SS Ljusneälf

The ship was built by L Smit & Zoon,[1] Kinderdijk as yard number 794.[2] She was launched in 1917,[3] and completed in February 1918.[2]

The ship was 239 feet 1 inch (72.87 m) long, with a beam of 36 feet 3 inches (11.05 m) and a depth of 16 feet 6 inches (5.03 m). The ship had a GRT of 1,391 and a NRT of 808.[3]

The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 17+1⁄2 inches (44 cm), 29+1⁄4 inches (74 cm) and 46+3⁄4 inches (119 cm) diameter by 36 inches (91 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Smits.[3] It was supplied by two Scotch boilers which had a heating area of 3,000 square feet (280 m²) and operated at a pressure of 180 pounds per square inch (12.7 kg/cm²). The engine was rated at 900 indicated horsepower (670 kW) and could propel the ship at 8 knots (15 km/h).[2]

Tilburg was built in 1917 for NV Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Maatschappij Transatlanta, Rotterdam.[4] The Code Letters PTNJ were allocated. She was initially operated under the management of B de Booy and L Arij Jansen. In 1920, the management of Tilurg was changed to P W K van den Rope. On 8 November 1922,[2] she was sold to Baltische Reederei, Hamburg and was renamed Ljusneälf ("Ljusnan River").[5] She was allocated the Code Letters RCNJ.[3] On 15 September 1926,[2] she was sold to August Bolten Wm. Miller's Nachfolger, Hamburg.[5] Ljusneälf served with them until 11 January 1933,[2] when she was sold to China Reederi AG, Hamburg.[5] Her Code Letters were changed to DHPJ. She was then managed by August Bolten.[6] On 20 July 1937,[2] Ljusneälf was sold to Richard Schröder, Rostock.[7] In March 1938, she was renamed Hubert Schröder.[2]

On 9 April 1945, Hubert Schröder was seized by the Allies in the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal.[2] She was passed to the MoWT and renamed Empire Conquest. She was placed under the management of M Taylor. Her port of registry was changed to London. The Code Letters GLGC and United Kingdom Official Number 180764 were allocated.[8] In 1946, Empire Conquest was sold to Southern Shipping & Finance Co Ltd, London and was renamed Southern Island.[5] She was operated under the management of British & Overseas Minerals Ltd, London,[7] and then by M Kissa.[2]

In 1951, Southern Island was sold to Ubaldo Gennari fu Torquato & Co, Rimini, Italy and was renamed Verax (Latin: "truthful"). In 1960, she was sold to Compagnia de Navigazione Caribbean Cargo Carriers, Panama and was renamed Costance,[5] operating under the management of Ubaldo Gerrari fu Torquato & Co.[2] In 1962, she was sold to Compagnia de Navigazione Costance SA, Panama[7] and operated under the management of Vittorio Morace, Naples. On 21 April 1966, Costance was on a voyage in ballast from Naples to Sfax, Tunisia, when she ran aground on Lampedusa Island, Italy, in stormy weather,[2] and subsequently sank.[4]

• Photo of Ljusneälf