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The Online Magazine of Clyde shipping, shipbuilding and the Clydeside area
itself. Past, Present and Future
Articles both new and gleaned from our sister site, Clydeshipping, added frequently - do check back often! |
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On This Day: 3rd December |
Noteable events involving Clydebuilt ships 3rd December:
On this day in 1858 the ss MADAGASCAR of the Aberdeen Line was wrecked off the Beku River 40 miles south of East London, South Africa. She had been built at Scotts of Greenock in 1855, engines by Scott, Sinclair & Co.
A happier event occured on 3rd December 1873 when the POMMERANIA left Hamburg on her maiden voyage to Southapton and New York. One of the many ships built by Caird & Co, Greenock for the Hamburg America Line, she was not a long lived vessel, sinking on 23rd October 1878 after colliding with the sailing vessel MOEL EILIAN. Fifty lives were lost.
For us here on the Clyde, another sinking was more newsworthy in 1916. The PERUGIA of the Anchor Line was requisitioned as a "Q-ship" that year. These vessels were equipped with disguised armament, appearing to be merchant ships going about their business. The idea was to lure submarines to surface then attack them. Further to that, it was meant to make the enemy less likely to approach merchant ships, fearing they were indeed armed. Whether or not this idea worked is debatable, but it didn't work for PERUGIA on 3rd December 1916, as a German submarine (U-63) found its aim in the Gulf of Genoa and sank her. Casualties are unknown.
She had been built by D&W Henderson in 1901 and was designed for the Genoa-New York runs
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| Copyright B.Biddulph, Clydesite 2005 - Unless otherwise stated. Any materials credited shows the name of the copyright owner where known. The pages are intended for private use, for educational purposes. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the permission of the copyright owner. Reassemble the following to email address format to contact: editor at clydeshipping .co .uk |
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