USS Westport ( ID - 3548 ) USS " Westport " ( ID - 3548 ) was a United States Navy cargo ship in commission from 1918 to 1919 . Description . The ship was built in 1918 by Ames Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Seattle , Washington . She was yard number 8 . The ship was long , with a beam of . She had a depth of , and a draught of 24 ft 11¼ in ( 7 . 60 m ) . She was assessed at 5 , 665 GRT , 3 , 529 NRT . 12 , 175 DWT . The ship was propelled by a 543 nhp triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . The engine was built by Ames , it drove a single screw propeller . The engine could propel the ship at a speed of . Construction , acquisition , and commissioning . " Westport " was constructed as the commercial single - screw cargo ship SS " Westport " for the United States Shipping Board On 10 September 1918 , the Shipping Board transferred her to the U . S . Navy for use during World War I ; the Navy assigned her the naval registry identification number 3548 and commissioned her the same day as USS " Westport " ( ID - 3548 ) with Lieutenant Commander Gustaf F . Swanson , USNRF , in command . History . United States Navy service . Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service , " Westport " got underway from Seattle bound for Arica , Chile . One there , she loaded a cargo of nitrates and departed on 8 November 1918 , three days before the Armistice with Germany brought World War I to an end on 11 November 1918 . She transited the Panama Canal and arrived at Baltimore , Maryland , on 28 November 1918 . She discharged her cargo there . After taking aboard a shipment of railroad supplies for the United States Army in France , " Westport " got underway from Baltimore , Ohio on 1 January 1919 for her first transatlantic crossing . She arrived at Brest , France , on 21 January 1919 and unloaded there . She then took on board 1 , 438 tons of U . S . Army return cargo before departing Brest on 15 February 1919 for the United States . Reaching Baltimore on 14 March 1919 , she discharged her cargo there before heading for New York on 24 March 1919 . She arrived at New York on 26 March 1919 . " Westport " was both decommissioned and stricken from the Navy List on 31 March 1919 . The Navy transferred her back to the United States Shipping Board the same day . Between the wars . " Westport " was allocated the United States Official Number 216901 and the Code Letters KMVF . Her port of registry was Seattle . In 1934 , her Code Letters were changed to KLCZ . World War II . In 1941 , " Westport " was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport and renamed " Empire Nightingale " . The United Kingdom Official Number 168191 and Code Letters GNDS were allocated . Her port of registry was changed to London and she was placed under the management of Mungo , Campbell & Co Ltd . " Empire Nightingale " would appear to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean from the United States independently , as she does not appear as a member of a convoy until 27 June , when she departed Middlesbrough , Yorkshire as a member of Convoy EC 31 . The convoy had departed from Southend , Essex the previous day and arrived at the Clyde on 1 July . She left the convoy at Oban , Argyllshire , departing on 3 July for Baltimore , Ohio , United States , which was reached on 22 July . " Empire Nightingale " departed Baltimore on 10 August for Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada , arriving five days later . Carrying a cargo of steel , she departed on 21 August with Convoy HX 146 , which arrived at Liverpool , Lancashire on 6 September . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe to join Convoy WN 177 , which departed from Oban on 5 September and arrived at Methil , Fife on 8 September . " Empire Nightingale " then joined Convoy FS 589 , which departed that day and arrived at Southend on 10 September . She left the convoy at Hull , Yorkshire on 10 September . " Empire Nightingale " sailed on 2 October for Middlesbrough , arriving the next day . She departed on 13 October to join Convoy FN 531 , which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 14 October . " Empire Nightingale " sailed the next day to join Convoy EC 85 , which had departed from Southend on 13 October and arrived at the Clyde on 18 October . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 17 October and joined Convoy ON 27 , which had departed from Liverpool on 16 October and dispersed at sea on 2 November . Her destination was Reykjavík , Iceland , where she arrived on 23 November . She departed on 19 December to join Convoy ON 47 , but put back into Reykjavík on 21 December . " Empire Nightingale " sailed again on 23 December to join Convoy ON 49 , which had departed from Liverpool on 21 December and dispersed at sea on 5 January 1942 . Her destination was Boston , Massachusetts , where she arrived on 9 January . