Amiral Prinz Adalbert

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
john sefton
Posts: 1816
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Amiral Prinz Adalbert

Post by john sefton » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:57 pm

Although unable to identify the French Man‑o‑War shown in this stamp of Mozambique it is the artwork of the sheetlet that earns its place in my collection theme, as it shows the barque AMIRAL PRINZ ADALBERT of Danzig on the rocks below Mumbles lighthouse.
The lifeboat illustrated is the WOLVERHAMPTON on station at Mumbles from 1866 until that fateful day, the 27th January 1883 when she was wrecked on service.
She was a 33' x 8’1” mahogany built self righting craft pulling 10 oars, built by Forrestt of London at a cost of £291 and during her service life she launched on 26 occasions and saved 78 lives. The artwork of the sheetlet is plagiarized from a painting by Derek Scott who served on Mumbles
lifeboats for about 40 years (and as the Coxswain between 1955-1987) before he was obliged to retire due to age.

The wreck of the 'Amiral Prinz Adalbert of Danzig

On the 26th day of January 1883 the above‑named barque ran into difficulties in high winds and severe sea conditions. She was bound from Rochefort to Swansea with a cargo of pit wood, and carried a crew of 16 men.
As the hours passed a small tug made unsuccessful attempts to take her in tow, but on two occasions the towing line had snapped. Now, on the 27th January, with her sails blown out she drifted broadside onto the rocks below the Mumbles lighthouse. The Mumbles lifeboat WOLVERHAMPTON launched to her aid, and being unable to approach the casualty from leeward because of the rocks, the lifeboat went to windward, anchored, and veered down on the casualty. A breeches buoy was rigged and two men were taken off from the casualty.
As the third man was being taken off the anchor cable of the lifeboat parted, the lifeboat was engulfed by a large wave and capsized.
The man being rescued was hurled into the sea and drowned. The lifeboat having self‑righted was then again capsized, by which time her crew and the two rescued men were all in the sea and struggling for the shore. The damaged lifeboat was hurled onto the rocks.
Of the thirteen‑man crew of the lifeboat, four were lost. The remaining nine, together with the two men taken from the casualty all reached shore, injured but alive.
Fortunately the keel of the wrecked barque had so far defied the ravages of the sea and some hours later, on the ebbing tide, rescue efforts were resumed from ashore. The remaining crew of the wrecked barque were all brought ashore safely by the lighthouse keeper and members of his family, with assistance from soldiers from a nearby fort.

Denis J Horgan Log Book June 2004

Mozambique SG?
Attachments
Scan 54.jpeg

Post Reply