GLENROY
(3) was built in 1938 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 9809grt, a depth of 507ft, a beam of 66ft 4in and
a service speed of 18 knots. In 1939 she was acquired by the
Admiralty and converted into a fast Fleet Supply Ship but was
not immediately required so operated for Glen until June of
that year when she went to Liverpool and was converted into
an infantry assault ship identical to the Glenearn. During her
conversion she was damaged by an air raid and eventually left
for the Mediterranean on 31st January 1941 to form part of Z
force. On 22nd April 1941 she grounded at Alexandria and, consequently,
took no part in the evacuation of Greece, but in the May was
sent to assist the evacuation of Crete. She was hit by incendiaries,
was damaged during the withdrawal and returned to Alexandria
for repairs.. In the following November she carried a full cargo
plus a deck cargo of 16 lighters to participate in Operation
Aggression - supplying besieged Tobruk. During this operation
she was hit by an aerial torpedo and was initially taken in
tow by the cruiser HMS Carlisle but had to be beached near Mersa
Matruh. Made more watertight she was refloated and towed to
Alexandria for repairs which took until November 1942 when she
returned to Cardiff for further repairs and then to Belfast
to be converted into a Landing Ship Infantry (Large). She returned
to service on 21st February 1943 but only as a care and maintenance
ship pending future deployment in the Normandy landings. Like
the Glenearn she took part in the rehearsals and then the full
scale landings when she was damaged by a mine laid by E-boats,
returning to Cardiff for repairs. In January 1945 she went to
the Pacific to join the East Indies Squadron until 21st June
1946 when she was released from military service and returned
to Glen Line. Reconverted by Siley, Cox & Co at Falmouth
to her original specification she returned to the Far East service
on 27th May 1948. On 29th October, 1966 she sailed from Kobe
to the breakers yard at Onomichi. (Picture from the Iain Lovie
Collection)
DENBIGHSHIRE
(1) was built in 1938 by Nederlandsche Scheepvaarts Maats in
Amsterdam with a tonnage of 8983grt, a length of 507ft, a beam
of 66ft 4 in and a service speed of 18 knots. In 1941 she took
part in two of the regular Malta convoys, 'Substance' and 'Halberd'
and after the latter was set on fire in Malta and spent some
months there before making a break for Alexandria. During the
period of the Malta convoys there were 31 solo runs, single
ships carrying food and general supplies making a dash with
minimum cover.. Of the 31 runs 9 ships were sunk, 1 ship had
to turn back and 22 were successful. The Denbighshire undertook
several of those solo runs. However, Malta was really dependent
on the massive convoys, 'Pedestal' being the most well known,
as these carried the vital fuel oil and ammunition. In 1945
Denbighshire served in the Pacific Fleet alongside the Glenartney
until late 1946 when she resumed commercial service. She was
transferred to Blue Funnel in December 1967, renamed Sarpedon
(6), and in May 1969 she was sold for scrap after 28 years,
the longest serving Glen Line ship. (Photo from the Iain Lovie
Collection)
BRECONSHIRE (1) was built in 1939 by
Taikoo Dk & Engineering Co. at Hong Kong with a tonnage
of 9776grt, a length of 507ft, a beam of 66ft 3 in and a service
speed of 18 knots. On completion she was acquired by the Admiralty
and converted into an Auxiliary Supply Ship and commissioned
as HMS Breconshire. On 15th April she ran into Malta supported
by Admiral Cunningham's naval strength and an enemy attack on
this fleet enable a number of empty merchantmen to to make a
break for Alexandria. Between 21st-26th July she participated
in 'Operation Substance' when a convoy of six ships fought through
to Malta allowing the Breconshire and six empty cargo ships
to escape eastwards. In all, HMS Breconshire made more trips
to Malta than any other merchantman. Ensuring the survival of
Malta was vital and every effort was made to keep the island
supplied, so much so, that on 17th December 1941 three cruisers
and fourteen destroyers were deployed to ensure that the Breconshire
got through. However, in March 1942, under the command of Capt.
