Smith's Dock Company

Last updated

Smith's Dock Company
Company type Private
Industry Shipbuilding
Founded1810
Defunct1987
FateAcquired
Successor Swan Hunter
Headquarters South Bank, UK

Smith's Dock Company, Limited, often referred to simply as Smith's Dock, was a British shipbuilding company.

Contents

History

The company was originally established by Thomas Smith who bought William Rowe's shipyard at St. Peter's in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1810 and traded as William Smith & Co. [1] [2] The company opened its dock in North Shields in 1851. [1] One of the first ships to be launched at the yard was Termagent in 1852. [1] The company changed its name to Smith's Dock Co. in 1891. [1]

The company became associated with South Bank, North Riding of Yorkshire, after opening an operation there in 1907. [3] Smith's Dock increasingly concentrated its shipbuilding business on the River Tees in South Bank, with its North Shields Yard being used mainly for repair work (in particular oil tankers) from 1909 onwards. [4] Despite the shift of focus, the company's headquarters remained at North Shields.

Smith's Dock built many ships that served during the Second World War, including trawlers that the Admiralty requisitioned and converted to armed trawlers of the Royal Naval Patrol Service such as HMT Amethyst, or HMT Arab, in which Lieutenant Richard Stannard (RNR) won the Victoria Cross.

The yard also built Tree-class trawlers for the Royal Navy including HMT Walnut, which later became a famous refugee ship in Canada. [5] Of the 20 of this class built for the Royal Navy, four were built by Smith's Dock.

Tree-class trawlers
NamePennantLaid downLaunchedCompleted
HMT RowanT11913 June 193912 August 193914 December 1939
HMT WalnutT10315 June 193912 August 193913 December 1939
HMT WisteriaT11319 July 193910 November 193916 February 1940
HMT WhitehornT12725 July 193910 November 193928 February 1940

Flower-class corvettes

1941 Flower-class corvette HMS Sunflower FL4520.jpg
1941 Flower-class corvette

Smith's Dock are perhaps most famous for preparing the design of the Flower-class corvette, an anti-submarine convoy escort of the Second World War celebrated in the novel The Cruel Sea.

In January 1939, William Reed of Smith's Docks Co. was approached by the British Admiralty with a request for a design of a cheap and simple multi-role warship capable of being built in the multitude of small civilian shipyards not usually accustomed to building to naval standards. Smith Docks was highly regarded by the Admiralty because it had designed the Z-class whaler during World War I and was famed for its reputation for the construction of whale-catchers. Reed's resultant design suggestion was based on a larger version of the company's new whaler, Southern Pride, with a number of modifications. The length, for instance, was increased by 30 feet to give a higher speed, and two marine oil-fired boilers were to be fitted as these could be supplied in about 16 weeks instead of water tube boilers which would not be available for at least seven months.

On 27 February 1939 the British Admiralty approved William Reed's sketch design and, with war becoming ever more likely, a bulk order was placed with the aim of creating a viable anti-submarine force where none had existed before. The first order, for twenty-six vessels, was soon followed by others, and by the end of 1939 no less than 110 vessels of this kind were under construction at various shipyards around the country (including by some large ones, such as the Harland and Wolff yard at Belfast). Smith's Dock built 12 of the total of 196 built of this class. [6]

French Flower-class corvettes

At the outbreak of World War II the Marine nationale (French Navy) needed ships for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and, following the Royal Navy (RN)'s example, placed orders from Smith's Dock for four corvettes. Following this the Marine nationale ordered a further 18 ships, to be built at a number of British and French shipyards. These were identical to the British Flower-class corvettes except that French 100 mm (3.9 in) and 13.2 mm anti-aircraft guns were to be fitted. [7]

The Fall of France in June 1940 brought a drastic change to these building programmes. Of the original four French Flower-class corvettes, La Bastiaise was mined on builders trials and the others were taken over by the RN on completion.

Of the second group, the 12 ships ordered from British yards were taken over by the RN and re-armed with British ordnance; all were renamed and given Flower names in keeping with the class. [8]

First order
ShipBuilderCompletedFate
La Bastiase Smith's Dock22 June 1940Sunk by mine, 22 June 1940
La MalouineSmith's Dock30 July 1940Transferred to RN as
HMS La Malouine (K46)
La DieppoiseSmith's Dock26 August 1940Transferred to RN as
HMS Fleur de Lys (K122)
La PaimpolaiseSmith's Dock26 September 1940Transferred to RN as
HMS Nasturtium (K107)

Orders for six of the second group were placed with Smith's Dock.

