SS Wakool

Last updated

Wakool 1898 SLQ 60471.jpg
Wakool
History
Name
  • 1898: Wakool
  • 1913: Kwanto Maru
  • 1917: Le Myre de Villers
Namesake
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
Route1898: Great BritainCape ColonyAustralia
BuilderSunderland Sb Co, Sunderland
Yard number196
Launched4 August 1898
Completed26 October 1898
Refit1910
Identification
FateScrapped, 1923
General characteristics
Type refrigerated cargo liner
Tonnage5,004  GRT, 3,147  NRT
Length400.0 ft (121.9 m)
Beam47.5 ft (14.5 m)
Draught25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
Depth20.2 ft (6.2 m)
Installed power1 × triple-expansion engine; 580 NHP; 3,000 ihp
Propulsion1 × screw
Speed13 knots (24 km/h)
Capacity
  • passengers: 50 × saloon class; + steerage for emigrants
  • cargo: 71,759 cubic feet (2,032 m3) refrigerated
Notes sister ships: Narrung, Wilcannia

SS Wakool was a refrigerated cargo liner that was launched in England in 1898. She belonged to Wilhelm Lund's Blue Anchor Line until 1910, when P&O took over the company. She was a troopship in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902. In 1913 a Japanese company bought the ship and renamed her Kwanto Maru. In 1914 she was a Japanese depot ship in the siege of Tsingtao. In 1917 the French government bought her and renamed her Le Myre de Villers. The French government sold her in 1923, and she was scrapped in Italy later that year.

Contents

Building

Wakool was the second of three sister ships that the Sunderland Ship Building Company in Sunderland, England, built for Lund in the late 1890s. [1] Yard number 186 was launched on 11 July 1896 as Narrung. She had a quadruple-expansion engine that was rated at 516 NHP. [2] Yard number 196 was launched on 4 August 1898 as Wakool. [3] She had a triple-expansion engine that was rated at 580 NHP, but was otherwise similar to Narrung. [4] Yard number 199 was launched on 26 May 1899 as Wilcannia. She had a triple-expansion engine, the same as Wakool. [5]

The ship was named after the town of Wakool in New South Wales. [6] Her registered length was 400.0 ft (121.9 m); her beam was 47.5 ft (14.5 m); her depth was 20.2 ft (6.2 m); [4] and her draught was 25 ft 9 in (7.85 m). [7] She had berths for 50 passengers in "saloon class", and a number of emigrants in steerage. [6] 71,759 cubic feet (2,032 m3) of her cargo holds was refrigerated. [8] Her tonnages were 5,004  GRT and 3,147  NRT. [4] She had a single screw, and a speed of 13 knots (24 km/h). [6]

Wakool

Wakool was registered in London. Her UK official number was 109996, and her code letters were QJNW. [9] Her regular route was between Great Britain and Australia via Cape Colony. [6]

On 14 October 1899, the Admiralty chartered Wakool as Transport number 55 for the Second Boer War. She was in Admiralty service from 17 October that year until 31 December 1902. She took a total of 3,775 officers and men, and 250 horses, to South Africa; and brought a total of 4,252 officers and men, and nine horses, back from the war. The Admiralty paid a total of £188,294 for her charter, fittings, bunkering, and harbour dues. [10]

In 1905 ownership of Wakool was transferred from Wilhelm Lund to Blue Anchor Line, with Lund & Sons as her managers. [11] [12] On 26 January 1910, P&O took over Blue Anchor Line. Wakool became part of the P&O fleet, valued at £30,441. P&O had her refitted, and she began her first P&O voyage on 20 July that year. [6] By 1912 Wakool was equipped with wireless telegraphy. [13]

Kwanto Maru

In April 1913, Goshi Kaisha Kishimoto Shokai bought Wakool for £23,267. [6] She was renamed Kwanto Maru; registered in Dairen in the Kwantung Leased Territory (now Dalian in China); and her code letters were QBGP. [14] In the First World War, Japanese forces used her as a depot ship; particularly during the siege of Tsingtao (now Qingdao) in 1914. [15]

Le Myre du Villers

Postcard of Le Myre de Villers Le Mire De Villers 1898 Carte Postale gauche.jpg
Postcard of Le Myre de Villers

