HMS Sansovino was an infantry landing ship in service with the Royal Navy during the late stages of the Second World War.

She was built in 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California, as the Cape Compass for the United States Maritime Commission (USMC).

In January 1945, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Sansovino, serving until June when she was returned to the MoWT, regaining her former name Empire Cutlass.

A proposed sale in 1948 to China fell through due to the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War and the ship was laid up in the James River, Virginia.

[5] Furness, Withy & Co.[6] Empire Cutlass departed from Los Angeles, California, on her maiden voyage on 21 November 1943, sailing to Balboa, arriving on 1 December.

She then sailed to Cristóbal, Panama, where she joined Convoy ZG 52, which arrived at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on 14 December.

On 30 January, she departed form the Clyde for Loch Ewe, where she joined Convoy WN 539,[7] which arrived at Methil, Fife on 2 February.

[citation needed] During the Normandy Landings, she had near misses from two torpedoes and suffered heavy shelling from Le Havre.

On 21 November she was damaged by an oyster mine off the Digne Light, Le Havre, France,[1] but no casualties were reported.

[16] On 18 January 1946 she was in the Pacific when the Highland Brigade, carrying two thousand Indian troops, struck a mine off Singapore.

[18] Although Empire Cutlass was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet on 29 April 1948 and delivered to Norfolk, Virginia,[19] the sale fell through due to the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War.

[21] Empire Cutlass was renamed Hai Ou, and entered service with the China Merchants Steam Navigation Co., of Taiwan.