ASTURIAS 1926
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:36 am
2p RMS ASTURIAS
Called at Tristan 15 February 1927 and was the first ship to call for over a year. Supplies and mail were brought ashore using a water tight raft towed to the shore. Mail was taken off and reached London 14 March 1927.
The second Royal Mail Line ship of that name, she was built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast in 1925. In 1939 her forward funnel was removed and she was taken over as an armed merchant cruiser until torpedoed in the South Atlantic in 1943. After repairs she went on to carry more than 30,000 people to Australia.
In 1957, whilst being scrapped, she was loaned to the Rank Organisation for the use in the Titanic film “A Night to Remember” starring Kenneth Moore. Her port side was used to depict Titanic in the life-boat lowering scenes of the film even as the shipbreakers were at work on the starboard side.
Tristan da Cunha Press released.
Built as a passenger-cargo-reefer vessel under yard No 507 by Harland & Wolf, Belfast for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Meat Transport Ltd., Belfast.
07 July 1925 launched as the ASTURIAS, one sister ALCANTARA.
Tonnage 22,071 Gross, 13,206 net, dim. 199.94 x 192.18 (bpp) x 23.92 x 12.37m.
Powered by 2 SCDA 8-cyl. Burmeister & Wain oil engines, manufactured by the shipbuilder, 15,000 shp, twin shafts, speed 16 knots.
Twin funnel vessel, the first funnel was a dummy. At that time she was largest motor liner in the world.
Passenger accommodation for 432 first class, 223 second and 775 third class passengers, crew 254,
Completed 06 February 1926.
27 February 1926 Sailed for her maiden voyage from Southampton to the La Plate River ports.
1932 Transferred to Royal Mail Lines Ltd., Belfast
1934 Due to heavy vibration when on full speed she returned to her builder for lengthening and was re-engined with two sets of Parsons single reduction geared steam turbines, 20,000 shp, speed increased to maximum 19 knots. She was lengthen by 3.05m. Her funnels heightened by 4.75m.
Tonnage then given as 22,040 gross.
Accommodation for 330 first, 220 second and 768 third class passengers.
The first eight years she combined regular liner service with cruises till September 1939.
26 August 1939 hired by the British Government as an Armed Merchant Cruiser (AMC).
30 August till 16 September 1939 converted by Harland & Wolf at Belfast in an AMC. The forward dummy funnel removed.
Armament: 8 – 6 inch guns and 2 – 3 inch HA guns.
October 1939 for a short time joined the Halifax Escort Force.
November 1939 till June 1940 in the Northern Patrol based at Scape Flow.
26 May 1940 damaged by fire at Gibraltar.
July 1940 till April 1943 South Atlantic Station.
18 January 1941 captured the Vichy French steamer MENDOZA in a position NE of Puerto Rico.
The same year she underwent a refit at the Newport News shipyard in the USA, her armament replaced by modern guns and a gunnery control system installed. Mainmast removed to make way for an aircraft hangar and catapult.
Early 1942 again in service.
She escorted a wooden floating dock towed across the Atlantic but the dock sank during the tow and ASTURIAS returned to patrol duty.
June 1943 she had to escort a steel floating dock bought by the British Admiralty in Montevideo and towed by the Dutch tug RODE ZEE to Freetown, ASTURIAS joined the tow off the coast of Brazil.
25 July 1943 while zigzagging she was hit by a torpedo fired by the Italian submarine CAGNI in position 06 52N 20 45W. Four men were killed in the AUTURIAS engine room which got flooded. The ASTURIAS lost power and two small escorts stayed by the vessel. The tow continued the voyage.
26 July another Dutch tug the ZWARTE ZEE at that time the strongest tug in the world arrived by the AUTURIAS and she towed the AUTURIAS to Freetown where she was beached arriving there 1 August. Nothing was done the next two years and her engine room stayed awash.
February 1945 the rusting hulk was bought by the British Government, the hole in the hull was patched up with concrete, where after the Dutch tugs ZWARTE ZEE and THAMES towed her to Gibraltar for dry-docking and repair.
After three months repair in Gibraltar the two tugs towed her to Belfast for rebuilding by Harland & Wolf as a troopship.
After some delay due to a fire on board she was ready for trooping in mid-1946 managed by Royal Mail for the British Ministry of Transport.
12 October 1946 she sailed from Southampton for her first voyage with troops to Australia via Cape of Good Hope, making two voyages more between the UK and Australia the next year.
1948 In use as a troopship.
1949 Allocated by the British Ministry of Transport for the Australian migrant trade.
Passenger accommodation for 160 first class, 113 third class and 1,134 dormitory passengers.
26 July 1949 she sailed for her maiden voyage in the migrant trade from Southampton with on board 1,340 migrants for Australia, her return voyage was without passengers only one her second voyage to Australia on her return voyage she made a call at Port Tanjung Priok, Indonesia to take on board Dutch nationals for a voyage to Rotterdam. (Altogether also as troopship and migrant ship she made 6 calls at Tanjung Priok on her return voyage from 1947 till 1951 to take on board Dutch nationals for the Netherlands.)
Till 1953 used in the migrant trade between the U.K. and Australia, then again in use as a troopship.
Used during the next four years transporting British troops to the Korean War Zone.
14 September 1957 arrived at Faslane, Scotland for demolition by Shipbreaking Industries.
Before she was complete dismantled she was used for deck scenes during the filming of ‘A Night to Remember’ the storey of the Titanic disaster.
Tristan da Cunha 2015 2p sg?, scott?
Source: Armed Merchant Cruisers 1878-1945 by Osborne&Spong&Grover. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz and various internet sites.
