CAYZER, IRVINE & COMPANY LIMITED.
TURNBULL MARTIN & CO. LTD. SCOTTISH SHIRE LINE.
R.P. HOUSTON LINE.
SCOTTISH TANKERS LTD.
 |
Clan Line
Captain John Bax
Source: "Gathering of the Clans" by N.L. Middlemiss Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws Research: Terry Robins |
(2) 162
1934 – 1938.
Official No. 132763. Grt 7951 Nrt 4954
449.1 X 58.2 X 37.1 Feet.
29.10.1919 Launched and 2.1920 completed by Barclay, Curle and Co, Ltd., Glasgow (Yard No 574) as OTAKI for New Zealand Shipping Co.Ltd., London, having been laid down as WAR JUPITER. 1934 purchased for £20,000 by The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. And renamed CLAN ROBERTSON. 1938 sold to Stanhope Steamship Co.Ltd. (J.A.Billmeir, managers) London, and renamed STANFLEET. 1939 sold to Zubi Shipping Co. Ltd., London. 12.1939 sold to Blue Star Line Ltd. For £65,000 and renamed PACIFIC STAR. 27.10.1942 torpedoed by U509 N.W. of the Canary Islands in position 29º 15' N 20º 57' W. 28.10.1942 abandoned by her crew at 1740 hrs in position 21º 29' N 19º 28' W , and in daylight on 30.10.1942 she was last seen very low in the water and is presumed to have sunk shortly afterwards. She was on a voyage from Rosario and Freetown to Liverpool with 5,037 tons of frozen meat and general cargo. Her crew of 86 and 11 gunners was rescued.
In 1932 ARGYLLSHIRE of 1911 was transferred from the Scottish Line to become CLAN URQUHART. She had five masts, three of them being before the funnel and two aft. She was one of the largest vessels to go up the Manchester Ship Canal, her length being 526 feet and she was one of three sisters. SHROPSHIRE and WILTSHIRE. Wiltshire was wrecked in 1922. and were owned by the Federal Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. in 1921 and while refitting at Falmouth late in 1921 she was badly damaged by fire and was sent to London for conversion into a passenger liner with accommodation for 400 passengers in two classes. She sailed to New Zealand from March 1923 until torpedoed and sunk on 11th December 1940, 110 miles west of St. Kilda.
(2)
1933 – 1936.
Official No.129581. Grt 9564 Nrt 5580
526.2 X 61.4 X 33.3 Feet.
27.2.1911 Launched and 6.1911 completed by J.Brown and Co., Clydebank (Yard No 399) as ARGYLLSHIRE for Scottish Line (Turnbull, Martin and Co Ltd., managers). 27.5 1915 missed by two torpedoes from a submarine of Le Havre. 5.2.1917 torpedoed by submarine 3 miles S.W. of Start Point, reached Falmouth safely. 1926 laid-up at Southampton.1927 – 1932 laid up at Gareloch. 11.2.1932 grounded on Roseneath Spit, Gareloch, while being taken to Glasgow for overhaul prior to returning to service, little damage.1933 transferred to The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. And renamed CLAN URQHART. 7.1936 sold to T.W.Ward Ltd. For £22,000 for breaking up at Briton Ferry. 14.3.1937 fire broke out during demolition and the vessel was scuttled in shallow water.
In October 1933 CLAN BUCHANNAN (2) CLAN SINCLAIR (2) and CLAN KENNETH (1) were all sold for the combined price of £15,000 to Hughes, Bolckow and Co. Ltd. For demolition at Blyth. The Sons of Sir Charles achieved their aim of the largest purely cargo – carrying concern in the world in the late thirties, with a combined total of 400,000 gross tons of The Clan Line, Scottish Line and Houston Line.
The big CLAN MACARTHUR and CLAN MACAULY and PERTHSHIRE of the associated Scottish Shire Line signaled the start of a big building program in 1936 by Greenock Dockyard of six triple expansion steamers fitted with low-pressure exhaust turbines. The ships had twin propellers to maintain a fast service speed of 17 knots.
(3)
1936 – 1943.
Official No.164066. Grt 10448 Nrt 6406
477.1 X 61.2 X 40.2 Feet.
14.10.1935 Launched and 1.1936 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co.Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 423) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 12.8.1943 torpedoed and sunk by U181 in position 23º 00' S 53º 11' E 350 miles east of Farafangana, Madagascar, having sailed from Durban on 6.8.1943.
