CARNARVON CASTLE
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2015 8:21 pm
£1.50 HMS CARNARVON CASTLE
Visited Tristan 15 November 1940. As with HMS QUEEN OF BERMUDA, mail from this wartime visit was censored and bore a tombstone cachet dated “15 NOV 1940” (see FDC). She was the first Union Castle Mail Ship to exceed 20,000 tonnes and after a re-fit in 1937-8 she set a new record for the passage to the Cape (12 days, 123 hours and 38 minutes) which stood until 1954. At the outbreak of WW2 she was converted to an armed merchant cruiser and shortly afterwards had a 5 hour battle with the German Auxiliary Cruiser THOR. In Montevideo she was reportedly repaired with steel plate salvaged from the ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE.
Source: Tristan da Cunha Post press release
Built as a steel hulled passenger-cargo-reefer vessel under yard No 595 by Harland & Wolf Ltd. Belfast for the Union-Castle Mail SS Co. Ltd., London.
14 January 1926 launched as the CARNARVON CASTLE.
Tonnage 20.063 gross12.089 net, dim. 192.23 x 22.40 x 12.65m.
Powered by two 4S DA 8-cyl Burmeister & Wain oil engines manufactured by shipbuilder, 13,000 bhp., twin shaft, speed 16 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 311 first, 276 second and 263 third class passengers. Crew 350.
Reefer space 122,000 cubic feet.
26 June 1926 completed. She was the first motorship by the company.
Built for the mail service between the UK and South Africa.
MV CARNARVON CASTLE was an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line. She was briefly requisitioned for service as an auxiliary cruiser by the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Construction and early career
CARNARVON CASTLE was built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast and launched on 14 January 1926. She was completed on 26 June 1926 and entered service for the Union-Castle Line. She was named after Caernarfon Castle. She was the first of the Union-Castle mail ships to exceed 20,000 tons, and was the first motor ship to be used on the sailings between Britain and the Cape of Good Hope. She had two squat funnels, the forward-most of which was a dummy. She served on the route until 1936, when a revised contract to carry the mails required a speed of at least 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph), which would result in a voyage to the Cape lasting no more than 13 and a half days. CARNARVON CASTLE required a refit and was reworked by her original builders between 1937 and 1938. Her engines were replaced, a single funnel replaced the original two, and her passenger capacity was altered. After undergoing seatrials on 26 June 1938, she returned to her original route on 8 July, setting a new record for the passage to the Cape of 12 days, 13 hours, 38 minutes. The record stood until 1954. Her engine was replaced by two 2S DA 10-cyl. Burmeister & Wain oil engines, 26,000 bhp, speed 20 knots. Tonnage 20,122 gross, 12,989 net, funnels reduced to one and got a raked bow, which increased her length to 209.04m. Passenger accommodation for 226 first, 245 second and 188 tourist passengers.
War service
CARNARVON CASTLE was at Cape Town at the outbreak of the Second World War, and was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on 8 September 1939. She sailed to the naval base at Simonstown and was converted to an armed merchant cruiser. Armed with 8 – 6 inch guns ans 2 – 3 inch HA guns. Commissioned as HMS CARNARVON CASTLE on 9 October, she sailed into the South Atlantic. On 5 December she encountered the German auxiliary cruiser THOR ex SANTA CRUZ and had a five-hour running battle with her. She suffered heavily in the battle, sustaining 27 hits causing 6 dead and 27 wounded. THOR was apparently undamaged in the encounter. CARNARVON CASTLE put into Montevideo for repairs, and was temporarily repaired with steel plate reportedly salvaged from the German cruiser ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE. She sailed then for South Africa for repairs.
CARNARVON CASTLE 's career as an armed merchant cruiser came to an end when she was decommissioned on 29 November 1943. There were plans to convert her into an aircraft carrier, but these plans were abandoned and she underwent a conversion to a troopship at New York in 1944. She remained on trooping duties after the war, and was finally released from naval service in 1 January1947. Returned to her original owners, she was back on the route to South Africa by June 1947, and was again refitted by Harland and Wolff in early 1949. Passenger capacity 216 first, 401 tourist passengers. Resuming service on 15 June 1950, she served until her retirement and sale. She arrived at Mihara, Japan on 8 September 1963 and was scrapped there by Seibu Ogyo K.K.
Tristan da Cunha 2015 £1.50 sg?, scott?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Carnarvon_Castle Union-Castle Line by Peter Newall.
Visited Tristan 15 November 1940. As with HMS QUEEN OF BERMUDA, mail from this wartime visit was censored and bore a tombstone cachet dated “15 NOV 1940” (see FDC). She was the first Union Castle Mail Ship to exceed 20,000 tonnes and after a re-fit in 1937-8 she set a new record for the passage to the Cape (12 days, 123 hours and 38 minutes) which stood until 1954. At the outbreak of WW2 she was converted to an armed merchant cruiser and shortly afterwards had a 5 hour battle with the German Auxiliary Cruiser THOR. In Montevideo she was reportedly repaired with steel plate salvaged from the ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE.
Source: Tristan da Cunha Post press release
Built as a steel hulled passenger-cargo-reefer vessel under yard No 595 by Harland & Wolf Ltd. Belfast for the Union-Castle Mail SS Co. Ltd., London.
14 January 1926 launched as the CARNARVON CASTLE.
Tonnage 20.063 gross12.089 net, dim. 192.23 x 22.40 x 12.65m.
Powered by two 4S DA 8-cyl Burmeister & Wain oil engines manufactured by shipbuilder, 13,000 bhp., twin shaft, speed 16 knots.
Passenger accommodation for 311 first, 276 second and 263 third class passengers. Crew 350.
Reefer space 122,000 cubic feet.
26 June 1926 completed. She was the first motorship by the company.
Built for the mail service between the UK and South Africa.
MV CARNARVON CASTLE was an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line. She was briefly requisitioned for service as an auxiliary cruiser by the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Construction and early career
CARNARVON CASTLE was built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast and launched on 14 January 1926. She was completed on 26 June 1926 and entered service for the Union-Castle Line. She was named after Caernarfon Castle. She was the first of the Union-Castle mail ships to exceed 20,000 tons, and was the first motor ship to be used on the sailings between Britain and the Cape of Good Hope. She had two squat funnels, the forward-most of which was a dummy. She served on the route until 1936, when a revised contract to carry the mails required a speed of at least 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph), which would result in a voyage to the Cape lasting no more than 13 and a half days. CARNARVON CASTLE required a refit and was reworked by her original builders between 1937 and 1938. Her engines were replaced, a single funnel replaced the original two, and her passenger capacity was altered. After undergoing seatrials on 26 June 1938, she returned to her original route on 8 July, setting a new record for the passage to the Cape of 12 days, 13 hours, 38 minutes. The record stood until 1954. Her engine was replaced by two 2S DA 10-cyl. Burmeister & Wain oil engines, 26,000 bhp, speed 20 knots. Tonnage 20,122 gross, 12,989 net, funnels reduced to one and got a raked bow, which increased her length to 209.04m. Passenger accommodation for 226 first, 245 second and 188 tourist passengers.
War service
CARNARVON CASTLE was at Cape Town at the outbreak of the Second World War, and was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on 8 September 1939. She sailed to the naval base at Simonstown and was converted to an armed merchant cruiser. Armed with 8 – 6 inch guns ans 2 – 3 inch HA guns. Commissioned as HMS CARNARVON CASTLE on 9 October, she sailed into the South Atlantic. On 5 December she encountered the German auxiliary cruiser THOR ex SANTA CRUZ and had a five-hour running battle with her. She suffered heavily in the battle, sustaining 27 hits causing 6 dead and 27 wounded. THOR was apparently undamaged in the encounter. CARNARVON CASTLE put into Montevideo for repairs, and was temporarily repaired with steel plate reportedly salvaged from the German cruiser ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE. She sailed then for South Africa for repairs.
CARNARVON CASTLE 's career as an armed merchant cruiser came to an end when she was decommissioned on 29 November 1943. There were plans to convert her into an aircraft carrier, but these plans were abandoned and she underwent a conversion to a troopship at New York in 1944. She remained on trooping duties after the war, and was finally released from naval service in 1 January1947. Returned to her original owners, she was back on the route to South Africa by June 1947, and was again refitted by Harland and Wolff in early 1949. Passenger capacity 216 first, 401 tourist passengers. Resuming service on 15 June 1950, she served until her retirement and sale. She arrived at Mihara, Japan on 8 September 1963 and was scrapped there by Seibu Ogyo K.K.
Tristan da Cunha 2015 £1.50 sg?, scott?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Carnarvon_Castle Union-Castle Line by Peter Newall.