:SS Clan Alpine (1942)
{{Short description|British cargo ship}}
{{other ships|SS Clan Alpine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=SS Clan Alpine stranded.JPG |Ship image size=300px |Ship caption=Clan Alpine stranded in 1961 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship name=*Empire Barrie (1942-45)
|Ship owner=*Ministry of War Transport (1942-45)
|Ship operator=*Allen, Black & Co Ltd (1942-44)
|Ship registry=*{{flagicon|UK|civil}} Sunderland (1942-45)
|Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder=J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number=615 |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched=17 January 1942 |Ship completed=April 1942 |Ship christened= |Ship acquired= |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service=31 October 1960 |Ship identification=*UK Official Number 169016
|Ship fate=Scrapped February 1961 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship tonnage=*{{GRT|7,168}}
|Ship displacement= |Ship length={{convert|423|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|57|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship depth={{convert|34|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship ramps= |Ship ice class= |Ship sail plan= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=1 x triple expansion steam engine (George Clark (1938) Ltd, Sunderland) {{convert|2510|hp|kW|abbr=on}}, supplied by 3 x Scotch boilers. 2 x Belliss and Morcom steam powered generators. |Ship speed= {{convert|10.5|kn|km/h}} |Ship capacity= |Ship crew= |Ship notes= |Ship armament=1 x 4" gun, 1 x 3" gun, 8 x machine guns (Empire Barrie) }} |
{{location map|Bangladesh|width=304
|lat=22.416
|long=91.733
|caption=Location of the stranding of Clan Alpine.
}}
Clan Alpine was a {{GRT|7168|link=off}} cargo ship which was built in 1942 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) as Empire Barrie. She was sold to Clan Line Steamers Ltd in 1947 and served with them until 1957 when she was sold to Bullard, King & Co Ltd and renamed Umvoti. In 1959 she was sold back to Clan Line and renamed Clan Alpine. She was sold for scrap in 1960 and wrecked in a cyclone in October 1960 at Chittagong, East Pakistan, finally being scrapped in February 1961. She can be seen early on in the 1950 film "Waterfront" (an early film starring Richard Burton).
History
Empire Barrie was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland as yard number 615. She was launched on 17 January 1942 and completed in April 1942. Empire Barrie was built for the MoWT{{cite book | first = and Sawyer, L A| last = Mitchell, W H | year = 1995 | title = The Empire Ships| page = 119| publisher = Lloyd's of London Press Ltd| location = London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong|isbn=1-85044-275-4 }} and was initially placed under the management of Allan, Black & Co.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/41/41b0994.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data|accessdate=18 April 2009}} In 1944, management passed to Cayzer, Irvine & Co Ltd.{{cite web|url=http://www.cachalots.org.uk/UserFiles/Cachalot%2026.pdf |title=Last Voyage of the S. S. "CLAN ALPINE" |publisher=SOUTHAMPTON MASTER MARINERS' CLUB |accessdate=19 April 2009}}
=War service=
In May 1943, Empire Barrie delivered 24 Spitfire aircraft to Casablanca, Morocco.{{cite web|url=http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p052.htm |title=Spitfire aircraft production page 52 |publisher=Spitfires |accessdate=17 April 2009}} JL166, JL175, JL 179, JL185, JL188 and JL219.{{cite web|url=http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p053.htm |title=Spitfire aircraft production page 53 |publisher=Spitfires |accessdate=17 April 2009}}
Empire Barrie was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War.
;SL 134
Convoy SL 134 sailed from Freetown, Sierra Leone on 28 July 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 19 August. Empire Barrie was in carrying a cargo of manganese ore from Takoradi, Gold Coast.{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sl/index.html?sl134.htm~slmain |title=Convoy SL.134 |publisher=Convoyweb |accessdate=18 April 2009}}
;SC 144
Convoy SC 144 which sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on 11 October 1943 and arrived at Liverpool on 27 October. Empire Barrie was carrying general cargo and bound for London.{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/sc144.html |title=Convoy SC 144 |publisher=Warsailors |accessdate=18 April 2009}}
;KMS 37
Convoy KMS 37 sailed from Liverpool on 25 December 1943 and arrived at Gibraltar on 7 January 1944. Empire Barrie was carrying general cargo and ammunition and was bound for Port Sudan, Aden and Dar es Salaam.{{cite web|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/oskms/index.html?os063.htm~osmain|title=Convoy OS.63/KMS.37 |publisher=Convoyweb |accessdate=18 April 2009}}
;MKS 47
Convoy MKS 47 sailed from Port Said on 19 April 1944{{cite web|url=http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/mksconvoys3.html |title=MKS Convoys – Nov. 1942-1945, MKS 46 through MKS 60 |publisher=Warsailors |accessdate=17 April 2009}}
=Postwar=
In 1945, Empire Barrie was sold to Clan Line Steamers Ltd and renamed Clan Alpine She was the fourth Clan Line ship to bear that name.{{cite web |url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/clan.html |title=C.W. Cayzer & Company / Cayzer, Irvine & Company / Clan Line of Steamers Limited / Clan Line |publisher=The Ships List |accessdate=18 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707053650/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/clan.html |archivedate=7 July 2009 |df=dmy-all }} In 1952, she underwent a series of tests with the {{SS|Ocean Vulcan||2}}. On 3 February 1956, six crewmembers were killed by carbon monoxide fumes from a makeshift brazier they had set up in their cabin whilst the ship was in dry dock at Glasgow undergoing repairs.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Six Seamen Dead |date=4 February 1956 |page=4 |issue=53446 |column=C }}{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Brazier Caused Death of Six Seamen |date=14 February 1956 |page=5 |issue=53454 |column=C }} In 1957 she was sold to Bullard, King and Co Ltd and renamed Umvoti, serving with them until 1959 when she was sold back to Clan Line and renamed Clan Alpine. She was sold to Japanese shipbreakers, with delivery scheduled for November 1960. Although in good condition, her maximum speed of {{convert|10.5|kn|km/h}} made her too slow for the route she was employed on (United Kingdom - East Africa - India - Pakistan - Ceylon - Australia).
=Final voyage=
On 16 September 1960, Clan Alpine sailed from the Mersey for Chittagong, via Glasgow, the Suez Canal, Assab, Djibouti, Aden, Bombay, Cochin and Tuticorin. She arrived at Chittagong at 01:30hrs on 31 October and anchored to await a berth at the docks. Orders had been received at Bombay for Clan Alpine to proceed to Vizag or Rangoon to embark cargo bound for Japan after she had discharged her cargo at Chittagong. This was to be delivered before she made her way to Onomichi for scrapping.
It was reported that a cyclone was heading for Chittagong, and by 18:35 hrs there were reports that the wind was exceeding Force 12. Although Clan Alpine{{'s}} engine was at "Full Ahead" she was being dragged astern up the Sandwip Channel at {{convert|35|kn|km/h}} dragging both anchors with her. A {{convert|35|ft|m}} storm surge had struck the area. The Chittagong Meteorological Office recorded windspeeds in excess of {{convert|120|kn|km/h}} at the height of the cyclone. It was later revealed that the wind had peaked at {{convert|135|kn|km/h}}. At 18:50 hrs, the eye of the storm passed over the ship and at 19:25 hrs a bump was felt and it was reported that the ship had run aground. The engines were stopped, but a request was made for them to be restarted as the ship was apparently near rocks. The rocks were quickly revealed to be the tops of palm trees.
The engines and two of the three boilers were shut down, leaving one boiler supplying steam to run the generators and other auxiliary equipment. Clan Alpine had come to rest upright, some {{convert|11|mi|km}} upstream of the Karnaphuli River mouth at Skonai Chori ({{coord|22|25|N|91|44|E}}). A message was sent by radio to Clan Line's head office in London informing them of the situation. The reply received asked for confirmation of the position of Clan Alpine. The President of Pakistan, General Mohammed Ayub Khan paid a visit to the ship by helicopter. The crew were made honorary members of the Chittagong Club, which enabled them to use bungalows owned by the club as a break from staying aboard the ship.{{cite web|url=http://www.cachalots.org.uk/UserFiles/Cachalot%2027.pdf |title=Last Voyage of the S. S. "CLAN ALPINE" |publisher=SOUTHAMPTON MASTER MARINERS' CLUB |accessdate=19 April 2009}}
Salvage engineers assessed that it was practical to salvage the ship, but not economical to do so. To keep the boilers supplied with water, sea water was pumped on board during each high tide, using a diesel powered fire pump. The generators were only used at night to help preserve stocks of fresh water on board ship. Clan Alpine was carrying 2,400 tons of general cargo. A road was constructed linking the ship with the main Chittagong highway, and the cargo was discharged into lorries by using the ship's steam winches. The last of the cargo was unloaded on 4 January 1961. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the ship during the time that she was stranded. Clan Alpine was declared a constructive total loss, and sold on 14 February 1961 to East Bengal Trading Corporation Ltd and scrapped in situ. She was sold for about £50,000.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=£50,000 for a British Ship 14 Miles from a Port |date=17 March 1961 |page=13 |issue=55032 |column=D }}
Propulsion
Official Number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. The ship had the UK Official Number 169016. Empire Barrie and Clan Alpine used the Code Letters BDRD.{{cite web|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/45/45a1169.pdf |title=LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS AND MOTORSHIPS |publisher=Plimsoll Ship Data|accessdate=18 April 2009}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://maquettes-marmar.net/fichemaq/marcel/barrie1.jpg Colour photo of stranded Clan Alpine from bow]
- [http://maquettes-marmar.net/fichemaq/marcel/barrie2.jpg Colour photo of stranded Clan Alpine from stern]
{{Empire ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clan Alpine}}
Category:Ships built on the River Wear
Category:Ships of the Clan Line
Category:Ministry of War Transport ships
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom
Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom