SS British Transport

Last updated

History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameBritish Transport
OwnerEmpire Transport Co Ltd
Operator Houlder Bros & Co Ltd
Port of registry West Hartlepool
BuilderSir Raylton Dixon & Co, Middlesbrough
Yard number550
Launched25 April 1910
CompletedJune 1910
Identification
FateScrapped in Italy, July 1933
General characteristics
Type general cargo ship
Tonnage4,143  GRT, 2,663  NRT, 7,200  DWT
Length
Beam51.1 ft (15.6 m)
Draught23 ft 4 in (7.1 m)
Depth26.1 ft (8.0 m)
Decks1
Installed power329 NHP
Propulsion triple expansion engine
Speed10 knots (19 km/h)
Armament
Notesone of at least six sister ships

SS British Transport was a general cargo steamship that was built in England in 1910 and scrapped in Italy in 1933. In 1917 she became the first merchant ship to succeed in sinking a U-boat.

Contents

Building and technical details

British Transport was one of a class of at least six sister ships built in two shipyards in North East England in 1910.

In February 1910 the Northumberland Shipbuilding Company launched the cargo ship Amsterdam at Howdon on the River Tyne for the Furness, Withy shipping group, which owned Northumberland Shipbuilding. [1] The same shipyard then launched sister ships to the same design: Algeriana in March and Graciana in April. These had been ordered by Furness, Withy, but were completed as Indian Transport and Cape Transport for the Empire Transport Company Ltd, which was part of Houlder Line. [2] [3] In May 1910 the same shipbuilder launched Natal Transport, also for Houlder Brothers' Empire Transport Co. [4]

Each ship was propelled by a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple expansion engine built by Richardsons, Westgarth and Company at its works in Sunderland.

The Empire Transport Co ordered two sister ships to the same design from Sir Raylton Dixon and Company in Middlesbrough on the River Tees. British Transport was launched on 25 April [5] [6] and had her sea trials on 2 June. [7] Canadian Transport was launched in June and completed in July. Richardsons, Westgarth and Co built the engine for each ship at its works in Middlesbrough. [8] British Transport's engine was rated at 329 NHP, [9] giving her a speed of about 10 knots (19 km/h).

British Transport was 377 ft 6 in (115.1 m) long overall [5] and her registered length was 364.8 ft (111.2 m). Her beam was 51.1 ft (15.6 m) and her depth was 26.1 ft (8.0 m). Her tonnages were 4,143  GRT, 2,663  NRT [9] and about 7,200  DWT. [5]

British Transport had the UK official number 127458 and code letters HRBT. By 1930 she was equipped for wireless telegraphy. [9]

U-49

In September 1917 British Transport left Brest, France with a cargo of munitions and other explosives for Archangel in Russia.[ citation needed ] At noon on 11 September the U-boat SM U-49 sighted British Transport in the Bay of Biscay. The U-boat was on the surface, and opened fire with her 88 mm deck gun. British Transport returned fire with her 4-inch gun, and the two vessels fought a gun duel for five hours. [10]

After dark, U-49 continued to pursue British Transport. At 2100 hrs, the U-boat fired two torpedoes, but both missed. Half an hour later, British Transport sighted the phosphorescence of U-49's wake[ citation needed ] off her port bow. [10] British Transport turned and rammed U-49, and then opened fire with her 4-inch gun, sinking the U-boat with all hands at 46°17′N14°42′W / 46.283°N 14.700°W / 46.283; -14.700 . [11]

Awards

In February 1918, numerous members of British Transport's crew were decorated for sinking U-49. Her Master, Captain Alfred Pope, was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. [10] [12] The DSO is an exclusively military order. Pope was commissioned as a temporary lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve for three years from December 1917, back-dated to 10 September 1917, [13] to entitle him to the medal.

British Transport's Chief Officer, Second Officer and Chief Engineer were each awarded the DSC. [10] Seven members of her crew were awarded the DSM and three were mentioned in dispatches. [14]

The British Admiralty awarded £1,000, and an anonymous donor gave another £1,000 via Lloyd's Register. The Committee of Lloyd's and Houlder Brothers each added £250, the Ministry of Shipping gave Captain Pope £100 and a month's wages to each member of the crew. [14]

Lloyd's of London later awarded Captain Pope its Silver Medal for Meritorious Services. [10]

Scrapping

On 13 July 1933 British Transport arrived at Pola in Italy to be scrapped. [6] [15] [16]

Related Research Articles

Junyō Maru Cargo steamship that became a Japanese hell ship

Jun'yō Maru (順陽丸) was a cargo steamship that was built in Scotland in 1913, served a succession of British owners until 1927, and was then in Japanese ownership until a Royal Navy submarine sank her in 1944.

HMS <i>Manica</i>

HMS Manica was a merchant steamship that was built in England in 1901 and was scrapped in Japan in 1931. She was built as a dry cargo ship but spent the latter part of her career as an oil tanker.