Flower-class corvettes – Marine nationale* & Royal Navy
NamePennantLaid downLaunchedCompleted
HMS Snowdrop*K6710 April 194019 July 194016 January 1941
HMS Sunflower K4124 May 194019 August 194025 January 1941
HMS Tulip*K2930 May 19404 September 194018 November 1940
HMS Verbena*K8529 June 194017 October 194019 December 1940
HMS Veronica*K379 July 194017 October 194018 February 1941
HMS Wallflower*K4423 July 194014 November 19407 March 1941
HMS Zinnia*K9820 August 194028 November 194030 March 1941
Flower-class corvettes – Wartime orders under the 1939 and 1940 UK War Programmes
NamePennantLaid downLaunchedCompleted
HMS Stonecrop K1424 February 194112 May 194130 July 1941
HMS Vetch K13215 March 194127 May 194111 August 1941
HMS SweetbriarK2094 April 194126 June 19418 September 1941
HMS Thyme K21030 April 194125 July 194123 October 1941
Snowflake K21119 May 194122 August 194122 August 1941

Before the ship was commissioned there would be a brief "Contractors Trial" which was followed by "Acceptance Trials"; two days later, on completion of trials, the ship would be formally commissioned, then fully stored and take to sea. These ships could be constructed and commissioned in, on average, just six months.

Merger

In 1966 Smith's Dock merged with Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson to form Associated Shipbuilders, later to become Swan Hunter Group. [9]

In 1968, the company completed the first British-built and owned container ship, Manchester Challenge of 12,039 gross register tons, for operation on Manchester Liners new container service to ports on the St Lawrence Seaway, Canada. [10] By 1971, the company had delivered three further ships of this design to Manchester Liners.

In 1983 to 1984 Smith's Dock delivered two roll-on-roll-off ships for Brazilian owners.

The South Bank shipyard on the River Tees finally closed in February 1987. [11]

Legacy

The yard at North Shields, which had grown over the years to encompass a large site on the north bank of Tyne but was derelict by the 1990s, was then reclaimed when Places for People bought the land in 2006. [12] [13] [14] New housing, as of 2023 comprising the Plateau, a crescent of townhouses, the Smokehouses, two apartments blocks, and a further row of low-rise contemporary terraced homes, has been completed so far. [15] [16] [17] The plan is to eventually construct up to 850 homes, however, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic recession in the UK has delayed any immediate further development. [18] [19]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "From bustling docks to a new community". Evening Chronicle. 13 February 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  2. "Smiths Dock Co – Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  3. "The Sound of Silence". Evening Gazette. 18 April 2002. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  4. Smith's Dock Monthly. April 1924. pp. 186, 193.{{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "SS Walnut 1948 – Voyaged to Freedom". Ship Statistics. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  6. "World War II Database".
  7. Chesneau 1980, p. 277.
  8. Elliott 1977, p. 188.
  9. "Fears for Tyneside tradition as Swan Hunter ship is towed to Govan for completion". Guardian. 15 July 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  10. Stoker 1985 , p. 43
  11. "Kirkleatham Museum". Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  12. "Plan to revamp historic Smith's Dock shipyard in North Shields". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  13. "Smith's Docks Co. Ltd. (1977)". Remembering the Past. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  14. Morton, David (1 March 2021). "North Shields' Smith's Dock employed thousands – it's now a housing development". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  15. Morton, David (2 February 2016). "Smith's Dock in North Shields before the 21st century housing developments began". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  16. Tulip, Kate (27 November 2019). "North Shields Fish Quay Transformation Continues as Smith's Dock Declares Development Now Over 90% sold". Business Up North. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  17. Media, Insider (8 May 2017). "Smith's Dock development 'just the start' for North Shields | North East Property News". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  18. Sharma, Sonia (20 October 2016). "Smith's Dock in North Shields is set to be transformed with up to 850 new homes". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  19. Sharma, Sonia (18 February 2020). "Aerial footage shows how former shipyard is being transformed". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 17 May 2023.

Related Research Articles

Flower-class corvette World War II British corvette class

The Flower-class corvette was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II by the Allied navies particularly as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers.

