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Manchester Merchant (1) was completed by Palmers of Jarrow in February 1900 and then immediately requisitioned by H.M. Government for service as a transport vessel during the Boer War and is flying the defaced blue ensign of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and displaying her official No: 92 on both bows and quarters.
This is an EXACT transcript of an original document from the late Captain J. Barclay, which has been passed down to his nephew Captain Peter Cullen. The punctation and spellings have been retained to preserve its authenticity. MANCHESTER LINERS Manchester Engineer during third trip from U.S.A. with supplies was torpedoed off Waterford on 27.3.1916 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Importer was requisitioned two days after war was declared and landed her first cargo of "Old Contemptibles" to the Western Front at Havre on 17.8.1914. Kahki was not available, and troops went to France in their scarlet jackets and busbies and continued doing this until she was torpedoed on 20.5.1918 was under the command of Capt.P.Linton and managed to reach Southampton safely. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Commerce on 26/27.10.1914 was sunk by a mine off Tory Island and was first ship to be mined. One lifeboat was launched and the master, Capt Payne and other crew m embers were preparing to launch another lifeboat when the ship sank, within seven minutes of striking the mine. those left on board had to jump into very rough sea; some made it to the first lifeboat, but the captain and thirteen others drowned. Fleetwood trawler City of London put into Carnlough Bay Co Antrim with 30 survivors. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AT outbreak of war Austrian Lloyd had a vessel on the stocks; this 11-knot ship was taken over, completed by the Liners and named Manchester Hero. Under command of Capt Perry, she was pursued and shelled by a submarine off the West Coast of Ireland but escaped through volunteers in the stokehold whipping her up to a speed of 16 knots, from which effort, it is said, she never fully recovered. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12.11.1915 Manchester Merchant (Capt.E.W.C.Beggs and Chief Officer (later Capt) H. Brown en route from Canada saved 15 men from the Brazilian barque Storeng foundering in a gale. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Engineer (Capt.R.Smith) was sunk 27.3.1916 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Inventor (Capt.H.Williams) sunk off Ireland on 18.1,1917 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Citizen (Capt.J.E.Everest) sunk26.4.1916 in Atlantic. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Trader(ex-Archenbloe) engaged a submarine in a running fight in the Mediterranean berfore being sunk- Capt.F.D.Struss and Chief Engineer W.R.Stobo received the Distinguished Service Cross. 4.6.1916. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Miller (Capt W.A.Caldwell) sunk 190 miles N.W. of the Fastnet with the loss of eight lives 5.6.1916 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During First World War liners adopted the ruse that if a ship was sunk another ship was aquired and given the same name. So when the enemy received a report from his agents that the Manchester Inventor had been sunk off the Irish Coast in January, it became very difficult to reconcile it with a report that the same ship(actually ex-Celtic King) had arrived at Archangel on4.6.1917, to be sunk again on 30.7.1917. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The second Manchester Commerce(Capt.R.Smith) was sunk on 29.7.1917. Bought in 1916 as the King only made one voyage to Archangel, and the Mediterranean. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation was acquired and became the second Manchester Engineer (Capt.Owens) and did a trip to Archangel. on her return was sunk off the Tyne on August 16. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Spinner (Capt.W.A.Caldell )made two trips to the Mediterranean on Government Service in 1916,and in 1918 delivered supplies to Salonika. On her way home from the Far East was sunk in the Mediterranean by an enemy submarine on 22.1.1918 and was liners last casualty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- liners could give as well as take June 1917 Manchester Port en route to Canada beat off submarine attack with gun fire. The new Manchester Division on her maiden voyage from West Hartlepool to join a convoy at Plymouth rammed and sank a German submarine off Flamborough Head.