(2)
1936 – 1963.
Official No. 164100. Grt 10448 Nrt 6406
477.1 X 61.2 X 40.2 Feet.
7.8.1936 Launched and 11.1936 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co.Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 425) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 19.1.1941 bombed and damaged at Malta. 1960 registered under Houston Line Ltd. 18.11.1963 arrived at Dalmuir for breaking up.
PERTHSHIRE
(2)
Sister ship of Clan Macarthur (3)
Grt 10496 Nrt 6121
24.6.1936 completed trials which resulted in having her funnel lengthened by 9 feet to reduce the amount of soot falling abaft the funnel 26.7.1936 Maiden voyage from Liverpool to Dakar for bunkers and on to Australia. 1940. Taken over by The Ministry of Shipping and Nov 16 arrived at Suez in convoy WS 3 involved in the supply of Malta Feb 1941 moved Alexandria – Haifa as a precaution and on March 19th left for Malta. Mar 23 Arrived Malta and received one bomb hit killing one crewmember. Apr 22 she went back to Alexandria and on May 2 sailed for Port Suez and Australia. She was employed as a military store ship, taking part in convoys.1948 transferred to Scottish Line. 1950 Transferred to Clan Line Steamers and in 1952 transferred to South African routes. 1960 In the River Mersey, she rammed and sank the Tug Applegarth of the Rae Tug Company. 1963 Transferred to Houston Line but remained under managers Huntley, Cook and Co. Oct 6th Laid up at Queens Dock in Glasgow for disposal and in 1964 renamed BORIAS by Margalante Cia.Naveira S.A.Piraeus, for one loaded voyage out. Dec 9th 1964 arrived at Shikama, Kobe for breaking up.
CLAN CAMERON, completed in 1937, was 14 feet shorter and three feet less in the beam with dimensions 463 X 63.0 X 29.9 feet and was the lead ship of a class of 20 very similar ships constructed for, or managed by, the company in the late thirties and throughout the war, ending with CLAN CUMMING of 1946. Moreover, they were shelter- deckers and so their gross tonnages were 3,000 tons less than that of the original three vessels. Improvements and alterations that were made during the building of the class, so that no more than four ships were completely identical.
(3)
1937 – 1959.
Official No.164108. Grt 7243 Nrt 3659.
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
15.10.1936 Launched and 4.1937 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co.Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 426) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 4.3.1959 arrived Hong Kong for breaking up.
(2)
1938 – 1941.
Official No.165924. Grt 7264 Nrt 3676
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
18.10.1937 Launched and 1.1938 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 430). 11.10.1940 damaged by bombing at Liverpool. 19.1.1941 damaged by torpedo off Piraeus, but reach port. 15.4.1941 mined and sunk in the Gulf of Athens.
The first sub- group of the class included as well as Clans CLAN CAMERON, CLAN CAMPBELL, CHISHOLM, CHATTAN, CUMMING, BUCHANNAN and FERGUSON, of which the first four were exactly identical, with the others differing in minor details only. They had a heavily built sturdy appearance with imposing bridges, large funnels and heavy derrick gear. The amidships bridge deck was separated by a hatchway from the bridge structure, which was comparatively short and four decks high, plated in over the two lower decks in the first five ships. They had a long forecastle and short poop with a good sheer. An 80-ton derrick was abaft the mainmast and three other heavy derricks were fitted along with three other sets of derrick posts and a stump mast at the aft end of the bridge deck. The ‘tween decks were high and the hatchways large for the handling of very large sized loads.
(4)
1937 –1942.
Official No. 164112. Grt 7255 Nrt 3662
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
14.1.1937 Launched and 4.1937 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 427) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 13.2.1942 damaged by bombs in position 32º 22' N 24º 22' E 45 miles N.E. of Tobruk while sailing in a fast convoy of merchant ships from Alexandria for the relief of Malta. Detached to Tobruk. 23.3.1942 bombed and sunk 8 miles from Filfola Isles, Malta while sailing in the next fast convoy of four merchant ships from Alexandria.
(2)
1937 – 1939.
Official No.165915. Grt 7256 Nrt 3671
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
5.8.1937 Launched and 10.1937 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 429) for The Clan Line Steamers. 17.10.1939 torpedoed and sunk by U48 in position 45º N 15º W approx. while homeward bound from India, having sailed in convoy from Gibraltar on 13.10.1939.
(2)
1937 – 1942.
