SS Manticos

	The ship as Manticos in 1961,; at Galați on the Danube in Romania
History
Name	Empire Barbados (1944–48); Tennyson (1948–50); Berylstone (1950–60); Manticos (1960–63);
Owner	Ministry of War Transport (1944–48); Rodney Steamship Co Ltd (1948–50); T Stone (Shipping) Ltd (1950–60); Comp Nav Zannis (1960–63);
Operator	Joseph Constantine SS Line Ltd (1945–48); Anglo-Danubian Shipping Co (1948–50); Stone & Rolfe Ltd, Swansea (1950–60); A Halcoussis & Co, Greece (1960–63);
Port of registry	West Hartlepool (1945–48); London (1948–50); Llanelly (1950–60); Beirut (1960–63);
Builder	William Gray & Company, West Hartlepool
Yard number	1178
Launched	28 December 1944
Completed	March 1945
Identification	UK official number 180081 (1944–60); call sign GFDX (1944–60); ; IMO number: 5219759;
Fate	Foundered on 22 October 1963
General characteristics
Class and type	Empire Malta
Tonnage	3,538 GRT, 2,259 NRT, 4,310 DWT
Length	315.5 ft (96.2 m)
Beam	46.5 ft (14.2 m)
Depth	22.1 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion	single screw; triple expansion engine;
Capacity	250,700 cubic feet (7,100 m3) cargo space,; 1 × 80 ton derrick, 1 x 50 ton derrick, 8 x 3 ton derricks;
Sensors and ; processing systems	wireless direction finding

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Location of the sinking of Manticos off Guinea-Bissau.

Manticos was a heavy lift steamship that William Gray & Company built in West Hartlepool in 1944 as Empire Barbados for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1948 she was sold and renamed Tennyson. She was sold again in 1950 and renamed Berylstone and in 1960 was again sold and renamed Manticos. On 8 October 1963 she developed a leak, and despite efforts to save her she sank on 22 October 1963.

Building, registration and identification

Between the beginning of 1944 and autumn of 1945, William Gray & Co Ltd at West Hartlepool built a set of ten ships for the MoWT to a standard design of "Scandinavian type cargo ship" called the Empire Malta class. Empire Barbados was one of this set.^[1]

She was launched on 28 December 1944 and completed in March 1945. Her registered length was 315.5 ft (96.2 m), her beam was 46.5 ft (14.2 m) and her depth was 22.1 ft (6.7 m). Her tonnages were 3,538 GRT and 2,259 NRT. She had a three-cylinder triple expansion engine, built by the Central Marine Engine Works of West Hartlepool.^[2]

Empire Barbados was registered at West Hartlepool. Her UK official number was 180081 and her call sign was GFDX.^[2] Later in her career she had the IMO number 5219759.

Ownership, management, and names

The MoWT initially contracted the Joseph Constantine Steamship Line Ltd to manage Empire Barbados.^[2] In 1946, management passed to the Rodney Steamship Co Ltd of London.^[3]^[4] In 1948 the Rodney Steamship Co Ltd acquired her, renamed her Tennyson, registered her in London,^[5] and contracted the Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd of London to manage her.

In 1950, T Stone (Shipping) Ltd acquired Tennyson, renamed her Berylstone, registered her in Llanelly^[6] and contracted Stone & Rolfe Ltd of Swansea to manage her.^[1] On 14 September 1951, three Soviet aircraft bombed Berylstone off Arkhangelsk.^[7]

In 1960 Compagnia Navigazione Zannis acquired Berylstone, renamed her Manticos, registered her in Beirut in Lebanon,^[8] and contracted A Halcoussis & Co to manage her.^[1]

Loss

On 8 October 1963, Manticos was en route from Libreville, Gabon bound for the Mediterranean with a cargo of logs when she developed a leak. She was beached some 210 nautical miles (390 km) south of Dakar, Senegal^[1] (11°14′N 16°32′W / 11.233°N 16.533°W / 11.233; -16.533).^[4] On 16 October, a tug was alongside, assisting with pumping operations but on 22 October the leak increased and the stern section of Manticos submerged. The ship was declared a total loss.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. pp. 203–04. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lloyd's Register. Vol. Steamers and Motorships of 300 Tons Gross and Over, &c. London: Lloyd's Register. 1946. Empire AUD – via Internet Archive.
^ Lloyd's Register. Vol. Steamers and Motorships of 300 Tons Gross and Over, &c. London: Lloyd's Register. 1947. Empire ARU – via Internet Archive.
^ ^a ^b "Empire – B". Mariners-L. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
^ Register Book. Vol. II M – Z. London: Lloyd's Register. 1949. TEN – via Internet Archive.
^ Register Book. Vol. I A – L. London: Lloyd's Register. 1951. BER–BET – via Internet Archive.
^ "Bombs Near British Ship". The Times. No. 52136. London. 19 October 1951. col D, p. 4.
^ Register Book. Vol. I Register of Ships. London: Lloyd's Register. 1959. Maigus Luck – via Internet Archive.

