SS California (1923)

SS "California" was a British Passenger Steam Vessel of 16,792 tons built in 1923 by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow for the Anchor Line (Henderson Brothers) Ltd, Glasgow.

Career

Construction

"California" was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons of Linthouse, Glasgow, Scotland in 1923. Photographs of the ship taken in the 1930s show only one funnel, suggesting either a major refit, or that the original fore and aft funnels were for show only. Note the Infobox photograph shows smoke emerging only from the middle funnel.

Pre-War

She carried passengers between Glasgow and New York, and in 1935 she was transferred to the Anchor Line (1935) Ltd.

World War II

In 1939 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a Armed Merchant Cruiser, and from 1942 she was used as a Troopship.

Loss

On 9 July 1943 the small fast convoy "Faith", comprising MV "Port Fairy", the troopships "Duchess of York" and "California", and escorted by HMCS "Iroquois", HMS "Douglas" and HMS "Moyola", sailed Plymouth for Freetown, Sierra Leone. On 11 July 1943 when about 300 miles west of Vigo, Spain, the convoy was attacked by 3 Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft of Accurate high-altitude bombing left the "Duchess of York" and "California" blazing. cite web|url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-1a.html|title=Maritime Disasters of World War II|accessdate=2008-06-20] Both ships were abandoned, and in the early hours of 12 July they were sunk by Royal Navy torpedoes in position coord|41|15|N|15|24|W| [cite web|url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?32081|title=Wrecksite.eu website - SS "California"|accessdate=2008-06-25] as it was feared the flames from the ships would attract U boats. The attack cost the lives of 46 servicemen and crew. [ cite web|url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/anchor.html|title=Anchor Line at Ships List website|accessdate=2008-06-25]

External Links

[http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/64/a3751364.shtml World War II People's War at the BBC]

References