In the spring of 1946 the company approached the Admiralty with a request to purchase three of these vessels. The Admiralty were unwilling to sell, but after negotiations agreed to let the ASN have the use of three vessels on bareboat charter at a rate of £13 6s 8d per day. These vessels were LSTs "3519", "3534", and "3512". They were renamed "Empire Baltic", , and , perpetuating the name of White Star Line ships in combination with the "Empire" ship naming of vessels in government service during the war.