SS Fort Battle River

Last updated
History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameFort Battle River
Owner Ministry of War Transport
Builder North Van Ship Repair, North Vancouver
Yard number105
Completed29 July 1942
FateTorpedoed and sunk 6 March 1943
General characteristics
Class and typeNorth Sands-type Fort ship
Tonnage7,133  GRT
Length441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam57 ft 2 in (17.42 m)
Draught26 ft 11.5 in (8.217 m)
Propulsion
  • 3 cyl triple expansion steam
  • 2500 ihp
  • One shaft.
Speed11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)
Range11,400  nmi (21,100 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h)
Complement115
Armament
  • During the Second World War:
  • 1 × 4-inch (100 mm) gun
  • 8 × 20mm AA guns

SS Fort Battle River was a Canadian-owned Fort ship that saw service as a cargo ship during World War II. It was torpedoed by U-410 on 6 March 1943 and sank on 9 March.

Contents

Description

Fort Battle River was a North Sands-type cargo ship with a tonnage of 7,133  GRT. It was given the hull number 105. [1] [2] It was equipped with a triple expansion engine that 505 nominal horsepower for a speed of 11 knots. [3] The crew was entirely British, and ranged in size from 48 in September 1942 [4] to 45 in March 1943. [3]

History

The ship was completed by North Vancouver Ship Repair on 29 July 1942. [2] On 6 March 1943, the ship departed Glasgow, Scotland, for Bone, Algeria, as part of the merchant convoy KMS-10. Later that day, the German submarine U-410 attacked the convoy while it was off the coast of Portugal, striking Fort Battle River and Fort Paskoyac with torpedoes. The damage to Paskoyac was minimized by a torpedo protection net, but Battle River was crippled. The ship's full complement of 45 crew, 10 gunners, and 9 passengers were rescued by HMCS Shediac and SS Empire Flamingo and taken to Gibraltar. Three days later, on 9 March, the ship fully sank. [1] [5] [6] [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 Fisher, Robert (1995). "Canadian Merchant Ship Losses, 1939-1945" (PDF). The Northern Mariner. 3: 67.
  2. 1 2 Colton, Tim (2015). "Merchant Ships Built in Canada in World War Two". Shipbuilding History. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 Lettens, Jan (2011). "SS Fort Battle River 1943". Wrecksite. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  4. Wahl, Herman (26 September 1942). "Fort Battle River" (PDF). MARAD Vessel History Database. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  5. Rohwer, Jürgen (1977). The critical convoy battles of March 1943. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 54.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Fort Battle River (British steam merchant)". uboat.net. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  7. Hughes, Rod (3 March 2023). "NAC News". Naval Association of Canada (503 ed.). Retrieved 20 March 2024.