[Ships-1] Mitchell, WH; Sawyer, LA (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. pp. 203–04. ISBN 1-85044-275-4.

[LR46-2] Lloyd's Register. Vol. Steamers and Motorships of 300 Tons Gross and Over, &c. London: Lloyd's Register. 1946. Empire AUD – via Internet Archive.

[3] Lloyd's Register. Vol. Steamers and Motorships of 300 Tons Gross and Over, &c. London: Lloyd's Register. 1947. Empire ARU – via Internet Archive.

[Empire-4] "Empire – B". Mariners-L. Retrieved 10 March 2009.

[5] Register Book. Vol. II M – Z. London: Lloyd's Register. 1949. TEN – via Internet Archive.

[6] Register Book. Vol. I A – L. London: Lloyd's Register. 1951. BER–BET – via Internet Archive.

[Times191051-7] "Bombs Near British Ship". The Times. No. 52136. London. 19 October 1951. col D, p. 4.

[8] Register Book. Vol. I Register of Ships. London: Lloyd's Register. 1959. Maigus Luck – via Internet Archive.

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v t e Empire ships
By suffix, Empire x
A B Ca–Cl Co–Cy D E F G H I–J K L M N O P R Sa–Sh Si–Sy Ta–Te Th–Ty U–Z
See also: Fort ship, Liberty ship, Park ship, Ocean ship, Victory ship.

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1963
Shipwrecks	4 Feb: Marine Sulphur Queen 19 Mar: Alkimos 19 Mar: Arctic Bear 27 Mar: USS Bray 10 Apr: USS Thresher 25 Apr: Nor 6 1 May: Augustana Victory 22 May: Mparmpa Petros 31 May: Alkimos, USS Iona 7 Jun: Seekonk 14 Aug: USS Queenfish 6 Sep: USS Balao 21 Sep: USS Grouse 23 Sep: USS Grouse 26 Oct: Hai Fu 8 Dec: Fort Albany 29 Dec: Lakonia Unknown date: Dunay, USAT Liberty
Other incidents	15 Feb: Maasdam 12 Apr: K-33 1 Oct: Esso Brussels 8 Oct: Manticos 22 Dec: Lakonia 31 Dec: Esso Brussels
1962 1964

History
The ship as Manticos in 1961, at Galați on the Danube in Romania
Name	Empire Barbados (1944–48) Tennyson (1948–50) Berylstone (1950–60) Manticos (1960–63)
Owner	Ministry of War Transport (1944–48) Rodney Steamship Co Ltd (1948–50) T Stone (Shipping) Ltd (1950–60) Comp Nav Zannis (1960–63)
Operator	Joseph Constantine SS Line Ltd (1945–48) Anglo-Danubian Shipping Co (1948–50) Stone & Rolfe Ltd, Swansea (1950–60) A Halcoussis & Co, Greece (1960–63)
Port of registry	West Hartlepool (1945–48) London (1948–50) Llanelly (1950–60) Beirut (1960–63)
Builder	William Gray & Company, West Hartlepool
Yard number	1178
Launched	28 December 1944
Completed	March 1945
Identification	UK official number 180081 (1944–60) call sign GFDX (1944–60) IMO number: 5219759
Fate	Foundered on 22 October 1963
General characteristics
Class and type	Empire Malta
Tonnage	3,538 GRT, 2,259 NRT, 4,310 DWT
Length	315.5 ft (96.2 m)
Beam	46.5 ft (14.2 m)
Depth	22.1 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion	single screw triple expansion engine
Capacity	250,700 cubic feet (7,100 m³) cargo space, 1 × 80 ton derrick, 1 x 50 ton derrick, 8 x 3 ton derricks
Sensors and processing systems	wireless direction finding