Colin Hutchinson RN, she was to fight her last battle. She left
Alexandria on 20th March, as commodore ship, with a cargo mainly
consisting of high explosive and kerosene, accompanied by Clan
Campbell (Clan Line), Pampas (Buries Marks) and the Talabot
(Wilhelmsen). The next day, by which time the Clan Campbell
was straggling, the convoy was met by Admiral Vian on HMS Cleopatra,
three other cruiser and 16 destroyers. Aircraft provided overhead
cover and three submarines were patrolling to the north. On
the 22nd there were several ineffective attacks by Italian Savoia
bombers but HM submarine P 36 reported heavy Italian surface
fleet steaming to intercept. At 13.30 an aircraft dropped a
line of flares to guide the Italian force towards the convoy
and with them began the Battle of Sirte Gulf. Six destroyers
and the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Carlisle were delegated to
protect the convoy while the remainder of the escort steamed
off to meet the oncoming Italians. Although a smoke screen was
laid to screen the merchantmen bombing had started by mid-afternoon
and was continuous with all the ships being straddled but, fortunately,
not hit. By late-afternoon the Italian cruiser Littorio, three
cruisers and twelve destroyers arrived on the scene and the
convoy was ordered to alter course, southward, into the Sirte
Gulf. Laying a smoke screen Vian's fleet went after the Italians
whose objective was to get round the smoke to get a clear shot
at the convoy. As they broke through Vian's cruiser fired a
broadside of torpedoes which caused the Italians to turn away.
The manoeuvre was repeated but after another broadside was fired
the Italians withdrew and the battle was over. However, by now
the merchantmen were so far south that they could not possibly
reach Malta, some 240 miles away, under the cover of darkness.
As the main escort no longer had the fuel or ammunition to provide
effective cover Vian ordered the merchantmen to break convoy
and head for Grand Harbour, Valetta at full speed. The Breconshire
set off at 17 knots accompanied by the destroyers HMS Southwold
and HMS Beaufort and the A.A. cruiser Carlisle and by daybreak
they were only 20 miles from home. But enemy aircraft were already
circling waiting to attack. Air support was requested but nothing
was available to cover the ships as they approached Malta. On
23rd March a single Junkers 88 commenced the first attack which
was followed by Me 109 fighter bombers who scored three hits.
The Ju 88's returned at regular intervals scoring more hits
by which time Breconshire was lying dead in the water, 10 miles
from Malta. The cruiser, HMS Penelope left Valetta Harbour to
take the ship in tow but twenty feet waves caused the tow to
part leaving her to drift towards the protective minefields.
By noon she managed to anchor short of the minefields and two
cruiser and four destroyers gave her anti-aircraft protection.
During the following night the anchors dragged and the mines
were close enough to be clearly visible from the ship. HMS Southwold
managed to get a tow line aboard but in doing so hit a mine
and broke her back finally sinking later that day. The air attacks
recommenced but the Breconshire was not hit and by midnight
the weather abated sufficiently to allow HM tugs Ancient and
Robust to reach the stricken ship. At 2.00 am on the 25th she
was under tow but a strong wind prevented entry into Grand Harbour
so it was decided to put her in Marsaxlokk Bay. As the ship
turned the swell caused her to veer madly. Breconshire signalled
the Ancient 'I have a strong tendency to come up into wind',
to which Ancient replied 'You're telling me!' At 10.00 Breconshire
entered the bay and moored to No.1 buoy and her exhausted crew
were taken off for some well earned rest. The tanker HMS Plumleaf
was delegated to go alongside and take off the kerosene and
fuel oil but this could not be done until the tanks were freed
and opened. While this was being done HMS Plumleaf was bombed
and beached. The Luftwaffe, being determined to destroy the
three merchantmen who made it, increased their air attacks with
the Pampas and the Talabot being rendered unrecognisable and
Breconshire being repeatedly dive bombed. On 26th March hasty
repairs were commenced so that she could be towed into Grand
Harbour. The air attacks resumed and at 18.30 a lone Ju 88 scored
four direct hits which caused a fire that was quickly brought
under control. Miraculously the ship did not explode but she
was settling and listing to port and by sunset the port rail
was under water. At daybreak on the 27th she was still afloat
but fires had again broken out, abaft the No.3 hold was a blazing
inferno and ammunition was beginning to explode. The Captain
and fourteen officers went out to her by launch but attempts
to scuttle her fail because of the intensive heat. Moments after
Capt. Hutchinson slid off the ship she rolled on her side and
then capsized. In April 1954 she was raised and, upside down,
towed to Trieste where, after examination to see if repair was
possible, she was broken up.
