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SS Stanwood
SS Stanwood was a cargo steamship. She was launched in Germany in 1915 as Itajahy, and the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) requisitioned her as an auxiliary ship. The United Kingdom seized her in 1919 as part of Germany's World War I reparations to the Entente Powers. With changes of ownership, she was renamed Hesione in 1921, and Stanwood in 1937.
The ship survived a cargo fire in 1926, a collision in 1935, and an air attack in 1937 in the Spanish Civil War. In 1939, two months after the Second World War began, she suffered another cargo fire, which led to her sinking. Her remains, on the Channel coast of Cornwall, are now a wreck diving site.
Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft (HSDG) ordered the ship from Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik in Hamburg, who built her as yard number 459. She was launched on 27 March 1915 as Itajahy, named after the coastal city of Itajaí, which is a major seaport in southern Brazil. Itajahy unusually small for a new HSDG ship at that time: only 110.2 m (361.5 ft) long; 15.6 m (51.2 ft) beam, and 7.7 m (25.3 ft) depth. Her tonnages were 4,155 GRT and 2,535 NRT. She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine. It was rated at 1,900 ihp or 410 NHP, and gave her a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h). Itajahy never entered HSDG service, as the Kaiserliche Marine requisitioned her as an auxiliary ship.
HSDG ordered a sister ship for Itajahy from a different shipyard; Georg Seebeck AG in Geestemünde. She was launched in April 1918 as Jacuhy, named after the Jacuí River in southern Brazil. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Seebeck deliberately slowed her completion, to prevent the Allies from seizing her. Her design was revised by the addition of berths for 585 steerage passengers, and her name was changed. She entered HSDG service in 1920 as Argentina, and remained in the fleet until she was sold for scrap in 1932.
On 26 March 1919, Itajahy was surrendered to the Allied Shipping Commission. The UK Shipping Controller took ownership of her, and registered her in London. Her official number was 143082, and her code letters were JWLG. The Shipping Controller appointed Elder, Dempster & Co Ltd to manage her.
In 1921 a Liverpool-based shipowner, Robert Houston, bought Itajahy for his British and South American Steam Navigation Company. She was renamed Hesione, which is the name of several women in Greek mythology. She was re-registered in Liverpool. Robert Houston died in 1926, and Hesione's managers were restyled "Houston Line (London) Ltd" in 1932. By 1930, Hesione was equipped with wireless direction finding. Also by 1930, her call sign was GBCQ, and by 1934, this had superseded her code letters.
In 1926, Hesione was about to leave Buenos Aires with a cargo of maize when a smouldering fire was discovered in her cargo. The fire took five days to extinguish. On 27 January 1935, Hesione was berthed in Middlesbrough Dock when an Østasiatiske Kompagni motor ship, Boringia, tried to leave port in a northerly gale. Boringia was blown off-course, and collided with Hesione.
In 1937 a London shipowner, Jack Billmeir, bought Hesione for his Stanhope Steamship Company. He renamed her Stanwood, and registered her in London. Billmeir had founded the Stanhope SS Co in 1934. It had a very small fleet until 1937, when Billmeir added numerous relatively old cargo ships in order to trade with the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War. This was blockade running, as the rebel Nationalist navy was blockading Republican ports.
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SS Stanwood AI simulator
(@SS Stanwood_simulator)
SS Stanwood
SS Stanwood was a cargo steamship. She was launched in Germany in 1915 as Itajahy, and the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) requisitioned her as an auxiliary ship. The United Kingdom seized her in 1919 as part of Germany's World War I reparations to the Entente Powers. With changes of ownership, she was renamed Hesione in 1921, and Stanwood in 1937.
The ship survived a cargo fire in 1926, a collision in 1935, and an air attack in 1937 in the Spanish Civil War. In 1939, two months after the Second World War began, she suffered another cargo fire, which led to her sinking. Her remains, on the Channel coast of Cornwall, are now a wreck diving site.
Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft (HSDG) ordered the ship from Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik in Hamburg, who built her as yard number 459. She was launched on 27 March 1915 as Itajahy, named after the coastal city of Itajaí, which is a major seaport in southern Brazil. Itajahy unusually small for a new HSDG ship at that time: only 110.2 m (361.5 ft) long; 15.6 m (51.2 ft) beam, and 7.7 m (25.3 ft) depth. Her tonnages were 4,155 GRT and 2,535 NRT. She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine. It was rated at 1,900 ihp or 410 NHP, and gave her a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h). Itajahy never entered HSDG service, as the Kaiserliche Marine requisitioned her as an auxiliary ship.
HSDG ordered a sister ship for Itajahy from a different shipyard; Georg Seebeck AG in Geestemünde. She was launched in April 1918 as Jacuhy, named after the Jacuí River in southern Brazil. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Seebeck deliberately slowed her completion, to prevent the Allies from seizing her. Her design was revised by the addition of berths for 585 steerage passengers, and her name was changed. She entered HSDG service in 1920 as Argentina, and remained in the fleet until she was sold for scrap in 1932.
On 26 March 1919, Itajahy was surrendered to the Allied Shipping Commission. The UK Shipping Controller took ownership of her, and registered her in London. Her official number was 143082, and her code letters were JWLG. The Shipping Controller appointed Elder, Dempster & Co Ltd to manage her.
In 1921 a Liverpool-based shipowner, Robert Houston, bought Itajahy for his British and South American Steam Navigation Company. She was renamed Hesione, which is the name of several women in Greek mythology. She was re-registered in Liverpool. Robert Houston died in 1926, and Hesione's managers were restyled "Houston Line (London) Ltd" in 1932. By 1930, Hesione was equipped with wireless direction finding. Also by 1930, her call sign was GBCQ, and by 1934, this had superseded her code letters.
In 1926, Hesione was about to leave Buenos Aires with a cargo of maize when a smouldering fire was discovered in her cargo. The fire took five days to extinguish. On 27 January 1935, Hesione was berthed in Middlesbrough Dock when an Østasiatiske Kompagni motor ship, Boringia, tried to leave port in a northerly gale. Boringia was blown off-course, and collided with Hesione.
In 1937 a London shipowner, Jack Billmeir, bought Hesione for his Stanhope Steamship Company. He renamed her Stanwood, and registered her in London. Billmeir had founded the Stanhope SS Co in 1934. It had a very small fleet until 1937, when Billmeir added numerous relatively old cargo ships in order to trade with the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War. This was blockade running, as the rebel Nationalist navy was blockading Republican ports.