Called at Tristan 15 February 1927 and was the first ship to call for over a year. Supplies and mail were brought ashore using a water tight raft towed to the shore. Mail was taken off and reached London 14 March 1927.
The second Royal Mail Line ship of that name, she was built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast in 1925. In 1939 her forward funnel was removed and she was taken over as an armed merchant cruiser until torpedoed in the South Atlantic in 1943. After repairs she went on to carry more than 30,000 people to Australia.
In 1957, whilst being scrapped, she was loaned to the Rank Organisation for the use in the Titanic film “A Night to Remember” starring Kenneth Moore. Her port side was used to depict Titanic in the life-boat lowering scenes of the film even as the shipbreakers were at work on the starboard side.
Tristan da Cunha Press released.
Built as a passenger-cargo-reefer vessel under yard No 507 by Harland & Wolf, Belfast for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Meat Transport Ltd., Belfast.
07 July 1925 launched as the ASTURIAS, one sister ALCANTARA.
Tonnage 22,071 Gross, 13,206 net, dim. 199.94 x 192.18 (bpp) x 23.92 x 12.37m.
Powered by 2 SCDA 8-cyl. Burmeister & Wain oil engines, manufactured by the shipbuilder, 15,000 shp, twin shafts, speed 16 knots.
Twin funnel vessel, the first funnel was a dummy. At that time she was largest motor liner in the world.
Passenger accommodation for 432 first class, 223 second and 775 third class passengers, crew 254,
Completed 06 February 1926.
27 February 1926 Sailed for her maiden voyage from Southampton to the La Plate River ports.
1932 Transferred to Royal Mail Lines Ltd., Belfast
1934 Due to heavy vibration when on full speed she returned to her builder for lengthening and was re-engined with two sets of Parsons single reduction geared steam turbines, 20,000 shp, speed increased to maximum 19 knots. She was lengthen by 3.05m. Her funnels heightened by 4.75m.
Tonnage then given as 22,040 gross.
Accommodation for 330 first, 220 second and 768 third class passengers.
The first eight years she combined regular liner service with cruises till September 1939.
26 August 1939 hired by the British Government as an Armed Merchant Cruiser (AMC).
30 August till 16 September 1939 converted by Harland & Wolf at Belfast in an AMC. The forward dummy funnel removed.
Armament: 8 – 6 inch guns and 2 – 3 inch HA guns.
October 1939 for a short time joined the Halifax Escort Force.
November 1939 till June 1940 in the Northern Patrol based at Scape Flow.
26 May 1940 damaged by fire at Gibraltar.
July 1940 till April 1943 South Atlantic Station.
18 January 1941 captured the Vichy French steamer MENDOZA in a position NE of Puerto Rico.
The same year she underwent a refit at the Newport News shipyard in the USA, her armament replaced by modern guns and a gunnery control system installed. Mainmast removed to make way for an aircraft hangar and catapult.
Early 1942 again in service.
She escorted a wooden floating dock towed across the Atlantic but the dock sank during the tow and ASTURIAS returned to patrol duty.
June 1943 she had to escort a steel floating dock bought by the British Admiralty in Montevideo and towed by the Dutch tug RODE ZEE to Freetown, ASTURIAS joined the tow off the coast of Brazil.
25 July 1943 while zigzagging she was hit by a torpedo fired by the Italian submarine CAGNI in position 06 52N 20 45W. Four men were killed in the AUTURIAS engine room which got flooded. The ASTURIAS lost power and two small escorts stayed by the vessel. The tow continued the voyage.
26 July another Dutch tug the ZWARTE ZEE at that time the strongest tug in the world arrived by the AUTURIAS and she towed the AUTURIAS to Freetown where she was beached arriving there 1 August. Nothing was done the next two years and her engine room stayed awash.
February 1945 the rusting hulk was bought by the British Government, the hole in the hull was patched up with concrete, where after the Dutch tugs ZWARTE ZEE and THAMES towed her to Gibraltar for dry-docking and repair.
After three months repair in Gibraltar the two tugs towed her to Belfast for rebuilding by Harland & Wolf as a troopship.
After some delay due to a fire on board she was ready for trooping in mid-1946 managed by Royal Mail for the British Ministry of Transport.
12 October 1946 she sailed from Southampton for her first voyage with troops to Australia via Cape of Good Hope, making two voyages more between the UK and Australia the next year.
1948 In use as a troopship.
1949 Allocated by the British Ministry of Transport for the Australian migrant trade.
Passenger accommodation for 160 first class, 113 third class and 1,134 dormitory passengers.
26 July 1949 she sailed for her maiden voyage in the migrant trade from Southampton with on board 1,340 migrants for Australia, her return voyage was without passengers only one her second voyage to Australia on her return voyage she made a call at Port Tanjung Priok, Indonesia to take on board Dutch nationals for a voyage to Rotterdam. (Altogether also as troopship and migrant ship she made 6 calls at Tanjung Priok on her return voyage from 1947 till 1951 to take on board Dutch nationals for the Netherlands.)
Till 1953 used in the migrant trade between the U.K. and Australia, then again in use as a troopship.
Used during the next four years transporting British troops to the Korean War Zone.
14 September 1957 arrived at Faslane, Scotland for demolition by Shipbreaking Industries.
Before she was complete dismantled she was used for deck scenes during the filming of ‘A Night to Remember’ the storey of the Titanic disaster.
Tristan da Cunha 2015 2p sg?, scott?
Source: Armed Merchant Cruisers 1878-1945 by Osborne&Spong&Grover. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz and various internet sites.