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RMS Strathnaver
RMS Strathnaver
RMS Strathnaver
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RMS Strathnaver in 1937
History
United Kingdom
Name
  • RMS Strathnaver;
  • SS Strathnaver
NamesakeStrathnaver in Sutherland, Scotland
Owner P&O Steam Navigation Co[1]
Operator P&O Steam Navigation Co
Port of registryUnited Kingdom London[1]
RouteTilbury — Brisbane[2]
OrderedJanuary 1930
BuilderVickers-Armstrong, Barrow[1]
Yard number663[3]
Launched5 February 1931[4]
Christened5 February 1931 by Lady Janet Bailey
CompletedSeptember 1931[1]
Maiden voyage2 October 1931[4]
Home portTilbury
Identification
FateScrapped in Hong Kong, 1962[4]
General characteristics
Class & type"Strath" class ocean liner
Tonnage
Length638.7 feet (194.7 m)[1]
Beam80.2 feet (24.4 m)[1]
Draught29 feet 2 inches (8.9 m)[1]
Depth33.1 feet (10.1 m)[1]
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)[5]
  • or 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)[2]
Capacity
  • as built:
  • 498 1st class, 670 tourist class[4]
  • after 1948 refit: 1,252 tourist class[4]
Sensors &
processing systems
Notessister ship: RMS Strathaird[1]

RMS Strathnaver, later SS Strathnaver, was an ocean liner of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).

She was the first of five sister ships in what came to be called the "Strath" class. All previous P&O steamships had black-painted hulls and funnels but Strathnaver and her sisters were painted with white hulls and buff funnels,[6][7] which earned them the nickname "The Beautiful White Sisters"[2] or just "The White Sisters". Strathnaver and her sister ships RMS Strathaird and RMS Strathmore were Royal Mail Ships that worked P&O's regular liner route between Tilbury in Essex, England and Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.[2]

Strathnaver remained in service for just over 30 years, being scrapped in 1962.

Building

[edit]
RMS Strathnaver's port lifeboats in their davits in 1934

The Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness built all five "Strath"-class liners.[1] Strathnaver was launched on 5 February 1931,[4] completed in September 1931[1] and left Tilbury on her maiden voyage on 2 October.[4]

In 1929 P&O had introduced its first large turbo-electric liner, RMS Viceroy of India. The company chose the same propulsion system for Strathnaver and Strathaird, but the "Straths" were slightly larger ships, their turbo-electric equipment was much more powerful[1] and they were about 3 knots (5.6 km/h) faster than Viceroy of India.

Strathnaver and Strathaird were very similar. Each had four water-tube boilers and two auxiliary boilers.[1] The boilers had a combined heating surface of 56,000 square feet (5,203 m2) and supplied steam at 425 lbf/in2 to two turbo generators.[1] These supplied current to two electric motors with a combined rating of 6,315 NHP[1] or 28,000 shp.[4] British Thomson-Houston of Rugby, Warwickshire built the turbo-generators and motors.[1] The motors drove a pair of inward-rotating[4] screw propellers.[1] Strathnaver and Strathaird had three funnels but only the middle one served as a smoke stack: the first and third funnels were dummies.[2]

Strathnaver and Strathaird were each equipped with direction finding equipment, an echo sounding device and a gyrocompass[1] As built, Strathnaver had accommodation for 498 first class and 668 tourist class passengers and 476 crew.[8] In first class the ship had 262 single-berth rooms with the rest double-berthed, a special suite on "D" deck had 12 de luxe cabins each with a private bathroom.[9] The tourist-class cabins were either two or four-berthed.[9]

The ship was launched at Barrow on 5 February 1931 by Lady Janet Bailey, daughter of Lord Inchcape, the Chairman of P&O.[8]

Service

[edit]
RMS Strathnaver in Lisbon in 1934

Strathnaver and Strathaird mostly worked the Tilbury–Brisbane route[2] via the Suez Canal.[10] They also undertook occasional cruises.[2]

In October 1938 the ship was chartered to move 1,200 British troops from India to Palestine.[11]

In 1939[10] or 1940[4] the two sisters were requisitioned as troop ships. Strathnaver's war service included bringing Australian and New Zealand troops to Suez and Allied troops to the Anzio landings.[4] She remained a troop ship until November 1948, when she was returned to P&O.[4] In her nine years of government service she carried 129,000 troops and travelled 352,000 miles.[11]

P&O had Harland and Wolff in Belfast refit her for civilian service. First class was abolished and all accommodation was made tourist class, which slightly increased total passenger capacity from 1,168 to 1,252.[4][clarification needed] The dummy first and third funnels were removed,[4] which made Strathnaver look more like her later sisters Stratheden, Strathallan and Strathmore. Strathaird had already had her dummy funnels removed in 1947.[10] When she returned to service in 1950 she had accommodation for 567 passengers in first-class and 458 in tourist-class.[12]