GLENGYLE
(5) was built in 1939 by Caledon SB & DD Co. at Dundee with
a tonnage of 9919grt, a length of 507ft, a beam of 66ft 4 in
and a service speed of 18 knots. On delivery she was taken over
by the Admiralty and converted into a fast supply ship, flying
the white ensign as HMS Glengyle. In April 1940 she was converted
into a Landing Ship Infantry (L) capable of carrying 700 troops
and was commissioned on the following 10th September. The LSI-(L)'s
were not armoured as it was Winston Churchill's plan to operate
hit and run commando raids on enemy coats to boost morale. On
31st January 1941 she sailed for the Mediterranean via the Cape
of Good Hope to join Z Force and in the April (19th-20th) took
part in the raid on Bardia. Between 24th -28th April she assisted
in the evacuation of Greece with the 15th Cruiser Squadron when
a total of 4,500 troops were lifted from Raphto and on 19th
May carried 3,000 troops to Suda Bay, Crete. On 29th - 30th
May in company the Anchor Line's Cameronia they lifted 6000
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from Sphakia in Crete and
on 8th June took part in the invasion of Syria at Litani River
with the cruisers Pheobe, Perth and Calcutta. In January 1942
she was used on the Malta run from Alexandria and in the following
April returned to Glasgow to train for the raid on Dieppe where,
on 19th August, she was present somehow disguised as a tanker.
In the following November she was back in the Mediterranean
carrying US troops to Oran as part of the North African landings,
Operation Torch. and in 1943, in company with the Monarch of
Bermuda and four other transports, was present at the Sicily
landing at Pachini, Operation Husky. In the September she took
troops to Salerno then was detached to Bombay for Far East operations
but was recalled for another Italian landing. She took part
in the Anzio landings in January, 1944 and then returned to
Liverpool for a refit as an LSI-(L). On commissioning in the
following July she sailed for the Far East carrying the 5th
Airborne Division to Bombay and in the August joined Operation
Armour at Trincomalee. As part of a task force which included
the Union Castle vessel Llanstephan Castle she took the Third
Commando Brigade to relieve Hong Kong arriving shortly after
the war had ended on 2nd September. In the October, operating
for the Australian Naval Board, she put an Australian garrison
ashore at Singapore and then picked up a contingent of Australians
a Tarakan and took them to Brisbane repeating the task at Balikparan,
Labaun and Morotai. On 29th January 1946 she left Australia
for Kure in Japan with garrison troops and then to Subic Bay
in Manila where she evacuated British POW's and took them to
the Clyde. On 17th July she returned to Glen Line and was refitted
for commercial operations by Vickers, Armstrong at Newcastle
rejoining the fleet on 3rd March 1948. In October 1970 she was
transferred to Blue Funnel and renamed Deucalion (5) but only
until June of the following year when she was broken up at Kaohsiung.
