SS City of Johannesburg
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name |
|
Operator | Ellerman Lines Ltd, London |
Port of registry | |
Builder | Barclay, Curle & Co, Whiteinch, Glasgow |
Yard number | 581 |
Launched | 23 May 1920 |
Completed | 1920, as the Melford Hall |
Identification | UK official number 143712 |
Fate | sunk on 23 October 1942 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | cargo steamship |
Tonnage | |
Length | 417.2 ft (127.2 m) |
Beam | 54.8 ft (16.7 m) |
Depth | 29.0 ft (8.8 m) |
Propulsion | 2 steam turbines double-reduction geared onto a single shaft |
Crew | 89 |
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (June 2021) |
SS City of Johannesburg was a British cargo steamship that was sunk in 1942.[1] She was built by Barclay, Curle & Co, of Whiteinch, Glasgow for Ellerman Lines Ltd, of London in 1920, being launched as SS Melford Hall.[1][verification needed] She was renamed SS City of Johannesburg in 1926 and registered in Liverpool.[1][verification needed]
Sinking[]
Her final voyage was to take her from Calcutta to the United Kingdom, calling at Colombo on 6 October 1942 and later at Cape Town on the way.[citation needed] She carried 7,750 tons of general cargo, including pig iron, cotton, jute and tea, under the command of her master, Walter Armour Owen.[2]
At 2312 hours on 23 October she was travelling unescorted off East London South Africa, when she was sighted by German submarine U-504 commanded by Fritz Poske. The U-boat torpedoed the City of Johannesburg, and succeeded in sinking her.[2] Two of the 89 crew were lost, but the master and 12 crew members were rescued by the Dutch cargo ship Zypenberg, which took them to Durban. Another 54 crew members were rescued by the British cargo ship and landed at Port Elizabeth, with the final 20 crew members being picked up by , which took them to Cape Town.[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Screw Steamer MELFORD HALL built by Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. in 1921 for Ellerman Lines Ltd. - Hall Line Ltd., Liverpool, Cargo". www.clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "City of Johannesburg (British Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- 1920 ships
- Ships built on the River Clyde
- Maritime incidents in October 1942
- Ships of the Ellerman Lines
- Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II
- Steamships of the United Kingdom
- World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom
- World War II shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean