page_title: Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II
section_title: Imports
hierarchical_section_title: Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II / Cargo / Imports
caption_attribution_description: English: The Inverlane block ship before she finally disappeared below the water in 1996
context_page_description: The Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II continued essential overseas trade in the conflict, a period referred to as The Long Watch by Irish mariners.
  Irish merchant shipping saw to it that vital imports continued to arrive and exports, mainly food supplies to Great Britain, were delivered. Irish ships sailed unarmed and usually alone, identifying themselves as neutrals with bright lights and by painting the Irish tricolour and EIRE in large letters on their sides and decks. Nonetheless twenty percent of seamen serving in Irish ships perished, victims of a war not their own: attacked by both sides, though predominantly by the Axis powers. Often, Allied convoys could not stop to pick up survivors, while Irish ships always answered SOS signals and stopped to rescue survivors, irrespective of which side they belonged to. Irish ships rescued 534 seamen.
  At the outbreak of World War II, known as "The Emergency", Ireland declared neutrality and became isolated as never before. Shipping had been neglected since the Irish War of Independence. Foreign ships, on which Ireland's trade had hitherto depended, were less available; neutral American ships would not enter the "war zone".
context_section_description: Although Ireland had a surplus of food, some foods were not grown in Ireland, as the climate was unsuitable. Only small plots of wheat were cultivated. A series of orders for compulsory tillage were enacted, with the threat that those who did not put their fields to wheat would have their land confiscated. In 1939, 235,000 acres (95,100 ha) of wheat were planted; by 1945 this had increased to 662,000 acres (267,900 ha). Yet, a shortfall remained and imports were required.Clashes between smugglers and Customs were commonplace. In 1940 the infamous "Battle of Dowra" took place on the border of Leitrim and Fermanagh. Revenue crews from Blacklion and Glenfarne intercepted over one hundred men with donkey loads of smuggled flour. Unwilling to part with their bounty, the smugglers used cudgels, boots, stones and fists in the ensuing struggle. Most of the flour was destroyed in the fray and some Revenue people were injured.
  Early in 1942, the Allies restricted wheat deliveries to Ireland. In return, the Irish threatened to withhold the export of Guinness beer. To the great annoyance of David Gray, the United States Ambassador to Ireland, Ireland received 30,000 tons of wheat. Gray complained of a waste of "a vital necessity for what Americans regard at the best as a luxury and at worst a poison".
   By 1944–45 coal imports were only one-third of those of 1938-9 and supplies of oil had almost ceased. The production of town gas, manufactured from imported coal, was so adversely affected that regulations were brought in limiting its use, enforced by the "Glimmer Man". Britain relaxed these restrictions from 19 July 1944.
  There were plans to build an oil refinery in Dublin. In the event, this refinery was not completed. Nonetheless seven oil tankers were built in Bremen-Vegesack, Germany for Inver Tankers Ltd. Each 500 feet (150 m) long and capable of carrying 500 tons were on the Irish register.
  Britain asked Ireland to requisition the tankers, The reply was that it was not Irish policy to requisition vessels, instead offering to transfer them to the British register. They were transferred on the 6th, war had been declared on the 3rd.
  Two days after the transfer, on 11 September 1939, while still flying the Irish tricolour, Inverliffey was sunk. In spite of Captain William Trowsdale's protestation that they were Irish, U-38 said that they "were sorry" but they would sink Inverliffey as she was carrying petrol to England, considered contraband to the Germans. U-38's next encounter with the Irish tricolour was less gallant. U-38 shelled the fishing trawler Leukos, all 11 crew were lost. Inver Tankers' entire fleet was lost in the war.
caption: Inverlane before her wreck finally collapsed in 2000
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