(Photograph from the Iain Lovie Collection)
GLENORCHY (2) was built in 1939 by Tailoo
Dock & Engineering Co. at Hong Kong with a tonnage of 8982grt
a length of 507ft, a beam of 66ft 4 in and a service speed of
18 knots. On delivery she embarked upon commercial operations
but only until June 1940 when she was requisitioned for government
supply work in the Mediterranean where she took part in the
Malta convoys but before the Africa campaign really got underway.
In late 1941 she returned to the UK where she was fitted with
anti-aircraft guns. On 3rd August she sailed from the Clyde
with a full cargo of stores for Malta and between 10th - 13th
August took part in the most famous Malta Convoy WS21 S, Operation
Pedestal. Fourteen ships sailed from Gibraltar escorted by the
battleships Nelson and Rodney, four fleet aircraft carriers
Eagle, Furious, Indomitable and Victorious, seven cruisers and
thirty destroyers with four submarines patrolling between the
convoy and Italian Naval bases at Naples and Taranto- a formidable
force. In addition a decoy convoy sailed from Alexandria but
had to turn back after twenty four hours. On 13th August at
04.30 she was torpedoed and sunk by E-boats five miles north
west of Keliba lighthouse, Tunisia. She was one of five vessels
sunk in the Narrows and there were no survivors. Of the fourteen
ships which set out from Gibraltar only five arrived at Grand
Harbour, Valetta; Port Chalmers, Melbourne Star, Brisbane Star,
Rochester Castle and the badly damaged oil tanker Ohio. The
other ships which failed to make it were Almeria Lykes, Clan
Ferguson, Deucalion, Empire Hope, Dorset, Santa Elisa, Waiarama
and the Wairangi.
GLENARTNEY
(4) was built in 1940 by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Dry
Dock Co. at Dundee with a tonnage of 9795grt, a length of 507ft,
a beam of 66ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots. She was
delivered in 1940 with a shortened funnel and masts with a pole
mast fitted well to the port side of the bridge to confuse U-Boat
commanders who lined up mast and funnel for a bearing. Although
painted grey she operated commercially until 1941 when she was
used as a fast supply ship.. On December 1942 she took part
in Operation Portcullis when, as part of a four ship convoy,
she was escorted through to Malta with vital stores. In 1944
she formed part of the Pacific Fleet and, at one time, undertook
experiments in the high speed transfer of stores at sea. She
was released back to Glen Line in mid 1946 and refitted for
commercial service and the Far East run. In 1967 she was sold
for scrap and sailed from Kobe en route to the breakers yard
at Onomichi on 16th March. (Photo from the Iain Lovie Collection)
GLENGARRY
(3) was built in 1940 by Burmeister & Wain at Copenhagen
with a tonnage of 9311grt, a length of 507ft, a beam of 66ft
4 in and a service speed of 18 knots .Before completion she
was seized by the Germans when Denmark was invaded and allocated
to the Hamburg Amerika Line and renamed Meersburg. She was later
used as a depot ship for U-boat flotillas 25 and 27, based at
Kiel. In 1942 she was converted into a mine laying Armed Merchant
Cruiser, renamed Hansa and equipped with 9 x 3.7in guns, 26
Anti-aircraft guns and four torpedo tubes. Although used, in
1944, for mine laying training in the Baltic she never undertook
her intended role which was to mine the Russian Convoy routes.
Recovered by the British on 4th May 1945 at Kiel she was renamed
Empire Humber, and in 1946 she was released back to Glen Line
when, after an 18 month refit rejoined the fleet as the Glengarry.
