Lend/lease operating under White Ensign. Allocated to SNO Selsey to tow Phoenix and Whale units.
Built 1943 by Camden Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey USA. Wooden hulled tug.  L165'. B33'4". D15'6". 1360disp. 1875ihp 3cylTE oil fired steam engine. 2x watertube boilers. Bunkers 220 tons. Single screw. Armament 1x 3". 2x 20mm AA. Complement 32.
 1943 Delivered to US Navy, named BATR18. 2-2-1944 Transferred to UK Admiralty under lend/lease act. 2-2-1944 Commissioned as HMS Emulous at Boston, Mass. 7-6-1944 Departed Thames following refit. 6-12-1944 Allocated as rescue tug, Nore command. 23-4-1946
Returned to US Navy, renamed BATR18. 1948 Sold for commercial service.

castle261:
Re - shoot999 - the Master did not wear Dockyard overalls & I dont think the crew did either.
The Master wore just a shirt & trousers. If memory serves me right - the Tug did not look any
different from the other E type Tugs - The timing was right about some 4 dock work - I entered
the dockyard in February 1953 - from  the Aylesford Paper Mill site  `Brookgate Industries`.

P.S. -  Not a paddle tug - a propeller seems more appropriate.

castle261:
Thank you granarog - After making inquiries years later -
I was told by some dockyard people ` there is no such Tug with the name of ` Emulous `.

I did not think it was BIG enough for a Ocean going Tug - after Crane work on ` Reward & Typhoon `.
I did a drawing of  the `Tug Reward`in a spare moment of work --  8)
A sister tug to `Reward` is in a film called `The Key `- has been on Sky channel 328 - lately.

grandarog:
RN SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS IN DRY DOCK / SLIPS HM DOCKYARD, CHATHAM.


 Dock no 4. TUG Emulous 22.01.51 to 25.01.51 Removal of Propeller.
 Dock no 3 TUG Emulous 23.02.51 27.02.51 Replacing Propeller
 Dock no 4 TUG Emulous 18.09.51 08.10.51 Refit Docking
 Dock no 3 TUG Emulous 03.09.52 19.09.52 Repairs to Outer Bottom
 Dock no 4 TUG Emulous 01.10.54 11.10.54 Refit Docking
 Dock no 4 TUG Emulous 12.05.55 05.07.55 Survey & Repairs to Outboard Plating

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