8.12.1929. Manchester Regiment (Capt.Philip.Linton ) steamed 60 miles through a gale to reach sinking Glasgow steamer Voulmnia. Alifeboat was launched manned by Second Officer (now Captain) W.H.Downing, Third Officer now Captain )E.W.Espley, Bo'sun J.Bromage, Able Seamen J.Stringer, Patrick Kearns, H.Childlow, J.Manins and Mr.R.P,Ziegler, passenger, and saved the crew of 45. On returning home the King awarded the Silver Medal for Gallantty in Saving Life at Sea to officers and crew of the lifeboat. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1938 Manchester Regiment collided with and sank the Clan Mackenzie in Liverpool Bay
1939 Manchester Producer sold and became the Botway and was sunk by U-Boat on 26.7.1941. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At outbreak of World War 2 the liners fleet had Manchester Brigade (Capt.F.L.Osborne); Manchester Citizen (Capt.G.M.Mitchell ); Manchester City (Capt J Barclay );Manchester Commerce(Capt.J.E.Riley); Manchester Division (Capt.E.E.Bonnaud); Manchester Exporter (Capt.G.S.Ronald);Manchester Port (Capt.F.D.Struss); Manchester Progress (Capt.P.Linton ); Manchester Regimeny (Capt.W.E.Raper );Manchester Spinner (Capt.F.Clough ) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proceeding westbound without navigation lights in the winter of 1939 the Regiment (Capt.W,E,Raper. ) was sunk by the Orepesa-which vessel had been detached from an eastbound convoy for special duty-unfortunately with the loss of nine lives. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 26.9.1940 Manchester Brigade (Capt.F.Clough) was torpedoed ans sunk by U-137 Kapitanleutnant Wohlfarth. Only 4 survivors. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 30.11.1942 Manchester Division received a signal while on her way to Table Bay to proceed to the Dunedin Star which had been beached on an isolated and rugged coast with very heavy swell and surf running. 43 members of the crew and 212 passengers,including 7 women and 3 children,had been landed ashore in an exposed position. For 3 days,breaking radio silence, the Division stood by and 40 crew and passengers were taken aboard and landed in Capetown. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester City (Capt J.Barclay ) became a naval auxiliaryminelaying "mother" ship until Dec 1940 when she was transferred to the Admiralty; later she was sent to the Indian Ocean, where she played her full part in the Far Eastern war. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Progress (Capt J.Barclay ) returned independent of convoy in Dec 1941, from Rangoon, being one of the last ships to leave this port, and fortunately escaped damage from patrolling Japanese planes. After a further trip with supplies for the Eighth Army in the Middle East she returned to the Battle of the Atlantic and in 1942,under Capy Bonnaud, towed the motorship Forest, then a "lame duck", several hundred miles towards the safety of Iceland without a naval escort and under very difficult conditions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Spinner was mainly on the Western Ocean, but in1942 sailed on a 9 months trip with supplies to India, under Capt F.Downing. In 1944 she was sold for "special service" and under volunteer Capt F.Lewis led a line of blockships off the Normandy coast on June 7 1944, to act as a breakwater to assist the landing of troops ans stores on the beaches. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Port under Capt.E.E.Bonnaud to the Middle East with supplies in 1941, and in Nov 1942,equipped as a troopship and with landing craft aboard she landed the first troops and stores on Apple Beach near Algiers. She followed up with a second trip. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1941 Manchester Citizen (Capt.T.Makin ) took supplies for the Eighth Army and in 1942, under Capt.F.L.Osborne was one of the first ships to enter Bone on the North African Coast and was under fire almost continuously for 16 days and nights. After two further trips under Capt.Swales she proceeded to the West Coast of Africa and was sunk by U-508 Kapitanleutnant Staats on 9.7.43 with loss of 15 lives. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Trader was launchedin 1941and under Capt E.W.Rapertook her part, usually as commodore ship, in the Atlantic, except for atrip to North Africa in Dec 1942 andanother to Bone in Sept 1943. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The new Manchester Merchant was delivered in May 1940 and was on the North Atlantic service until Feb 1943 when on her return from Algiers she was torpedoed by U-628 Kapitanleutnant Hasenchar on 25.2.1943. there were 36 of the crew lost but Capt.F.D.Struss was saved after being in the water for some time and was awarded with the O.B.E. (Other Buggers Energy ) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Commerce played her part in the North African invasion, making two trips under Capt C.A.Walker. when commodore ship she was attacked by enemy aircraft off Gibraltar,three were brought down. In 1943 she made a further trip to Alezandria.Next trip was Syracuse then on to New York, from where Capt,W.H.Downing took her to India with mules; she spent most of the next year ferrying mules from South africa to India ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Exporter first under Capt. G.Ronald was also on the North Atlantic run. Under Capt. W.H.Downing, she was hit by a tanker in Belfast Lough in Dec 1942, and so much damage was done that only good seamanship saved her. Later under Capt. F.Downing. she took supplies to Syracuse for the Sicilian invasion and later supplies for Naples, which had just been captured.