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Boston on 14 February for Halifax , arriving three days later . Carrying general cargo bound for Hull , she then joined Convoy SC 71 , which departed on 22 February and arrived at Liverpool on 10 March . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe on 9 March and reached Hull on 15 March via convoys WN 256 and FS 749 . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Hull on 30 March to join Convoy FN 668 , which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 31 March . She then joined Convoy EN 67 , which sailed on 4 April and arrived at Oban two days later . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe , arriving on 7 April . " Empire Nightingale " then sailed to Halifax , from where she joined Convoy XB 13 . That convoy departed on 24 April and arrived at Boston two days later . She left the convoy at the Cape Cod Canal and sailed to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , arriving on 29 April . She departed on 10 May for New York , arriving the same day and sailing the next day for Cape Cod Bay , where she arrived on 13 May . " Empire Nightingale " then joined convoy BX 16 , which had departed from Boston and arrived at Halifax on 14 May . Carrying a cargo of steel , she departed with Convoy HX 191 on 24 May . The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 June , but " Empire Nightingal " left the convoy at the Belfast Lough the previous day . She then joined Convoy BB 183 , which departed on 7 June and arrived at Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire the next day . Her destination was Newport , Monmouthshire , where she arrived on 9 June . " Empire Nightingale " sailed on 19 June for Swansea , Glamorgan , arriving that day . She departed Swansea on 27 June for Milford Haven , arriving the next day . On 6 July , she departed to join Convoy ON 110 , which sailed from Liverpool on 6 July and arrived at Boston on 26 July . Her cargo was coal . She departed on 11 August for Cape Cod Bay , arriving the next day . " Empire Nightingale " then joined Convoy BX 33 , which had departed from Boston on 14 August and arrived at Halifax two days later . Carrying general cargo and steel bound for Hull , she joined Convoy SC 97 , which departed on 22 August and arrived at Liverpool on 7 September . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe , reaching Hull on 11 September via convoys WN 333 and FS 903 . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Hull around 22 September , joining Convoy FN 819 . That convoy had departed from Southend on 21 September and arrived at Methil two days later . She then joined Convoy EN 141 , arriving at Loch Ewe on 25 September . She then joined Convoy ON 134 , which departed from Liverpool on 26 September and arrived at New York on 17 October . Her destination was Botwood , Newfoundland , which was reached on 25 October by leaving the convoy at St . John ' s , Newfoundland on 10 October and joining Convoy JN 20 on 24 October . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Botwood on 2 November with Convoy NJ 20 , arriving at St . John ' s two days later . She then joined Convoy SC 108 , which had departed from New York on 1 November and arrived at Liverpool on 19 November . Her cargos was concentrate s , which had been loaded in Wabana , Newfoundland . She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 18 November , joining Convoy BB 236 . That convoy arrived at Milford Haven the next day , from where " Empire Nightingale " sailed to Avonmouth , Somerset , arriving on 20 November . " Empire Nightingale " departed Avonmouth on 4 December for Penarth , Glamorgan , arriving later that day . She departed Penarth on 16 December for the Clyde , arriving three days later . She joined Convoy KMS 7G , which sailed on 7 January 1943 and arrived at Algiers , Algeria on 21 January . Her destination was Bougie , where she arrived on 22 January . " Empire Nightingale " departed Bougie under escort on 3 February for Algiers , arriving two days later . She then joined Convoy MKS 7 , which departed on 5 February and arrived at Liverpool on 17 February . Her destination was Barrow - in - Furness , Lancashire , where she arrived that day . " Empire Nightingale " sailed from Barrow - in - Furness on 20 February for Liverpool , arriving later that day . She departed from Liverpool on 10 March for Belfast , arriving the next day . She joined Convoy KMS 11G from Belfast Lough on 14 March . The convoy had departed from the Clyde that day and arrived at Bône , Algeria on 28 March . She left the convoy at Philippeville , Algeria that day . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Philippeville on 4 April to join Convoy ET 17 . That convoy had departed from Bône and arrived at Gibraltar on 9 April . She then joined Convoy MKS 11 , which had departed from Bône on 10 April and arrived at Liverpool on 23 April . Carrying a cargo of nitrate s , she left the convoy at the Belfast Lough to join Convoy BB 284 . That convoy departed on 24 April and arrived at Milford Haven the next day . Her destination was Swansea , arriving on 26 April . " Empire Nightingale " did not sail in Convoy OS 49KM as planned , but instead depated from Swansea on 16 June for Milford Haven , arriving the next day . She then joined the combined Convoy OS 50 / KMS 17 . The convoys departed from Liverpool on 16 June and separated at Sea on 27 June . Convoy OS 50 arrived at Freetown , Sierra Leone on 8 July . " Empire Nightingale " was in the part of the convoy that formed KMS 17G and arrived at Gibraltar on 29 June . Her cargo was described as " stores " and was bound for Algiers . On this voyage , she was armed with a 4 - inch or 4 . 7 - inch gun and ten machine guns . Convoy KMS 17 continued on to Sfax , Tunisia , arriving on 6 July . She arrived at Algiers on 3 July . " Empire Nightingale " departed Algiers on 24 July for Gibraltar . She sailed from Gibraltar on 28 July to join Convoy GUS 10X , which had departed from Tripoli , Libya on 21 July and arrived at the Hampton Roads , United States on 13 August . She left the convoy at Casablanca , Morocco , on 29 July . " Empire Nightingale " departed the next day with Convoy CG 52 , arriving at Gibraltar the next day . Carrying a cargo of phosphate s , she joined Convoy MKS 20 , which departed that day and arrived at Liverpool on 10 August . She left the convoy at Loch Ewe . Her destination was Ipswich , Suffolk , which was reached on 14 August via convoys WN 456A and FS 1192 . " Empire Nightingale " sailed from Ipswich on 26 August to join Convoy FN 1109 , which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 27 August . She left the convoy at Middlesbrough on 27 August . " Empire Nightingale " sailed from Middlesbrough on 20 September to join convoy FN 1130 , which had departed from Southend the previous day and arrived at Methil on 21 September . She then joined Convoy EN 285 , which departed on 24 September and arrived at Loch Ewe two days later . " Empire Nightingale " then joined Convoy KMS 28G , which departed from Liverpool on 26 September and arrived at Gibraltar on 7 October . Her destination was Lisbon , Portugal , which was reached on 7 October . She departed from Lisbon on 26 October and sailed to Casablanca , from where she departed on 3 November to join Convoy MKS 29G . That convoy had departed from Gibraltar on that day and arrived at Liverpool on 18 November . " Empire Nightingale " sailed on to Loch Ewe , and then joined Convoy WN 507 . That convoy departed on 19 November and arrived at Methil two days later . She left the convoy at Dundee , Perthshire on 21 November , departing four days later for Aberdeen , where she arrived later that day . " Empire Nightingale " sailed from Aberdeen on 5 January 1944 to join Convoy EN 328 , which had departed from Methil the previous day and arrived at Loch Ewe on 6 January . Her destination was the Clyde , arriving on 9 January . She departed the Clyde on 25 January to join combined Convoy OS66KM , which had departed from Liverpool the previous day and split at sea on 5 February to form convoys OS66 and KMS 40 . Convoy OS 66 arrived at Freetown on 15 February . " Empire Nightingale " was in the portion of the convoy that formed KMS 40 and arrived at Gibraltar on 7 February . She was carrying a cargo of coal which was stated to be bound for Algiers and Oran , Algeria . Her armament on this voyage was a 4 - inch or 4 . 7 - inch gun , six Oerlikon guns and four machine guns . Convoy KMS 40 continued on to Port Said , Egypt . She left the convoy at Oran on 8 February . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Oran on 1 March to join Convoy MKS 41 . That convoy had departed from Port Said on 19 February and arrived at Gibraltar on 2 March . The convoy continued as MKS 41G , which rendezvoused at sea with Convoy SL 150 and arrived at Liverpool on 2 March . She was carrying a cargo of iron ore , which was bound for Middlesbrough . That port was reached on 18 March via Loch Ewe and convoys WN 557 and FS 1394 . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Middlesbrough on 19 April to join Convoy FN 1330 , which had departed from Southend two days earlier and arrived at Methil later that day . She then joined Convoy EN 377 , which departed on 29 April and arrived at Loch Ewe on 1 May . She then joined the combined Convoy OS 76 / KMS 50 , which departed from Liverpool on 2 May and separated at sea on 13 May . Convoy OS 76 arrived at Freetown on 22 May . " Empire Nightingale " was in the portion of the convoy that formed KMS 50G and arrived at Gibraltar on 15 May . Her cargo consisted of mail and stores and was stated as bound for Taranto , Apulia , Italy . Convoy KMS 50 continued on to Port Said , arriving on 25 May . " Empire Nightingale " left the convoy at Augusta , Sicily , arriving on 3 June . She departed the next day to join Convoy AH 44 . The convoy arrived at Bari on 23 May , but she left the convoy at Brindisi