ERTUGRUL

[aukepalmhof]

Built in 1854 as a wooden frigate by Tersame-I-Amire at Istanbul for the Turkish Ottoman Navy.
Launched under the name ERTUGRUL.
Tonnage 2.344 tons, dim. 250 x 49.8 x 23.6ft.
After completing sailed to Portsmouth, U.K for her fitting out with a steam engine and boilers, 600 nhp., speed 10 knots.
Original her armament consisted of 2 – 6 inch and 8 – 4.7 inch guns.
1886 Replaced by breech-loader quick firing guns.

1888 In use as a cadet training vessel.
When the Japanese Emperor Meiji, was opening Japan to the outside world, Sultan Abdulhamit II of the Ottoman Emperor, was thinking of sending a Turkish vessel to Japan, to present his good wishes and a series of gifts to the Japanese Emperor, with the idea to forge friendly ties between the two countries.

For this goodwill trip the ERTUGRUL was chosen, and under a careful selected crew of 44 officers, 14 engineers, 592 ratings, five civilian experts and a poet, 655 men in total under command of Admiral Osman Pascha.
Sailed from Istanbul on 14 July 1889, passed the Suez Canal in late July, she had some small accidents in Suez but this were minor, then she visited Jeddah, Aden, Bombay to Singapore were she arrived on 20 January 1890. In all this places the local Muslims warmly welcomed the vessel and crew.
The voyage was not an easy one; Admiral Pascha had orders not to use too much coal, so most probably with a good wind the vessel was only sailing.
17 June 1890 she reached Yokohama. At that port magnificent ceremonies were held to welcome the frigate’s crew.
Admiral Pascha was received by Emperor Meiji, and conveyed the Ottoman Empire’s good wishes.

The ERTUGRUL stayed for three months at Yokohama. The plan was to leave after the typhoon season passed in October, but what the reason was that the vessel already sailed before the end of the season is unknown, but on 15 (a other web-site gives 11) September 1890 the ERTUGRUL sailed from Yokohama for her homeward voyage.
While navigating through the dangerous reefs surrounding Kashino, the ERTUGRIL ran in a typhoon on the afternoon of 16 September, and the vessel was not more steering.
On 18 September 1890 the helpless vessel struck a reef. By overheating the boilers on board the vessel exploded, and within a hour and a half the vessel sank with the loss of most of her crew under which Admiral Osman Pascha, only 93 men were rescued by Oshima Island residents.

Turkey 1990 1000fi sg3086, scott2476
Turkey 2010 111 kurus sg?, scott?
Turkey 2015 1.15K and 2.50k, sg?, scott?

Sources: Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the age of Steam 1824-1962 by Charles Hocking.
http://www.kansai.ne.jp/ooshima/sights.htm http://www.turkishdailynews.com/old_edi ... eature.htm

[Arturo]

Ertugrul