N CLASS

The first ships built for BI after the War that did not owe their design to mass-produced Wartime tonnage. The N Class ships were fast, sleek looking cargo ships intended for the UK-Australia trade.

NUDDEA


©JC

Built: 1954 by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd., Glasgow.
Tonnage: 8, 596g, 4, 106n, 10, 270dwt.
Engines: Single Screw, Three Turbine H.P. Double, I.P. and L.P., Double Reduction Geared, 10, 250 SHP. 16.5 Knots, 18.63 Knots (Trials).
Passengers: 4, Crew 112.
Launched on the 23rd September 1953 by Mrs. H.A.J. Silley, completed 31st August 1954. Yard No. 732.

Nuddea is a district of Bengal.

Easily identified from her three sisters by the fact that her topmast was placed on her foremost forward mast and her mainmast was between No. 5 and No; 6 hatches. In 1964 she rescued 22 Taiwanese fishermen whose boat had been destroyed by fire off the Australian Coast and on the 4th of November in the same year she was in collision with the German Coaster Germane in the Thames. In 1967 she was transferred to the Japanese-Gulf Service and on the 17th of April 1972 became part of P & O's General Cargo Division.

Her stay was brief however because of the oil crisis and she was sold for scrapping in February of 1973, work commenced on the 15th of March by Sing Cheng Yung Iron & Steel co. Ltd. at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

NOWSHERA


©JC



Built: 1955 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd., Greenock.
Tonnage: 8, 516g, 3, 918n, 10, 250dwt.
Engines: Single Screw, Three Turbine H.P. Double, I.P. and L.P., Double Reduction Geared, 10, 250 SHP. 16.5 Knots, 18.01 Knots (Trials).
Passengers: 2.
Launched on the 18th September 1954, completed 25th February 1955. Yard No. 665.



With Thanks to David Milligan


On Trial

Nowshera is a town near Peshawar.

Her launch had been delayed by high winds for two days after the naming ceremony performed by Mrs. W.R.B. Sample. She was supposed to transfer to P & O and be renamed Balranald but due to sinking in Genoa Harbour on the 12th of November 1963 P & O decided to opt for Nyanza instead. The cause of the sinking was that during routine maintenance a sea water overboard discharge valve had been inadvertently left open, before action could be taken the Engine Room flooded leaving just the accommodation, funnel and masts visible to those returning in the late hours. Nowshera continued in BI service until the 17th of April 1972 when she was transferred to P & O ownership retaining her name. On the 4th of January 1974 she was sold to the Arya National Shipping Line and renamed Arya Chehr. She suffered severe boiler damage in early 1975 and was laid up at Abadan in the March. Late 1975 she was sold for scrap and was towed to Tsingtao for breaking by China National Metals & Minerals Import and Export Corp. Work commenced on the 14th of January 1976.

NYANZA


©IL

Built: 1956 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd., Greenock.
Tonnage: 8, 513g, 3, 906n, 10, 220dwt.
Engines: Single Screw, One Set Three Stage Pametrada Turbine, 10, 250 SHP. 21.05 Knots (Trials).
Passengers: 2, Crew 112
Launched on the 13th March 1956, completed 22nd November 1956. Yard No. 670.

Nyanza is the former name for Lake Victoria, E.Africa.

Transferred to P & O instead of Nowshera on the 17th of November 1964 and renamed Benranald. She reverted back to BI on the 23rd November 1968 for their Japan- Gulf Service returning to her former name of Nyanza.

She returned once more to P & O ownership on the 29th March 1972 and retained her name. She was sold to Arya National Shipping Line SA and renamed Arya Gol on the 5th March 1974. She was sold for scrapping to Bawa Ltd. arriving on the 6th of March 1976 at Gadani Beach, work commenced in the April.