SS Canberra

SS "Canberra" was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of UK £17 million, and was launched on 16 March 1960. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra, and entered service in May 1961.

History

P&O built the "Canberra" to operate the combined P&O-Orient Line service between the United Kingdom and Australia. The arrival of the jet airliner had already caused a drop in demand for this service; a reduction in emigration to Australia and wars forcing the closure of the Suez Canal saw the route become unprofitable. However a refit in 1974 saw the "Canberra" adapted to cruising. Unusually, this transition from an early life as a purpose-built ocean liner to a long and successful career in cruising, occurred without any major external alterations, and with only minimal internal and mechanical changes over the years.

Arguably the single most remarkable feature of Canberra's design was her turbo-electric propulsion system. Instead of being mechanically coupled to her propeller shafts, Canberra's steam turbines drove large electric alternators which provided power to electric motors which, in turn, drove the vessel's twin screws. They were the most powerful steam turbo-electric units ever installed in a passenger ship; at convert|42500|HP|abbr=on per shaft, they surpassed SS "Normandie"'s convert|40000|HP|abbr=on on each of her 4 shafts. There are several operational and economical advantages to such electrical de-coupling of a ship's propulsion system, and it has become a standard element of cruise ship design during the 1990s, over 30 years after Canberra entered service. However diesel engine and gas turbine driven alternators are the primary power source for most modern electrically propelled ships.

After the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982, which initiated the Falklands War, the Ministry of Defence requisitioned the "Canberra" as use as a troopship. Nicknamed the "Great White Whale", the "Canberra" proved vital in transporting the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines to the islands more than 9,000 miles (14,000 km) from the UK. Whilst the "Queen Elizabeth 2" was held to be too vulnerable to enter the war zone, "Canberra" was sent to the heart of the conflict.

"Canberra" anchored in San Carlos Water on 21 May as part of the landings by British forces to retake the islands. Although her size and white colour made her an unmissable target for the Argentine Air Force, the "Canberra", if sunk, would not have been completely submerged in the shallow waters at San Carlos. However, the liner was not badly hit during the landings as the Argentine pilots tended to attack the Royal Navy frigates and destroyers instead of the supply and troop ships. After the war, Argentine pilots claimed they were told not to hit the "Canberra", as they mistook her for a Hospital Ship. [cite book
last = Ward
first = Sharkey
title = Sea Harrier over the Falklands
publisher = Cassell Military Paperbacks
year = 1992
isbn = 0-304-35542-9
pages = 271
chapter = 24]

When the war ended, "Canberra" was used to repatriate the Argentine Army, before returning to Southampton to a rapturous welcome. After a lengthy refit, "Canberra" returned to civilian service as a cruise ship. Her role in the Falklands War made her very popular with the British public, and ticket sales after her return were elevated for many years as a result. Age and high running costs eventually caught up with her though, as she had much higher fuel consumption than most modern cruise ships. She was withdrawn from service in September 1997 and sold to ship breakers for scrapping, leaving for Gadani Beach, Pakistan the next month. She did not give up without a fight however; her deep draft meant that she could not be beached as far as most ships, and due to her solid construction the scrapping process took nearly a year instead of the estimated three months.

Picture Gallery

tatistics

*Launch by Dame Pattie Menzies
*Sailed from Belfast to Southampton 28 April 1961
*Official No 302649: Entered P&O service 19 May 1961
*Cargo capacity 150,000 ft³ (4,200 m³)
*Fuel consumption; 250- 300 tonnes/day at sea (approx)
*Water consumption, engines; 200 tonnes/day
*Water consumption, domestic; 600 tonnes/day
*Water production capacity; 450 tonnes/day
*The top section of the radar mast could cantilever astern in order to fit under the Sydney Harbour Bridge

References

Bibliography

^{A LINER GOES TO SEA Carol Odell Published by Angus & Robertson 1968 ISBN 207949824X}

CANBERRA - THE GREAT WHITE WHALE GOES TO WAR Lt Cdr J.L. Muxworthy RN Published by P&O 1982

CANBERRA - THE GREAT WHITE WHALE Neil McCart Published by Patrick Stephens Ltd 1983 ISBN 085059636X

P&O's CANBERRA - The Ship That Shaped The Future Neil McCart Published by Kingfisher Railway Publications 1989 ISBN 0946184542

BRITISH SUPERLINERS OF THE SIXTIES Philip Dawson Published by Conway Maritime Press 1990 ISBN 085177542X

SS CANBERRA of 1961 Luis Miguel Correia & William H. Miller Published by Liner Books 1997 ISBN 9729694052

CANBERRA - IN THE WAKE OF LEGEND Philip Dawson Published by Conway Maritime Press / P&O 1997 ISBN 0851777074

P&O's CANBERRA & SEA PRINCESS Neil McCart Published by Fan Publications 1993 ISBN 0951953826

SS CANBERRA 1957-1997 Neil McCart Published by Fan Publications 1998 ISBN 1901225003

External links

* [http://www.sscanberra.com/ sscanberra.com, a site dedicated to the Canberra]
* [http://www.greatoceanliners.net/canberra.html Great Ocean Liners - Canberra]