Originally planned to be retired in mid-1962 the Strathnaver was retired a few months earlier due to an Australian government decision not to reserve any more berths for migrants in the first five-months of 1962.[13] P&O sold Strathnaver and Strathaird for scrap to Shun Fung Ironworks of Hong Kong.[4][10] Strathnaver arrived in Hong Kong in April 1962 on her last voyage.[14] Canberra replaced both Strathnaver and Strathaird on the Australia route.[10]

Stern view of RMS Strathnaver

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

RMS Strathnaver

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from Grokipedia
The RMS Strathnaver was a British of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (), launched in 1931 and serving primarily on the Tilbury-to-Sydney route via and Bombay until her scrapping in ; she was the first of five "Strath-class" sisters renowned for their elegant design and role in passenger and mail services between Britain and . Built by at , , the ship measured 664 feet in length with a beam of 80 feet and a gross registered tonnage of 22,547, accommodating up to 498 first-class and 670 tourist-class passengers in her original pre-war configuration, powered by turbo-electric steam turbines for a service speed of 22 knots. Her maiden voyage commenced on 2 October 1931 from , marking the start of a peacetime career that included transporting child migrants to as part of post-World War I resettlement efforts, thereby contributing significantly to Britain's migration history and Australia's . During World War II, Strathnaver was requisitioned by the British government on 7 January 1940 as a , participating in key operations such as the North African landings under in 1942 and the Anzio invasion in 1944, during which she steamed over 350,000 miles and carried more than 128,000 personnel without major incident. Post-war, she was refitted in 1948—removing her two dummy funnels for a sleeker profile—and resumed commercial service, later converting to a single-class vessel in 1954 with capacity for 1,250 passengers amid the rise of the "Ten-Pound Pom" assisted migration scheme. Following the 1960 merger of with the Orient Line to form P&O-Orient Lines, the aging liner continued service until her withdrawal in 1962 and was sold for breaking at on 12 February 1962, ending an era of iconic P&O "White Sisters" on the run.

Design and construction

Specifications

The RMS Strathnaver was constructed entirely of , measuring 638.7 feet (194.7 m) in , with a beam of 80.2 feet (24.4 m) and a draught of 29 feet 2 inches (8.9 m). Her stood at 22,283 GRT. The ship featured a distinctive profile with three funnels, of which only the middle one was functional as an exhaust stack, while the outer pair served aesthetic purposes to evoke the image of larger, faster liners. She was equipped with advanced navigation aids for the era, including a for precise steering and an echo-sounding device for depth measurement. Propulsion was provided by a turbo-electric , consisting of four oil-fired water-tube boilers generating to drive turbo-generators, which supplied power to two electric motors rated at 28,000 shaft horsepower (shp). These motors turned twin screw propellers, enabling a service speed of 22 to 23 knots, suitable for the demanding to route via the . The oil-fired boilers provided ample fuel capacity for extended voyages without frequent refueling. As built, Strathnaver accommodated 498 passengers in and 670 in tourist class, supported by a of approximately 487. This configuration reflected the two-class service model typical of 's interwar liners, balancing luxury and economy for long-distance travel.

Building and launch

In January 1930, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company () placed an order with at their in for the RMS Strathnaver, the of what would become the "Strath" class of ocean liners designed to modernize 's fleet for the demanding route via . This initiative reflected 's strategy to replace aging vessels with faster, more luxurious ships capable of handling the growing demand for passenger and mail services to , marking a significant expansion in that ultimately produced five sisters. The construction, assigned yard number 663, began with in 1930 and incorporated innovative turbo-electric machinery—first pioneered by in the Viceroy of India the previous year—to enhance and reduce on long voyages. The ship's hull progressed steadily through 1930, adopting P&O's new signature livery of a white hull and buff funnels, a departure from the traditional black paint that earned the "Strath" sisters their nickname, the "Beautiful White Sisters." On 5 February 1931, Strathnaver was launched in a ceremonial event sponsored by Lady Janet Bailey, second daughter of P&O Chairman Lord Inchcape, who performed the christening before a gathered crowd at the Barrow yard. The launch highlighted the ship's scale and elegance, with its three funnels (two as dummies for aesthetic balance) symbolizing a blend of and in liner design. Following launch, continued through the spring and summer of 1931, culminating in successful sea trials in August that confirmed the turbo-electric system's performance and the vessel's overall seaworthiness. The ship, which had cost approximately £2,000,000 to build, was delivered to on 2 September 1931, ready for commissioning into service.