She was transferred to Blue Funnel in 1970 and renamed Dardanus
(6) but reverted back to Glen and Glengarry in 1971 for a voyage
to Sakkaido in Japan where she was scrapped. (Photo from the
Iain Lovie Collection)
GLENROY
(3) was built in 1938 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 9809grt, a depth of 507ft, a beam of 66ft 4in and
a service speed of 18 knots. In 1939 she was acquired by the
Admiralty and converted into a fast Fleet Supply Ship but was
not immediately required so operated for Glen until June of
that year when she went to Liverpool and was converted into
an infantry assault ship identical to the Glenearn. During her
conversion she was damaged by an air raid and eventually left
for the Mediterranean on 31st January 1941 to form part of Z
force. On 22nd April 1941 she grounded at Alexandria and, consequently,
took no part in the evacuation of Greece, but in the May was
sent to assist the evacuation of Crete. She was hit by incendiaries,
was damaged during the withdrawal and returned to Alexandria
for repairs.. In the following November she carried a full cargo
plus a deck cargo of 16 lighters to participate in Operation
Aggression - supplying besieged Tobruk. During this operation
she was hit by an aerial torpedo and was initially taken in
tow by the cruiser HMS Carlisle but had to be beached near Mersa
Matruh. Made more watertight she was refloated and towed to
Alexandria for repairs which took until November 1942 when she
returned to Cardiff for further repairs and then to Belfast
to be converted into a Landing Ship Infantry (Large). She returned
to service on 21st February 1943 but only as a care and maintenance
ship pending future deployment in the Normandy landings. Like
the Glenearn she took part in the rehearsals and then the full
scale landings when she was damaged by a mine laid by E-boats,
returning to Cardiff for repairs. In January 1945 she went to
the Pacific to join the East Indies Squadron until 21st June
1946 when she was released from military service and returned
to Glen Line. Reconverted by Siley, Cox & Co at Falmouth
to her original specification she returned to the Far East service
on 27th May 1948. On 29th October, 1966 she sailed from Kobe
to the breakers yard at Onomichi. (Picture from the Iain Lovie
Collection) 
DENBIGHSHIRE
(1) was built in 1938 by Nederlandsche Scheepvaarts Maats in
Amsterdam with a tonnage of 8983grt, a length of 507ft, a beam
of 66ft 4 in and a service speed of 18 knots. In 1941 she took
part in two of the regular Malta convoys, 'Substance' and 'Halberd'
and after the latter was set on fire in Malta and spent some
months there before making a break for Alexandria. During the
period of the Malta convoys there were 31 solo runs, single
ships carrying food and general supplies making a dash with
minimum cover.. Of the 31 runs 9 ships were sunk, 1 ship had
to turn back and 22 were successful. The Denbighshire undertook
several of those solo runs. However, Malta was really dependent
on the massive convoys, 'Pedestal' being the most well known,
as these carried the vital fuel oil and ammunition. In 1945
Denbighshire served in the Pacific Fleet alongside the Glenartney
until late 1946 when she resumed commercial service. She was
transferred to Blue Funnel in December 1967, renamed Sarpedon
(6), and in May 1969 she was sold for scrap after 28 years,
the longest serving Glen Line ship. (Photo from the Iain Lovie
Collection) 
GLENGYLE
(5) was built in 1939 by Caledon SB & DD Co. at Dundee with
a tonnage of 9919grt, a length of 507ft, a beam of 66ft 4 in
and a service speed of 18 knots. On delivery she was taken over
by the Admiralty and converted into a fast supply ship, flying
the white ensign as HMS Glengyle. In April 1940 she was converted
into a Landing Ship Infantry (L) capable of carrying 700 troops
and was commissioned on the following 10th September. The LSI-(L)'s
were not armoured as it was Winston Churchill's plan to operate
hit and run commando raids on enemy coats to boost morale. On
31st January 1941 she sailed for the Mediterranean via the Cape
of Good Hope to join Z Force and in the April (19th-20th) took
part in the raid on Bardia. Between 24th -28th April she assisted
in the evacuation of Greece with the 15th Cruiser Squadron when
a total of 4,500 troops were lifted from Raphto and on 19th
May carried 3,000 troops to Suda Bay, Crete. On 29th - 30th
May in company the Anchor Line's Cameronia they lifted 6000
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from Sphakia in Crete and
on 8th June took part in the invasion of Syria at Litani River
with the cruisers Pheobe, Perth and Calcutta. In January 1942
she was used on the Malta run from Alexandria and in the following
April returned to Glasgow to train for the raid on Dieppe where,
on 19th August, she was present somehow disguised as a tanker.
