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SS Automedon
SS Automedon was a Blue Funnel Line refrigerated cargo steamship. She was launched in 1921 on the River Tyne as one of a class of 11 ships to replace many of Blue Funnel's losses in the First World War.
A converted German auxiliary cruiser and merchant raider Atlantis captured and scuttled Automedon in 1940 in the Indian Ocean. Her capture is notable because she was carrying top secret documents addressed to the British Far East Command. Their capture may have influenced Japan's decision to enter the Second World War.
Automedon was Achilles' charioteer in Homer's Iliad. This was the first of three Blue Funnel Line ships to be named after him. The second was a motor ship launched in 1949 and scrapped in 1972. The third was a motor ship launched in 1948 as Cyclops, renamed Automedon in 1975 and scrapped in 1977.
Blue Funnel Line lost 16 ships in the First World War. Thereafter the company replaced its fleet, mainly with a class of 11 new steamships of about 460 ft (140 m) registered length, 58 ft (18 m) beam and tonnage of about 7,500 GRT, all launched between 1920 and 1923.
Blue Funnel ordered members of the new class from five different shipyards. Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company built two, Automedon at Jarrow and Meriones at Hebburn, both launched in 1921.
Palmers launched Automedon on 4 December 1921 and completed her in March 1922. Like most members of the class, she was powered by two steam turbines, which drove a single screw via double reduction gearing. Between them her turbines developed 6,000 SHP and gave her a speed of 14.5 knots (27 km/h). Her holds had refrigerated space for 111,000 cubic feet (3,143 m3) of cargo.
In 1934 Automedon's code letters KNQG were superseded by the call sign GBZR, and she was fitted with wireless direction finding.
In the Second World War Automedon mostly sailed unescorted. When the war began in September 1939 she was en route from Britain to Australia via the Suez Canal and Colombo. She returned by the same route, reaching Liverpool on 3 March 1940.
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SS Automedon
SS Automedon was a Blue Funnel Line refrigerated cargo steamship. She was launched in 1921 on the River Tyne as one of a class of 11 ships to replace many of Blue Funnel's losses in the First World War.
A converted German auxiliary cruiser and merchant raider Atlantis captured and scuttled Automedon in 1940 in the Indian Ocean. Her capture is notable because she was carrying top secret documents addressed to the British Far East Command. Their capture may have influenced Japan's decision to enter the Second World War.
Automedon was Achilles' charioteer in Homer's Iliad. This was the first of three Blue Funnel Line ships to be named after him. The second was a motor ship launched in 1949 and scrapped in 1972. The third was a motor ship launched in 1948 as Cyclops, renamed Automedon in 1975 and scrapped in 1977.
Blue Funnel Line lost 16 ships in the First World War. Thereafter the company replaced its fleet, mainly with a class of 11 new steamships of about 460 ft (140 m) registered length, 58 ft (18 m) beam and tonnage of about 7,500 GRT, all launched between 1920 and 1923.
Blue Funnel ordered members of the new class from five different shipyards. Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company built two, Automedon at Jarrow and Meriones at Hebburn, both launched in 1921.
Palmers launched Automedon on 4 December 1921 and completed her in March 1922. Like most members of the class, she was powered by two steam turbines, which drove a single screw via double reduction gearing. Between them her turbines developed 6,000 SHP and gave her a speed of 14.5 knots (27 km/h). Her holds had refrigerated space for 111,000 cubic feet (3,143 m3) of cargo.
In 1934 Automedon's code letters KNQG were superseded by the call sign GBZR, and she was fitted with wireless direction finding.
In the Second World War Automedon mostly sailed unescorted. When the war began in September 1939 she was en route from Britain to Australia via the Suez Canal and Colombo. She returned by the same route, reaching Liverpool on 3 March 1940.