Operational history

Pre-war service

RMS Strathnaver departed on 2 October 1931 for her maiden voyage to , , via Marseilles, the , Bombay, and , carrying 1,416 passengers—the largest passenger load for up to that time. This voyage established the ship's primary role in 's regular liner service between and , with scheduled stops at key ports including , Bombay, and to accommodate mail delivery and passenger traffic along the route. The service operated on a bi-weekly frequency, contributing to 's dominance in the pre-war UK- passenger trade alongside competitors like the Orient Line. The ship offered luxurious accommodations tailored to its dual-class configuration, with 498 first-class berths including private suites, a grand lounge, and verandas for elite travelers, while tourist class provided 668 berths with communal dining halls, deck spaces, and recreational facilities for a broader clientele. Passengers enjoyed modern amenities such as indoor swimming pools, a gymnasium, and evening entertainment, enhancing the appeal of long-haul voyages. Occasionally, Strathnaver undertook cruises to destinations like the Mediterranean, supplementing her standard route with leisure itineraries that attracted holidaymakers seeking exotic ports. In October 1938, amid escalating tensions in the , Strathnaver was chartered by the British government to transport approximately 1,200 troops from to , marking one of her few non-commercial assignments before the war. Throughout her pre-war career, the ship maintained high occupancy rates on regular sailings, often exceeding 90% capacity, which bolstered P&O's position in the lucrative trade. Minor incidents, such as weather-related delays during monsoon seasons in the , were reported but did not result in any major accidents or disruptions to service.

Second World War service

At the outbreak of the Second World War, RMS Strathnaver was requisitioned by the British Ministry of War Transport on 7 January 1940 and redesignated HMT Strathnaver for service as a troopship. The vessel was painted in wartime grey camouflage to reduce visibility and fitted with defensive armament, including anti-aircraft guns manned by onboard troops. Her pre-war familiarity with routes to Australia and the Middle East facilitated rapid adaptation to military operations, allowing her to embark Australian and New Zealand troops from Fremantle in the first major convoy departing Australia on 20 January 1940, bound for Suez with approximately 1,456 soldiers aboard. Over the course of her wartime service, modifications increased her troop capacity to around 2,000 personnel per voyage, though constant high-speed operations placed significant strain on her engines. Strathnaver played a vital role in reinforcing Allied forces across multiple theaters, carrying a total of 129,000 troops over 352,000 miles during nine years of government service. In April 1940, she transported additional reinforcements to the , followed by voyages supporting North African campaigns, including disembarking troops at on 11 November 1942 as part of and ferrying survivors from the bombed ships Cathay and Karanja under enemy fire the next day. By June 1943, she served as a in the , preparing forces for the invasion of , and in 1944 participated in the Anzio landings, transporting units such as the 115th AAA Battalion. Other notable trips included transporting 250 VAD nurses alongside troops from to Bombay in August 1944. Despite operating in U-boat-infested waters throughout the Mediterranean and Atlantic, Strathnaver avoided major damage or losses, a testament to effective protections and her robust design. She was released from government service in 1948, having endured the rigors of wartime without sinking or severe incident.

Post-war service

Following the end of the Second World War, RMS Strathnaver was initially employed in the repatriation of troops from various theaters, including and , before undergoing a major refit at Harland and Wolff in from November 1948 to December 1949. This overhaul included the removal of her two dummy funnels to streamline her silhouette, modernization of interiors for improved passenger comfort, and restoration of her pre-war white hull with buff funnels, marking a return to her civilian peacetime appearance. She re-entered commercial service on 5 January 1950, operating as a two-class vessel with 573 first-class and 496 tourist-class berths, a configuration that emphasized her role in post-war recovery while accommodating a mix of luxury and economy travelers. Strathnaver resumed her primary route from to via the , maintaining a service speed of 22 knots that allowed for efficient 28-day crossings despite the wear from wartime operations. In 1954, she underwent another refit that converted her to a single-class tourist configuration with 1,252 berths, shifting focus from her original luxury first-class setup to economy accommodations suited for . This change aligned with high demand from the British government's "Ten Pound Pom" assisted migration scheme, under which Strathnaver transported thousands of British emigrants to throughout the 1950s, including families and former service personnel seeking new opportunities; for instance, voyages in the mid-1950s often carried over 1,000 passengers per sailing, contributing to the movement of more than a million migrants overall. The ship also undertook occasional cruises from ports, offering leisure voyages to Mediterranean and other destinations for affluent passengers. By the late , Strathnaver faced growing operational challenges from the rapid expansion of affordable , which eroded profitability on long-haul routes as passengers opted for faster alternatives. Her final commercial voyages occurred in 1961 and early 1962, with the last departure from on 1 March 1962 to , after which bookings declined sharply and the vessel was withdrawn from service due to unsustainable economics.

Decommissioning and scrapping

Following the merger of with the Orient Line to form P&O-Orient Lines in 1960, the aging Strathnaver was withdrawn from service after completing her final commercial voyage to , which commenced on 7 December 1961. On 12 February 1962, she was sold for scrap to the Shun Fung Ironworks Company in for £325,500. Strathnaver departed on 1 March 1962 for her final voyage to the breakers and arrived in in April 1962, where she was dismantled, ending her 30-year career.
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