Dunnottar Castle (Union Castle)

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Dunnottar Castle (Union Castle)

Post by shipstamps » Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:50 pm

Dunnottar Castle was built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast and launched in January 1936, with her maiden voyage on the mail service on July 10th 1936.
She was used on the Tilbury - round Africa service until 1939 when she was requisitioned by the Admiralty. On October 14th 1939 she was commissioned as an armed merchant cruiser with 7 six inch and some smaller guns. She was used on South Atlantic patrols. In 1942 she was released and converted for trooping, in all carrying over 250,000 troops. In 1944 after D-Day she operated on the Southampton-Normandy troop shuttle.
In 1948 she was returned to Union Castle and reconditioned by her builder and returned to the Round Africa service London-Suez-South Africa-London.
1958 she was decommissioned after her 94th voyage and sold to Incres S.S. Co., Monrovia.
Renamed Victoria. She was towed to Holland in 1959 and substantially rebuilt sailing on her inaugural Mediterranean cruise on December 14th. In 1960 she was used on the New York-West Indies cruises.
In 1964 she was again sold, this time to Victoria S.S. Co., a subsidiary of Swedish company Clipper A/B keeping the same name.
In 1975 she was sold to Chandris, resuming sailing as The Victoria in June 1976. She cruised in Europe and the Caribbean until 1993, when she was sold to Louis Cruise Lines who continued to use her on cruises from Cyprus. Now renamed Princesa Victoria and still in service in 2004.
TECHNICAL DETAILS. When built Dunnottar Castle was 15,002 gross tons and 560 feet in length. Engines driving twin screws developed 9,500 bhp giving a speed of 17 knots. She carried 508 passen¬gers in two classes. In 1959 she was rebuilt and her length increased to 572 feet. Re-engined with two turbo charged fiat C-757 diesels developing 16,800 bhp and an increased speed of 18 knots.
St Helena SG758, Tristan SG500, 805.





 
Attachments
Dunnotar Castle (b).jpg
SG758.jpg
SG500.jpg
SG805.jpg

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