SS Empire Cowper

Empire Cowper was a 7,161 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1941 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, United Kingdom. She was built for the Ministry of War Transport. Empire Cowper was bombed and sunk on 11 April 1942 whilst a member of Convoy QP 10.

Description
Empire Cowper was built in 1941 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Yard number 682, she was launched on 23 September and completed in December,

The ship was 428 ft long, with a beam of 56 ft. She had a depth of 35 ft and a draught of 27 ft. She was assessed at 7,164 GRT, 5,053 NRT. Her DWT was 10,173.

The ship was propelled by a 511 nhp triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 23+1/2 in, 37+1/2 in and 68 in diameter by 48 in stroke. The engine was built by John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank.

History
Empire Cowper was completed in December 1941, and placed under the management of R Chapman & Son. The Official Number 169003 was allocated, as were the Code Letters BCTF.

Empire Cowper was a member of Convoy PQ 13, which departed Loch Ewe on 10 March 1942 and arrived at Murmansk, Soviet Union on 31 March. She arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland on 16 March and departed on 20 March to join the convoy.

Empire Cowper was a member of Convoy QP 10, which departed the Kola Inlet on 10 April and arrived at Reykjavík on 21 April. On 11 April, she was bombed by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft and sunk in the Barents Sea at 71.01667°N, 36°W, with the loss of nine of her crew. Those lost on Empire Cowper are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.