Chaksang was a 1,923GRT Hansa A type cargo ship which was built in 1944 as Weserbrück by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany for Norddeutscher Lloyd. She was seized by the Allies in an incomplete state in 1945 and completed as Empire Fraser for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was sold in 1946 to the Indo-China Steam Navigation Co Ltd and renamed Chaksang. Suffering an on-board explosion and fire in September 1949, she sank at Hong Kong. She was subsequently raised and scrapped in 1950.
Description
The ship was 85.85m (281ft 8in) long, with a beam of 13.51m (44ft 4in). She had a depth of 4.80m (15ft 9in). She was assessed at 1,923GRT.[1]
The ship was powered by a two-cylinder compound steam engine driving a single screw propeller. It could propel her at 10 knots (19km/h).[2]
In November 1946, Empire Fraser transported a cargo of raw silk from Tokyo, Japan to the United Kingdom. This was the first silk imported into the United Kingdom after the end of the Second World War.[4]Empire Fraser was sold to the Indo-China Steam Navigation Co Ltd in 1947 and was renamed Chaksang.[3] On 7 September 1949, there was an onboard explosion and fire whilst the ship was moored at Hong Kong. No. 1 and No. 2 holds were affected, with flames reported to be 300 feet (91m) high. Thirteen of her 66 crew were killed.[5][6] She sank the next day.[3] The ship had been delayed from sailing to Tianjin due to Typhoon Nelly and the cause of the explosion was sabotage.[7] The ship was refloated on 22 March 1950. She was declared a constructive total loss and scrapped at Hong Kong.[3]
12345Mitchell, W.H.; Sawyer, L.A. (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. p.not cited. ISBN1-85044-275-4.
↑"Japanese silk for stockings". The Times. No.50605. London. 11 November 1946. col. C, p.3.
↑"Cause of Explosion in Hong Kong Harbour". The Times. No.51598. London. 25 January 1950. col. C, p.3.
