This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(December 2020) |
Meriones | |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | Meriones |
Namesake | Meriones |
Owner | China Mutual Steam Nav Co Ltd |
Operator | Alfred Holt & Co |
Port of registry | Liverpool |
Builder | Palmers Sb and Iron Co, Hebburn |
Yard number | 921 |
Launched | 19 August 1921 |
Completed | September 1922 |
Identification |
|
Fate | Wrecked 25 January 1941 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Refrigerated cargo ship |
Tonnage | |
Length | 459.7 ft (140.1 m) |
Beam | 58.4 ft (17.8 m) |
Depth | 26.2 ft (8.0 m) |
Decks | 2 |
Installed power | 6,000 SHP |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 14.5 knots (27 km/h) |
Capacity | 111,000 cubic feet (3,143 m3) |
Sensors and processing systems | from 1934: wireless direction finding |
Notes | One of a class of 11 sister ships |
SS Meriones was a Blue Funnel Line refrigerated cargo steamship. She was launched in 1921 on the River Tyne as one of a class of 11 ships to replace many of Blue Funnel's losses in the First World War.
In 1941 the Second World War Meriones became stranded on a sandbank in the North Sea. An attempt to salvage her was disrupted by enemy air attacks, and she became a total loss.
Blue Funnel Line named its ships after characters from Greek mythology. Meriones was a warrior in Homer's Iliad .
Blue Funnel Line lost 16 ships in the First World War. Thereafter the company replaced its fleet, mainly with a class of 11 new steamships of about 460 ft (140 m) registered length, 58 ft (18 m) beam and tonnage of about 7,500 GRT, all launched between 1920 and 1923. [1]
Blue Funnel ordered members of the new class from five different shipyards. Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company built two: Automedon at Jarrow and Meriones at Hebburn, both launched in 1921. [2] [3]
Palmers launched Meriones on 19 August 1921 and completed her in September 1922. Like most members of the class she was powered by two steam turbines, which drove a single screw via double reduction gearing. Between them her turbines developed 6,000 SHP and gave her a speed of 14.5 knots (27 km/h). [3] Her holds had refrigerated space for 111,000 cubic feet (3,143 m3) of cargo. [4]
In 1934 Automedon's code letters KMSP [5] were superseded by the call sign GBCK, and she was fitted with wireless direction finding. [6]
In the Second World War Meriones mostly sailed unescorted. In November 1939 she sailed in Convy HG 7 from Port Said to Liverpool. [7] In May 1940 she sailed in Convoy SL 32 from Freetown in Sierra Leone to Liverpool. [8]
In January 1941 Meriones had partly loaded a mixed cargo for Brisbane, and joined a convoy heading from London to Hull on her way to load the rest of her cargo. Her cargo included cement, sodium nitrate, manganese, tinplate and a large quantity of cable and machinery. [9] Also aboard were two racehorses owned by the Duke of Gloucester, [10] who had recently been appointed Governor-General of Australia. Meriones' complement numbered 101 including her Master, crew and passengers.
