MV Henry Stanley
{{Short description|UK cargo ship sunk in 1942}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2020}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header = |Ship country = United Kingdom |Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|UK|civil}} |Ship name = Henry Stanley |Ship namesake = Henry Morton Stanley |Ship owner = *1929: African Steamship Co Ltd
|Ship operator = *1929: Elder Dempster & Co Ltd
|Ship registry = *1929: London
|Ship route = Liverpool – West Africa |Ship ordered = |Ship builder = Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd, Ardrossan |Ship original cost = |Ship yard number = 342 |Ship laid down = |Ship launched = 21 June 1929 |Ship sponsor = |Ship completed = August 1929 |Ship maiden voyage = |Ship acquired = |Ship in service = |Ship out of service= |Ship identification= *UK official number 161382
|Ship fate = Sunk by torpedo, 6 December 1942 |Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= Explorer-class cargo ship |Ship tonnage= {{GRT|4028}}, {{NRT|2188}} |Ship displacement= |Ship length= {{cvt|370.5|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{cvt|51.6|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship draught= |Ship depth= {{cvt|20.1|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship decks= 2 |Ship power= 650 NHP |Ship propulsion= 8-cylinder 4-stroke diesel |Ship speed= {{convert|12.5|kn|km/h|0}} |Ship capacity= 12 passengers |Ship crew= 44 crew plus 8 DEMS gunners |Ship armament= |Ship sensors= |Ship notes= lead ship of eight sister ships }} |
MV Henry Stanley was a UK cargo motor ship that traded between Liverpool and West Africa. She was launched in 1929 in Scotland and sunk in 1942 in the North Atlantic.
Henry Stanley was built for the African Steamship Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Elder, Dempster & Company Ltd. In 1932 the parent company was reorganised as Elder Dempster Lines and in 1935 the African Steamship Co fleet was absorbed into the main Elder Dempster fleet.
Explorer-class motor ships
Henry Stanley was launched on 21 June 1929 and completed that August. She was the lead ship of the "Explorer" class of eight cargo ships built for companies owned by Elder, Dempster & Co.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=802&vessel=HENRY+STANLEY |title=Henry Stanley |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}} Four were built for the African SS Co and four were built for the British & African Steam Navigation Co Ltd. The Elder Dempster Lines fleet absorbed all eight ships in 1935.
The class was built in four pairs. The Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd built Henry Stanley and Mary Kingsley at Ardrossan in Ayrshire.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=1930&builder=11&ref=808&vessel=MARY+KINGSLEY |title=Mary Kingsley |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}} Archibald McMillan & Son built David Livingstone and Mary Slessor at Dumbarton.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=1930&builder=200&ref=13614&vessel=DAVID+LIVINGSTONE |title=David Livingstone |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}}{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=13615&vessel=MARY+SLESSOR |title=Mary Slessor |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}} D. and W. Henderson and Company built William Wilberforce and Macgregor Laird in Glasgow.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=9750&vessel=WILLIAM+WILBERFORCE |title=William Wilberforce |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}}{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=1930&builder=131&a1Page=2&ref=9752&vessel=MACGREGOR+LAIRD |title=Macgregor Laird |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}} Harland and Wolff built Edward Blyden and Alfred Jones in Govan.{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=9145&vessel=EDWARD+BLYDEN |title=Edward Blyden |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}}{{cite web |url= http://clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=9146&vessel=ALFRED+JONES |title=Alfred Jones |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=29 December 2020}}
Henry Stanley, David Livingstone and Mary Slessor were launched in 1929. Their five sisters were launched in 1930.
Each of the eight ships had a single screw, driven by an eight-cylinder, single-acting, four-stroke diesel engine. John G. Kincaid & Company built Burmeister & Wain-type engines under licence for Henry Stanley and Mary Kingsley. Harland and Wolff built the engines for the other six ships of the class.
Service
Henry Stanley{{'}}s trade was general cargo to West Africa and West African produce to Liverpool.
In 1934 the call sign GSJV{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/34/34b0379.pdf |year=1934 |title=Lloyd's Register |chapter=Steamers & Motorships |volume=I |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register |via=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=19 December 2020}} superseded her code letters LFRC.{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/33/33b0400.pdf |year=1933 |title=Lloyd's Register |chapter=Steamers & Motorships |volume=I |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register |via=Plimsoll Ship Data |access-date=19 December 2020}}
In the Second World War Henry Stanley continued to trade between Britain and West Africa, sailing in SL and other convoys when possible, but also unescorted. Her ports of call included Bathurst, Cape Coast, Dakar, Freetown, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Takoradi.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=HENRY%20STANLEY~armain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Ship Movements |work=Port Arrivals / Departures |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=29 December 2020}}
Loss
File:Lionel Beaumont-Thomas.jpg]]
On 26 or 28 November 1942 Henry Stanley left Liverpool carrying 11 or 12 passengers, including a British Army Colonel and former MP, Lionel Beaumont-Thomas; two Royal Navy officers; and a Blue Funnel Line Captain, Ramsay Brown. Brown had survived the sinking of two of his commands that year: Glenshiel in April, and {{MV|Deucalion||2}} in August when taking part in Operation Pedestal. On 10 November, Brown had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross{{London Gazette |issue=35780 |date=10 November 1942 |page=4880 |supp=y |city=London |title=The Distinguished Service Cross}} for his actions aboard Deucalion, and the King's Commendation for his actions aboard Glenshiel.{{London Gazette |issue=35778 |date=10 November 1942 |page=4874 |supp=y |city=London |title=Commendations}}{{cite web |url= https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/person/25927.html |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |title=Ramsay Brown |work=uboat.net |access-date=4 May 2023}} Henry Stanley carried 4,000 tons of general cargo, plus a small amount of gelignite.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=66}}{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/on/index.html?onz.php?convoy=149!~onzmain |last=Hague |first=Arnold |title=Convoy ON.149 |work=ON Convoy Series |publisher=Don Kindell, Convoyweb |access-date=29 December 2020}}
For the first week she sailed with Convoy ON 149, which was bound for New York. On 5 December, when the convoy dispersed, Henry Stanley set course unescorted for Freetown. She maintained a speed of {{cvt|12|kn}} on a zigzag course.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=67}}
On the night of 6/7 December {{GS|U-103|1940|6}} torpedoed Henry Stanley, hitting her starboard side in number one hold, forward of the bridge.{{cite web |url= https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/2492.html |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |title=Henry Stanley |work=uboat.net |access-date=29 December 2020}} Her Master, Henry Jones, immediately gave orders to stop her engine and abandon ship. Her passengers and crew were embarked in her four lifeboats, which were launched and stood off at a safe distance from the ship. U-103 then hit Henry Stanley with a second torpedo, which exploded in number three hold aft of the bridge. The explosion detonated the gelignite in the cargo and Henry Stanley quickly sank about {{cvt|580|nmi}} west or north-west of the Azores.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=67}}
Sources disagree as to the position where U-103 sank Henry Stanley. A British account gives it as {{coord|48|50|N|39|30|W|format=dms|display=inline}}.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=67}} U-103 recorded it as {{coord|40|35|N|39|40|W|format=dms|display=inline}}.
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101II-MW-3930-23A, U-Boot U-103 in See.jpg]]
About 45 minutes later U-103 surfaced and approached within {{cvt|30|ft|0}} of the lifeboats. U-103{{'}}s commander, 'Oberleutnant zur See Gustav-Adolf Janssen, ordered Captain Jones to come alongside U-103. Jones was commanding lifeboat number two, whose occupants included Captain Brown, Colonel Beaumont-Thomas and the RN lieutenant commander. Jones feared his passengers could be taken prisoner, so he claimed that the swell was too heavy and that the boat could be damaged were he to bring it alongside the u-boat.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=67}}
Janssen replied "I don't care a damn about your crew". Jones took off his coat and gave it to Captain Brown, putting him in command of the boat. Jones swam to U-103, was taken prisoner and was given a dry set of underwear.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=67}} Janssen questioned Jones, who claimed Henry Stanley carried only general cargo. having witnessed the explosion in number three hold Janssen did not believe him. Janssen convinced himself the ship had come from Halifax, Nova Scotia and was bound for French North Africa with supplies for Operation Torch.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=68}}
During the day a gale blew up, so Janssen looked for the lifeboats to see if their occupants needed help. In the heavy sea U-103 shipped water over her stern, which flooded her engine room to a depth of {{convert|0.5|m|in}}. Janssen was forced to submerge to get out of the gale, which continued for three days and nights. U-103 returned to Lorient Submarine Base, where Captain Jones was landed on 29 December as a prisoner of war. He was taken to Germany, interrogated at Wilhelmshaven naval base and held in solitary confinement for 17 days. For the rest of the war he was held prisoner at Marlag und Milag Nord. None of Henry Stanley{{'}}s four lifeboats or their occupants was seen again. Richard Jones was the sole survivor.{{sfn|Cowden|1981|p=68}}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last=Cowden |first=James E |year=1981 |title=The Price of Peace Elder Dempster 1939–1945 |place=Liverpool |publisher=Jocast Ltd |isbn=0-9507480-0-5 }}
{{December 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry Stanley, MV}}
Category:Maritime incidents in December 1942
Category:Ships built in Scotland
Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II