Official No. 165907. Grt 7262 Nrt 3666
463 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
12.4.1937 Launched and 7.1937 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd ., Greenock (Yard No 428) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 14.2.1942 bombed and sunk in position 35º 01' N 20º 11' E , 190 miles north of Benghazi wile sailing in the same Malta convoy as CLAN CAMBELL. Sunk By Escort.
(3)
1938 – 1941.
Official No. 165929. Grt 7266 Nrt 3693
463.7 X 63 X 29.9 Feet.
21.12.1937 Launched and 2.1938 completed by Greenock Dockyard. Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 431) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 28.4.1941 sunk by German Raider PINGUIN in position 5º 24' N 62º 46' E, Indian Ocean while on a voyage from Durban to Colombo.
(2)
1938 – 1942.
Official No. 165937. Grt 7347 Nrt 3563
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
22.3.1938 Launched and 6.1938 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd ., Greenock (Yard No 432) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 21.9.1940 attacked by aircraft at Alexandria. 12.8.1942 torpedoed and sunk by aircraft, 20 miles north of Zembra Island while on a Malta convoy from Gibraltar.
Next came four nearly identical ships CLAN’S FRASER, FORBES, LAMONT and MENZIES with an extra house and boat deck above the bridge deck. The remaining ships of the class constructed during the war differed little from CLAN FRASER. However, CLAN MACDONALD of 1939, which received the name of the first Turret deck ship and also the first motor ship, and CLAN MACDOUGALL of 1944, were exceptions, being slightly larger and fitted with two ten cylinder diesel engines.
(3)
1939 – 1941.
Official No. 165960. Grt 7529 Nrt 3524
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
20.12.1938 Launched and 3.1939 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 435) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 17.4.1941 bombed by aircraft and exploded with great force while berthed at Piraeus with a cargo of ammunition.
(3)
1938 – 1959.
Official No. 165951. Grt 7529 Nrt 3689
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
8.9.1938 Launched and 12.1938 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd., Greenock (Yard No 434) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 16.8.1940 damaged by bombs in Tilbury Dock, London. 6.8.1959 arrived Hong Kong for scrapping.
(3)
1939 – 1961.
Official No. 165965. Grt 7673 Nrt 3524
463.7 X 63 0 X 29.9 Feet.
22.3.1939 Launched and 6.1939 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd. Greenock (Yard No 438) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 6.1944 crossed the English Channel 5 times with invasion troops for Normandy, serving as a landing Ship Infantry (LSI). 25.7.1944 commissioned into The Royal Navy, renamed H.M.S. LAMONT, six days later sailed for The South West Pacific to assist United States Navy, but was rejected and used for training, trooping and an accommodation ship for British Pacific Fleet at Manus. Admiralty Islands. 1946 returned to U.K. via Panama Canal and fitted with extra accommodation for ferrying troops between Tilbury and Cuxhaven. 1947 re-entered Clan Line Service. 31.8.1961 arrived Mihara. Japan for scrapping.
(2)
1938 – 1940.
Official No.165947. Grt 7336 Nrt 3555
463.7 X 63.0 X 29.9 Feet.
15.6.1938 Launched and 9.1938 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd ., Greenock (Yard No 433) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 29.7.1940 sunk by torpedo from U99 in position 54º 10'N 12º 00' W, off the N.W Coast of Ireland while on a voyage from Melbourne to U.K.
(4)
1939 to 1970.
Official No. 165971. Grt 9653 Nrt 5719
481.9 X 64.7 X 27.4 Feet.
15.8.1939 Launched and 12.1939 completed by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd ., Greenock (Yard No 436) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 1.1941 Convoy Commodore ship for the Mediterranean convoy to Piraeus. 1960 registered under Houston Line Ltd, 14.3.1966 picked up nine survivors from the tanker WORLD LIBERTY after collision with Norwegian tanker MOSLI in the Red Sea. 6.8.1970 arrived Shanghai for scrapping.
(3)
1944 – 1971.
Official No. 169411. Grt 9710 Nrt 5556
482.0 X 64.7 X 35.6 Feet.
30.6.1943 Launched and 5.1944 completed by J.G. Kincaid and Co. Ltd ., Greenock (Yard No 455) for The Clan Line Steamers Ltd. 1960 registered under Houston Line Ltd. 1971 sold to Castle Shipping Co. Ltd ., Cyprus and renamed VRYSI. 23.11.1971 left Singapore and arrived Kaohsiung for scrapping prior to 8.12.1971.
Part Six