In 1917 the French government bought Kwanto Maru and renamed her Le Myre de Villers. [3] [6] Charles Le Myre de Vilers (1833–1918) had been Governor of Cochinchina and Minister Plenipotentiary to the court of Annam from 1879 to 1882. [16] [17] She was registered in Marseille, [18] and her code letters were ONXE. [7] In 1919 Messageries Maritimes briefly chartered her. [15] Later that year, Brabant et Pruvost bought the ship. In 1923 they sold her for scrap to S Bertorelli, who scrapped her in La Spezia. Scrapping was completed on 23 April 1925. [6]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Culgoa</i> British-built cargo steamship

USS Culgoa (AF-3) was a steam cargo liner. She was launched in England in 1889 for Blue Anchor Line, who ran her between England and Australia. In 1898 she was bought for the United States Navy as a stores ship. She served in the Philippine–American War; the Great White Fleet; and the First World War. In January 1909 she took part in the relief operation after the 1908 Messina earthquake. To date, she is the only US Navy ship to have been named Culgoa. In 1922 the United States Department of the Navy sold her to a civilian owner, who renamed her Champlain. She was scrapped in the United States in 1924.

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.

SS Sangola was a steam cargo liner that was launched in Scotland in 1901, renamed Goshu Maru in 1923, and scrapped in Japan in 1933. She was one of a class of seven steamships that were built for the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) in 1901 and 1902. From 1908 until 1910 she took Indian indentured labourers to Fiji.

SS Vadala was a cargo steamship that was launched in Scotland in 1890, renamed Kenkon Maru No. 12 in 1913, and sank as the result of a collision in 1928. She was built for the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI). In 1895 she took Indian indentured labourers to Fiji. In 1899 was a troop ship in the Second Boer War. From 1913 she was in Japanese ownership.

SS Wardha was a merchant steamship that was built in Scotland in the 1880s and scrapped in Italy in 1923. She was one of a pair of sister ships that were designed to carry cotton, but completed for the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) to carry sugar. In 1899 she carried troops and cavalry horses for the Second Boer War. In the 1900s she took Indian indentured labourers to British Guiana and Fiji. From 1913 onward she passed through a succession of Italian owners, but kept her original name.

SS Santhia was a steam cargo liner that was launched in Scotland in 1901, renamed Saka Maru in 1923, and scrapped in Japan in 1935. She was one of a class of seven steamships that were built for the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) in 1901 and 1902.

SS Chenab was a steamship that was built in England in 1911 and scrapped in Scotland in 1953. For nearly two decades she was part of Nourse Line, which carried Girmityas from India to colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific. In 1914 she was requisitioned for service in the First World War.

USS <i>Argonne</i> (1918) Japanese-built cargo steamship

USS Argonne was a cargo steamship that was built in Japan in 1916 as Taifuku Maru No. 1. She served in the United States Navy from October 1918 to January 1919. In 1922 a French company bought her and renamed her Calonne. In 1922 an Italian company bought her and renamed her Wally. She was scrapped in Italy in 1935.

SS <i>Shinyō Maru</i> Second World War Japanese hell ship

Shin'yō Maru was a cargo steamship that was built in 1894, had a fifty-year career under successive British, Australian, Chinese and Greek owners, was captured by Japan in the Second World War, and sunk by a United States Navy submarine in 1944.

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 <i>Statendam</i> (1898) Ocean liner operated by Holland America Line, Allan Line and Canadian Pacific

SS Statendam was a transatlantic ocean liner that was launched in Ireland in 1898 for Holland America Line. She was the first of several ships in the company's history to be called Statendam. She was NASM's first ship of more than 10,000 GRT, and she was the largest ship in the company's fleet until Potsdam was completed in 1900.

HMS <i>Port Quebec</i> Cargo ship that served as a minelayer and repair ship in WW2

HMS Port Quebec was a British motor ship that was designed and launched in 1939 to be the refrigerated cargo ship Port Quebec, but completed in 1940 as an auxuiliary minelayer. In 1944 she was converted into an aircraft component repair ship and renamed HMS Deer Sound. In 1947 she was returned to her owner, Port Line, and completed as a cargo ship. She was scrapped in Taiwan in 1968.