A story about Sir James Knott, founder of the Prince Line, concerns an occasion when Knott met a group of cadets on the quayside at Newcastle and inquired,"What ship are you from my boys?""the SAilor Orince",-one of the Prince Line vessels-said one of the cadets."Well" said Sir James "I'm Knott". came the reply, You'relucky." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sailing in remote and icy northern regions in the 1950s involved not only the difficulties of serving rather primitive ports but also of being guided by an Eskimo pilot believed to be around 95 years old also blind, assisted as deputy pilot by his son a youngster of about 65."Legend has it that the son wouldsay"Onk Onk,Onk",meaning "There is a lone pine tree on the starboard bow" said Mr Stoker. Father would say "Oink" which meant "Put your wheel hard to port" "The ship would be steered like this for something like 34 miles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another story from Northern Canada concerns John Killick head salesman who was in Savannah,Georgia, U.S.A. and was complaining about the heat. He was sent to the cold far North-- to Churchill on Hudsons Bay, joining colleague Harry Harrison,who was awaiting the arrival of the next Manchester Liners ship. Harrison, later to become manager in Vancouver, is the man, who after six weeks in Churchill earned immortality by sending his boss apostcard picture of an Eskimo woman smoking a pipe. Wrote Harrison, She is starting to look attractive. Please can I come home. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whisky was one of the most vulnerable conventionally-- shipped cargoes. Cases were easily opened, bottles taken and bricks of the right weight sugstituted. A case dropped on its corner would enable a bowler hat to be filled. A St john N.B.legend is that some people,knowing the exact spot in the shed where the whisky would be stowed, would go out on Sundays in a boat complete with a bathtub rowing underneath the shed. As the tide lifted the boat to the underside of the floor they would drill with an awl through the floor into the barrel,filling the bath-tub. The change to containers certainly cut pilferage. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For some years after the First World War Manchester Liners carried up to 12 passengers in the cargo ships this ending after the Second World War as passenger airliners began to take over. On one passenger trip,the master, Cape Horner, Capt Foale, had been told to be specially politeto an important guest,a lady who while diningcould not get the salt out of the saltcellar. Gallantly,the captain said,"Let me help you madam". He picked up the salt cellar and blew down its top! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the Manchester Shipper and Manchester Pioneer were chosen to star in Shelagh Delaney's novel "A Taste of Honey", it was not known that part of the plot involved a drunken seaman taking his girl friend on board, and also involving a drunken first officer! When the Premieretook place,the company had to take space in the programme to point out that Manchester Liners neither approved nor allowed such conduct. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During the unofficial strke of seamen in 1960, directed more at officers of the union than the shipowners, the wives of strikers were given a breakdown of earnings of their husbands. It was not a popular move in some quarters. In an effort to keep matters good humoured, Mr Stoker offered a "Kentucky breakfast" to any seaman who had received lessthan a certain figure on a trip.A"Kentucky breakfast" is a bottle of whisky and a steak- you give the steak to the dog! An argument developed over whether " Sundays at sea money" should be included. Compromising,Mr Stoker presented a bottle of rum,which was promptly raffled by the unofficial strke committee as"the managements personal contribution to the strike fund. On hearing of this ingenuity,Mr Stoker commented "Thank goodness I didn't offer 200 bottles of whisky". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During a visit to Canada, the Russion leader Kosygin expressed a wish to see the Manchester Liners Container Terminal at Montreal. Mr P.V.O.Evans and Mr Stoker- who was carrying a shooting stick and wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat- went there to meet him. A posse of police arrived on motor cycles, then a car with the flag of the lilies of Quebec, out of which stepped Port manager Monsieur Guy Beaudet, followed by a car bearing a hammer and sickle motif, carrying Mr Kosygin and his aides. M Beaudet and Mr Stoker exchanged cordial greetings. Mr Kosygin pointed at Mr Stokes and said with some disfavours: " That is an Englishman?""Yes", said M Beaudet. "But you seem very friendly with him" said Mr Kosygin. "Well he's a nice chap" said M beaudet. Mr Kosygin then said "Yes, but what is he doing here." M Beaudet relied: "He runs his ships up here." " Do you charge him less than you charge me?" asked Mr Kosygin. Mr Stokes felt he really ought to intervene so he said. " Now, Mr Kosygin you see all those containers stacked up there? I painted them red especially for you. And you might as well know that our strong ice-strengthened ships come up the St Lawrence breaking the ice for yours that come along behind- and we don't charge you anything". Mr Kosygin immediatly burst out laughing. This at first seemed puzzling as all the conversation was being translated by an interpreter into Russian. However it transpired that Mr Kosygin had started his working life as an apprentice with Platt Brothers in Oldham, and knew English perfectly! The party then became quite informal and friendly. As a tailpiece to this story,Mr Stoker wasin Greece some time later when he was invited on board a Russian cruise ship as a guest of the head of the Russian Merchant Marine, to whom he said, "By the way, I was talking to your boss the other day." "But I haven't got a boss" the Russian replied. Mr Stoker explained that he was referring to a"chap called Kosygin" to which the reply was, "Oh, you mean God!" Evidently, Russia is not entirely an atheist country.
Manchester Liners Fleet List lost in two World Wars ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Trader built 1890. (ex-Parkmore ) Bought from E.D.and Co Ltd and 1913 renamed Ferdinand Melsom. Resold 1915 to Westfal Larsen ( Norway ) and renamed Kaupanger. Torpedoed in the Mediterranean Dec 13 1916. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Commerce built 1899. Mined off Tory island Oct 27,1914 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Engineer Built 1902. Torpedoed Mar 27 1916 West of Coningbeg lightvessel. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Inventor built 1902. Torpedoed off the Fastnet, Jan 18 1917. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Spinner built1903. Torpedoed South of Malta Jan22 1918 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Miller built1903.Long time charter to Watts, Watts and Company renamed Fulham in 1905. Back to Manchester Liners in 1908 as Manchester Miller. Torpedoed June 5 1917,190 miles N.W. of the Fastnet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Port built 1904. Sold in 1925 to H Vogemann Hamburg and renamed Vogesan. Mined off Vinga May 7 1940. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Mariner built 1904.Mined in English Channel Dec 4 1917, but towed in.Sold in 1925 to Finland; became Mercator. Mined and sunk S.E.Buchan Ness, Dec 1 1939 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Citizen built 1912. Torpedoed Apr 261917 N.W. of Fastnet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Civilian built 1913.Sold to Greece as Tasis in 1933.Taken by Vichy France at Dakar in June 1940 and renamed Equateur. Taken over by Italy in 1942 and renamed Bari.Lost by air attack at Naples Aug 1 1943. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Hero built 1916. Sold in 1937 to B and N. Shipping Company and renamed St Winifred. Sold to Italy in 1939 as Capo Vita. torpedoed west of Lampedusa Island Mar 9 1941 by British Submarine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Trader built 1902. Purchased from ( ex Archenbloe ) Purdie Glen and Company, Glasgow in 1916. Sunk by submarine gunfire, June 4 1917, in Mediterranean, off Pantellaria. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Engineer Purchased in 1917 ( ex nation ex Craidvar ) from W Thaner and Company, Liverpool for the one lost above in thsi year. Torpedoed Aug 16 1917 North Sea of Flamborough Head. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Inventor (ex Celtic King ) Sunk by submarine gunfire in North Sea N.E. Muckle Fluggs July 30 1917 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Commerce Purchased about 1916 (ex King ) . Torpedoed N.W. of Cape Spartel June 1917 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Brigade built 1918 . Torpedoed West of Malin Head Sept 26 1940. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Producer built 1918. ( ex Start Point ) Sold 1939Botwey (Board of Trade) Torpedoed N.W. of St Kilda July 26 1941 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Spinner built 1918. Purchased (ex Grampian Range ) from Furness Whithy April 4 1921 sunk Normandy Beaches as block ship for Mulberry Harbour June 1944 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Regiment built 1922. Lost in convoy collision with steamer Orepesa S.W. of Cape Race Dec 4 1939. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Citizen built 1925. Torpedoed and sunk S.E,of Accra July 9 1943. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Argentino built 1928. Aquired half interest. Sold in 1937. Sunk by air attack N.W.of Lisbon July 26 1943 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manchester Merchant built 1940. Torpedoed Feb 25 1943 East of Cape Race. _________________________________________________________________________________________
Manchester Engineer (1) 27. 3. 1916 A Brief Encounter The 27th March 1916 dawned with a dead calm sea and good visibility off the south east coast of Ireland as U-44 commanded by the thirty-two year old Commander Paul Wagenfuhr cruised lazily on the surface after a night of charging her batteries as a steamer came into sight. Paul Wagenfuhr assessed the black hulled vessel with dark grey superstructure, noting that she was heavily laden, and with no identification markings. After making all these observations it was prudent to dive and prepare to attack U-44 had only been in her allotted patrol area a matter of days, her only success thus far had been the sinking of the Russian barquentine “Ottomar” two days previously, and he had the captain and crew aboard who were becoming something of an embarrassment consuming the limited supplies of food that a U-boat could store on a patrol. Remembering the furore caused by his fellow U-boat Captain Schwieger when he had torpedoed without warning the “Lusitania”,he had let her near sister ship “Mauretania” go on her way despite having her firmly in his sights, so the vessel now in his sights was Wagenfuhr’s first ‘big fish’. The ‘.big fish’ in question was a traditional ‘tramp steamer’ the “Manchester Engineer” belonging to Manchester Liners Ltd. of that city which had been, since the outbreak of war on the 4 August 1914 requisitioned by the government and was currently near the completion of her third return voyage between her home port and St.John, New Brunswick and Philadelphia carrying vital supplies for the increasingly beleaguered population of the British Isles. The policy adopted by the Kaiser and the German high command was to gradually choke off the imports necessary to continue the struggle and to this end there was an increasing emphasis on the use of submarines, a virtually ‘new’ weapon whose potential was only just being recognised. The requisitioned “Manchester Engineer” together with her near sister “Manchester Importer” had arrived in Southampton two days after the declaration of war to ferry troops and equipment across the Channel a task she had continued to perform until the need for supplies saw her diverted to the transatlantic voyages, a route she would have been more familiar with and which led to her unexpected rendezvous with Herr Wagenfuhr. “Manchester Engineer”, built in 1902 on the Tyne had been under the command of fourty-two year old Captain Robert Smith of Maryport since July 1913 and was on the last leg of her journey some 20 miles west by south of Coningbeg light vessel which marks the dangerous Saltee Islands off the Wexford coast. An experienced seaman Captain Smith had served his time on giant four masted sailing ships; his first voyage on the “Auchencairn”was that vessel’s maiden voyage and was from Cardiff to San Francisco taking 108 days including the rounding of Cape Horn. He also had the distinction of serving on the first of the 183 ‘Turret’ steamers when in early 1897 he signed as an AB aboard “Turret” the first of the class, later signing on as 2nd Mate and later still as 1st Mate. He subsequently sailed on “Turret Court”, “Turret Chief” and “Turret Crown” in the latter two capacities; however none of this would have prepared him for the actions about to be undertaken by Herr Wagenfuhr. The diary (log) of U-44 for the 27th March 1916 states; “South coast of Ireland, Wind west, dead calm, 2 visibility good. Steamer in sight. Dived and prepared for attack. Steamer is 6,000 tons, black hull grey superstructure, fairly heavily laden, no markings. Bow torpedo fired. Steamer down by the head. Crew leave the vessel in two boats. Leave submerged, as shortly after shot two fishing boats approach. Surface, in addition to the two fishing boats, another patrol vessel with two funnels appears alongside the steamer. Steamer disappears from view listing heavily, and appears to be sinking.” It was reported later by the captain of the barquentine that Wagenfuhr had tried to confuse the Russian and his crew by stating that he had sighted coastal lights indicating that they were off the Scillies, whereas they were actually off the south east coast of Ireland an intentional lie so as not to give away their position as it was his intention to off load his ’guests’ into the lifeboats of his next victim. The Russian captain said that not only did he hear the torpedo leave the tube, but also felt the concussion when it struck its target. The crew of the stricken steamer, (32 in number) boarded two lifeboats and pulled away from the danger. Within a short time the armed trawler “HMT Heron“appeared and took the survivors on board. It was soon realised that the vessel was not in immediate danger of sinking and the Skipper of the trawler and Captain Smith agreed that it was possible to attempt to tow the ship nearer the shore. Captain Smith and a few of his crew went back to “Manchester Engineer” with a hawser and the trawler began to tow the steamer. Having been alerted of the nearby incident another armed trawler “HMT Margate” hurried to the scene to render assistance. With “Heron” towing the steamer stern first from the port quarter, Captain Smith and his party returned with another hawser from “Margate” to the starboard quarter. The intended destination was a sandy beach inside Hook Point and the two trawlers managed a steady tow at about 2 -3 knots. An hour later, the sloop “HMS Lavender” arrived on the scene and offered to take over the towing duties, but Captain Smith sent a message that the joint tow by the trawlers was going well, and that to disturb matters would not help. The sloop captain was content to let the tow continue, as steady progress was being made. Unfortunately “Margate” got ahead of “Heron” and her propeller cut through the hawser, and the steamer quickly got out of control. At this juncture the Commander of “Lavender” asserted his authority and took over the tow on her own with Queenstown being the destination. After a short while another ‘Flower’ class sloop “HMS Laburnum” came up from the east and yet another visit by Captain Smith and some of his crew to their stricken vessel was necessary. The two sloops commenced towing at 2-00pm with the two trawlers acting as escorts. At 3-30 the “Manchester Engineer” decided to have the last word, as a bulkhead appeared to give way under the pressure of the water, the two sloops had to hastily let go their towing lines and five minutes later she plunged beneath the surface into thirty-four fathoms. By the time this was happening the four would-be rescuers had been joined by the Admiralty tug “HMS Stormcock” and another armed trawler “HMT Brock”. All the 32 crew were then transferred to the tug and taken to Queenstown, then onward to Manchester next day. After the Vice Admiral at Queenstown had evaluated
the logs, reports and depositions by all parties he issued what
can only be interpreted as a mild rebuke to the two commanding
officers of the sloops, stating that as the trawler captains had
demonstrated, the policy with a loaded vessel and a smooth sea
was to make for the nearest sandy shoreline until in about 10 fathoms,
and he deemed that by keep stopping to change the towing vessels,
they were endangering the safety of the four vessels and their
crews from a possible further attack from lurking U-boats,
and that the plight of the stricken ship was made more acute by
their actions. Captain Robert Smith on the other hand was
given the command of more ships in the Manchester Liners fleet, and
went on to meet Germany’s
number two U-boat ‘Ace’ of WW1, becoming another
notch on that Commander’s belt, he did see out the war however,
but there lies a whole new story for another day!
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