On 22 January 1941 Meriones struck the wreck of the cargo ship Monte Nevoso, which had grounded and sunk on South Haisborough Bank in 1932. Meriones became grounded upon the wreck, [11] and her number six hold filled with water.[ citation needed ]
On 24 January Great Yarmouth Port and Haven Commissioners' 122 GRT salvage tug Richard Lee Barber [12] took pumps to try to refloat Meriones. Richard Lee Barber carried a salvage officer, Blue Funnel Line's marine superintendent, Captain Glazier, [10] and Coxswain Henry Blogg of the Cromer Lifeboat, who had the best knowledge of Haisborough Sands. [11]
Meanwhile German aircraft attacked Meriones. One attack was made as Richard Lee Barber approached Haisborough Sands, but was eventually repelled by gunners on nearby ships. An attack at 1415 hrs wounded one of Meriones' DEMS gunners. Another attack at 1600 hrs dropped bombs which fell very near Meriones. German aircraft dropped a total of 23 bombs in three attacks on the ship.[ citation needed ]
At 1516 hrs the Cromer lifeboat was called. H F Bailey was launched at 1534 hrs, commanded by Second Coxswain Lewis Harrison. She reached Meriones about 1830 hrs and went alongside Richard Lee Barber. Blogg rejoined H F Bailey and took Captain Glazier aboard Meriones. H F Bailey then stood by.[ citation needed ]
The sea had been moderate, with an east-northeasterly wind. But now the wind increased and the sea started to break over Haisborough Sands. Meriones' crew's quarters were awash, and the two horse boxes had broken loose. Meriones asked H F Bailey to rescue her crew.[ citation needed ]
H F Bailey positioned herself in the lee of Meriones and, after several attempts, was made fast to the ship with large ropes. She took half of Meriones' crew to the Royal Navy tug Saint Mullion which was anchored nearby. She then returned to Meriones, took off another 40 crew, but then the 6-inch (150 mm) and 9-inch (230 mm) ropes that had secured H F Bailey to Meriones broke. H F Bailey took the 40 men to Richard Lee Barber, which was now at anchor within the sands. [10]
Eight men now remained on Meriones: her Master and officers. The Duke's racehorses could not be rescued, so one of the officers shot them. H F Bailey took the last men off Meriones at about 0100 hrs on 26 January. H F Bailey was also carrying the ship's doctor from Meriones, and the gunner who had been wounded in one of the air attacks, and who was now on a stretcher. [10]
There was now heavy rain mixed with sleet. Heavy seas were running both on shore and on the sand banks. In the darkness Blogg was uncertain of H F Bailey's position, so Blogg took her to the deeper waters of Cockle Gat south of Haisborough Sands, and anchored for the rest of the night. [10]
After five and a half hours it was light enough to fix H F Bailey's position from the tower of the parish church of Winterton-on-Sea two miles to the south. H F Bailey weighed anchor and at 1015 hrs she reached Great Yarmouth to land the last 10 rescued men. [10]
During 26 January 1941 German aircraft attacked Meriones again, setting her afire. By 27 January she was beyond salvage. [10] Her wreck now lies on South Haisborough Bank next to that of Monte Nevoso at a depth of 19 m (62 ft) at position 52°51′N01°45′E / 52.850°N 1.750°E . The two wrecks are 10.3 nautical miles (19.1 km) north by northeast of Hemsby, 12.0 nautical miles (22.3 km) north of Caister-on-Sea and 13.0 nautical miles (24.1 km) north of Great Yarmouth.[ citation needed ]
The rescue of Meriones [13] | ||
---|---|---|
H F Bailey | ||
Name | Rank | |
Henry G Blogg | Coxswain | |
Lewis Harrison | Second Coxswain | |
W T Davis | Bowman | |
H W Davis | Mechanic | |
W Davis | Assistant Mechanic | |
Henry “shrimp” Davies | Signaller | |
Edward W ("Boy Primo") Allen | Signaller | |
J J Davis Jnr | crew | |
R C Davis | crew | |
J R Davis | crew | |
L B Harrison | crew | |
S Harrison | crew | |
R Cox | crew | |
G cox | crew | |
J J Davis Snr | Stand-by Coxswain |
Henry George Blogg GC BEM was a lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England, and the most decorated in Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) history.
The SS English Trader was a British merchant ship wrecked off the coast of Norfolk, England in October 1941. After falling behind a convoy during the Second World War of which she was a part, the ship ran aground on the Hammond's Knoll sandbank and began to break up during a gale. Several rescue attempts by lifeboats failed, but a further attempt the following day by the Cromer Lifeboat rescued 44 of the crew, three having already been lost.
The SS Mount Ida was a cargo ship built in 1938 by William Hamilton & Co. Ltd of Glasgow. Launched in 1938 as Arcscott, she was renamed Mount Ida after being bought by the Atlanticos Steam Ship Company Ltd, of Athens, Greece. She was wrecked in 1939 after being in service for only about 18 months.
SS Georgia was an oil tanker that was built in the United States in 1908 as Texas and spent most of her career in the United States Merchant Marine. In 1917 she was renamed Georgia. In 1927 she was transferred to Dutch ownership, and shortly thereafter ran aground and was lost on Haisborough Sands off the coast of Norfolk, England.
