|
Specification details, various sources
Tyrrhenia's (Lancastria) Yard number was 557 prior to her launch. Her call sign was KMGS and her official registration number was 145943. Once complete she weighed 16,243 tons and was almost 553 feet long and 70 feet wide. She relied on twin screw propulsion and could reach 17 knots. Her steam Brown-Curtis turbines produced 13,500 Shaft Horse Power. She carried two masts and one large funnel and seven passenger decks - sun deck and promenade deck; beside those of "A", "B", "C", "D", "E" and "F" deck. Tyrrhenia's normal maximum capacity was 2,151 and included accommodation for 280 First class passengers, 364 Second class and 1,187 Third class or steerage passengers. Tyrrhenia had a crew of 320.
Lancastria at Leon 1936 (by courtesy of the University of Liverpool)
1924-25. LANCASTRIA, ex. Tyrrhenia. Call sign: KMGS. Official registration #:145943 Rigging: steel twin screw steamer; 2 steel decks and steel shelter deck partly sheathed in wood; 3rd steel deck in holds; 10 partly cemented bulkhead up to steel deck; flat keel; Water Ballast: cellular double bottom 461 feet long, 2,218 tons; deep tank forward 45 feet, 1,516 tons; Forward Peak Tank 71 tons; Aft Peak Tank 102 tons; cruiser stern. Tonnage: 16,243 tons gross, 12,147 under deck and 9,645 net. Dimensions: 552.8 feet long, 70.4 foot beam and 38.8 feet deep; Bridge and Forecastle 455 feet long on shelter deck.. Buil : 1922 by W. Beardmore & Co. Ltd. in Glasgow. Propulsion: 6 steam turbines double reduction geared to 2 screw shafts; operating at 220 p.s.i.; 2,527 nominal horsepower; 3 double ende and 3 single ended boilers, 36 corrugated furnaces; heating surface 29,163 sq. ft.; forced draught; engine built by the same company as the hull. Owners: Cunard Steam Ship Co. Ltd. Port of registry: Liverpool. Flag: British
Built by W. Beardmore & Co Ltd, Glasgow in 1920 as the "Tyrrhenia" for the Cunard SS Co, she was a 16,243 gross ton ship, length 552.8ft x beam 70.4ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 15 knots. There was passenger capacity for 280-1st, 364-2nd and 1,200-3rd class. Launched on 31st May 1920 she left Glasgow on her maiden voyage to Quebec and Montreal on 13th Jun.1922. In July 1922 she made her first Glasgow - Liverpool - Quebec - Montreal voyage, and on 6th Sep.1922 started her first Liverpool - Queenstown (Cobh) - Boston voyage. The first of three Liverpool - Queenstown - New York sailings commenced 19th Oct.1922 and on 21st Feb.1923 she started her first Hamburg - Southampton - Cherbourg - New York sailing. Her eighth and last voyage on this route commenced 20th Dec.1923. In 1924 she was renamed "Lancastria" and refitted to carry 580-cabin and 1,000-3rd class passengers. Started the first of two Liverpool - Queenstown - New York sailings on 22nd Mar.1924 and on 21st Jun.1924 transferred to the Southampton - Cherbourg - New York service. On 21st May 1926 she sailed from London for Havre - Southampton - New York and in Nov.1926 was refitted to cabin, tourist and 3rd class. Her last NY voyage commenced 17th Aug.1932 and she was subsequently employed mostly cruising. On 3rd Sep.1939 she sailed Liverpool to New York and then ran between New York and Bernuda. She returned to Liverpool in April 1940 and was requisitioned as a troopship. On 17th June 1940 while trying to evacuate British troops from St Nazaire she was bombed and sunk, with the estimated loss of over 5,000 lives. This was the worst disaster ever to befall a British ship and the death toll was kept secret from the British public until after the end of the war. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P. Bonsor, vol.1, p.164]
|
