SSThracia
 TheOronodeparting port, 12 July 1902
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Thracia |
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | |
| Route | Mediterranean (1909-1917) |
| Builder | Sir Raylton Dixon & Co |
| Yard number | 459 |
| Launched | 30 August 1898 |
| Completed | November 1898 |
| Maiden voyage | 1898 |
| Identification | Official number109921 |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk bySM UC-69on 27 March 1917 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Oceano-class |
| Type | Cargo Ship |
| Tonnage | 2,891GRT |
| Length | 310 ft (94 m) |
| Beam | 43.9 ft (13.4 m) |
| Depth | 15.7 ft (4.8 m) |
| Installed power | 258NHP |
| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Crew | 38 |
| Notes | Sister ship:SSOceano |
SSThraciawas a Britishcargo shiplaunched as theClarenceand completed as theOronoin 1898 atMiddlesbroughfor the Plate Steamship Company. In 1909 she was sold and renamedThraciaand in 1917 she was torpedoed and sunk bySMUC-69.
Building and registration
[edit]TheOronoand her sister ship, theOceano,were built by the Sir Raylton Dixon & Co. shipyard atMiddlesbrough,United Kingdom.Oronowaslaunchedon 30 August 1898 and completed that November.Oronohad a registered length of 310 ft (94 m) and herbeamwas 43.9 ft (13.4 m). Her measured tonnage was 2,891GRT.The ship's engines were rated at 258NHPand gave her a speed of about 10knots(19 km/h; 12 mph).[1][2]
Early years
[edit]Orono'smaiden voyage was in 1898 during theSecond Boer War.She continued service with the Plate Steamship Company until 1909 when she and her sister ship were sold to theCunard Line,which renamed themThraciaandLyciarespectively. The formerOronocontinued to deliver cargo on Cunard'sMediterraneanroute until 1914.[citation needed]
First World War and sinking
[edit]With the outbreak ofFirst World Warin 1914.Thraciawas used to deliver cargo for thewar effort.she was given aVickers machine gunat herstern.The cargo ship sailed without incident until March 1917. While sailing in aconvoyfromBilbaotoGlasgowwith a cargo ofiron ore,the vessel wastorpedoedby the GermanU-boatUC-69,on the night of 27 March 1917.Thraciaquickly sank with the loss of 36 lives, while only two men survived. One was picked up by a French fishing boat and the other by the NorwegiansteamerNordborg.[citation needed]
Wreckage
[edit]The wreck ofThracialays off the coast of France. The wreck was located after the war by asalvage companyfor scrap metal using explosives, destroying much of ship. Her wreck was mostly forgotten until being rediscovered by a French diver. The wreck is in bad shape. It is badly broken up and is mainly just a confusing tangle of beams and plates. One of the most distinctive features of the wreck is the two large boilers which lie side by side. Her Vickers machine gun is on display at theMusee de Quiberon.[3]
References
[edit]- ^"Orono".Tees built ships.Retrieved7 May2024.
- ^"SS Thracia [+1917]".wrecksite.Retrieved7 May2024.
- ^Shipwrecks Of The Cunard Line.pp. 54–56.