In the following November she was back in the Mediterranean
carrying US troops to Oran as part of the North African landings,
Operation Torch. and in 1943, in company with the Monarch of
Bermuda and four other transports, was present at the Sicily
landing at Pachini, Operation Husky. In the September she took
troops to Salerno then was detached to Bombay for Far East operations
but was recalled for another Italian landing. She took part
in the Anzio landings in January, 1944 and then returned to
Liverpool for a refit as an LSI-(L). On commissioning in the
following July she sailed for the Far East carrying the 5th
Airborne Division to Bombay and in the August joined Operation
Armour at Trincomalee. As part of a task force which included
the Union Castle vessel Llanstephan Castle she took the Third
Commando Brigade to relieve Hong Kong arriving shortly after
the war had ended on 2nd September. In the October, operating
for the Australian Naval Board, she put an Australian garrison
ashore at Singapore and then picked up a contingent of Australians
a Tarakan and took them to Brisbane repeating the task at Balikparan,
Labaun and Morotai. On 29th January 1946 she left Australia
for Kure in Japan with garrison troops and then to Subic Bay
in Manila where she evacuated British POW's and took them to
the Clyde. On 17th July she returned to Glen Line and was refitted
for commercial operations by Vickers, Armstrong at Newcastle
rejoining the fleet on 3rd March 1948. In October 1970 she was
transferred to Blue Funnel and renamed Deucalion (5) but only
until June of the following year when she was broken up at Kaohsiung.
(Photograph from the Iain Lovie Collection) 
GLENARTNEY
(4) was built in 1940 by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Dry
Dock Co. at Dundee with a tonnage of 9795grt, a length of 507ft,
a beam of 66ft 4in and a service speed of 18 knots. She was
delivered in 1940 with a shortened funnel and masts with a pole
mast fitted well to the port side of the bridge to confuse U-Boat
commanders who lined up mast and funnel for a bearing. Although
painted grey she operated commercially until 1941 when she was
used as a fast supply ship.. On December 1942 she took part
in Operation Portcullis when, as part of a four ship convoy,
she was escorted through to Malta with vital stores. In 1944
she formed part of the Pacific Fleet and, at one time, undertook
experiments in the high speed transfer of stores at sea. She
was released back to Glen Line in mid 1946 and refitted for
commercial service and the Far East run. In 1967 she was sold
for scrap and sailed from Kobe en route to the breakers yard
at Onomichi on 16th March. (Photo from the Iain Lovie Collection)
GLENGARRY
(3) was built in 1940 by Burmeister & Wain at Copenhagen
with a tonnage of 9311grt, a length of 507ft, a beam of 66ft
4 in and a service speed of 18 knots .Before completion she
was seized by the Germans when Denmark was invaded and allocated
to the Hamburg Amerika Line and renamed Meersburg. She was later
used as a depot ship for U-boat flotillas 25 and 27, based at
Kiel. In 1942 she was converted into a mine laying Armed Merchant
Cruiser, renamed Hansa and equipped with 9 x 3.7in guns, 26
Anti-aircraft guns and four torpedo tubes. Although used, in
1944, for mine laying training in the Baltic she never undertook
her intended role which was to mine the Russian Convoy routes.
Recovered by the British on 4th May 1945 at Kiel she was renamed
Empire Humber, and in 1946 she was released back to Glen Line
when, after an 18 month refit rejoined the fleet as the Glengarry.
She was transferred to Blue Funnel in 1970 and renamed Dardanus
(6) but reverted back to Glen and Glengarry in 1971 for a voyage
to Sakkaido in Japan where she was scrapped. (Photo from the
Iain Lovie Collection) 
HOME