SMS Teodo

SMS Teodo was a 6,561 ton collier built in 1915 for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. She was ceded to Italy in 1921 as a war reparation. She was renamed Barbana in 1924 and Barbana G in 1926. In 1940, she was seized by the United Kingdom and renamed Empire Airman. On 21 September 1940, Empire Airman was torpedoed and sunk by U-100.

History
Austria-Hungary
Name	SMS Teodo
Namesake	Teodo (Tivat)
Builder	Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino (STT), Trieste
Yard number	501
Laid down	14 March 1914
Launched	8 January 1915
Completed	17 February 1916
Fate	Ceded to Italy as war reparation, 1921
History
Name	1921: Teodo 1924: Barbana 1926: Barbana G 1940: Empire Airman
Owner	1921: Italian Government, Ministry of Transport 1924: Ministry of Marine, Italy 1926: Società Anonima di Navigazione Garibaldi, Genoa 1940: Ministry of War Transport
Operator	Owner operated except:- Mark Whitwill & Son Ltd, Bristol (1940)
Port of registry	1921: Genoa 1940: Newcastle upon Tyne
Identification	Italian official number 1496 (1926-40) UK Official Number 165788 (1940) Code letters NFVG (1926-40) Code letters GLZT (1940)
Fate	Sunk by U-100, 23 September 1940
General characteristics
Tonnage	6,561 GRT
Displacement	13,200 tons[1]
Length	449 ft 8 in (137.06 m)
Beam	55 ft 6 in (16.92 m)
Depth	34 ft 1 in (10.39 m)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine (STT) 369 hp (275 kW)
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement	112 (as SMS Teodo)[1]
Crew	37 (as Empire Airman)[2]

Approximate location of the sinking of Empire Airman.

History

SMS Teodo was built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, Trieste as yard number 501 and launched on 8 January 1913, being completed on 17 February 1916.^[3] SMS Teodo was a Pola Class collier of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.^[4] At the end of the First World War, under Article 137 of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, SMS Teodo was classed as a merchant ship^[5] and passed to the Italian Government Ministry of Transport. In 1924, she was passed to the Italian Ministry of Marine, and renamed Barbana. In 1926, she was sold to the Società Anonima di Navigazione Garibaldi, Genoa and renamed Barbana G.^[2] On 6 November 1929, she collided with the Italian cargo ship Atlantide in the Nieuwe Waterweg at Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands. Atlantide was consequently beached.^[6] Barbana G was captured off Leith and taken to Methil^[2] on 10 June 1940 and passed to the Ministry of War Transport, being renamed Empire Airman^[7] under the management of Mark Whitwill & Sons Ltd, Bristol.^[8]

Convoys

HX 72

Convoy HX 72 sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on 9 September 1940.^[9] Empire Airman was carrying a cargo of iron ore,^[10] she was bound for Cardiff.^[11] At 00:22 on 22 September, Empire Airman was hit by a torpedo fired by U-100. The ship was taken in tow, but sank on 23 September at 55°11′N 15°07′W. Thirty three of the thirty seven crew were killed in the attack. Four survivors were rescued by HMS La Malouine.^[2] Those lost on Empire Airman are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.^[12]

Official number and code letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers.

Barbana G had the Official Number 1496 on the Italian register.^[13] Empire Airman had the Official Number 165788 on Lloyds Register.^[8]

Barbana G used the Code Letters NFVZ.^[13] Empire Airman used the Code Letters GLZT^[8]

External links

• List of dead from Empire Airman Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine