An Empire ship is a merchant ship that was given a name beginning with "Empire" in the service of the Government of the United Kingdom during and after World War II. Most were used by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), which owned them and contracted their operation to various shipping companies of the British Merchant Navy.
RFA Wave Victor, ex–Empire Bounty
HMS Activity, formerly Empire Activity
SS Hannover listing before her capture on 6 March 1940; later HMS Audacity
RFA Empire Gull
A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usually specially designed for the task, often being equipped with cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes. Today, they are almost always built of welded steel, and with some exceptions generally have a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years before being scrapped.
Cargo ship at Puerto Cortés in Honduras.
A container ship unloading at Zanzibar, Tanzania
A US cargo ship off McMurdo Station, Antarctica
General cargo ship Namibia