USS <i>Charlton Hall</i> Cargo steamship that served in the US Navy in World War I

USS Charlton Hall (ID-1359) was a cargo steamship that was built in Scotland in 1907 and served in the merchant fleets of the United Kingdom, United States and Greece. She served in the United States Navy in 1918. She was renamed Atlantis and then Anastasis in 1930. She was scrapped in China in 1934.

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 her 55-year career she had previously been called Montcalm, RFA Crenella, Crenella, Rey Alfonso, Anglo-Norse and Empire Chief. Early in the First World War she spent eight months pretending to be the battleship HMS Audacious.

SS <i>Friedrich Bischoff</i> German-built cargo steamship

SS Friedrich Bischoff was a cargo steamship. She was built in Germany in 1940. The United Kingdom seized her in 1945, and renamed her Empire Consequence. In 1947 she was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission. In 1951 a Finnish company bought her and renamed her Kaisaniemi. She was scrapped in Norway in 1967.

USS Eastern Chief (ID-3390) was cargo steamship that was built in Japan in 1917 as Yoshida Maru No. 3. The United States Shipping Board (USSB) bought her and renamed her Eastern Chief. From September 1918 to May 1919 she spent eight months in the United States Navy, in which she made two transatlantic round trips between Virginia and France. She was scrapped in 1935.

SS <i>Waroonga</i> (1882)

SS Waroonga was a steel-hulled passenger and cargo steamship that was launched in Scotland in 1882, renamed Bansei Maru in 1913 and scrapped in Japan in 1926. Her career included periods in British, Australian and Japanese ownership.

HMS <i>Southern Prince</i> Motor ship that was a British reefer ship, WW2 minelayer, and Italian passenger ship

HMS Southern Prince was a motor ship that was built in 1929 as the refrigerated cargo ship Southern Prince. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1940 as a minelayer. She became a headquarters ship and then an accommodation ship in 1944, was a fleet training ship in 1945, and returned to civilian trade in 1946. In 1947 she was sold to Italian owners who had her refitted as a passenger ship and renamed her Anna C. From 1952 she was a cruise ship. She was scrapped in 1972.

SS <i>Bungaree</i> (1889) British merchant steamship

SS Bungaree was a steam cargo liner. She was launched in England in 1889 for Blue Anchor Line, who ran her between England and Australia. The Quebec Steamship Company bought her in 1903 and renamed her Parima. Furness, Withy & Company took over the Quebec SS Co in 1919. She was scrapped in Italy in 1925.

SS Querimba was one of the largest turret deck ships ever built. She was launched in England in 1905, renamed Maria Enrica in 1923, and scrapped in Italy in 1933. She was one of three sister ships that William Doxford & Sons built for the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) in 1905. They were the only turret deck ships BI ever owned. It used them as bulk carriers.

References

  1. Haws & Rabson 1978, p. 85.
  2. "Narrung". Wear Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Wakool". Wear Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Lloyd's Register 1899 , WAK–WAL
  5. "Wilcannia". Wear Built Ships. Shipping and Shipbuilding Research Trust. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Wakool (1898)" (PDF). Ship Fact Sheet. P&O Heritage. November 2008.
  7. 1 2 Lloyd's Register 1922 , LAX–LE P
  8. Lloyd's Register 1899, List of vessels with refrigerating appliances.
  9. Mercantile Navy List 1900, p.  371.
  10. C, Neville (March 2022). "No. 55 - Wakool". AngloBoerWar.com. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  11. Mercantile Navy List 1905, p.  453.
  12. Lloyd's Register 1904, WAK–WAL.
  13. Lloyd's Register 1912, WAK–WAL.
  14. Lloyd's Register 1914, KVA–KWO.
  15. 1 2 Ramona, Philippe. "Le Myre de Villers (1)". L'Encyclopedie des Messageries Maritimes (in French). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  16. "Charles Marie le Myre de Villers" (in French). Geneanet. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  17. Doling, Tim (28 November 2014). "Saigon Through the Eyes of Early Travellers – Arthur Delteil in 1882, Part 2". Historic Việt Nam. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  18. Lloyd's Register 1917, Supplement: L.

Bibliography