SS Pompeji
Introduction '''''Pompeji''''' was a  cargo ship which was built in 1939 by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg, Germany. She was seized as a war prize in 1945 and renamed '''''Empire Blackwater'''''. Ownership passed to the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and then the United States Maritime Commission (USMC). In 1949 she was sold to a Danish company and renamed '''''Krusaa'''''. She was sold in 1960 to a Finnish company and renamed '''''Krucia''''' and later '''''Helvi'''''. In 1969 she was sold to a Panamanian company and renamed '''''Eastern Faith'''''. She was scrapped in 1975.
Description The ship was a  cargo ship. She was built by Flensburger Schiffbau Geschellshaft, Flensburg, as yard number 450.The ship was launched as ''Pompeji'' on 11 October 1939 and completed in February 1940.She was  long, with a beam of   and a depth of .
Career ===''Pompeji''===''Pompeji'' was built for Deutsche Levante Linie AG, Hamburg, which was her port of registry. In 1942, she was sold to Bick, Godeffroy & Co, Hamburg. ''Pompeji'' was seized as a war prize in Kiel in 1945.===''Empire Blackwater''===Ownership passed to the MoWT and the ship was renamed ''Empire Blackwater''. Her port of registry was changed to London. ''Empire Blackwater'' was operated under the management of P Carrick & Co Ltd. The MoWT ceased to exist during 1945, becoming the Ministry of Transport. In March 1946, ''Empire Blackwater'' was awarded to the United States as a war prize, with an estimated value of $288,000.She transferred to the USMC and her port of registry changed to New York. On 21 October 1946, ''Empire Blackwater'' was laid up in the Hudson River. On 25 March 1947, she was sold to Seatrade Corporation for $216,000.===''Krusaa''===In 1949, ''Empire Blackwater'' was sold to Dampskibs Hetland AS, Denmark and renamed ''Krusaa''. Her port of registry was changed to Copenhagen. ''Krusaa'' was operated under the management of Basse & Co, Copenhagen. In 1957, ''Krusaa'' was sold to Dampskibs Pacific AS.===''Krucia''===In 1960, ''Krusaa'' was sold to AB Krucia O/Y, Finland and renamed ''Krucia''. Her port of registry was changed to Vaasa. She was operated under the management of Nils Berg. In 1967, ''Krucia'' was sold to AB Vasa Shipping O/Y.===''Helvi''===In 1969, ''Krusaa'' was sold to Rederi AB Nidarholm Laivanvarustamo and renamed ''Helvi''. Her port of registry was changed to Turku. ''Helvi'' was operated under the management of H Hayrynen O/Y.===''Eastern Faith''===In 1969, ''Helvi'' was sold to the South East Navigation Corporation, Panama and renamed ''Eastern Faith''. Her port of registry was Panama City. She was operated by the Nan Sing Navigation Co, Taiwan. ''Eastern Faith'' was scrapped in August 1975 by the Chi Shun Hwa Steel Co Ltd, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She arrived for scrapping on 30 July 1975.
Official numbers and code letters Official numbers were a forerunner to IMO numbers. ''Empire Blackwater'' had the UK Official Number 180776. ''Krucia'' had the Finnish Official Number 206 and ''Helvi'' had the Finnish Official Number 1462. ''Krucia'', ''Helvi'' and ''Eastern Faith'' had the IMO number 5197121. ''Pompeji'' used the code letters DKCM. ''Empire Blackwater'' used the code letters GZRM.
Propulsion The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders of ,   and   diameter by  stroke. This drove a low-pressure steam turbine. This drove the propeller through hydraulic couplings. The engine was built by Flensburger Schiffbau Geschellschaft and could propel the ship at .
References
External links * Wartime career of ''Pompeji'' (in German)