Empire Blanda was a cargo ship that Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow built in 1919 as Nile.

In 1940, the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) requisitioned Nile, which was renamed Empire Blanda.

[4] In 1939, Sokol was sold to Compagnia Panamena de Vapores Ltda and renamed Rio Grande.

In June 1940, Rio Grande sailed from Bermuda to Halifax, Nova Scotia to join Convoy HX 51, which arrived at Liverpool on 2 July.

[7] At 08:18 on 19 February 1941, Empire Blanda was torpedoed and sunk by U-69 south of Iceland with the loss of all 37 crew and three DEMS gunners, having straggled from the convoy.