SS City of Venice was an intermediate ocean liner that was launched in 1924 in Northern Ireland for Ellerman Lines. In the Second World War she was a troop ship. In 1943 a U-boat sank her in the Mediterranean, killing 22 of the crew and troops aboard.
SS Cantabria was a Spanish-owned cargo steamship that was built in 1919 in Canada and sunk in 1938 in a naval action in the Spanish Civil War in the North Sea. She was built as War Chief, renamed Alfonso Pérez shortly after she was built, and renamed Cantabria during the Spanish Civil War.
SS Patroclus was a UK steam turbine passenger and refrigerated cargo liner launched in 1923. She was the third of five ships to bear the name.
HMS Hector was a UK steam turbine passenger and refrigerated cargo liner launched in 1924. She was the fourth of six civilian ships to bear the name.
Haisborough Sands is a sandbank off the coast of Norfolk, England at Happisburgh. The shoal is 10 miles (16 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and lies parallel to the North east coast of Norfolk. The shoal is marked to the north-west by north by the Haisbro Light Buoy, North cardinal. To the south-east by south is a light buoy South cardinal, and to the west by Mid Haisbro light buoy starboard hand. In 1995 there were three drying patches recorded to the north-north east and east-south east of the Mid Haisbro light buoy. Except at slack water their positions are indicated by tidal eddies particularly on the north west, and in slight or moderate seas the swell breaks on the shallower parts of the banks. There are several foul patches on the southern part of the shoal. Over the years this shoal has claimed many ships.
SS Automedon was a Blue Funnel Line refrigerated cargo steamship. She was launched in 1921 on the River Tyne as one of a class of 11 ships to replace many of Blue Funnel's losses in the First World War.
SS Monte Nevoso was a cargo steamship that was launched in 1920 in England, owned in Italy, and wrecked in 1932 in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk.
SS Gallois was one of seven merchant vessels which became stranded and then wrecked on Haisbro Sands of the Norfolk coast on 6 August 1941 during the Second World War. The SS Gallois had been part of a convoy with the designation Convoy FS 559.
Alf was a three-masted Norwegian barque which became stranded and then wrecked on 23 November 1909 on Haisbro Sands, off the coast of Norfolk. She was originally built in 1876 as Inchgreen for Scottish owners. In the 1890s she was sold to Danish owners and renamed Adolph Harboe. Around the turn of the 20th century she was sold to Norwegian owners and renamed Alf, serving until she was wrecked off the coast of Norfolk.
SS Hopelyn was a merchant ship from Newcastle that became stranded and then wrecked on Scroby Sands of the Norfolk coast on 17 October 1922.
HM Trawler Agate was purchased by the Royal Navy in 1935. She was modified from a trawler to be used to carry out anti-submarine work. In 1941 she was with the maintenance reserve at Rosyth, but in August was part of the Royal Navy's escort flotilla with convoy FS559 when she ran aground, becoming a total loss, on Haisborough Sands on 6 August with a loss of sixteen crewmen.
Walter L M Russ was a 1,538 GRT cargo ship built in 1927 in Rostock, Germany. In 1945, she was seized by the Allies and passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). It was intended that she would be renamed Empire Concourse but in July 1945 she ran aground between Wales and Ireland, and was wrecked.
SS Iron Chieftain was a bulk carrier that was built in Scotland in 1937 for the Australian Broken Hill Pty, Ltd (BHP) to carry iron ore. A Japanese submarine sank her by torpedo off the coast of New South Wales in 1942, killing 12 of her crew. Her wreck is protected by the Australian federal Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018.
MV Waimarama was a UK refrigerated cargo liner. She was built in Northern Ireland for Shaw, Savill & Albion Line and launched in 1938. She carried perishable foods, particularly meat, from New Zealand to the United Kingdom.
SS Santa Fé was a German refrigerated cargo steamship. She is now a Black Sea shipwreck and part of her cargo is of interest to marine archaeologists.
MV Seaforth was an Elder Dempster Lines cargo motor ship that traded between Liverpool and West Africa. She was launched in 1938 in Scotland and sunk in 1941 in the North Atlantic.