Castle-class corvette Corvettes of the Royal Navy

The Castle-class corvette was an ocean going convoy escort developed by the United Kingdom during the Second World War. It was the follow-on to the Flower-class corvette, and designed to be built in shipyards that were producing the Flowers. The Castle-class was a general improvement over the smaller Flowers which were designed for coastal rather than open ocean use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarrow Shipbuilders</span> Former shipbuilding firm based in Glasgow, Scotland

Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited (YSL), often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde. It is now part of BAE Systems Surface Ships, owned by BAE Systems, which has also operated the nearby Govan shipyard since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Bank, Redcar and Cleveland</span> Town in North Yorkshire, England

South Bank is a former industrial town in the Redcar and Cleveland borough in North Yorkshire, England on the south bank of the River Tees. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Middlesbrough and 6 miles (9.7 km) south-west of Redcar. The town is served by South Bank railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. & J. Inglis</span> Defunct ship building company in Glasgow, Scotland

A & J Inglis Limited, was a shipbuilding firm founded by Anthony Inglis and his brother John, engineers and shipbuilders in Glasgow, Scotland in 1862. The firm built over 500 ships in a period of just over 100 years. Their Pointhouse Shipyard was at the confluence of the rivers Clyde and Kelvin. They constructed a wide range of ships, including Clyde steamers, paddle steamers and small ocean liners. In wartime, they built small warships, and in the period after World War II, they built a number of whalers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blyth Shipbuilding Company</span>

The Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. was a British shipyard located in Blyth, Northumberland, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval trawler</span> Vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes

Naval trawlers are vessels built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes; they were widely used during the First and Second World Wars. Some, known in the Royal Navy as "Admiralty trawlers", were purpose-built to naval specifications; others were adapted from civilian use. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust vessels designed to work heavy trawls in all types of weather, and had large clear working decks. A minesweeper could be created by replacing the trawl with a mine sweep. Adding depth charge racks on the deck, ASDIC sonar below, and a 3-inch (76 mm) or 4-inch (102 mm) gun in the bow equipped the trawler for anti-submarine duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiralty tug</span>

Admiralty tugs were tugboats built for and operated by the Royal Navy. These were vessels built to Admiralty specifications and in specific classes during the First and Second World Wars. They were built to meet the Royal Navy's demand for auxiliary vessels and to supplement the civilian tugs requisitioned by the Admiralty for war service.

French corvette <i>La Bastiaise</i> Flower-class corvette

La Bastiaise was a Flower-class corvette of the French Navy. The ship was built by the British shipyard Smiths Dock in their Middlesbrough shipyard, and was completed in June 1940, just before the French Armistice with Germany. She was sunk by a mine on 22 June 1940 during sea trials.

HMS <i>Delphinium</i> (K77) Flower-class corvette

HMS Delphinium (K77) was a Flower-class corvette built for the Royal Navy (RN) from 1940-1946. From 1941 to 1943 she was active in the Mediterranean as an escort to convoys supporting the Eighth Army and the invasion of Sicily. From mid-1943 onwards she was on convoy escort duties between Africa, the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom; and Atlantic convoys between North America and the United Kingdom. She escorted a total of 68 convoys.

HMS <i>Alisma</i> (K185) Flower-class corvette

HMS Alisma was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy.

HMS Erica was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy and was built by Harland and Wolff in 1941. She was named after Erica. Commissioned in 1940 and sunk by a mine on 9 February 1943.

HMS <i>Pink</i> (K137) Flower-class corvette

HMS Pink was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy. She was built by Henry Robb in Leith in 1941 and named after the flower nicknamed garden pink. She was commissioned in 1942 and scrapped in 1947.

HMS Snapdragon was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy and was built by Smith's Dock Company in 1940. She was named after Snapdragon. Commissioned in 1940 and sunk by Luftwaffe on 19 December 1942.

HMS Auricula was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy and was built by George Brown and Company in 1940. She was named after Auricula. Commissioned in 1941 and sunk by a mine on 6 May 1942.

HMS <i>Asphodel</i> (K56) Flower-class corvette

HMS Asphodel was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy and was built by George Brown and Company in 1940. She was named after Asphodel. Commissioned in 1940 and sunk by U-575 on 10 March 1944.

HMS <i>Gardenia</i> (K99) Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy

HMS Gardenia was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy and was built by William Simons and Company in 1940. She was named after Gardenia. Commissioned in 1940, rammed and sunk by HMS Fluellen on 9 November 1942.

HMS Fleur de Lys was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy and was built by Smith's Dock Company in 1940. She was named after Fleur de Lys. Commissioned in 1940, rammed and sunk by U-206 on 14 October 1941. Her name was originally La Dieppoise and built for the French Navy but was later changed.

HMS <i>Petunia</i> (K79) Flower-class corvette

HMS Petunia (K79) was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy and was built by Henry Robb in 1940. She was named after Petunia. Commissioned in 1940, rammed and sold to the Chinese Nationalist Government and renamed ROCS Fu Bo.

HMS <i>Amaranthus</i> (K17) 1941 Flower-class corvette

HMS Amaranthus (K17) was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She took part in the Second World War, being involved in escorting convoys from West Africa to the United Kingdom from May 1941 onwards.

References