Stad Schiedam was a cargo ship which was built in 1942 as Empire Fortune by John Readhead and Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was transferred to the Dutch Government in 1943 and was renamed Van Honthorst. She was sold to the Halcyon Lijn in 1945 and renamed Stad Schiedam, serving until she was withdrawn in 1961. She was scrapped in 1962.
Description
The ship was long between perpendiculars ( overall), with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at , , .
The ship was propelled by a 2,000 ihp triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke. The engines were built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd. It drove a single screw propeller. The engine could propel the ship at a speed of .
History
Empire Fortune was built in 1942 as yard number 531 by John Readhead and Sons Ltd, South Shields, County Durham for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was launched on 9 November 1942 and completed in January 1943. Her port of registry was South Shields. The United Kingdom Official Number 1609049 and Code Letters BFFG were allocated. She was operated under the management of Clan Line.
Empire Fortune departed from the River Tyne on her maiden voyage on 9 February 1943 to join Convoy FN 939, which had departed from Southend, Essex the previous day and arrived at Methil, Fife on 10 February. She sailed the next day with Convoy EN 195, which arrived at Loch Ewe on 13 February. She sailed with Convoy JW 53 on 15 February and arrived at the Kola Inlet, Soviet Union on 27 February. Empire Fortune remained at the Kola Inlet until 1 November when she departed with Convoy RA 54A, which arrived at Loch Ewe on 14 November. She then joined Convoy WN 505A, which sailed on 16 November and arrived at Methil two days later. She joined Convoy FS 1276, which sailed that day and arrived at Southend on 20 November.
On 7 December 1943, Empire Fortune was transferred to the Dutch Government and renamed Van Honthorst. She was operated by NV Stoomvaart Maatschappij "Rotterdam", Rotterdam. The Code Letters PIDK were allocated. Her port of registry was The Hague.
Carrying stores bound for Naples, Italy, Van Honthorst sailed from Methil on 1 January 1944 with Convoy EN 327, which arrived at Loch Ewe two days later. She then joined Convoy OS 64KM, which had departed from Liverpool, Lancashire that day and split at sea on 15 January. She was in the part of the convoy that formed Convoy KMS 38G and arrived at Gibraltar on 17 January. Van Honthorst then joined Convoy KMS 38, which departed that day and arrived at Port Said, Egypt on 27 January. She left the convoy at Augusta, Sicily, Italy on 23 January. She sailed on 8 February with Convoy VN 20, which arrived at Naples on 9 February.
Van Honthorst departed with Convoy NV 24 on 3 March, arriving at Augusta the next day. She sailed on 8 March to join Convoy UGS 33, which had departed from the Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States on 13 February and arrived at Alexandria, Egypt on 12 March. She then sailed to Port Said, from where she departed on 25 March with Convoy GUS 35, which arrived at the Hampton Roads on 22 April. She left the convoy at August on 1 April. Van Honthorst departed the next day with Convoy VN 31, which arrived at Naples on 4 April. She departed on 17 April with Convoy NV 33, which arrived at Augusta the next day. She sailed on 19 April to join Convoy GUS 37, which had departed from Port Said on 14 April and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 11 May. She left the convoy at Bône, Algeria on 22 April. Van Honthorst sailed on 28 April to join Convoy KMS 48, which had departed from Gibraltar on 25 April and arrived at Port Said on 5 May. She left the convoy at Augusta on 1 May, sailing the next day with Convoy VN 37, which arrived at Naples on 3 May. She departed on 7 May with convoy NV 37, arriving at Augusta the next day. Van Honthorst sailed on 10 May to join Convoy GUS 39, which had departed from Port Said on 4 May and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 29 May. She left the convoy at Algiers, Algeria on 13 May. She sailed ten days later to join Convoy GUS 40, which had departed from Port Said on 14 May and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 9 June. She left the convoy at Oran, Algeria on 25 May.