on 22 May . " Empire Nightingale " departed Brindisi on 1 June to join Convoy HA 46 . That convoy had departed from Bari on 31 May and arrived at Augusta on 3 June . She sailed the next day to join Convoy MKS 51 , which had departed from Port Said on 30 May and arrived at Gibraltar on 9 June . She left the convoy at Bizerta , Algeria , where she arrived on 6 June , departing later that day and sailing to Bône , arriving the next day . She later sailed to Gibraltar . " Empire Nightingale " sailed with Convoy MKS 53 G on 29 June , but put back into Gibraltar the next day . She sailed on 10 July with Convoy MKS 54 , which rendezvoused at sea with Convoy SL 163 and arrived at Liverpool on 22 July . She was carrying a cargo of iron ore bound for Barrow - in - Furness , arriving on 22 July . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Barrow - in - Furness on 31 July for the Clyde , arriving the next day . She departed on 25 August to join the combined Convoy OS 87 / KMS 61 , which had departed from Liverpool that day and separated at Sea on 3 September . Convoy OS 87 arrived at Freetown on 13 September . " Empire Nightingale " was in the portion of the convoy that formed KMS 61 and arrived at Gibraltar on 4 September . She was carrying explosives and stores bound for Malta . Her armament consisted a 4 - inch or 4 . 7 - inch gun and ten machine guns . Convoy KMS 61 continued on to Port Said , arriving on 14 September . " Empire Nightingale " left the convoy at Augusta , arriving on 10 September . She then joined Convoy VN 64A , which departed that day and arrived at Naples , Campania , Italy on 12 September . She sailed from Naples on 22 September and arrived at Malta on 24 September via Augusta . " Empire Nightingale " departed Malta on 6 October to join Convoy GUS 54 , which had departed from Port Said on 2 October and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 28 October . She left the convoy at Bône on 8 October , departing a week later to join Convoy MKS 64 , which had departed from Port Said on 6 October and arrived at Gibraltar on 18 October . " Empire Nightingale " left the convoy at Oran on 18 October . She sailed on 21 October for Gibraltar , arriving the next day . She departed on 29 October with Convoy MKS 65G , which rendezvoused at sea with Convoy SL 174 and arrived at Liverpool on 7 November . Her cargo of iron ore was bound for Barrow - in - Furness , which was reached on 12 November . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Barrow - in - Furness on 28 November and sailed to the Belfast Lough , arriving the next day . She then joined Convoy ONS 37 , which had departed from Liverpool on 28 November and arrived at Halifax on 21 December . She was bound for New York , which was reached by leaving the convoy at St . John ' s on 21 December and then sailing on 17 January 1945 with Convoy WB 155 to Sydney , Cape Breton , Nova Scotia , arriving the next day . " Empire Nightingale " then joined Convoy SH 198 , which sailed that day and arrived at Halifax on 20 January . She departed three days later with Convoy XB 143 , which arrived at Boston on 26 January . She left the convoy at the Cape Cod Canal and arrived at New York on 27 January . Post - war . " Empire Nightingale " departed from New York on 6 May with Convoy NG 506 , which arrived at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba on 13 May . She left the convoy at Nuevitas on 12 May . She then sailed to Puerto Tarafa , from where she departed on 29 May for New York , arriving on 3 June . She passed Cape Henry , Virginia on 4 June and arrived at Falmouth , Cornwall , United Kingdom on 19 June . Sailing the same day , " Empire Nightingale " arrived at The Downs on 21 June and sailed on to Immingham , Lincolnshire , arriving on 23 June . " Empire Nightingale " departed from Immingham on 26 June . She is next recorded as departing from Safi , Morocco on 9 August and arriving at La Pallice , Charente - Maritime , France on 15 August . She sailed on 28 August for Newport , Monmouthshire , where she arrived on 31 August . She departed on 4 September for Casablanca , Morocco , arriving on 9 September and sailing the next day for Hull , Yorkshire , where she arrived on 18 September . " Empire Nightingale " departed on 6 October for Montreal , Quebec , Canada , arriving on 20 October . She sailed on 3 November for Le Havre , Seine - Maritime , France , arriving on 21 November . In May 1946 , " Empire Nightingale " was advertised for sale or charter . She was available for sale at £20 , 000 or charter at £750 per month on a three - year charter or £500 a month on a five - year charter . She was sold to Williamson & Co Ltd , Hong Kong and renamed " Inchmull " . She was sold in 1948 to Scindia Steam Navigation Corporatio and renamed " Jamalatsya " . In 1953 , she was sold to Richard Nathan Corporation , New York and renamed " Ricnat " . She was scrapped at Bo ' ness , West Lothian , United Kingdom later that year .