SS Royston Grange was a Houlder Line refrigerated cargo liner steamship that was built in England in 1959. In 1972 she collided with the tanker Tien Chee in the Río de la Plata. The resulting fire killed all 74 people aboard Royston Grange and eight people aboard Tien Chee. Royston Grange's burnt-out hulk was scrapped in Spain in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furness Withy</span>

Furness Withy was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange.

SS <i>Glitra</i>

SS Glitra was a steam cargo ship that was launched in 1881 as Saxon Prince. In 1896 she was renamed Glitra. In 1914 she became the first British merchant vessel to be sunk by a u-boat in the First World War.

SS Montrose was a British merchant steamship that was built in 1897 and wrecked in 1914. She was built as a cargo liner for Elder, Dempster & Company. In 1903 the Canadian Pacific Railway bought her and had her converted into a passenger liner.

SS Manistee was an Elders & Fyffes Ltd banana boat that was launched in 1920. She was one of a numerous class of similar banana boats built for Elders & Fyffes in the 1920s.

USS <i>Maartensdijk</i> Cargo steamship that served in the US Navy in the First World War

USS Maartensdijk was a cargo steamship that was laid down in England in 1902 as Egyptiana, but launched as Rapallo. She served in the United States Navy as USS Maartensdijk from 1918 until 1919, with the Naval Registry Identification Number ID-2497.

SM U-49 was the seventh U-boat of the U-43 class. She was ordered on 4 August 1914 and was put into the III Flotilla 7 August 1916. In her career she sank 38 ships for a total of 86,320 gross register tons (GRT). None was a naval ship.

SS <i>Polar Chief</i> British merchant steamship

SS Polar Chief was a merchant steamship that was built in England in 1897 and scrapped in Scotland in 1952. In its 55-year career it had previously been called Montcalm, RFA Crenella, Crenella, Rey Alfonso, Anglo-Norse and Empire Chief. Early in the First World War it spent eight months pretending to be the battleship HMS Audacious.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houlder Line</span>

Houlder Line was a number of related British shipping companies originally established by the Houlder brothers.

MV El Argentino was a refrigerated cargo motor ship that was built in Scotland in 1920 and sunk by a German aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean in 1943.

SS Canonesa was a refrigerated cargo steamship that was built in Ireland in 1920 and sunk by a u-boat in the Atlantic Ocean in 1940.

SS Verona was a transatlantic ocean liner that was built in Ireland in 1908 for an Italian shipping line. She was a troop ship in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–12 and in the First World War in 1917–18. In 1918 a German submarine sank her in the Mediterranean with great loss of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furness Bermuda Line</span>

Furness Bermuda Line was a UK shipping line that operated in the 20th century. It was part of Furness, Withy and ran passenger liners between New York and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda from 1919 to 1966.

SS Benlomond was a British cargo steamship that was built in 1922 as Cynthiana, changed owners and names a number of times, and was sunk by a U-boat in 1942, with the loss of all but one of her 53 ship's company. The sole survivor, Poon Lim, drifted on a raft for 133 days before being rescued.

SS Sagamore was a transatlantic cargo liner that was built in Ireland in 1892 for George Warren's White Diamond Steam Ship Company. In 1913 she was modified to carry passengers as well as cargo. In 1917 a German U-boat sank her, causing the death of 52 members of her crew.

Teiryu Maru

SS Teiryu Maru was a steam cargo ship that was launched in England in 1914 as Northwestern Miller. Furness, Withy & Co managed her until 1927, when Norddeutscher Lloyd bought her and renamed her Augsburg.

SS Manchester City was a British cargo steamship that was built in Glasgow in 1937 and scrapped in Faslane in 1964. The Royal Navy requisitioned her in the Second World War.

SS Belgian Prince was a British cargo steamship that was launched in 1900 as Mohawk. She was renamed Hungarian Prince when she changed owners in 1912, and Belgian Prince after the United Kingdom declared war against Austria-Hungary and its allies in 1914.

References

  1. ↑ "Brantford launched as Amsterdam". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Indian Transport launched as Algeriana". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Cape Transport launched as Graciana". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Natal Transport". Tyne Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 "Launches — English". International Marine Engineering & Naval Architect. New York, London: Marine Engineering, Inc. 32 (June): 437. 1910. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  6. 1 2 "British Transport". Tees Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Trial Trips". International Marine Engineering & Naval Architect. New York, London: Marine Engineering, Inc. 33 (August): 30. 1910. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "Canadian Transport". Tees Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 "Steamers and Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Burrell 1992, p. 73.
  11. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-49". uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "Honours to the Mercantile Marine". The London Gazette (Supplement). No. 30536. 22 February 1918. p. 2305.
  13. ↑ "Name: Alfred Thompson Pope. Rank: Lieutenant (Temporary) Date of Seniority: 10 September 1917". The National Archives . Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  14. 1 2 Burrell 1992, p. 74.
  15. ↑ Stevens 1950 [ page needed ]
  16. ↑ Haws 2000 [ page needed ]

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.