SS Derwentfield Derwentfield was a 8 , 602 GRT tanker that was built as Empire Coral in 1941 by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd , Sunderland , United Kingdom . She was built for the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) . In 1946 , she was sold into merchant service and renamed Derwent River . Another sale in 1947 saw her renamed " Derwentfield " . She served until 1952 when she was severely damaged by an explosion and subsequent fire . In 1953 , she was declared a constructive total loss and scrapped . Description . The ship was built in 1941 by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd . , Sunderland . She was launched on 11 February 1941 and completed in April . The ship was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at 8 , 602 GRT , 4 , 837 NRT . Her deadweight tonnage was 12 , 500 . The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by North East Marine Engine Co ( 1938 ) Ltd , Newcastle upon Tyne . History . War service . " Empire Coral " was built for the MoWT at a cost of £255 , 000 . She was placed under the management of Eagle Oil and Shipping Company Ltd . Her port of registry was Sunderland . The Code Letters BCJG and United Kingdom Official Number 168669 were allocated . " Empire Coral " was completed in April 1941 , she arrived at Methil , Fife on 3 May . She departed Methil on 7 May as a member of Convoy EC 16 , arriving at Loch Ewe the next day . a member of Convoy OB 320 , which departed from Liverpool on 8 May 1941 and dispersed at sea on 14 May . She was bound for Curaçao , where she arrived on 2 June . " Empire Coral " departed Curaçao on 9 June bound for Halifax , Nova Scotia , arriving there on 19 June . " Empire Coral " was due to depart Halifax as a member of Convoy HX 134 , bound for the Stanlow Refinery , Cheshire . She did not join HX 134 , but departed Halifax on 26 June as a member of Convoy HX 135 . " Empire Coral " was carrying a cargo of petrol . The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 July . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy ON 2 , which departed Liverpool on 27 July 1941 and Loch Ewe on 30 July . The convoy dispersed at sea on 8 August . She arrived at Baton Rouge , Louisiana on 19 August and departed the next day for Halifax , where she arrived on 28 August . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy HX 147 , which departed Halifax on 29 August 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 12 September . She was carrying a cargo of aviation fuel . " Empire Coral " arrived at the Belfast Lough on 12 September . The next day , she joined the unescorted Convoy BB 75 , which arrived at Milford Haven . Pembrokeshire on 14 September . She departed Milford Haven that day as a member of Convoy WP 35 , arriving at Southampton on 17 September . " Empire Coral " was the only member of Convoy PW 32 , which departed from Portsmouth on 21 September 1941 and arrived at Milford Haven on 23 September . She ran aground at Spithead before sailing . During the voyage she put into Dartmouth , Devon and Falmouth , Cornwall . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy ON 21 , which departed Liverpool on 28 September 1941 and dispersed at sea on 14 October . She was bound for New York , where she arrived on 18 October . " Empire Coral " departed New york on 14 November bound for Aruba , Netherlands Antilles , where she arrived on 21 November . She departed Aruba on 23 November for Halifax , arriving there on 1 December . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy HX 163 , which departed Halifax on 3 December 1941 and arrived at Liverpool on 19 December . She was carrying a cargo of paraffin and petrol . " Empire Coral " arrived at the Belfast Lough on 19 December and then sailed to Dublin Ireland , arriving the next day . " Empire Coral " departed Dublin on 2 January 1942 bound for the Belfast Lough , from where she joined Convoy ON 54 , which departed Liverpool on 6 January 1942 and dispersed at sea on 17 January . She was bound for Corpus Christi . She arrived at Corpus Christi , Texas on 2 February . She departed Corpus Christi on 5 February bound for Halifax , where she arrived on 20 February . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy HX 177 , which departed Halifax on 25 February 1942 and arrived at Liverpool on 9 March . She was carrying a cargo of petrol . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy ON 77 , which departed Liverpool on 17 March 1942 and dispersed at sea on 28 March . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy ON 91 , which departed Liverpool on 1 May 1942 and dispersed at sea on 15 May . She was bound for Baytown , Texas . She arrived at New York on 17 May , then made two return trips to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , finally arriving back at New York on 27 May . She then sailed to Boston , Massachusetts . " Empire Coral " departed Boston on 29 May as a member of Convoy BX 21 , which arrived at Halifax on 31 May . She then departed Halifax as a member of Convoy HX 192 , which arrived at Liverpool on 11 June . " Empire Coral " was carrying a cargo of aviation gasoline and was the last ship in the convoy to depart Halifax . She arrived at the Belfast Lough on 10 June , from where she joined Convoy BB 185 the next day . The convoy was bound for Milford Haven , where it arrived on 12 June , " Empire Coral " arrived at Avonmouth , Somerset on 12 June . She departed Avonmouth on 6 July and arrived at Milford Haven on 8 July . She then sailed to Liverpool and joined Convoy ON 111 , which dispersed at sea on 24 July . " Empire Coral " arrived at New York on 25 July . She departed on 27 July bound for the Hampton Roads . She departed the Hampton Roads on 31 July as a member of Convoy KS 526 , which arrived at Key West , Florida on 8 August . She then made a return voyage to Galveston , Texas , arriving back at Key West on 22 August . " Empire Coral " joined Convoy KN 133 , which departed Key West on 23 August and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 29 August . She departed New York the next day bound for Cape Cod Bay , from where she departed on 2 September , joining Convoy BX 36 , which departed Boston that day and arrived at Halifax on 4 September . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy HX 206 , which departed Halifax on 6 September 1942 and arrived at Liverpool on 18 September . She was carrying gas oil bound for Manchester , Lancashire . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy ON 133 , which departed Liverpool on 25 September 1942 and arrived at New York on 11 October . She departed New York on 13 October as a member of Convoy NK 506 , which arrived at Key West on 20 October . She then joined Convoy KH 412 , which arrived at Galveston on 24 October . " Empire Coral " arrived at Pilottown , Louisiana on 22 October . She then sailed to New Orleans , Louisiana from where she departed on 31 October bound for Cristóbal , Dominican Republic , where she arrived on 5 November . She then sailed to Balboa , Colombia , from where she departed on 6 November bound for Cape Town , South Africa , arriving on 8 December . " Empire Coral " departed Cape Town on 10 December as a member of Convoy CA 3 , which dispersed at sea on 12 December . She arrived at Aden on 29 December , departing the same day for Suez , Egypt , where she arrived on 4 January 1943 . She departed Suez on 11 January bound for Massawa , Ethiopia arriving on 15 January . " Empire Coral " departed Massawa on 18 January and arrived back at Aden on 20 January . < ref name = Port / . She then joined Convoy AP 14 , which departed Aden on 22 January and arrived at Bandar - Abbas , Iran on 28 January . She departed Bandar - Abbas that day and arrived at Bahrain on 30 January . " Empire Coral " departed Bahrain on 11 February as a member of Convoy PA 24 , which arrived at Aden on 19 February . She departed Aden that day for Suez , arriving on 25 February . " Empire Coral " departed Suez on 4 March bound for Massawa , arriving on 8 March , she sailed from there on 10 March and arrived at Aden on 12 March . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy AP 24 , which departed Aden on 13 March and arrived at Bandar - Abbas on 19 March . From Bandar - Abbas , she made a return voyage to Abadan , Iran . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy PA 31 , which departed Bandar - Abbas on 29 March and arrived at Aden on 6 April . She departed Aden that day for Suez , where she arrived on 12 April . " Empire Coral " departed Suez on 19 April bound for Aden , where she arrived on 25 April , departing for Abadan that day and arriving on 3 May . She departed Abadan on 5 May , bound for Bandar - Abbas . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy PB 40 , which departed Bandar - Abbas on 12 May and arrived at Bombay , India on 18 May . She departed Bombay on 20 June bound for Abadan , from where she departed on 2 July bound for Khasab Bay , Oman . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy PA 44 , which departed Khasab Bay on 4 July and arrived at Aden on 13 July . She departed the same day and arrived at Suez on 18 July . From Suez , she sailed to Port Said , Egypt . On 22 July , " Empire Coral " departed Port Said bound for Alexandria , Egypt , arriving the next day . She departed Alexandria on 29 July bound for Haifa , Palestine , where she arrived on 31 July . From Haifa , she sailed to Tripoli , Lebanon , arriving on 4 August . " Empire Coral " departed Tripoli on 9 August bound for Haifa , where she arrived on 21 August . She departed Haifa on 27 August and arrived back there on 8 September , departing on 11 September for Alexandria , where she arrived on 13 September . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy MKS 25 , which departed Alexandria on 14 September 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 25 September . She left the convoy at Malta , where she arrived on 19 September . " Empire Coral " sailed from Malta on 4 October , bound for Syracuse , Italy , where she arrived on 5 October . She departed Syracuse on 10 October bound for Taranto , Italy . On 23 October , " Empire Coral " joined Convoy HA 5 , which departed Bari , Italy on 21 October and arrived at Augusta , Italy on 24 October . She then joined Convoy UGS20 , which had departed the Hampton Roads on 5 October and arrived at Port Said on 1 November . She then sailed to Suez , from where she departed on 4 November for Aden , arriving on 9 November . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy AP 53 , which departed Aden on 19 November and arrived at Bandar - Abbas on 26 November . She departed Bandar - Abbas that day and arrived at Abadan on 28 November , departing from there for Bandar - Abbas on 1 December . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy PA 64 , which departed Bandar - Abbas on 11 December and arrived at Aden on 18 December . She departed Aden that day and arrived at Suez on 24 December . On 2 January , " Empire Coral " departed Suez for Aden , arriving on 7 January . She departed Aden on 13 January as part of Convoy AP 58 , which dispersed at sea on 20 January . She arrived at Shatt al - Arab , Iran on 22 January . From there , she sailed to Abadan , from where she departed on 4 February bound for Bombay , arriving on 11 February . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy BM 86 , which departed Bombay on 16 February and arrived at Colombo , Ceylon on 21 February . She then joined Convoy JC 38 , which departed Colombo on 22 February and arrived at Calcutta , India on 29 February . " Empire Coral " was bound for Madras , India , where she arrived on 25 February . She departed Madras on 5 March , joining Convoy JC 39 , which departed Colombo on 1 March and arrived at Calcutta on 9 March . " Empire Coral " was a member of Convoy CJ 25 , which departed Calcutta on 24 April and arrived at Colombo on 2 May . She then joined Convoy JC 47 , which departed Colombo on 4 May and arrived at Calcutta on 11 May . " Empire Coral " was bound for Trincomalee , Ceylon , where she arrived on 6 May . From 13 May 1944 to 11 January 1945 , " Empire Coral " made a number of journeys between Colombo and Trincomalee or " vice versa " . " Empire Coral " departed Colombo on 10 February 1944 bound for Bombay , where she arrived on 14 February . She departed Bombay on 3 April and arrived back there on 8 April . " Empire Coral " departed Bombay on 4 May 1945 bound for Abadan , where she arrived on 11 May . She departed Abadan on 15 May bound for Colombo , arrivimg on 26 May . " Empire Coral " departed Colombo on 31 May , bound for Trincomalee , arriving on 2 June . On 4 June , " Empire Coral " departed Trincomalee for Colombo , arriving on 6 June . She departed Colombo on 19 August , bound for Durban , South Africa , where she arrived on 7 September . Post - war service . In 1946 , " Empire Coral " was sold to the British Empire Steam Navigation Co Ltd and was renamed " Derwent River " . She was operated under the management of Furness , Withy & Co Lts . In 1947 , she was sold to the Northern Petroleum Co Ltd , renamed " Derwentfield " and placed under the management of Hunting & Son Ltd . On 1 September 1952 , " Derwentfield " was undergoing tank cleaning at Balik Papan , Borneo when there was an explosion and a subsequent fire . The ship was abandoned on 16 September as a constructive total loss . In 1953 , she was refloated and sold to the Compagnia Globo de Navigazione SA , Panama . She arrived at Osaka , Japan on 15 May 1953 where it was intended to repair her but she was found to be beyond economic repair . " Derwentfield " was beached in the Kitzu River , Osaka . Scrapping commenced on 21 August 1953 .